BE WTR accelerates SEA push through Porla deal, Thailand expansion

Bangkok, Thailand – Swiss-founded premium water company BE WTR is accelerating its Southeast Asia expansion with the acquisition of Porla’s operations in Singapore and Hong Kong, alongside a new licensing partnership in Thailand.

The move deepens BE WTR’s foothold in Asia’s premium food-and-beverage sector, adding more than 300 hospitality and corporate clients to its network while doubling its Singapore team. 

Existing Porla agreements will transition to BE WTR, bringing hotels and restaurants including Raffles Hotel Singapore, Grand Hyatt Singapore, Hilton Singapore Orchard, and Four Seasons Hotel Singapore under its operational umbrella.

Founded in Switzerland, BE WTR has built its business around a proposition that challenges one of luxury hospitality’s longest-standing assumptions: that premium bottled water must be imported, often from Europe, to signal quality.

“We are proud to expand our presence in Southeast Asia through the acquisition of Porla’s activities in Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as partnering with them to further develop the water solutions industry in Thailand,” said Mike Hecker, Founder & CEO of BE WTR.

“More importantly, we are challenging a long-standing industry assumption: that premium hospitality must rely on imported water. Premium hospitality has, for too long, equated quality with distance. Shipping a glass bottle across the globe only to use it once is no longer defensible environmentally or economically,” he added.

The expansion comes as Asia’s hospitality sector faces rising scrutiny over sustainability practices, particularly around imported bottled water, which remains standard across many luxury hotels and fine-dining establishments from Singapore to Hong Kong. 

In Singapore alone, an estimated 30 million imported glass water bottles enter the market annually, according to the company.

Porla, which has operated in the region since 2015 as a distributor for European water solutions systems, will continue working with BE WTR through its Thailand partnership.

“BE WTR delivers the vision the region has been waiting for, combining quality, sustainability, and operational excellence,” said Peter Ulrich, Director of Porla.

“Our clients now benefit from a truly differentiated product without compromising on the high level of service they expect. I am especially excited to continue this journey in Thailand, where demand for premium and sustainable hospitality solutions is accelerating,” he added.

BE WTR positions itself as a locally bottled alternative to imported mineral water brands, using Swiss-engineered filtration systems that remove pollutants and microplastics while retaining minerals. 

Its reusable glass bottles are designed to circulate more than 300 times through a closed-loop sanitisation system.

The company has operated in Singapore since 2022 and now spans more than 10 markets globally, including China, where it runs bottling facilities in Shanghai, Beijing, and Xiamen. 

Thailand marks its latest Southeast Asian growth market as tourism rebounds and hotels race to balance luxury positioning with increasingly visible sustainability commitments.

“In a world shaped by climate pressures, rising energy costs, and fragile supply chains, the future belongs to locally produced, high-quality solutions,” said Hecker.

He added, “Today, our water is served in over 100 Michelin-starred restaurants globally. It is becoming a new benchmark, not just for quality, but for responsibility.”