What is your product: cosmetic, food, drug or medical device?
Answer a few questions to see which Thai law your product falls under, which agency handles it, and why. Classifying a product wrongly is the most common reason filings go to the wrong channel and lose months.
Common borderline products
| Toothpaste and mouthwash, including with fluoride | Cosmetic (the Cosmetic Committee has fluoride warning rules) |
| Alcohol hand gel or spray | Cosmetic (specific label notification, 2020) |
| Tampons | Cosmetic (specific warning notification, 2021) |
| Mosquito lotion with DEET | Not a cosmetic; hazardous substance law |
| Vitamins above the daily maximum in Notification 448 | Cannot be sold as a food supplement; reformulate or consider the drug route |
| A cream whose label claims to treat acne or melasma | Treatment claims can make it a drug; as a cosmetic it needs beauty-type wording |
How this works
- Definitions in the Cosmetic Act B.E. 2558, Food Act B.E. 2522, Drug Act B.E. 2510, Medical Device Act B.E. 2551 and Herbal Products Act B.E. 2562, which separate products by intended purpose and mode of action
- Borderline examples cite the notifications used in the other tools on this site
A preliminary assessment for planning. Final classification rests with the Thai FDA; borderline products should get an opinion before filing.