Thai Franchise Towards Global 2026
A four-day Boot Camp, a sales-kit workshop and a pitching round: how Gnosis Advisory and Thailand’s Department of Business Development prepared Thai franchise brands for Malaysia, the gateway to ASEAN.
For the second consecutive year, Gnosis Advisory (Gnosis Company Limited) was entrusted by the Department of Business Development (DBD), Ministry of Commerce of Thailand to design the curriculum and run the programme “Thai Franchise Towards Global”, part of the government’s project to build capability and open international markets for Thai franchises in fiscal year 2026.1
This year the target market was Malaysia, a gateway to ASEAN and to Muslim consumers. The question was not whether Thai brands wanted to go abroad, but whether their franchise system, documents, fees and pitch were ready for a foreign investor to buy.
The journey ran in three linked stages: learn first, then build real sales tools, then pitch to a judging panel. The best-prepared brands earned a place in the Thailand Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur.
- I · May 2026Boot CampKnowledge and skills for international franchise expansion · 4 days, 24 hours
- II · June 2026Sales Kit WorkshopReadiness and franchise sales tools for overseas markets · 3 days, 18 hours
- III · June 2026PitchingSelection of 12 brands for the Thailand Pavilion in Malaysia
From “selling products”
to “scaling a business system”
Boot Camp: building the knowledge and skills to franchise abroad
DAY 1Market Insight & Strategic Planning
The Boot Camp opened with Malaysia Market Compass, a conversation between Chaiyut Boonkong, Deputy Director of the Thai Trade Center in Kuala Lumpur, and Sethaphong Phadungpisuth, international franchise consultant and CEO of Gnosis Advisory. They covered Thailand–Malaysia trade, where Thai products and services win, and the regulations a franchisor must know. Online sessions from Malaysia-based retail experts and a workshop on adapting a Thai franchise model for Malaysia followed.
DAY 2International franchise strategy, fees and management systems
Day two belonged to Sethaphong. It began with Strategic Foundations for Global Expansion and how to set an international fee structure, the first thing any foreign investor asks about. The idea participants remembered most: “a good fee must have a basis.” Every number has to explain what support it pays for and pass a Transparency Test.
Before going abroad, a brand must answer: what exactly will a foreign investor buy from us?
Not just a product that sells well, but a transferable system, a fee that makes sense, and support that can be delivered across borders.
A panel with Chanon Sangmanee, founder and co-owner of Toro Fries, a Thai brand already operating in Malaysia, then shared real lessons from the Malaysian market: problems, obstacles and how they were solved. The afternoon covered International Franchise Management: support systems for franchisees and standards audits when outlets are in another country, plus an introduction to Malaysia’s Franchise Act 1998.
DAY 3Muslim consumers, accounting and tax, and the halal market
In Malaysia, religion and culture shape buying decisions directly. Anas Santosop, Chair of International Trade Promotion at the Thai Muslim Trade Association, explained Muslim consumer behaviour and trade etiquette under the idea that “religion is a decision framework, not just a set of rules”. Malee Mankong, an accounting and tax specialist, covered accounting and international tax, and Kesinee Raksamanee, COO of TM Global Connect Co., Ltd., spoke on bringing Thai products and services to the global halal market.
DAY 4Malaysian franchise law and the psychology of negotiation
Ms. Wong Jin Nee, a Malaysian franchise and intellectual property lawyer, joined online to explain Malaysian franchise law and trademark registration, with Sethaphong summarising in Thai. A key warning: offering or advertising a franchise in Malaysia before registering as the law requires is an offence.2 In the afternoon, Sawayos Danbunpot of Vitamin Brain closed the Boot Camp with the psychology of business negotiation and closing techniques.
Sales Kit Workshop: readiness and franchise sales tools for overseas markets
A month after the Boot Camp, the brands returned to turn knowledge into tools they could actually sell with. Day one opened with The Ultimate Exhibition Blueprint by Sethaphong, which treats a trade-show booth as a franchise sales tool, not a pop-up shop:
- Selling ROI, not bubble tea: amateur exhibitors sell products; professional franchisors sell return on investment.
- Spatial architecture: keep most of the floor open so visitors feel invited to walk in.
- Eye level and lighting: put key messages at eye level and use light as a secret weapon.
- Ditch the heavy paper: replace thick brochures with trackable digital information.
- Respect the red lines: honour the cultural and religious boundaries of the target market.
