Tools › Guides › Thailand

Exporting to Thailand — AIFTA, TISI standards and Thai FDA registration

Last reviewed 2026-10 · 4 sections

Thailand is a well-developed market with a genuine preference for Indian-origin goods — and a standards and registration regime that is enforced consistently rather than selectively.

Preference, standards and registration

  • AIFTA. Preferential rates for Indian-origin goods meeting the rules of origin, claimed with a certificate of origin (Form AI).
  • TISI. Products under mandatory Thai industrial standards require certification and the TIS mark before sale; a foreign test report alone is generally not accepted, and the route is through the standards institute or a recognised body.
  • Thai FDA. Food, drugs, cosmetics and devices require the importer to hold an import licence, and regulated products need registration before import — production and import are both controlled.

Food labelling is strict

  • Thai labelling rules prescribe content, language (Thai) and format — including details of the importer, and nutritional information for many products.
  • Thailand maintains its own residue limits and food-additive rules; imported food is subject to inspection at the border.
  • Health and nutrition claims are regulated — a claim that is ordinary marketing in one market may require approval here.

Duty, tax and the competitive context

  • Duty follows the Thai tariff; the AIFTA rate applies only with valid origin evidence.
  • VAT applies on import and is handled by the importer.
  • Thailand is also a significant food and consumer-goods producer, so in several categories you are competing with established local manufacture rather than filling a gap. Differentiated ingredients and speciality products tend to travel better than commodity consumer goods.

Documents and market reading

  • Commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, Form AI for a preference claim, TISI certification, Thai FDA import licence and registration, Thai labelling artwork.
  • Thai import data is detailed; note that a large share of the flow is inputs for Thailand's own manufacturing and re-export, so read the composition before drawing conclusions about consumer demand.

Use the tools

Sources & further reading

Thai Customs TISI — Thai Industrial Standards Institute Thai FDA

These guides summarise public material from the bodies named above. They are general information, not advice on a specific shipment, and they are not a substitute for a ruling from your customs authority or a qualified customs broker / consultant.

More guides