Taiwanese franchise brands sign 30 letters of intent in Thailand as agency outlines Australia and US plans
Taiwanese franchise brands held 187 business meetings and signed 30 letters of intent during a four-day franchise exhibition in Thailand. Taiwan’s Administration of Commerce estimates potential follow-on business at NT$72 million and has outlined plans for exhibitions in Australia and the US.
Published
Taiwan’s franchise sector has reported further progress in finding partners through overseas exhibitions. On 9 June 2026, the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Administration of Commerce announced that Taiwanese franchise brands had held 187 business meetings and signed 30 letters of intent at a franchise exhibition in Thailand from 4 to 7 June. It estimated potential follow-on business at NT$72 million.
Four days of meetings cover agency, franchise and distribution partnerships
The Taiwanese exhibitors represented food and drink, consumer services, and leisure and entertainment businesses. They met local agents, franchisees, distribution channel operators and related service providers. Alongside opportunities to showcase their brands, the exhibition gave participants access to a range of potential operating and commercial partners.
The Administration of Commerce said it continues to use international exhibitions, business matchmaking and networking to connect Taiwanese franchise businesses with overseas agents, franchisees, supply chain partners and distributors. The meeting and letter-of-intent figures represent an interim outcome of this overseas expansion work.
Thailand as a base for expansion into South-East Asia
The agency described Thailand as a major ASEAN economy and tourism-driven consumer market. It said the country’s franchise market is worth more than THB300 billion a year, with average annual growth of 15–20%, making it an important base for Taiwanese chains entering South-East Asia.
These figures reflect the agency’s description of the Thai market, not the revenue or growth performance of the Taiwanese exhibitors. For franchise businesses considering international expansion, market size provides context when choosing where to expand, while exhibition meetings offer a way to meet local partners. Neither should be equated directly with individual brands’ success in opening outlets.
Letters of intent are not completed deals
The 30 documents announced were letters of intent, while the NT$72 million figure was an estimate of potential follow-on business, not the value of completed transactions. The agency’s announcement focused on business contacts and expressions of interest in partnerships, rather than confirmed overseas outlet openings.
Brand owners preparing to expand abroad should track meetings, letters of intent, formal contracts and outlet openings as separate stages when assessing an exhibition’s value. This recognises the value of participation without treating initial contacts as confirmed expansion progress.
Australia and US exhibitions feature in follow-up plans
In the same announcement, the agency said it planned to attend franchise exhibitions in Melbourne, Australia, in August 2026 and Arizona, in the US, in November 2026, continuing its support for Taiwanese brands seeking overseas business opportunities. These were the next steps outlined at the time of the announcement; they do not establish any outcomes from either event.
Practical takeaway: Taiwanese franchise businesses assessing overseas exhibitions should first clarify whether they need agents, franchisees or supply chain partners, then measure results against actual progress after meetings. Letters of intent and estimated business opportunities should be recorded separately from signed contracts and outlet openings.
