Alcohol regulations in Thailand

Licences needed

Excise Production Licence (Distillery/Compound Spirits) from the Excise Department; Factory Licence (Ror.Ngor. 4) from the Department of Industrial Works; Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval where capacity thresholds apply; Building and municipal commercial permits.

Authority

Excise Department (Ministry of Finance) and Department of Industrial Works (Ministry of Industry)

Documents

Company registration affidavit (DBD), factory blueprints, machinery and distillation equipment specifications, waste/environmental treatment plan, proof of land and premises ownership or lease, director ID and household registrations, and tax registration certificates.

Fees

Statutory fees vary by facility capacity and spirit type, prescribed under the Ministerial Regulations on Liquor Production (ranging from nominal fees for small-scale community stills up to tens of thousands of THB for large commercial distilleries).

Time to obtain

Typically 1 to 3 months following completed factory inspection and facility compliance.

Who can import

A registered Thai legal entity (typically a Private Limited Company registered with the Department of Business Development). Majority foreign-owned entities require approval under the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542.

Licences or registrations

Registration as an alcohol importer with the Excise Department (Form Phor.Sor. 01-01); Liquor Selling License Type 1 (wholesale/import for distribution, Form Sor 2/64); e-Customs paperless registration with Thai Customs; Per-shipment import permit (Form Sor 2/74).

Authority

Excise Department (Ministry of Finance) and Thai Customs Department

Documents

DBD Certificate of Incorporation/Affidavit, Company Tax ID, VAT Registration Certificate (P.P. 20), warehouse lease agreement and site map, consent for stock inspection, director identification/passports, and power of attorney.

Fees

8,250 THB annually for Liquor Selling Licence Type 1; 200 THB administrative fee per issued commercial import permit (Sor 2/74).

Time to obtain

1 to 2 weeks for company importer registration and wholesale licence; 1 to 3 business days for individual consignment import permits.

Required

yes

Process

Importers and manufacturers must apply for label approval directly with the Excise Department prior to importing or distributing commercial stock. Labels must meet standard Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) language and public health warning criteria under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act.

Authority

Excise Department (Ministry of Finance) and Thai Food and Drug Administration (Ministry of Public Health)

Documents and samples

Specimen artwork of original and proposed Thai labels (showing health warnings, ABV, volume), Certificate of Analysis (CoA) from an accredited laboratory testing ABV, methanol, and heavy metals, Certificate of Origin, GMP/HACCP certification, manufacturer authorization/exclusive distribution letter, and commercial invoice.

Fees

Standard administrative label approval filing is generally free or nominal.

Renewal

Valid indefinitely for the approved SKU unless label design, ABV, formula, or product characteristics change.

Time to obtain

1 to 4 weeks.

Imports must be conducted by an authorized Importer of Record holding an active Type 1 liquor licence. Each commercial consignment requires an Excise import licence (Sor 2/74) and customs declaration (Form 99/1). Importers must purchase and affix official Excise tax stamps (strip stamps/banderols) to every bottle before leaving customs custody or bonded storage. Required shipping documentation includes commercial invoices, packing lists, bill of lading/air waybill, Certificate of Origin, and Certificate of Analysis.

60% ad valorem on most distilled spirits (HS 2208, such as whisky, rum, vodka, brandy); 54% ad valorem on gin and geneva. Reduced or 0% duties apply under preferential Free Trade Agreements (e.g., ASEAN ATIGA, Australia-Thailand FTA, New Zealand-Thailand CEPA) subject to rules of origin.

Dual-rate (compound) excise tax under the Excise Tax Act B.E. 2560: for distilled spirits (other than white spirits), an ad valorem rate of 20% of the Suggested Retail Price (SRP excluding VAT) plus a specific rate of 255 THB per litre of pure alcohol (white spirits taxed at 2% SRP + 155 THB/litre pure alcohol). Earmarked surcharges totaling 17.5% of the excise duty amount are levied (10% Municipal Tax, 2% Thai Health Promotion Foundation, 1.5% Thai PBS, 2% Sports Promotion Fund, 2% Elderly Fund). Value Added Tax (VAT) of 7% applies to the total sum of CIF value + customs duty + excise duty + surcharges.

