From Manila to Bangkok: Building Southeast Asia’s next cult brand
When a Filipino brand opens its biggest store to date, not at home, but in the heart of Bangkok, the question writes itself: Is this a bold experiment, or the beginning of a serious regional takeover? For Sunnies, Thailand is no longer a test market. It is a proving ground.
Since entering the country in late 2025, the brand has opened five locations across Bangkok at Central Ladprao, Central Rama 9, Fashion Island, Central Chidlom, and its largest space to date, Sunnies World Central Park Dusit. In retail terms, this is not cautious expansion. It signals confidence.
And what makes the move compelling is not speed alone, but intention. Sunnies is not exporting a Filipino brand wholesale. It is translating one.
Where creativity meets culture
The Thai chapter came into focus over two days in January, when the founders gathered in Bangkok for a series of events, designed less as spectacle and more as a statement of presence. An intimate dinner at Charmkrung brought together Thai creatives, brand partners, and longtime supporters. The tablescape drew from both Filipino and Thai visual language—fruits, florals, saturated colors, and tactile textures. It felt less like a launch and more like a cultural exchange.
The following day unfolded inside Sunnies World Central Park Dusit. As Martine Ho described it, the space was designed as “a shared environment that brings together Sunnies Studios, Sunnies Face, Sunnies Flask, and Sunnies Coffee, offering a place where product, design, and everyday rituals come together.”
Rather than separating categories, the store functions as a single ecosystem. Guests moved seamlessly between eyewear fittings, beauty counters, flasks, coffee, music, and conversation, with all five founders present on the floor. The message was unmistakable. This was not a pop-up. This was a commitment.
Community before scale
For Ho, the most complex part of entering Thailand was cultural fluency. “Entering a new market means understanding the nuances of culture,” she says. “You have to compare and contrast, but still stay true to Sunnies’ identity and voice. It’s about appreciating the beauty of Thailand and letting Sunnies speak for itself in a way that translates to the Thai market.”
That sensitivity appears to be paying off. According to Ho, the brand’s early performance exceeded expectations. “It was close to 300 percent more than what we projected,” she shares. “People here are really resonating with the brand.”
Thailand, she adds, felt instinctive. “We love the culture, the food, the people, the energy. Thai fashion is progressive and exciting. Our intuition told us Sunnies would be welcomed here, and it turns out that intuition was right.”
Across conversations with the founders, one principle surfaced repeatedly: Community comes before scale. Jess Wilson described the Thailand milestone as monumental, but emphasized restraint. “We always intended [for] Sunnies to go global,” she says. “But it has to be done slowly, step by step. It’s about understanding what Thai customers value and merging that with Sunnies culture.”
That philosophy shows up in the details. Localized coffee offerings like Thai milk tea and coconut coffee. Limited-edition colorways created specifically for the market. Merchandise produced in electric hues inspired by Bangkok’s visual rhythm: chartreuse and pink.
“For us, community is long-term,” Wilson explains. “If it’s transactional, it ends quickly. Community is how Sunnies was built from the beginning.” It’s why the founders themselves were deeply involved throughout the process, visiting Bangkok repeatedly over the year. Decisions were not outsourced. They were hands-on.
Growth and confidence
For Bea Soriano-Dee and Eric Dee Jr., Thailand represents more than growth. It represents visibility. “Filipino excellence is what we want to show,” Eric says. “The Philippines has so much to offer creatively, and Sunnies is our way of expressing that.”
Soriano-Dee echoes the sentiment. “Everything we do is rooted in our creative culture. Asia has some of the best creatives in the world. To showcase Filipino creativity in a market like Thailand is something we’re deeply proud of.”
The Central Park Dusit location reflects that confidence. A skyline-facing space in a newly opened mall, positioned alongside global brands. Dee Jr. admits it felt risky. “When we opened the store, there was no formal launch yet,” he recalls. “We were scared. But it was packed. People were trying on sunglasses, swatching lipsticks, building their flasks. I was standing outside crying. This was 12 years in the making.”
Nowhere to go but up
Nearly everything in the space, from product design to visual language, was created by Filipino teams. For the founders, that mattered as much as performance. And despite frequent questions about expansion into Europe or the United States, the Sunnies team remains focused.
“Southeast Asia is where we belong right now,” one founder shares. “It’s young, vibrant, and culturally rich. We design for Southeast Asian faces. That matters.”
Vietnam is already part of the brand’s footprint, and Thailand’s success has accelerated plans further. Ten additional Thai locations are slated for 2026, including Terminal 21 Asoke, Mega Bangna, Central Westgate, and Chiang Mai.
From local to global contender
The brand’s flexibility is its advantage. Full Sunnies World flagships, category-specific stores, kiosks, airport concepts, resort-driven formats. Each adapts to context without losing identity.
Retail history is filled with brands that expanded too quickly or misunderstood the markets they entered. Sunnies appears acutely aware of those risks. But what sets this expansion apart is its grounding. The founders show up. They listen. They localize without dilution. Growth is framed as cultural exchange rather than conquest.
There is also the product itself. A wide, evolving selection that continues to feel considered rather than overextended. As someone who has been buying from Sunnies since the beginning, I’ve watched the brand grow without growing stale. The pieces still catch my eye. They still feel relevant. They still feel worth reaching for.
For Filipinos, the pride feels earned. A homegrown brand standing confidently among global players, bringing Filipino creativity into new cities with care and conviction. For Thai audiences, curiosity has already turned into affection.
Sunnies did not enter Bangkok as a guest. It entered prepared to build, stay, and grow. And if the packed stores, early momentum, and emotional founders are any indication, this is no longer a question of whether Sunnies succeeds in Thailand.
It is a question of how far it goes next.
