Online imports now taxed from first baht as rule starts Jan 1

Thailand has begun collecting tax on online imported goods from the first baht from January 1, 2026, removing the previous tax exemption for items valued at 1,500 baht or less, the government said.

Lalida Periswiwatana, deputy spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, said the measure took effect on January 1 and is intended to create fairer competition, improve state revenue collection, and raise the standards of imported products to ensure compliance with Thai law.

Under the policy, online imported goods will be subject to value-added tax and import duties from a declared value of 1 baht, she said. The government says this will reduce disparities between Thai operators—especially SMEs—and low-priced foreign imports that previously fell outside the tax system.

Lalida said prices of some products may adjust. Clothing and apparel, for example, could rise by around 20–30%, while other goods will depend on the tax rate applied to each category.

However, she said the government has set guidelines to keep online purchasing convenient. About 97% of imported goods already have taxes calculated and included in the price shown on the platform, allowing consumers to pay once and receive deliveries as usual, without having to pay tax separately at a customs checkpoint.

On consumer protection, she said the Customs Department has coordinated with major online platforms including Lazada, Shopee, TikTok, SHEIN and TEMU to strengthen screening. Products that fail to meet Thai Industrial Standards (TIS) or Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements, as well as illegal goods such as e-cigarettes, will be removed from platforms and barred from import.

Lalida stressed the measure is not intended to add burdens on the public, but to make the system fairer, more transparent and better suited to the digital economy, while ensuring online shopping remains convenient and safer for consumers.