Network Thailand
Qualitative market research agency in Thailand
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Thailand, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to mobile diaries and shop-alongs, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Thailand has 71.6 million people, 94.7 per cent of them online (DataReportal, Digital 2026), and more than 56 million of them use LINE (LINE, December 2025). Research there works in Thai, on the phone, and with a moderator who knows that the first answer is the polite one. We have interviewed skincare users in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam for a European brand whose positioning was failing in Southeast Asia.
AT A GLANCE
Thailand at a glance for researchers
- Population. 71.6 million people, median age 40.6, 55.2 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Close to half the country lives outside the cities, and Bangkok is richer and faster than the rest.
- Languages. Thai, in every session. English works with some professionals in Bangkok and with few consumers. Our moderators live in Thailand and work in Thai, with translation for your team.
- Internet and mobile. 67.8 million internet users, 94.7 per cent of the population, and 96.6 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). LINE has more than 56 million users in Thailand (LINE, December 2025). The phone is where participants read, chat and pay.
- Where fieldwork happens. Bangkok first, then Chiang Mai for the north, Khon Kaen for the northeast and Hat Yai or Phuket for the south when the decision is national. Online sessions reach participants in smaller towns.
- Data protection. The Personal Data Protection Act has been in full force since 1 June 2022. Participants give consent before each session and know what is recorded and why.
- Timing. Songkran, the Thai New Year in mid-April, stops fieldwork for about a week. The turn of the year is a holiday period, and heavy rain between August and October can interrupt travel to in-person sessions.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Thailand?
In Thailand the first answer is often the polite one. A study that takes it at its word goes home with compliments.
- The polite answer comes first. In Japan, Thailand or Korea, first answers are polite answers, and an inexperienced team mistakes them for findings. A moderator who lives in Thailand asks again, differently, until the participant says what they would tell a friend.
- A word can carry the wrong feeling. A European skincare brand's "clinical" positioning worked in northern Europe and failed in Southeast Asia. In-depth interviews in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam showed why: clinical felt cold and intimidating, not trustworthy. People wanted results wrapped in warmth.
- A study that fits a phone screen. Stimulus, tasks and diaries are designed for the phone, where Thai participants already read, chat and pay. A mobile diary follows a skincare or shopping routine more closely than a long session in a viewing room.
- Bangkok is not Thailand. Incomes, shops and media habits in Bangkok differ from Chiang Mai or the northeast. We agree with you which regions the decision depends on before recruitment starts.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Thailand?
- We recruit through local partners in Bangkok and the regional cities, who find the people your brief describes, by age, income and category use.
- Reminders reach participants on the phone they use every day, and the local team confirms each session the day before.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Thailand?
Most studies in Thailand run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with mobile diaries, shop-alongs or taste tests when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Beauty, health, finance and other personal topics | The first answer; ask again in another way |
| Focus groups | Concepts, food, drink and packaging among people of similar age | Agreement with the eldest in the room |
| Mobile diaries | Daily routines, skincare and shopping, shown on the phone | Short tasks; photos and voice notes work best |
| Shop-alongs | Convenience stores, malls and markets where the choice is made | Heat and crowds; keep each visit short |
| Taste tests | Food and drink adapted to Thai tastes | Polite scores; compare products side by side |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Thailand
How much does market research cost in Thailand?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Thailand added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Regions outside Bangkok add recruitment and travel, which moves the price more than the number of sessions. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Thailand?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A Bangkok fieldwork house fits a team that brings its own moderator; a large network fits national tracking. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Thailand that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Do sessions in Thailand need to run in Thai?
Yes. Most consumers are at ease only in Thai, and politeness in the language tells a local moderator when an answer is courtesy and when it is conviction. MindMarket's moderators live in Thailand and work in Thai, with translation for your team.
Is Bangkok enough, or should I add other regions?
Bangkok is enough for products sold to urban, higher-income consumers. For a national decision, add the north or the northeast: close to half of Thailand lives outside the cities, and income, shops and media differ from the capital.
Should I run research online or in person in Thailand?
Online for most interviews and diaries: 94.7 per cent of the population uses the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026), mostly on a phone. In person for groups, taste tests and shop-alongs, where reactions and products need to be in the same room.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Thailand told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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