Thailand’s Department of Business Development (DBD) reported that the restaurant/food services business in the country grew 28% in 2023, generating Bt 314 billion (US$9.6 billion) in revenue, with strong future expansion driven by food delivery.
DBD Director-General Oramon Sapthaveetham said the revenue of restaurant businesses in Thailand rose by 28.41% compared to Bt 244.58 billion (US$7.48 billion) in 2022. Meanwhile, profit surged 182.25% in the same period.
As of 31 March 2025, there were 24,555 legal entities operating restaurant businesses in Thailand. The majority, or 97.44%, are small businesses. The top 5 provinces in Thailand with the highest number of restaurants are:
Bangkok: 9,710 (39.54%)
Chonburi: 2,693 (10.97%)
Phuket: 1,936 (7.88%)
Chiang Mai: 1,504 (6.13%)
Surat Thani: 1,411 (5.75%)
In the first quarter of 2025, there were 973 new restaurant businesses registered signifying healthy growth in this sector.
Thailand placed great importance on food shop businesses, viewing food as a key element of the country’s soft power.
