Here's your Forbes Daily Briefing for Monday, September 22nd.

Today on Forbes, this Thai coconut water won over China.

The U.S. could be next.

When Ponsakorn Pongsak was growing up in Thailand, his preferred cooling drink was fresh coconut water.

Widely sold by street vendors, it's extracted from young green coconuts that are cultivated

in abundance in the tropical country.

But when he traveled overseas as an adult, Poncicorne looked in vain for that taste of home.

The fruitless search ignited a business idea, packaging Thai coconut water for overseas markets.

In a video interview from his company General Beverages Bangkok headquarters, the 45-year-old

founder says, quote, our coconuts in Thailand have a lot of aroma, so I thought to myself,

why don't we bring the good ones to the world? Today, his If

brand of bottled coconut water, launched 12 years ago, is sold overseas through General

Beverage subsidiary, IFBH, an acronym derived from innovative food and beverages, a company

he runs as CEO. If has become the top-selling coconut water brand in mainland China, the company's biggest market.

Shanghai-based China Insights industry consultancy pegs IFBH's market share there at over a third,

28% from IF and 6% from Inococo, a coconut water drink it touts as a healthier alternative

to conventional sports drinks.

The two brands compete against a dozen odd players, such as local Chinese brand Delgarden,

which also sources its coconuts from Thailand, and has a market share of under 5%.

Other rivals include homegrown Qingxung drink, as well as American brand Vitacoco,

and Thai beverage company Mali Groups Mali Coco.

Ponsacorn is confident that IF can continue to stay on top.

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