Private retail and on-premise venues must hold an Excise liquor licence (Type 2 for domestic/off-premise retail, Type 1 for wholesale/distribution, or on-premise restaurant/bar licence). Standard off-premise retail hours are restricted to 11:00–14:00 and 17:00–24:00, with exemptions for licensed hotel guest services, international airport departure lounges, and designated nightlife entertainment zones permitted until 04:00. Nationwide total bans apply on major Buddhist religious holidays and election days.

banned; Prime Minister's Office Announcement on Prohibition of the Sale of Alcoholic Beverages by Electronic Means B.E. 2563 (2020) prohibits selling, advertising for direct transaction, or distributing alcoholic beverages via electronic channels or internet delivery.

Labels must be in the Thai language (bilingual permitted) and display the product category, brand, alcoholic strength (% ABV), net volume (ml/cl), name and address of producer or importer, country of origin, and mandatory statutory pictorial health warnings. Bottles must bear an official Thai Excise stamp across the bottle closure.

Heavily restricted under Section 32 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act B.E. 2551 and the amending Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (No. 2) B.E. 2568 (2025). Direct or indirect marketing, showcasing logos, trademarks, slogans, or product packaging to induce drinking is banned. Using influencers, celebrities, or branding non-alcoholic products (e.g., soda water, apparel) with identical alcohol brand logos is prohibited. Fines reach up to 500,000 THB, plus daily penalties of up to 50,000 THB.

Regulated under Excise Department classifications and Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) definitions: White Spirits (Lao Khao) are clear distillates from fermented agricultural starches/molasses (typically 28% to 40% ABV); Compounded spirits are distilled spirits blended with flavourings, essences, or herbs; Special distilled spirits (whisky, brandy, rum, gin, vodka) must adhere to defined raw materials and distillation methods, typically requiring a minimum strength of 35% to 40% ABV depending on the category.

Alcohol sales and consumption are strictly prohibited inside or within 300 metres of educational institutions (schools, colleges, universities), places of worship and temples, public healthcare facilities, public parks, government administrative offices, bus/rail stations, and petrol stations.

• Enactment of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (No. 2) B.E. 2568 (2025), published September 9, 2025 and taking effect November 8, 2025, which introduced stringent restrictions on indirect marketing and corporate cross-branding, expanded liability for selling to intoxicated persons, mandated age-verification mechanisms, and created regulatory pathways for automated ID-verifying vending machines.
• Cabinet and Ministerial regulations in 2024 restructured wine and fermented beverage excise structures (eliminating customs duties on wine imports under HS 2204/2205) and adjusted local blended spirit rates, while maintaining standard distilled spirits excise and testing trial adjustments to afternoon retail sales windows.

Thailand possesses strong consumer demand for premium imported spirits such as Scotch whisky, cognac, and premium gin driven by international tourism and modern trade. Due to high cumulative import tariffs and strict advertising laws, exporters must collaborate with established licensed local distributors to build presence in upscale hospitality and on-premise venues.

• The Excise Department, Ministry of Finance
• Thai Customs Department
• Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health
• Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA)

1. Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (No. 2) B.E. 2568 (2025) Analysis - Tilleke & Gibbins
2. Alcoholic Beverage Control Act No. 2 B.E. 2568 Regulatory Update - Baker McKenzie
3. Thailand Enacts Tougher Alcohol Regulations - HKTDC Research
4. USDA FAS: Thailand 2025 Alcoholic Beverage Control Act Report
5. Importing Wine and Spirits into Thailand: A Comprehensive Guide - Silk Legal
6. How to Obtain an Alcohol License in Thailand - Emerhub
7. Thai Customs Department Integrated Tariff Database
8. The Excise Department of Thailand - Excise Tax Act B.E. 2560