Krating Daeng (Thai: กระทิงแดง, ) is a sweetened, non-carbonated energy drink developed by Chaleo Yoovidhya. The drink is mostly sold in Southeast Asia but can be found in Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States where it is sometimes renamed "Thai Red Bull". Mr. Chaleo took the name from the gaur (Thai: กระทิง krathing,) a large wild bovine of Southeast Asia. Krating Daeng became the basis for the creation of the best selling energy drink in the world, Red Bull. When he died in 2012 at age 89, Mr. Chaleo was a multi-billionaire.
Krating Daeng was first introduced in Thailand during 1970s. It contains water, cane sugar, caffeine, taurine, inositol and B-vitamins. Krating Daeng sales soared across Asia in the 1980s, especially among truck drivers, construction workers and farmers. Truck drivers used to drink it to stay awake during the long late night drive. The working class image was boosted by sponsorship of Thai boxing matches, where the logo of two red bulls charging each other was often on display. The bulls pictured are wild gaurs, not cattle.
The Thai product was transformed into a global brand by Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian entrepreneur. Mateschitz was international marketing director for Blendax, a German toothpaste company, when he visited Thailand in 1982 and discovered that Krating Daeng helped to cure his jet lag. He cooperated with Chaleo's T.C Pharmaceuticals, adapted the formula and composition to "Western tastes". Then launched Red Bull in 1987.
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Original of Red Bull or Krating Daeng advertisement in Thailand.
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Front of Krating Daeng.
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Back of Krating Daeng.