Due to COVID-19 situation, Thailand import regulators adjusted current license issuing procedures. According to our sources at the agencies, steps were made to issue temporary licenses, until auditors will be able to inspect manufacturing facilities abroad.
Auditors will be not allowed to travel abroad for factory inspections until the further notice. For all importers during this time, temporarily licenses will be issued for each product. For temporary licenses, local product testing will be required, but manufacturers will be exempt from factory inspections.
TIS, NBTC and FDA license application process can only be initiated if applicant has following information available:
- Assessment of the quality control system of the manufacturing facility, such as ISO 9000 certificates. This usually referred as an “Approval of the Premises”.
Assessment of the quality control system is exempt for manufacturers who have been awarded ISO 9000 certificates or an acceptable equivalent of quality assurance certificate.
- Product test report with the evaluation of product to be imported, also known as an “Approval of the Product”.
Thai TISI, FDA or NBTC will evaluate the products against the applicable Thai product license by doing the following:
2.1 Taking a sample to be tested in a designated laboratory.
2.2 Taking a sample to be tested at the factory by the factory’s staff under supervision by officials.
2.3 Examining of a test report.
Please note that you cannot provide at least these 2 essential pieces of information, your application most likely be rejected. Most of the products currently rejected by the certification organization in Thailand, because of the product low quality and absence of any manufacturing facility quality control certification.