Why are protein bars so expensive in Thailand?

Protein bars have become a popular food in many countries around the world , especially in developed countries such as Europe and America, as well as in Asia such as Japan and South Korea, where people are starting to realize the importance of health and diet. Protein bars are easily available both online and offline. They are snacks that people can take with them to eat anywhere, both to satisfy hunger and to provide protein, replacing other snacks that are not good for health.

Interestingly, protein bars are more affordable abroad, sometimes starting at just 1-2 euros (around 40-80 baht), making them a healthy snack that most people can buy and eat in their daily lives, just like regular snacks.

1. Protein bars in Thailand are too expensive to be a snack for everyone.

However, when we explore the protein bar market in Thailand, we find that the prices are still quite high, making them not yet widely popular, with prices ranging from 59 baht to almost 200 baht.

Premium products for certain groups - At this price point, protein bars in Thailand are still seen as premium snacks suitable only for certain groups of people, such as those who exercise heavily, are serious about fitness, and have high purchasing power. When compared to the price of staple foods such as rice with curry and noodles, protein bars are just as expensive, leading many to think that eating rice with curry or eating it as a meal is more worthwhile.

2. Protein bars are expensive because they are imported.

One of the main reasons protein bars in Thailand are expensive is that over 90% of the brands available in the market are imported from overseas, such as Australia, New Zealand, America, or even India. Since protein bars are imported, they face additional costs, including shipping costs, import taxes, marketing costs, and distributor profits, which makes the final selling price higher than it should be.

The effect is that protein bars have become a product accessible only to foreigners or people with high purchasing power , even though protein is an essential nutrient for people of all ages and genders, and protein bars should be a healthy snack accessible to everyone.

Sold in large packs - In addition to the expensive price per piece, imported protein bars are sometimes sold in large packs of several pieces, forcing consumers to pay hundreds of baht each time, which can be a burden for the average consumer.

3. Protein bars produced in Thailand are also expensive.

Despite the increasing number of domestically produced protein bars, their prices remain high, not much different from imported products. One reason is that Thai manufacturers often want to create a premium image of "healthy snacks", so they try to use ingredients that are unnecessarily expensive, such as focusing on plant-based proteins only or adding exotic ingredients that are expensive.

Over-complicated design - With the concept of focusing too much on "health", sometimes it leads to "over-engineering" or designing products that are more complicated than necessary to be just "snacks", causing the production process to be more expensive, resulting in higher prices.

4. HeyPro! Protein bars are designed to be affordable for everyone.

For our HeyPro! brand protein bars, we aim to make protein bars a truly healthy and accessible “alternative snack” for everyone . So it’s important that they’re reasonably priced, taste like snacks, and still provide all the health benefits.

A BETTER ALTERNATIVE THAN YOUR ROUTINE - We strive to provide our protein bars with a viable alternative to chocolate and other sugary, fatty snacks, while still being delicious and satisfying.

Our protein bars are not any less protein than other brands, they taste delicious like snacks, are easy to eat, and are not harsh on the throat. And all this at a price that everyone can afford. It costs less than going out to eat or buying some coffee.

We want HeyPro! Protein Bar to be an easy-to-buy, affordable snack to snack on or take with you wherever you go. It’s not just a premium food for a small group of 100% lean or hardcore athletes, but a healthy snack for everyone in their daily lives.

Summary

Protein bars in Thailand are more expensive than they should be, and more expensive than in many developed countries. The main factor is that most of them are imported, which increases transportation costs and taxes. In addition, the mindset of domestic manufacturers is still too focused on the premium image, making protein bars not widely accessible to the general public.

However, HeyPro! Protein Bar aims to change this by offering high-quality, tasty and, most importantly, reasonably priced protein bars so that everyone can access this healthy snack option in their daily life. No matter who you are or what your lifestyle is, protein bars are an easy way to add value to your overall health.