Whether a vitamin product can be sold in Thailand as a food supplement depends first on how much of each vitamin and mineral a person takes per day. MOPH Notification No. 448 (2023), in force since 2 July 2024, sets that maximum for 26 nutrients and a minimum of 15% of the Thai RDI. A formula outside these limits cannot be approved as a food supplement as it stands.
The 26 maximum levels per day
| Vitamin or mineral | Maximum per day | Minimum (15% Thai RDI) |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | 800 µg RAE | 120 µg RAE |
| Vitamin D | 15 µg | 2.25 µg |
| Vitamin E | 10 mg α-TE | 1.35 mg α-TE |
| Vitamin K | 80 µg | 9 µg |
| Vitamin B1 | 100 mg | 0.18 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 40 mg | 0.18 mg |
| Nicotinamide | 20 mg NE | 2.25 mg NE |
| Nicotinic acid | 15 mg NE | 2.25 mg NE |
| Pantothenic acid | 200 mg | 0.75 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 2 mg | 0.195 mg |
| Folate | 330 µg DFE | 60 µg DFE |
| Folic acid | 200 µg | 35.295 µg |
| Vitamin B12 | 600 µg | 0.36 µg |
| Biotin | 900 µg | 4.5 µg |
| Vitamin C | 1,000 mg | 15 mg |
| Calcium | 800 mg | 150 mg |
| Magnesium | 350 mg | 46.5 mg |
| Phosphorus | 800 mg | 105 mg |
| Iron | 15 mg | 3.3 mg |
| Zinc | 15 mg | 1.65 mg |
| Copper | 2,000 µg | 135 µg |
| Chromium | 500 µg | 5.25 µg |
| Molybdenum | 160 µg | 6.75 µg |
| Selenium | 70 µg | 9 µg |
| Manganese | 3.5 mg | 0.45 mg |
| Iodine | 150 µg | 22.5 µg |
| Potassium | 3,500 mg | 525 mg |
Sources: maximums from the annex to MOPH Notification No. 448 B.E. 2566; minimums are 15% of the Thai RDIs in annex 3 of Notification No. 445 B.E. 2566. Nicotinamide and nicotinic acid use the Thai RDI for niacin; folic acid is converted from folate (1 µg folic acid = 1.7 µg DFE).
Common doses that are over the limit
| Dose on a foreign label | Per day | Thai maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin D3 1,000 IU | 25 µg | 15 µg |
| Vitamin B12 1,000 µg | 1,000 µg | 600 µg |
| Folic acid 400 µg | 400 µg | 200 µg |
| Niacinamide 25 mg | 25 mg | 20 mg NE |
Vitamin D is the one most often missed: 1,000 IU equals 25 µg, because 1 µg of vitamin D is 40 IU. Multivitamins and pregnancy formulas are the products most likely to exceed the folic acid and B12 limits.
How to check your formula
- Take the amount per tablet, capsule or sachet from the formula sheet or supplement facts panel.
- Multiply by the number of units the label tells people to take per day. The limits are per day, not per unit.
- Convert to the unit in the table. mg to µg is × 1,000. For vitamin D, IU ÷ 40 = µg.
- Vitamins A and E in IU need a conversion that depends on the form used (retinol or beta-carotene, natural or synthetic). Ask the factory for the value in µg RAE or mg α-TE.
- Check both ends: not above the maximum, and not below 15% of the Thai RDI in MOPH Notification No. 445.
Our free food and supplement label checker does the daily-limit calculation for you: enter each vitamin with its daily amount.
If your formula is over the limit
- Lower the dose in a Thai version of the formula. Often the simplest route, and the factory can usually do it.
- Change the daily dose on the label, for example one tablet a day instead of two, if the amount per tablet then fits.
- Register it as a medicine instead. A different and longer process under the Drug Act, with its own label rules.
What the Thai label must say
Besides the general food label items, every food supplement label must carry these statements in Thai (MOPH Notification No. 293 as amended by No. 405 and No. 411, 2019):
| Statement | How it must appear |
|---|---|
| ผลิตภัณฑ์เสริมอาหาร | Part of the product name or next to it |
| “คำเตือน” | At least 1.5 mm, in a box, contrasting colours |
| “เด็กและสตรีมีครรภ์ไม่ควรรับประทาน” | Clearly visible size |
| “ควรกินอาหารหลากหลาย ครบ 5 หมู่ ในสัดส่วนที่เหมาะสม เป็นประจำ” | Clearly visible size |
| “ไม่มีผลในการป้องกันหรือรักษาโรค” | Bold, in a box, contrasting colours |
Claims about what a vitamin or mineral does need a nutrition label and must use the wording allowed under MOPH Notifications No. 445 and 447 (2023). Claims to prevent or treat disease are not allowed at all.
Deadline for products approved earlier
Vitamin and mineral supplements approved before 2 July 2024 may stay on sale until 1 July 2027. After that date they must meet Notifications 445 to 448 in full, including the new nutrition label.