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by Seven Peaks on Jun 10, 2025 10:00:00 AM
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You might be booking your next hotel with Agoda, paying for coffee through Omise’s backend system, or scrolling through a new clothing collection on the Pomelo app, or making a restaurant reservation with Eatigo.
These digital products have become a part of daily life. But would you believe that these regional and global technology companies started right here in Bangkok?
In reality, Thailand is a breeding ground for many successful companies and unicorns. Interestingly, many were founded by foreigners who saw an opportunity and chose Thailand as the first home for their business. This article explores the stories of four famous tech companies that started as Thai startups before gaining worldwide recognition.
1. Agoda: The Global OTA with Unexpected Thai Origins
Agoda is one of Asia's largest online travel agencies (OTA). It offers bookings for accommodations, flights, and activities worldwide. Although Agoda is now a global technology company under Booking Holdings, its founding story remains deeply tied to Thailand.
When people talk about Agoda, they often think of its owner, Booking Holdings. This leads most people to assume Agoda is an American company. Yet, Agoda’s foundations were laid in Thailand during the 2000s by American entrepreneur Michael Kenny. He saw a massive opening in the online hotel booking market in Asia, especially in Thailand, where tourism was beginning to boom.
They used Bangkok and Phuket as their base to build a hotel network in an era when the internet wasn't yet widespread. This clearly shows that foreigners can start a successful business in Thailand. The major turning point came in 2007 when Priceline.com acquired Agoda. After the merger, Agoda expanded globally under its US owner brand, and its image as a Thai startup gradually faded. However, the heart and one of the largest centers for global operations still remain in Bangkok. This headquarters is crucial for driving the business globally. The macro-level scale of these operations is confirmed by the business financial figures of Agoda Services Co., Ltd. (a Thai legal entity), which reported total revenue for 2024 reaching 14,154,325,078 THB.
2. Omise: Thailand’s Proven Unicorn
Omise is an online payment technology that helps businesses of every size smoothly accept diverse payments, including credit cards, e-wallets, and PromptPay. It also offers regional financial tools and solutions, making it one of the most successful Thai unicorns today.
When someone asks about a Thai unicorn startup, Omise is usually the first name mentioned. The company was founded in 2013 by Japanese founder Jun Hasegawa and Thai founder Ezra Don Harinsut. They encountered problems with Thailand's complicated and outdated online payment system, so they created Omise with the goal of making online payments simple using a developer-friendly API system.
What quickly brought Omise success was building a flexible API system backed by comprehensive documentation. It was called the "Stripe of Asia". As the company grew and raised significant funding, they rebranded the holding company to Opn in 2020. This move showcased a vision that extended beyond just a payment gateway and included expansion across Asia. The rebranding fully established its regional image, making many forget that this successful Thai startup originated in Bangkok. This success is reflected in the accounting figures of Omise Co., Ltd. (a Thai legal entity), which reported total revenue for 2024 reaching 1,347,368,881 THB.
3. Pomelo: The Fashion Tech Brand Often Mistaken for a Korean Brand
Pomelo is a fashion tech company that operates an omnichannel fashion and lifestyle e-commerce platform. It offers its own fashion products and those of other brands through its application and physical stores. Given its brand style and modern app, many mistakenly believe Pomelo is a fashion brand from Korea or Singapore. However, Pomelo is a fashion tech company with its headquarters and origins in Bangkok.
Pomelo was founded in 2013 by David Jou, a Korean-American. He chose Bangkok as his base because Thailand has strengths in the fashion industry, logistics, and serves as a regional hub.
What differentiates Pomelo is its technology. They were pioneers of the Omnichannel model with their "Tap Try Buy" service. This service allows customers to order items online, try them on for free at a physical store or at home, paying only for what they like. This perfectly solves the classic problem of buying clothes online. This continuous market expansion resulted in Pomelo Fashion Co., Ltd. (a Thai legal entity) reporting total revenue for 2024 reaching 1,117,618,899 THB.
4. Eatigo: The Dining Deal Disruptor
Eatigo is a restaurant booking app that utilizes the concept of yield management to maximize empty tables in restaurants by offering varying time-based discounts. The platform is the familiar dining reservation model for many. Its rapid success and expansion across the region, particularly in Singapore and Hong Kong, have led many people to assume it is a Singaporean brand.
Eatigo was founded in Bangkok by a team of Thai and foreign co-founders who spotted a straightforward problem with a significant opportunity in the restaurant business. That problem was empty tables during off-peak hours, when the restaurant was still open but had no customers. Eatigo applied the same Yield Management concept used by airlines to restaurants, offering discounts that varied according to the time slot. The fewer people during a time slot, the higher the discount. This model created a win-win for both customers and restaurants. It was first proven in Bangkok's highly competitive dining market before receiving investment from Tripadvisor and expanding throughout Asia. Today, Eatigo (Thailand) Co., Ltd. remains a market leader, reporting total revenue for 2024 at 17,365,790.49 THB.
Thailand: A Hub for Global Tech Success
The stories of Agoda, Omise, Pomelo, and Eatigo clearly prove that Thailand's tech ecosystem is vibrant and can truly be a launchpad for global technology companies. They offer strong evidence that foreigners can launch and succeed with tech businesses in Thailand just as much as Thai people can.
But what do these companies have in common? The answer is that they didn't just have great business ideas. They successfully built outstanding digital products. This is the core of their success and the biggest challenge faced by all new entrepreneurs.
Seven Peaks: Your Expert Partner for Growth
When this challenge requires external expertise, that's where experts like Seven Peaks Software step in. We are here to be a part of the solution, helping to develop and grow alongside you. When this challenge requires specialist expertise, the experts at Seven Peaks Software can step in to assist. We are here to be part of the solution, helping to develop and grow alongside you.
As one of the leading software development and digital consultancy firms in Bangkok, Seven Peaks Software provides the technical expertise and strategic insight that drives the success of many top companies looking to build world-class digital products.
Our specialized expertise covers:
The lesson from these four success stories is that a strong concept must be matched by action and execution. For today's entrepreneurs aiming for global expansion, having a technical partner that is expert and understands the market like Seven Peaks might just be the key to success just as the four preceding companies have shown us.
If you have a product idea ready to join these success stories, or if you are looking for a digital transformation expert that understands the Thai market, you can contact us for consultation right away.
Punyisa (Fame) Pongvichai, Digital Marketing Intern at Seven Peaks Software
Fame is an Economics student at Chulalongkorn University. While her major is Economics, she has developed a strong passion for marketing, design, and digital products within the tech industry. Since joining the Product Growth department, she has actively contributed to various projects, including blogs, graphics, social media posts, employer branding initiatives, and events.
