Thammarat Boonsai, Managing Director of Baanidin tells DITP Think Thailand of how his brand stands out in the herbal and spa product market.
Could you tell us something about Baanidin?
I entered the herbal and spa product business and founded Baanidin in 2006 because I have seen increasing awareness of 100% natural products among both Thai and international consumers while there were few companies supplying that kind of product. Initially, Baanidin offered herbal massage oil and a herbal compress ball or luk pra khop, which are our bestselling products, as the customers use them together to relieve pain and inflammation. Now, we also provide other products such as herbal hot and cold packs, herbal bath tea, aroma massage oil, and hand and foot care products.
How do you differentiate your products from those of your competitors?
There are many herbal and spa product manufacturers around the market, but our products are different in many ways; for instance raw materials and our special product formula. Since product quality is our priority, we carefully select Thai herbs, which are our key ingredients, such as Zingiber cassumunar and lemongrass, from reliable sources, including our own organic farm and contract farms. For example, we use only three-year-old Zingiber cassumunar to make our products because it has the best properties at that age. Moreover, our products are 100% natural without chemical ingredients, mineral oil and other petroleum-based content. There are not many companies that offer 100% natural products, like us.
Who are your customers and what are their preferences?
Our customers are people who like and understand the properties of Thai herbs and herbal products. Some 20% of our customers are Thais living in Thailand, while the other 80% are Thai spas in other countries and international customers. We export our products to many markets such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Austria, Finland, Switzerland, the UK and Germany. Chinese customers prefer our compress ball and massage oil with Thai scents such as tom yum and lemongrass while westerners like our compress ball and lavender scented massage oil.
Where do you sell your products?
In addition to our two showrooms at JJ Mall near Chatuchak market, you can purchase our products at Siam Discovery and Taokaenoi shops in Bangkok. We also distribute our products through distributors in several markets, such as Hong Kong and Australia.
What is the future for Baanidin?
We will focus more on the online marketplace as now we are only promoting and selling our products on Thaitrade.com. We expect to distribute our products on other international e-commerce platforms, such as Amazon, eBay and HKTDC. Moreover, we will expand our business to mainland China as we do not have any distributors there; instead our customers come to purchase our products in Hong Kong.
What support do you receive from the DITP?
Since our first year in business, Baanidin has participated in trade fairs hosted by the DITP domestically and attended many international trade fairs abroad. The DITP has also recommended many potential buyers to us. Participating in trade fairs is very important as it gives us the opportunity to introduce our products to new customers, as well as meet business partners from around the world.
For more information, please visit: www.baanidin.com
Words by Somhatai Mosika
