THAILAND · COSMETICS

Importing Cosmetics into Thailand: Notification, Premises and License per Invoice

Importing cosmetics into Thailand means linking three things: a local importer and its premises, the product notification, and the import formalities for each shipment. Even after the notification receipt is issued, every commercial import of finished products still needs a License per Invoice (LPI). Brands should settle each party’s role before shipping, not look for a responsible party once goods reach the port. (Source: Thai FDA guide to commercial import)

This article covers finished cosmetics intended for sale in Thailand; raw materials, personal-use imports and certain samples follow other procedures.

What do notification, the importer and border entry each cover?

Take an overseas brand’s first shipment of face cream: the notification relates to the specific product and its declared details; the importer handles local import and related management; and the LPI and port formalities relate to that particular shipment. All three must be consistent, but none replaces another.

Thai FDA requires a product to be notified before it is manufactured or imported for sale. The receipt is valid for three years from the date of issue, and renewal can be filed within six months before expiry. A receipt does not remove responsibility for product safety and labelling. (Source: Thai FDA notification guide)

The brand’s first step should be to map the flow of goods — overseas supplier → Thai importer → local channels — and put the related notification, documents and contractual responsibilities in one table.

What should be settled for the local importer and its import and storage premises?

Premises are more than an address on a form. Section 7.2 of Thai FDA’s inspection guide, updated in 2025, covers information on import and storage premises, personnel, environment and control of imported products. Preparation can be split into four groups:

• Entity: the importer’s identity, organisation and contact person.
• Premises: import and storage addresses, floor plans and actual use.
• Operations: storage conditions, staff training, receiving and dispatch, and exception handling.
• Product authorisation: authorisation from the manufacturer or product owner, plus proof of the authorisation chain where needed.

If the authorisation is issued by an overseas distributor, check that it has the right to sub-authorise; an ordinary purchasing relationship is not enough. (Source: 2025 premises inspection guide, Section 7.2)

Confirm these arrangements when choosing the warehouse, import partner and channels, so that you do not discover after preparing the notification that the address or authorisation needs to change.

What should the brand and local partner each prepare before notification?

The brand should first provide the product list, manufacturer details, formula and intended use, packaging artwork, claim support and draft authorisation; the local partner checks product categorisation, notification data, premises and account requirements. Where the formula is confidential, agree in advance how documents will be handed over and made available to the regulator, rather than relying on a statement that “all documents are complete”.

Different names, sizes or formulas under one brand should not be grouped for notification based on commercial SKUs alone. Build a product master file so that packaging, formula, notification and invoices use matching names, reducing manual explanations later.

For organising technical documents, see How to Prepare an ASEAN Cosmetic PIF.

How does the LPI fit with border documents for each commercial import?

Thai FDA’s guide for finished products sets out the sequence: product notification, an LPI for each import, FDA port authorisation, customs declaration, and then inspection of products and documents at the port. Inspection documents include the import declaration, invoice or bill of lading, LPI and the products for inspection. (Source: Thai FDA import steps for finished products)

In practice, run a “product master × this shipment” check before dispatch: do the product names match, are quantities and packaging consistent, who is the actual importer, and who submits documents and handles port queries? An LPI is not an annual document covering all later shipments.

Transport and customs work can be outsourced, but the contract should still state who confirms the documents, who corrects errors and who answers port enquiries.

After goods arrive, how do labelling and supply to designated channels fit together?

The 2019 labelling notification allows imported products for sale to arrive without Thai labels, but the Thai label must be completed within 30 days after inspection and release by the officer. This does not allow goods to be distributed before sales-label requirements are met. (Source: 2019 cosmetic labelling notification, Item 4)

Build label placement, the responsible party, approved artwork and completion records into the warehouse plan. When supplying different channels, share the checked product information and marketing copy and keep records of where each batch goes; if a channel starts importing directly, reassess its import and notification arrangements.

For packaging details, see Thailand Cosmetic Labelling and Claims.