Danes and fellow Scandinavians who wonder when ‘their’ beer Carlsberg, will return to Thailand should not expect any reentry of the brand this summer.
“Unfortunately there is very little news I can tell you about Thailand. We are still looking into the possibilities of how/when to get back onto the Thai market. The arbitration case continues and is expected to last for quite some time yet,” says Ms Margrethe Skov, director of public affairs at Carlsberg HQ in Copenhagen to Scandasia.
The Danish-Thai joint venture Carlsberg Brewery (Thailand), set up jointly by Carlsberg and Thai whisky tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, turned sour last year after allegations from both sides of breach of agreements.
Carlsberg’s mother company in Denmark terminated its license agreement with Carlsberg Brewery (Thailand) 27 August 2003.
Later the Thais filed a claim with Copenhagen for USD 500 million in damages.
The case is currently awaiting arbitration talks in a London court.
During the course of the drawn out business conflict has Carlsberg virtually disappeared from the Thai market.
Among the indirect casualties is a lost contract for brewery consultant Danbrew, fully owned by Carlsberg, to manage an expansion of the Chareon owned Chang brewery in Kamphaengpet.