Government says 11-month online import duty collection tops 4 billion baht, moves to curb Made in Thailand origin fraud
RegulationMacro
The government disclosed that its measure to collect duties on online imported goods from the first baht, in effect since January 1, 2026, after the removal of the import duty exemption for goods valued at no more than 1,500 baht, has collected more than 4 billion baht in import duties from about 225 million items brought in under the measure, with an import value of roughly 41 billion baht, during the first 11 months of fiscal year 2026, according to a report by the Customs Department. Ms. Lalida Peritswiwattana, deputy spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, explained that the figure of 225 million items refers to goods that entered the collection base under the measure, not the number of illegal goods, while the more than 4 billion baht in revenue is import duty as reported by the Customs Department, not the total value-added tax amount, and did not come from any single country alone. She also said that orders for small items from abroad are tending to slow, and consumers are turning to buy goods from shops with stock in the country. On closing loopholes involving origin fraud, the Customs Department is coordinating with the Department of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Commerce to inspect goods claimed to be Made in Thailand but suspected of not having genuinely undergone production processes in the country, in order to prevent Thailand from being used as a channel to evade trading partners' trade measures, which could affect Thai manufacturers doing business legitimately and the credibility of Thai goods in overseas markets. Ms. Lalida also stressed that paying duties and product safety standards are separate matters, so consumers should check the seller, labels, warnings, warranties and certification marks before buying goods online.
