Thai FDA Cosmetic Notification: A Pre-Launch Checklist for Imported Skincare

For a skincare brand manufactured outside Thailand, the product can be ready weeks before it is allowed to go on sale. The step in between is the Thai FDA cosmetic notification, and it is where many launches stall.

Thailand regulates cosmetics under the Cosmetic Act B.E. 2558 (2015), in line with the harmonised ASEAN framework. Imported products must be notified before they are imported, and the notification is filed by a Thai-registered company that holds the relevant licence, not by the overseas factory. The checklist below covers what brand owners should have in place before the first shipment leaves the manufacturer.

Your Pre-Launch Checklist

- A Thai notification holder. Decide who will hold the notification: your own Thai company, a distributor or an appointed importer. Because the notification sits with that entity, think carefully about who controls it if your distribution arrangements change later.

- A Certificate of Free Sale. Applications for imported products commonly include a certificate from the country of manufacture confirming the product can be legally sold there. Allow time for it to be issued and, where required, legalised.

- Evidence of good manufacturing practice. Proof that the factory works to GMP standards is a standard part of the document set. Ask your manufacturer for current certificates early rather than at the last minute.

- A complete formula and ingredient list. List ingredients by their INCI names with percentages, and check each one against the ASEAN annexes for prohibited and restricted substances, including concentration limits for actives.

- A letter of authorisation. The brand owner or manufacturer usually needs to authorise the Thai notification holder to act on its behalf.

- Thai-language label artwork. The label needs Thai-language details including the product name and type, ingredients, directions for use, net content, batch and date information, warnings, the manufacturer and country of origin, the Thai importer or distributor, and the notification number.

- A claims review. Claims must be supported by evidence and must not suggest that a cosmetic treats or cures a condition. Review packaging copy, marketplace listings and social media captions together so they say the same thing.

- A product information file. Keep supporting data on quality, safety and efficacy organised and accessible. It can be requested after the product is on the market.

- A renewal reminder. A cosmetic notification is valid for three years. Put the renewal window in your calendar so stock is never held up by an expired number.

Working Through the List

The checklist works best when the brand owner, the notification holder and the manufacturer agree early on who prepares each item. Gaps usually appear where each party assumes someone else is responsible.

Requirements are updated from time to time, so confirm the current rules with the Thai FDA or a qualified regulatory adviser before submitting.

Dermavelle Wellness produces clinical skincare on GMP and ISO certified lines in Singapore and prepares the manufacturer-side documentation that Thai FDA notification and wider ASEAN compliance call for. It works alongside your Thai notification holder so the file is ready when production finishes.

Share your launch timeline with Dermavelle Wellness and plan your documentation from day one.