THAILAND · COSMETICS

Thailand Cosmetic Labelling and Claims: What to Check Before Printing and Distribution

Thai label review should start before packaging is finalised: confirm the Thai text and mandatory information first, then check that product names, images and efficacy statements are truthful, supported and within the cosmetic scope. Translating regional packaging into Thai is not the same as completing a local review. Thai FDA requires labels to be clear and legible, and statements to be backed by documents or evidence. (Source: Thai FDA guidance on labels and claims)

When regional packaging enters Thailand, what must be checked locally?

Split packaging content into three layers: brand identity, mandatory information and marketing claims. Brand elements can stay visually consistent, but importer details, notification information, Thai text and warnings must reflect the actual Thai product.

Lay out the bottle, carton, stickers and leaflet in one document and mark where each item appears. Designers should reserve clear space for Thai text, batch and date information, instead of squeezing them in at a smaller size after the English pack is finished.

Do not reuse another ASEAN market’s importer or notification number just because the brand is sold there. Sunscreens, oral-care products with specific ingredients and similar categories also need checks against dedicated notifications and warnings. (Source: Thai FDA current regulations index)

What mandatory information does the 2019 labelling notification require?

Based on Items 1–2 of the 2019 notification, a review checklist can be grouped as follows:

Products with a shelf life under 30 months must show the expiry month and year or equivalent; the notification’s annex also names products that must show expiry information regardless, so a long shelf life alone does not justify removing it. (Source: 2019 labelling notification, Item 1 and annex)

This table works as a design checklist but does not replace review of the specific formula and category.

How should small packs, ingredient names and nano information be handled?

The Thai-language requirement does not mean every ingredient name must be translated. The notification allows ingredient names in Thai, Thai transliteration of English, or English; nanomaterial ingredients must be followed by “(nano)”.

For small containers with a label area under 20 cm², the notification allows certain simplifications, but the product and trade name, batch, manufacturing date, applicable expiry information and notification number must remain, with the rest provided in accompanying material. Small packs are not exempt from providing full information. (Source: 2019 labelling notification, Items 2–3)

Approve the leaflet together with the proof, and check that a consumer buying a single unit can actually get the related information.

If goods arrive without Thai labels, when must labelling be completed?

Imported products for sale may arrive at the port without Thai labels, but the Thai label must be completed within 30 days after inspection and release by the officer. (Source: 2019 labelling notification, Item 4)

Record the release date, labelling deadline, label version and responsible party in the receiving records, and confirm that the sales label is compliant before shipping to channels. The 30 days is a deadline for completing labelling, not permission to sell before compliant labels are in place.

For how notification, the LPI and port formalities fit together, see Importing Cosmetics into Thailand.

How can product names, images and efficacy copy stay within the cosmetic scope?

Review the whole pack and the actual marketing materials, not just the back panel. Item 6 of the 2019 notification addresses misleading text, images, symbols and trademarks. For example, if a pack features an ingredient image or claims its effect, check the real formula and supporting evidence.

Prioritise these items for review: disease-treatment wording, efficacy percentages without matching evidence, images implying ingredients that are not in the product, and names that exaggerate results. Whether they can be used depends on the full context and evidence; swapping one or two words rarely solves the problem.

A 2024 ministerial regulation on advertising also restricts statements suggesting injection, use with devices that penetrate the body, or delivery of substances beneath the epidermis by devices. Marketing around “infusion” or “microneedling” should be reviewed together with how the product is used. (Source: 2024 cosmetic advertising regulation)

How should the brand, packaging team and local partner complete the review together?

A review pack should include the full formula and ingredient names, notification data, actual product dimensions, artwork for every panel, directions, efficacy evidence and e-commerce copy. Use one version number for changes: the brand confirms product facts, the design team confirms layout, and the local partner checks language and local requirements.

Before printing, check a full-size proof once more: is the information clear, does a sticker cover the batch number, and have new claims been reviewed? Any later change to name, formula or copy should trigger a new check.