In the afternoon, Anas Santosop led an AI workshop on designing brochures and print materials for the Muslim market. Each brand then built its own sales kit with table-by-table coaching. The following day focused on presenting to win over judges and investors, with a presentation-design workshop led by Sawayos Danbunpot, in preparation for the pitching round.1
Pitching: selecting the brands for Malaysia
On the last day everything was tested. Each brand pitched its business plan in 7–10 minutes, then took questions from the judges as if negotiating with a real foreign investor: fee structure, franchisee support, and whether the product fits Malaysian consumers. Sethaphong sat on the judging panel as an international franchise consultant.
The scoring reflected what Malaysian investors actually look for, not just stage confidence:
| Criterion | Weight | What judges looked for |
|---|---|---|
| Fit with the Malaysian market | 30% | No conflict with religious principles (most important), fit with Malaysian lifestyles, clear difference from local competitors |
| Sales tool readiness | 30% | A complete English brochure, a draft term sheet or clear pricing structure, an engaging booth concept |
| Communication and pitching | 20% | Business-level English, credible presence, a concise brand story |
| Investment appeal | 20% | Sensible pricing and payback, clear overseas franchisee support, a sustainable model rather than a short-lived trend |
| Total | 100% |
The 12 Thai franchise brands selected
Across the whole programme, 100 franchise businesses took part, 25 entered the Boot Camp, and after the pitching round 12 businesses earned a place in the Thailand Pavilion in Malaysia.3
- Took part100
- Entered the Boot Camp25
- Selected for Malaysia12
| # | Brand | Concept |
|---|---|---|
| Food | ||
| 1 | Keep in TOUCH | Mala-style grilled skewers |
| 2 | TORO FRIES | Long-cut French fries |
| 3 | MOOMGAPAO | Thai holy-basil rice (kaprao) |
| 4 | Heng Pang Pua | Yaowarat-style shaved-ice dessert |
| Beverage | ||
| 5 | Colla Tea × Yomakhi | Collagen bubble milk tea |
| 6 | BOOCHA | Kombucha |
| 7 | PASH Juices | Premium cold-pressed juice |
| Education | ||
| 8 | Sensemath | Mental-arithmetic maths |
| 9 | Math Talent by Dr. Ying | Maths, science and coding school |
| 10 | ClickRobot | Robotics and AI education |
| 11 | English Corner | English-language school |
| Services | ||
| 12 | Ojisan Relaxing Station | Relaxation massage |
From the classroom to Franchise Expo Malaysia at KLCC
2026Franchise Expo Malaysia 2026 · 12 brands
On 23–25 July 2026, the DBD brought the 12 selected businesses to the Thailand Pavilion at Franchise Expo Malaysia 2026, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, alongside more than 200 franchise brands from 10 countries. The pavilion offered show-only deals for Malaysian investors and interpreters to support negotiations.4 Gnosis Advisory supported the Thai brands on site and arranged business-matching meetings. Read more in Thai Franchises at Franchise Expo Malaysia 2026.
2025Year 1 · Franchise Expo Malaysia 2025 · 10 brands
In the programme’s first year (2025), the DBD brought 10 Thai franchise brands, selected from 30 applicants, to Franchise Expo Malaysia 2025 at KLCC on 21–23 August 2025, with a target of at least THB 200 million in business deals within one year.5 ZEN Group also presented four more brands in the pavilion (ZEN, On the Table, Khiang and AKA), bringing the Thai line-up to 14 brands. The questions Malaysian investors asked in year one shaped a deeper curriculum in year two, from fees and law to booth design. In the same year, Gnosis helped Toro Fries expand into Malaysia.
- 1Topics, speakers and criteria follow the programme plan for fiscal year 2026. ↩
- 2For learning purposes only, not legal advice. Check current requirements with a Malaysian lawyer before offering a franchise. ↩
- 3Source: DBD selection announcement (June 2026) and DBD press release No. 320 (23 July 2026, Thai). Brand names are those used at the show; some companies exhibited a sister brand. ↩
- 4DBD: Thai franchises enter the Malaysian market at Franchise Expo Malaysia 2026 (Thai) ↩
- 5DBD: 10 Thai franchise brands at Franchise Expo Malaysia 2025, press release No. 228, 23 August 2025 (Thai) ↩
Sethaphong Phadungpisuth, CFE
CEO and Managing Director of Gnosis Advisory (Gnosis Company Limited), an international franchise consultant with over 20 years in franchise development, cross-border business matching and corporate finance, with franchise advisory work in Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Indonesia.
Franchise Standards Evaluator, Department of Business Development (DBD) · Director of International Affairs, Franchise and License Association Thailand (FLAT) · Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) · M.S. International Business and Finance, Southern New Hampshire University
