B-Quik: The automotive player keeping Thailand on the move
With the number of Thai car owners growing by the minute, this automotive-services company is focusing on the needs of all drivers, regardless of their type of vehicle.
As Chinese electric vehicles challenge Toyota and other Japanese legacy brands for market share across Southeast Asia, a Thai company is racing through a gap in the middle by providing services that all automobiles need. B‑Quik fits tyres, fixes brakes and handles suspension – types of routine maintenance that are required regardless of whether there’s an engine or a battery under the bonnet. This agnosticism is one of the reasons why B‑Quik’s centres are becoming increasingly difficult to miss on Thai roads – something that’s aided by their striking yellow façades. But the brand’s success ultimately comes down to what it offers.
B‑Quik has more than 235 branches in its home market, a handful in neighbouring Cambodia and 40 in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, Indonesia, is home to some 284 million people and most still rely on two‑wheeled transport to get around. About one in 10 Indonesian households owns a four‑wheeled vehicle, compared to one in two in Malaysia. As the country’s growing middle class becomes more affluent and investment in public transport struggles to keep up, car ownership is expected to rise, which means a lot more wheels on the road.
Driving B‑Quik’s success is its 63‑year‑old Dutch CEO, Henk Kiks. A self‑proclaimed “farm boy”, he started as a tyre‑fitter in the Netherlands and now drives a hybrid Porsche to the company’s headquarters on the outskirts of Bangkok. His office is above an immaculate service centre in Nonthaburi. Customers drink coffee in the lounge, while B‑Quik staff examine the underside of cars elevated on four‑poster hydraulic jacks.
Kiks leads Monocle through the vast tyre warehouse and its rows of floor‑to‑ceiling rubber, sharing his expert knowledge of tyre brands, as well as his excitement about the prospect of an F1 road race in Bangkok in 2028. By that time, B‑Quik’s next milestone – 300 branches across the region – will be in the rear‑view mirror, with the number of branches accelerating towards 400. The bigger it gets, the more B2B opportunities arise to partner with car manufacturers, especially new entrants that want to offer countrywide after‑sales to their customers without building their own expensive network of service centres as well as showrooms.
“We are like the dentist,” says Kiks. No one wants to pay money to change their tyres so B‑Quik staff are trained to be truthful and never oversell – a sort of Hippocratic oath for mechanics. This strategy helps B‑Quik to sell more than 1.2 million tyres a year. In 2023 the company launched a membership programme in Thailand. Today you’re more likely to see a car in Bangkok with one of its yellow stickers on its rear window than a Liverpool badge (many Thais’ football team of choice). That’s a huge achievement: far more loyalty than the best dentist could ever dream of.
Asian start-ups to watch
1.
Highlands Coffee, Vietnam
With almost 800 coffee shops in its home market, Highlands is set to go global with a new brand identity and the distinction of using only Vietnam‑grown robusta and arabica beans.
2.
Plan B, Thailand
The outdoor advertising giant is taking over screens and digital billboards in key economic hubs across Southeast Asia. Keep your eyes peeled for Plan B on your next trip.
3.
Zeekr, China
Geely Auto Group, the owner of Lotus and Volvo, is gearing up to challenge Europe’s luxury marques with premium EV brand Zeekr. Hiring Bentley’s chief designer was a statement of intent. Models are now arriving in showrooms.
Comment:
While some companies’ services are caught between electric vehicles and traditional cars, B‑Quik illustrates what you can achieve when your service remains agnostic as an industry changes lanes.
