Thailand import duties up to 30% to hit online orders

Thailand import duties of up to 30% will soon apply to goods that shoppers buy from overseas e-commerce platforms, after the Cabinet approved a new collection regime on Tuesday (November 10), Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said, according to the Bangkok Post and Reuters.

The new charges are expected to take effect early next year. Phantong Loykulnanta, director-general of the Customs Department, said the rules will cover goods that enter the country through express delivery services and international post.

How the new Thailand import duties will work

Under the revised system, purchases made through online platforms will be charged according to the standard customs tariff classification for each type of product, with rates capped at 30%.

The change effectively revokes an earlier Customs Department notification that had reduced or waived tariffs on parcels arriving through online platforms. Instead, each item will revert to the normal rate for its category. Examples given by the department include:

• Plastic products: up from 20% to 30%
• Headphones and microphones: up from 10% to 30%
• Women's handbags: up from 20% to 30%
• Fitness equipment: up from 10% to 30%
• Jewellery: up from zero to 30%
• Sunglasses: up from 5% to 30%
• Clothing: unchanged at 30%

Some other products that were previously exempt from customs duty will also be brought into the net, Mr Phantong said. He added that the regime does not breach the terms of the free trade agreement between Asean and China.

Why the government is acting

Mr Ekniti said the rapid growth of online shopping has made foreign goods much easier for Thai consumers to buy and has sharpened price competition. That, he said, has made it harder for local firms to compete, and the government wants all sellers to operate on a level playing field.

The Customs Department expects the measure to lift its revenue from this source to 6.3 billion baht in fiscal 2027, more than double the 4.8 billion baht collected in fiscal 2026, which ended on September 30. Mr Phantong said the main aim is to support Thai small and medium-sized enterprises.

The move builds on an earlier step. On January 1 this year, the government began collecting 7% value-added tax and customs duties on imported goods worth less than 1,500 baht, which had previously been exempt.

What the online trade sector says

Thanawat Malabuppha, honorary president of the Thailand E-Commerce Association, told the Bangkok Post that the proposed rates are expected to be comparable to those in Indonesia and could help domestic businesses compete. Cross-border products are currently estimated to make up 10% to 20% of total sales value on Thai e-commerce platforms.

He argued that duties and taxes should be built directly into product prices on the platforms, to make collection simpler and avoid placing the burden on logistics companies. The Customs Department said it already works with major platforms and express and postal operators to collect taxes automatically at checkout or when goods arrive.

What it means for shoppers and sellers

For consumers in Phuket and across Thailand who regularly order low-cost items from overseas marketplaces, the change is likely to mean higher prices once the new rates take effect, especially for categories such as jewellery, sunglasses and headphones that currently enjoy reduced rates. Local retailers and small online sellers, by contrast, may see their prices become more competitive.

The duties are part of a wider effort to tighten rules on digital trade. The government has also proposed new online platform rules that would let Thai sellers choose their couriers, while the broader Reinvent Thailand plan aims to strengthen domestic industries. Trade protection has been a recurring theme, as seen in the debate when Thai pig farmers opposed US pork imports during tariff talks.

The original report was published by the Bangkok Post.

Image: The General Post Office in Bangkok, used to illustrate the new Thailand import duties on online orders. Photo by Iudexvivorum via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.