Nestlé sues Prayudh, Chalermchai for 577M baht over Nescafe split

Nestlé S.A. Switzerland, owner of the Nescafé trademark, and Nestlé Thailand have filed a lawsuit against Prayuth and Chalermchai Mahagitsiri, seeking 577 million baht in damages over the Nescafé business split.

Nestlé Thailand has provided an update on the ongoing trademark dispute over the Nescafé brand, following a recent court session on May 28, 2025.

The case involves Nestlé S.A. of Switzerland, as the owner of the Nescafé trademark, and Nestlé Thailand, which holds exclusive rights to use the trademark in the country, against Thai business figures Prayudh Mahagitsiri and Chalermchai Mahagitsiri.

The lawsuit stems from alleged actions that have impacted the rights to the Nescafé trademark in Thailand.

Nestlé is seeking 577 million baht in damages, calculated from an eight-day suspension of Nescafé sales. The Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court issued a temporary injunction, confirming that Nestlé Thailand holds exclusive rights to use the “Nescafé” and “เนสกาแฟ” trademarks within Thailand.

Despite mediation efforts, the parties were unable to reach an agreement, leading the court to proceed with the formal trial process. The next hearing is set for June 9, 2025.

Earlier in March 2025, Nestlé filed a petition with the Bangkok South Civil Court seeking the dissolution of Quality Coffee Products Company Limited (QCP), a 50/50 joint venture between Nestlé and the Mahagitsiri family.

The petition was filed after the parties could not agree on the future direction of QCP, which halted its operations, including Nescafé production, on January 1, 2025.

Nestlé has also requested the court appoint a liquidator to manage QCP’s finances and protect the company’s assets until the dissolution decision is finalised.

Nestle sues Prayudh, Chalermchai for 577M baht over Nescafe split