Chinese toy brands are rushing to enter Thailand in response to the popularity of characters such as Labubu from toy manufacturer Pop Mart, seeking a gauge for success as competition for the next craze heats up.
“I come here twice a month. It’s all just so cute,” said one 33-year-old Thai man visiting a 52Toys location in a Bangkok mall on Monday. His current favorite is the tiger character known as Fat Tiger. He was not looking for anything in particular on that visit, but still made a purchase of THB 1,000 baht (USD 30.7) with a friend.
52Toys is operated by China’s 52Toys Development. The company debuted its first dedicated shop outside of China in Bangkok in 2023, and has opened shops in malls here continually since. Its animal characters like Panda Roll—modeled after a baby panda—are popular in the Southeast Asian country. Its stores are full on the weekends.
Another Chinese brand, Heyone, was founded in 2022 and held large events to promote its characters including Ozai in Thailand during September and October. Store chain Top Toy, run by the operator of general merchandiser Miniso, also has locations in Thailand.
These companies’ characters are meant to be enjoyed by adults as well, designed with great attention to detail. They are seen as closer to “art toys” than mass-produced toys. They all use the blind box system, which means buyers do not know which version they are getting until they open the box.
“We’re seeing more [Chinese companies] expand into Thailand as China’s market stagnation and the free trade agreement [between China and ASEAN] have become a tailwind,” said Shuhei Hashimoto, an expert in the Thai retail sector at German consultancy Roland Berger.
Labubu became an international hit when Lisa, a member of K-pop girl group Blackpink, showed off her Labubu on social media. Lisa is Thai, which helped spark the toy’s popularity among young people in the country.
Thailand can be seen as a litmus test regarding the potential of overseas expansion for such characters, and Chinese companies are stepping up efforts here in hopes of finding the next Labubu.
Pop Mart is also moving on from Labubu. Its largest store in the world, located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Thailand, features a display of its Molly character in traditional Thai dress.
Japanese characters like Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan, and Hello Kitty have been popular in Thailand for many years as well, but the continued popularity of Chinese characters could lead to a decline in Japanese characters there.
This article first appeared on Nikkei Asia. It has been republished here as part of 36Kr’s ongoing partnership with Nikkei.