Region & History

Thailand's first beer came from Bangkok. On 4 August 1933, Phraya Bhirom Bhakdi, born Boonrawd Sreshthaputra, received the brewing licence he had waited years for. His Boon Rawd Brewery is considered the country's first.

Before the first brew was made, the entrepreneur travelled to Germany and Denmark to learn the craft of brewing. By March 1934 the plant was ready. Two brands came to market: Golden Kite and Singha.

Singha is a Sanskrit word meaning lion. It refers to the mythical lion that guards temples and palaces in Thailand. According to the brewery, the brand was granted permission in 1939 to feature the royal Garuda, the bird from the royal coat of arms.

For a long time, Boon Rawd was the top dog. It wasn't until 1995 that a challenger appeared in Ayutthaya province north of Bangkok: Chang, meaning elephant in Thai. Within a few years, Chang was outselling every other Thai beer. Since 2003 the brand has belonged to ThaiBev, a conglomerate that at the time brought together 58 beer and spirits companies.

In 2015, ThaiBev discontinued Chang Beer, Chang Draught and Chang Export and launched Chang Classic, brewed at three of the group's breweries. Today the market is essentially split between two family empires: Boon Rawd with Singha and Leo, and ThaiBev with Chang. The founder's descendants still run the first brewery and carry the family name Bhirombhakdi.