BANGKOK — Theerapong Rabuetham, also known as “Keng”, never thought that his aromatic inhaler brand “Hong Thai” would go so far as to be used by global superstars such as Lisa (Lalisa Manoban), Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth and British rapper Central Cee. It has also become a source of relaxation for Thailand’s Olympic athletes in Paris 2024.
Theerapong started out as a street vendor selling aromatic inhalers with a formula he found in a local newspaper and is now in the process of growing the Hong Thai fragrance brand to a turnover of 500 million baht ($14 million).
A Life of Struggles
Born and raised in Bangkok’s Talat Phlu area near Wat Sra Kaew in Thonburi, Keng Teerapong comes from a poor family. His father was a cab driver, his mother a housewife, and they lived in a small house with six children.
“We even had to pay for a blanket in installments,” he says, explaining his family’s financial situation.
He began working at the age of 13, stocking electronic equipment, delivering documents on a Vespa and creating product brochures. He also served in the military at the age of 20.
After leaving the military, Keng applied for various sales jobs but was rejected. He then started selling pork cracklings and chili paste. One day, while reading a local newspaper, he came across an article about making inhalants and decided to take a course for 200 baht ($5.7).
“I continued to experiment and improve,” he recalls, and sold his products on the street and at petrol stations.
His first attempt was unsuccessful, and he took a two-month break. After rethinking his approach, he tried again but was still unsuccessful. He then returned to regular employment for about three and a half years until he heard a life-changing comment from a customer.
“A gas station attendant asked: ‘Where have you been? The customers were asking about your products.”
The customers sought out his strong fragrance in his absence and reignited his passion.
“This made me realize that my product was of high quality,” says Keng Teerapong, recounting how he refined and tested the product over hundreds of iterations, sincerely listening to customer feedback, which ultimately led to the brand’s success today.
The Green Hongthai
The Hong Thai Group offers a variety of herbal products for external use, including inhalants, ointments and massage oils. There are currently six types of inhalants, with the “green” variety being the bestseller.
“It was a mixture of oils and herbs that was kept in a jar. When we smelled it, we thought, ‘Wow… why does this feel so refreshing and good?’ At first we weren’t sure if it would sell.”
He started selling 30-40 cans a day at the market and within a month received an order for 600 cans as souvenirs.
“The cans were unattractive, and there were no labels, but I believed there was some charm in the scent that made customers feel good, just as we did.” From that initial order of 600 cans, production has continued without a single day’s pause.
Moving Towards 500 Million Baht
Behind the success of Hong Thai and the leadership of Teerapong is a commitment to continuous improvement and openness to feedback.
“In the early days, I received a lot of criticism, even on a daily basis. The fact that we improved over 500 times shows that we were not good enough.”
If you are criticized by a group of customers and refuse to make changes, you will lose those customers. But if you think about it and see it as an opportunity to improve, the results can be very rewarding.
“If you are too full of yourself in business, you will never make the necessary changes.”
“Keep going, keep improving and be determined. I believe that determination is what will get you to the finish line”
Today, Hong Thai employs around 500 people and produces over 3 million units per month for all products.
The six types of inhalants have a market share of about 80, while Hong Thai has a share of about 15 in the country’s overall inhalant market. The company expects total sales to reach 500 million baht in 2024.
In 2021, Bertram (1958) Co, Ltd. the manufacturer of Peppermint Field inhalants and Siang Pure Oil, estimated that the inhalant market in Thailand is worth about 4.5 billion baht ($128 million) annually, with at least 10 percent of Thais using inhalants.
Most people buy more than one, as it is a product that is often misplaced. At a conservative estimate of two per person and an average price of 20-30 baht, the market value is around 4.5 billion baht.
The 50-year-old CEO says the goal for 2027 is to become the number one manufacturer with the best customer service in Thailand and to help both partners and customers grow together while maintaining high quality standards.
“If a sample product does not sell or is damaged, it can be exchanged. We do not force sales to achieve targets. Our aim is to create fairness in every trade,” he says. When a manufacturer succeeds in communicating its understanding of the product to consumers, Hong Thai’s inhaler spreads around the world.
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