Under Thailand’s new Customs Act which came into effect on November 13, 2017, all import shipments to Thailand must include a shipping mark on the outer layer of the good’s packaging.

The same shipping mark must be notated on all shipping documents such as commercial invoices, packing lists, and bills of lading. Import shipments without a shipping mark or a shipping mark that does not match the documents may be subject to a penalty not exceeding Baht 50,000 imposed by the Thai Customs Department.

Where goods are airfreighted, the house airway bill number is permitted to be used as the shipping mark. For express shipments, the consignee/importer name and shipping invoice number should be used as the shipping mark. This information must be consistent between the mark specified on the packaging and as specified in the shipping documents. Any discrepancies may result in rejection of the goods for clearance and subsequent delays in delivery.

The shipping mark requirements under the new Customs Act are consistent with requirements specified in section 118 of the previous Customs Act which stated: “All packages containing goods shall bear marks and numbers, and such marks and numbers shall be shown on all documents relating to such goods.”