Boon Rawd Brewery
 | |
| Industry | Beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1933 |
| Founder | Phraya Bhirom Bhakdi |
| Headquarters | Bangkok, Thailand |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Santi Bhirombhakdi, President and CEO |
| Subsidiaries | Singha Corporation |
| Website |
www |
Boon Rawd Brewery (Thai: บริษัท บุญรอดบริวเวอรี่ จำกัด) is a well-known Asian brewery founded in 1933 [1] by Boonrawd Srethabutra. It also produces soft drinks and bottled drinking water.[2] Their best known product is the pale lager Singha. [3]
History
Boon Rawd Brewery was the first to open in Thailand, and produces its beer under the brand name of Singha. It was founded in the early 1930s by Boonrawd Srethabutra, who had received the title of Phraya Bhirom Bhakdi from HM King Prajadhipok Rama VII. The brewery remains under the management of his descendants, who use Bhirom Bhakdi as their family name.
The singha is an Asian lion, but in both Hindu and Thai traditional tales, it is a powerful mythological creature. It was chosen because it is an easily recognizable symbol. The Garuda on the bottle's neck shows Boonrawd Brewery's royal approval, which is granted only to companies with a long standing favorable reputation. It received this on 25 October 1939, by a royal warrant signed by King Rama VII's regent. Boon Rawd is the only brewery in Thailand to receive such a right.[4]
In 1994, Boon Rawd Brewery bought a brewery in Hartmannsdorf and another Mittweida, Saxony. Until 2001, these had produced Singha Gold for the European market under contract, although Singha beer itself has always been brewed in Thailand. Nowadays, all of the Singha brands are only made in Thailand, thus preserving the original taste even for the export market.
Phraya Bhirom Bhakdi was born as Boonrawd Sreshthaputra on 13 October 1872, a son of Pra Bhirom Bhakdi (Chom Sresthaputra ). He was taught by his father until age 11, when he was sent to a temple to be educated by Buddhist monks, as was customary for boys at the time. He taught primary school while still in his teens, then became a clerk at A.J.Dickson, a British-owned logging company. He next sold cars, before embarking on his first business. He decided to open a ferry service across the Chao Praya River, linking the then twin cities Bangkok and Thonburi. All went well, until others copied his idea, which reduced his profits. The government eventually built bridges across the river, and he shut down his ferries for good. In 1929, he began considering the idea of opening Thailand's first brewery. The following year, he request the government's approval. When it was granted, Boonrawd toured Germany and Denmark to see for himself how beer was made. He began constructing his brewery in 1933, and the first bottles rolled off the assembly line in 1934.
Brands
Boon Rawd produces Singha Beer, Singha Light Beer, Singha Soda Water, Singha Water, Leo Beer, Thai Beer, Moshi Green Tea, and B-ing Lifestyle Functional drink.
References
Notes
- ↑ The Economies of Asia 1950-1998 - Google Book Search. books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
- ↑ "Datamonitor - Boon Rawd Brewery Company - Company Research, Analysis Reports, News, Profile". www.datamonitor.com. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
- ↑ "Singha Beer". www.thailanna.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
- ↑ "The Products" (PDF). Singha Corporation Co., Ltd. 2011. Retrieved 12 Jan 2011.
Bibliography
- Thailand Confidential, Jerry Hopkins, 2005, Tuttle Publishing Thailand, 256 pages, ISBN 0-7946-0093-X