Sending a package to Thailand: Customs, VAT and delivery time

Sending a package to Thailand: What companies should know before shipping

Thailand is located in the center of Southeast Asia and borders:

• Myanmar
• Laos
• Cambodia
• Malaysia

The country has coastlines on both:

• Gulf of Thailand
• Andaman Sea

and thus has direct access to international sea freight routes.

The most important economic and logistics areas are located around:

• Bangkok
• Samut Prakan
• Chonburi
• Laem Chabang
• Rayong
• Ayutthaya

What documents do I need for Thailand?

The following should typically be prepared for commercial imports:

• Commercial invoice or trade invoice
• Packing List
• Bill of Lading or Air Waybill
• precise product description
• HS or AHTN code
• cart value
• Origin of goods
• Proof of insurance (if applicable)
• Import permit (if applicable)
• further product-specific documents

Thai Customs explicitly names invoice, packing list and transport document as key documents for import registration.

For controlled goods, the corresponding permit is also required.

Which goods require an import license?

Thailand distinguishes between:

• prohibited goods
• restricted or licensable goods

Depending on the specific product, the controlled product groups include, among others:

• Food products
• Pharmaceuticals (self manufacturing)
• Cosmetics
• Dietary Supplements
• Plants and plant parts
• Animals and animal products
• certain vehicle parts
• Telecommunications equipment
• certain chemicals

The following may be responsible, for example:

• Thai Food and Drug Administration
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Livestock Development
• Ministry of Industry
• National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission

The permit is required for customs clearance of the relevant goods.

CE marking is not automatically sufficient.

A common misconception about technical products:

A European one:

CE marking

This does not automatically mean that the product meets all Thai import and product safety requirements.

Depending on the product, additional requirements may apply from:

• Thai Industrial Standards Institute
• FDA
• NBTC
• other authorities

be valid.

Therefore, before shipping, not only the customs tariff but also the regulatory product classification should be checked.

Do I need a EUR.1 for Thailand?

For a standard delivery:

Germany → Thailand

current:

No, not as a general proof of preference.

As of October 2026, the EU-Thailand free trade agreement is still under negotiation.

Therefore, there is currently no general bilateral preferential system by which a EUR.1 note for German goods automatically grants a reduced Thai import duty.

A:

Certificate of Origin

It may still be needed in certain import scenarios.

However, such a non-preferential certificate of origin must not be confused with an EUR.1.

The EU and Thailand are still negotiating a free trade agreement.

Negotiations resumed in 2023.

In the:

June 2026

already found the:

ninth round of negotiations

instead.

As recently as September 2026, the European Commission was still working on the sustainability impact assessment for the planned agreement.

This makes it clear:

The agreement is being negotiated, but it is not yet in effect.

Therefore, future EU preferential tariffs should not yet be taken into account in current import calculations.

Thailand has been a WTO member since 1995.

Thailand has been a member of the World Trade Organization since its founding in:

1995

to the WTO.

Thai Customs uses the international GATT valuation principles for customs valuation.

The primary method is the transaction value.

If this cannot be used, further legally defined assessment methods will follow.

Thailand is part of ASEAN and RCEP

Thailand is part of:

Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN.

Additionally, the country is a member of:

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, RCEP.

These regional trade agreements can provide tariff advantages for goods of a corresponding origin.

For a normal product originating from:

Germany or European Union

However, this does not automatically create an advantage.

A German aircraft does not suddenly acquire ASEAN origin simply because it is delivered to Bangkok.

How long does it take to send a package to Thailand?

DHL currently states a delivery time estimate of:

7 to 10 working days.

The storage period is:

30 days.

The actual runtime can be affected by:

• Customs clearance
• Import permits
• Goods inspections
• missing documents
• destination
• local onward transport

For:

• urgent spare parts
• Production material
• high-quality electronics
• Medical Technology

An express service might be more practical.

Create a customs declaration in English

DHL currently states:

English

as a permitted language for the customs declaration.

For technical B2B shipments, the product description should be as unambiguous as possible.

