Carl’s Jr to exit Thailand

1 min readUpdated May 28, 2025Mar 17, 20226:13 AM

Carl’s Jr. plans to close all six locations in Thailand by the end of the month.

R&R Restaurant Group, which holds the rights to operate the burger chain, announced it could no longer bear the costs of operating the fast-food chain.

“We tried to get through it during the second half of 2021. But we were forced to import our ingredients solely from the U.S. due to the restrictions imposed by CKE Restaurants Holdings,” it said of its parent company.

The burger chain opened its first branch in Thailand in 2012 at Central Festival Pattaya Beach.

Update: After this story was published, the group announced its last day of operation will be March. 24.

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What this means

Carl's Jr.'s complete withdrawal from Thailand, attributed to CKE Restaurants Holdings' rigid US-only import requirements, signals a significant strategic misstep. This inability to adapt supply chains locally pressured R&R Restaurant Group into an untenable position, leading to inevitable closure. Unlike Panpuri's ambitious 16-store Asian expansion or OCE's successful Bangkok launch, Carl's Jr.'s restrictive model failed to secure a viable foothold. This exit should serve as a stark warning to other international brands considering market entry or expansion in Asia; flexibility and local sourcing are paramount to commercial success. The immediate impact on other Western fast-food competitors in the Thai market will be negligible, but all eyes will be on whether another franchise holder attempts a more localised revival in the coming year.

Minjun Park · Retail News Asia newsroom

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