Who owns CHANG BEER?

CHANG BEER is owned by

THAI BEVERAGE

Website

Chang Beer was created in 1995 by Carlsberg Asia, a joint partnership founded by Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, in Bangkok, Thailand. Until the 1990’s, alcohol production was heavily regulated, and much of the production was controlled by the state. Charoen had worked with the state to manage production of whiskey at its government owned distilleries. In 1991, as the regulation of alcohol began to be liberalized, he had partnered with Carlsberg Group in 1991 to help introduce the Danish company’s flagship beer in Thailand and the rest of southeast Asia. With the experience he used in that partnership, Charoen began to develop Chang beer.

The beer had quickly become a major player in the Thai beer space, and by 1999 it had a 58% share in the market, overtaking its primary competitor, Singha. Carlsberg’s introduction, meanwhile, was seen as a failure; in that same year, it had only had less than a 2% market share. Carlsberg subsequently withdrew from the partnership in 2003, and terminated Chang’s license to their trademarks, claiming non-fulfillment of contractual obligations. Around that time, Charoen had established Thai Beverage, which rolled up Chang as a subsidiary. ThaiBev sued Carlsberg for $2.5 billion in damages, and eventually settled for $120 million.

In 2005, the company attempted to get listed on the Thai stock exchange, which would have made it the biggest listing on the exchange. However, they faced swift resistance from the Buddhist monastic community, who said it would lead to higher consumption of alcohol. The monks staged a protest in front of the exchange, chanting Buddhist texts with over two thousand participating. As a result, the company was then listed on the Singapore stock exchange instead.

Popular Beers by this Brand

• Chang Beer
• Chang Espresso Lager

Like what we’re doing here? Donate to help keep the site alive!