Umios Buys 25.1% of Thai Seafood Maker Pataya Food

A 25.1% stake gives Umios a foothold in one of Thailand’s established shelf-stable food producers, but the Japanese seafood group is buying more than manufacturing capacity. It is also gaining brands, regional distribution channels and a platform for expanding beyond seafood.

Umios said on September 14 that it will take the minority interest in Pataya Food Industries through Kingfisher Holdings, its Bangkok-based group company. The purchase price was not disclosed. Pataya has issued capital of 280 million Thai baht and operates production facilities in Thailand and Vietnam, according to Umios.

Pataya makes tuna-based canned and ambient products, pet food and contract-manufactured goods for customers in Thailand, Asia and other international markets. Its portfolio includes seafood brands Nautilus, Mongkut Talay and Sea Crown, as well as pet-food labels Regalos and Remy. The company has also positioned itself around own-brand manufacturing, a potentially higher-value business than supplying products solely under customers’ labels.

For Umios, formerly Maruha Nichiro, the deal fits a broader push to build an Asian “glocal” network, pairing local brands and production with the Japanese group’s procurement, product-development and distribution capabilities. Thailand is being treated as a processing and development hub rather than simply an end market. That distinction matters as food companies seek shorter supply chains and faster access to Southeast Asia’s growing demand for convenient protein and pet nutrition.

The investment follows Umios’ acquisition of a 51% interest in Malaysia-based Pet World International, announced in June. Together, the transactions broaden the group’s exposure to pet food, where growth prospects are attracting seafood companies looking to use fish-based ingredients and existing processing expertise.

Investors will still need evidence that the strategy can lift returns. Umios reported first-quarter fiscal 2027 sales of 277.6 billion yen, up 5.3% year over year, while operating income fell 29.4% to 6.66 billion yen and attributable profit dropped 47.3% to 3.42 billion yen. The Pataya alliance therefore arrives as a strategic expansion, but also as a test of whether overseas growth can offset pressure on profitability.