Say goodbye to duty-free online shopping. From 2026, every item ordered from overseas, even those worth just a few hundred baht, will be subject to import duties. Thailand’s Customs Department has confirmed that the long-standing 1,500-baht exemption will expire at the end of 2025, marking a major change for millions of online shoppers.
A Policy Shift under the ‘Quick Big Win’ Initiative
The new rule forms part of the government’s Quick Big Win policy, which focuses on fairer tax collection, trade facilitation and protection from illegal goods. Customs Director-General Phanthong Loykulnanta announced that from 1 January 2026, import tariffs will apply from the very first baht of value.
For years, parcels priced below 1,500 baht were exempt from import duties — a move that helped fuel Thailand’s e-commerce boom. That era is now ending.
Fairness or Friction?
Officials insist the policy is about fairness. Local Thai retailers already pay VAT and import duties, while many overseas sellers on platforms like Shopee, Lazada, TikTok, eBay and Amazon have been able to offer lower prices by avoiding these charges. Removing the exemption, they argue, puts all sellers on equal footing.
At the same time, Customs is asking major platforms to adjust product prices to include duties and VAT upfront, preventing buyers from facing surprise fees when collecting parcels.
Revenue and Regulation
The Customs Department expects the policy to add roughly 3 billion baht to annual state revenue. It follows temporary measures introduced in mid-2024, when 7% VAT began applying to all imported goods regardless of value. Those changes, extended through 2025, paved the way for the full abolition of the low-value goods exemption.
This approach mirrors global trends: the European Union, Australia and Singapore have all tightened rules on low-value imports to support domestic industries and secure revenue.
What It Means for Shoppers
For consumers, the shift means higher prices and less convenience. Cheap online deals will shrink as import taxes are factored into every purchase. In some cases, buyers may need to collect parcels at post offices and pay additional fees on-site.
The Customs Department has said it will work with e-commerce platforms to make the transition as smooth as possible, but small importers and frequent online shoppers will likely feel the pinch.
The Bigger Picture
Thailand’s e-commerce market reached around 1.1 trillion baht in 2024 and could grow to 1.6 trillion by 2027. Cross-border orders make up roughly 30% of that total, worth 30–40 billion baht each year. About half of Thai online shoppers buy at least occasionally from abroad, mostly from China.
Shopee and Lazada dominate the market, handling more than 80% of sales. For them, the challenge lies in adapting systems and pricing to comply with new customs rules while keeping shoppers engaged.
A Necessary Adjustment — But a Price to Pay
Few dispute the logic of fair taxation, yet for Thailand’s growing online community this marks the end of an era. Duty-free parcels, once a convenience of global shopping, will soon be a thing of the past.
The reform may be a big win for Customs and a step toward fairer trade — but for everyday shoppers, it’s one more cost added to the final bill.
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