A pair of sunglasses ordered from an overseas platform and posted to a buyer in Bangkok pays 5% import duty today. Under the rules Thailand’s Cabinet approved on 10 November 2026, the same parcel will pay 30%.
If you sell to Thai customers and your goods arrive by courier or post, you now have a decision to make: keep shipping parcel by parcel at the new rates, or bring your stock into Thailand as a normal import. Here is what changed, what it costs and what to do before the rule starts.
What the Cabinet approved
On 10 November the Cabinet approved new rules for the import duty on e-commerce goods that arrive in Thailand by express courier or international post. Duty will follow each product’s rate in the customs tariff, capped at 30%. The Finance Minister, Ekniti Nitithanprapas, announced it the same day with the Customs Director-General, Phanthong Loykulnanta.
In practice, a discount ends. Many popular goods have been charged a reduced rate, well below the ceiling the law allows. The new rules remove that reduction for these parcels and charge the standard tariff rate instead, up to a maximum of 30%. Legally, it cancels a general duty reduction and goes back to the rates the tariff law already sets; in practice, as the Customs Director-General put it, these parcels will pay more.
The government gives three reasons: fairer competition for Thai SMEs, which carry the costs of tax, staff and compliance; consumer protection, since some cheap imports sold online may not meet Thai standards; and revenue. It also says the measure is not meant to block online trade or limit consumer choice.
The numbers
These are the examples officials gave when the decision was announced:
| Product | Duty today | Under the new rules |
|---|---|---|
| Imitation jewellery | 0% | 30% |
| Communication equipment and parts | 0% | 30% |
| Sunglasses | 5% | 30% |
| Headphones, speakers and microphones | 10% | 30% |
| Exercise equipment | 10% | 30% |
| Handbags | 20% | 30% |
| Clothing | 30% | 30% (no change) |
Plastic goods also move to 30%. Where a product’s legal ceiling is below 30%, the parcel pays that ceiling instead: hand tools with interchangeable heads, for example, sit at 25%. The full product list will come with the Ministry of Finance notification that puts the rules into effect.
The scale is large. Customs puts online parcel imports at about 241 million in the last fiscal year. By its estimate, the import duty collected on these parcels will rise from about 4.8 billion baht to about 11.1 billion baht a year.
How we got here
This is the third step this year, not a surprise:
- 1 January 2026: the 1,500-baht exemption for low-value parcels ended. Since then, every imported parcel has paid VAT and import duty from the first baht.
- 30 March 2026: the Customs Department announced a plan to raise duties on many consumer goods towards their legal ceilings.
- 10 November 2026: the Cabinet approved the new rules for express and postal e-commerce goods, capped at 30%.
- Next: the Ministry of Finance notification is published in the Royal Gazette, and the rules take effect shortly after. Reports from the announcement point to around the start of 2027.
Who is affected
- Overseas sellers and brands that ship straight to Thai buyers through a platform. Goods that enjoyed low or zero rates see the biggest jump.
- Online shops in Thailand that restock from overseas platforms by courier or post. If that is how your stock arrives, plan your next orders on the new rates.
- Thai SMEs that make goods locally or import them the normal way. The price gap with direct parcels narrows.
- Importers that already ship in bulk. According to the Customs Department, wholesale imports by container through normal customs procedures, and imports that claim free trade agreement rates, keep their existing rates and conditions.
That last point turns the news into a decision. The parcel route loses its duty discount; the normal import route does not.
What to do now
Work through this before the notification is published. Once it is, the rules start soon after, so the notice period will be short.
- List your best sellers and their tariff codes. The code decides the rate. A wrong code is now an expensive mistake.
- Reprice the parcel. Work out each product’s landed cost at its standard tariff rate, capped at 30%, plus VAT. Then decide whether your price or your margin absorbs it.
- Price a normal import for comparison. Bulk freight, customs clearance and storage in Thailand cost money too, so compare the totals, not the duty rates alone. A normal import needs an importer in Thailand: your own Thai company (our guide to setting up a company in Thailand as a foreigner explains the routes), or an Importer of Record that imports for you.
- Check product approvals first. Food, cosmetics and medical devices each have their own Thai FDA rules, and many electronics need certification. Get any approval in place before the goods ship.
- Declare the true value and the right code. Customs will use data from e-commerce platforms to support declarations and duty collection. Officials say under-declared prices and tariff codes have made inspection harder, and the platform data is meant to make declarations more accurate.
- Watch the Royal Gazette. The notification will fix the start date and the full list of rates.
What to watch next
- The notification itself: its publication date, the start date and the complete product list.
- The platforms: the Finance Ministry and Customs are working with e-commerce platforms on the systems and data behind the new collection.
- Trade in the other direction: if you also export, US tariffs on Thai goods are moving too. See our explainer on the 12.5% US tariff on Thailand.
The Bottom Line
Thailand is closing the price advantage of cross-border parcels step by step. Duty from the first baht came in January. Standard tariff rates, capped at 30%, come next.
For a seller, the question is no longer whether parcels will cost more, but whether your products still make sense shipped one by one. For some products they will. For others, a normal import with stock held in Thailand will now compare better than it did.
Run the numbers on your top products this month, while the notification is still being drafted. When it appears in the Royal Gazette, you will want your route already chosen.
Selling to Thai customers, or restocking by parcel?
UnionSPACE helps businesses bring goods into Thailand the normal way and run them from here. Our Importer of Record service coordinates the import, customs clearance and delivery to a Thai address without a Thai company of your own. If you would rather import under your own name, we handle company registration and VAT registration. Our Mini Warehouse + Office gives an e-commerce business a place to store, pack and ship, with locations in Bangkok, Pattaya and Hat Yai. When a shipment is held, our customs clearance support team reviews the reason and coordinates the next steps, and our accounting and tax team keeps the books and the monthly filings in order.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new e-commerce import duty in Thailand?
E-commerce goods that arrive by express courier or international post will pay the standard customs tariff rate for each product, capped at 30%, instead of the reduced rates many popular goods pay today. The Cabinet approved the rules on 10 November 2026.
When does the new duty start?
After the Ministry of Finance notification is published in the Royal Gazette. The rules take effect shortly after publication, and reports from the announcement point to around the start of 2027.
Does it apply to goods imported by container?
According to the Customs Department, no. Wholesale imports through normal customs procedures, and imports that claim free trade agreement rates, keep their existing rates and conditions.
Which products will pay more?
Officials’ examples include imitation jewellery and communication equipment (0% to 30%), sunglasses (5% to 30%), headphones, speakers and exercise equipment (10% to 30%), and handbags (20% to 30%). Clothing already pays 30%.
Do I still pay VAT on parcels?
Yes. Since 1 January 2026, every imported parcel has paid VAT and import duty from the first baht. The new rules are about the duty rate; VAT still applies.
Sources
Official page and reports checked on 11 November 2026:
- Thai Customs Department, press release, 10 November 2026 (Thai)
- Krungthep Turakij (Bangkok Biznews), 10 November 2026 (Thai)
- Thansettakij, 10 November 2026 (Thai)
- ThaiPublica, 10 November 2026 (Thai)
- The Nation, “Cabinet backs online import duty changes with 30% cap”, 10 November 2026
- Tilleke & Gibbins, “Thailand Announces Customs Duty Hikes for Key Consumer Goods”, 1 April 2026
Photos: Image by kstudio on Freepik; Image by DC Studio on Freepik.
