Demand for food products is shifting away to a wider array of processed foods available in large
supermarkets from unprocessed foods found in fresh markets. Thailand’s exposure to international food
products has led to significant changes in consumer attitudes and consumption patterns. Moreover, the rapid urbanization and the growing number of women in the workforce have also increased demand for processed foods and ready to eat meals. Frozen food products, particularly frozen-ready meals, desserts, and seafood, show the biggest growth. As a result, retail food outlets are increasing their product lines of ready-to-eat food products that are normally found in convenience stores like 7-Eleven, Family Mart, and Lawson 108. Demand for these ready-to-eat products are also fueling interests in western processed food products as they are perceived as being higher quality than domestically processed food. With rising demand for processed foods, Thai food processors must import large quantities of food ingredients that are not locally available.