It was introduced in Thailand in 1976 as a refreshment for rural Thai labourers, in the same year that the similarly-named Red Gaurs paramilitary organization carried out attacks on students.

"[2] 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.

[3] The Thai product is from a different company than the global brand Red Bull as formulated by Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian entrepreneur.

[5] Mateschitz was the 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.

Today, Red Bull GmbH is 51 percent controlled by the Yoovidhya family, who own the trademark for the drink in Europe and the United States of America.