European Managers in Thai Supermarket Chains Are Quietly Blocking Russian Food Products

The head of the Thailand-Russia Chamber of Commerce says European purchasing managers at Thai retail chains are creating hurdles even as Thai leadership openly welcomes Russian goods on their shelves.

European Gatekeepers Are Standing Between Russian Products and Thai Shelves

Russian food products are facing an unexpected obstacle in Thailand. It is not Thai law, government policy, or consumer resistance. The problem, according to the Thailand-Russia Chamber of Commerce chief Vitaly Kiselev, is sitting right inside the procurement departments of Thai supermarket chains.

“Unfortunately, in many companies, the purchasing managers are European,” Kiselev said. “And they, let’s say, create certain problems even though the Thai leadership we meet with, as a trade chamber, shows interest in our products and tells us ‘yes’.”

A Clear Disconnect Between Leadership and Procurement

The situation reveals a sharp gap between what Thai executives say in meetings and what actually happens on the ground. Senior Thai management at major retail chains expresses enthusiasm for Russian products. But when it comes to the actual selection process deciding which specific items make it to the shelves something changes.

“They suddenly tell us: ‘No, this one won’t work, and that one won’t either,'” Kiselev explained. “And it is mostly European managers who do this.”

The pattern is consistent top-level agreement followed by quiet rejection at the buying desk. Kiselev noted this trend appears repeatedly across multiple retail companies.

Russian Goods Are Still Making It Through

Despite the friction, Kiselev pointed to an important marker of progress. Russian products are already visible on the shelves of leading Thai supermarket chains. That presence, he suggested, proves that these barriers though real and frustrating are not insurmountable.

The Russia-Thailand trade relationship continues to develop, with Russian exporters finding ways to navigate internal resistance within Thai retail structures. The fact that Russian goods have secured shelf space in major chains signals that the commercial pathway remains open even if some European managers keep trying to narrow it.