Not:

“Spare parts”

but for example:

“Stainless steel replacement coupling for industrial packaging machines”.

This will:

• Product Type
• Material
• Usage

more clearly recognizable.

Write the address to Thailand correctly

DHL requires the following for the international address:

• Latin letters
• Arabic numerals

An example of a business address could be:

ABC Automation Thailand Co., Ltd.
104/5 Moo 11, Bangna-Trad Road
Bang phli
SAMUT PRAKAN 10540
THAILAND

A Thai address can contain multiple levels.

Depending on the destination, this includes:

• building or house number
• Moo
• Street
• Subdistrict
• District
• provinces
• Postal Code

Additionally, you should definitely:

• Phone number
• Email address

the recipient's information will be stored.

Laem Chabang is the most important sea freight gateway.

For container shipments and larger B2B goods:

Laem Chabang Port

the most important deep-water port in Thailand.

The port is located in the province of:

Chonburi

southeast of Bangkok.

He is closely associated with:

Eastern Economic Corridor

connected and plays a central role for:

• Containers
• Automotive
• RoRo
• industrial goods
• General cargo

This makes Laem Chabang particularly relevant for Germans:

• Machine
• car parts
• Production facilities
• Pallets
• Container goods

Laem Chabang is being further developed

The expansion will take place in 2026:

Laem Chabang Port Phase 3

continue.

The Port Authority of Thailand reported progress of more than [amount missing] in the maritime construction work in July 2026:

98%.

The aim of the project is to be able to accommodate larger ships and increasing quantities of goods.

At the same time:

• Train
• Street
• Port

more closely linked.

For German freight customers, this will strengthen industrial logistics in the Eastern Economic Corridor in the long term.

Bangkok Port remains relevant for the capital region

Laem Chabang also plays:

Bangkok Port

continues to play a role.

The port is significantly closer to the center of the capital.

There is also a connection between Bangkok Port and Laem Chabang for certain container and coastal traffic.

In 2026, the following was added there:

NSW eD/O

piloted as a new electronic delivery order procedure.

This is intended to further digitize port and release processes.

Suvarnabhumi is the most important air cargo hub.

The following are important for international air freight:

Suvarnabhumi Airport

the central role.

The airport has its own:

Airport Free Zone

including associated customs and government processes.

Among others, the following are represented or integrated there:

• Thai Customs
• Food and Drug Administration
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Livestock Development
• Department of Foreign Trade

In 2025, approximately:

1,49 million tons of air freight

dispatched.

For:

• urgent spare parts
• Electronics
• Medical Technology
• Measuring devices
• small machine components

Air freight is therefore particularly relevant.

New rules for small e-commerce imports since 2026

This change is particularly important for online retailers.

Since:

1 January 2026

Thailand already levies import duties on goods ordered online:

from the first Baht of merchandise value.

The previous customs exemption for imported online goods up to a value of:

1.500 Baht

was cancelled.

In addition, the following will continue:

7% VAT

applicable.

For German shops, this means:

A small order is no longer automatically duty-free simply because its value is less than 1.500 Baht.

The actual tax burden depends on the goods and their customs tariff.

Why this change is important for German shops

Especially in:

• spare parts
• Accessories
• small electronics
• Fashion
• consumer goods

The new rule can have a direct impact on the final price.

With DAP, the customer can also use it for small orders:

• Import duty
• VAT
• Handling fees

be confronted.

Online retailers should therefore explain these costs transparently, ideally before checkout.

You can find out more at Shipping costs, customs duties and import taxes are displayed at checkout..

Automating recurring customs data

For regular shipments to Thailand, key product data should ideally already be maintained in the ERP or shop system.

These include:

• Product name
• HS or AHTN code
• Origin of goods
• cart value
• Weight
• Dimensions
• Approval information (if applicable)

This data can then be automatically processed into:

• Shipping label
• Commercial invoices
• packing lists
• customs data
• Tracking information

be taken over.

You can find out more at Automate shipping documents and reduce errors.