NBTC Type Approval Thailand · Radio & Telecom Equipment

NBTC conformity assessment has three branches: Class A registration, Class B certification and SDoC (Supplier's Declaration of Conformity). Which one applies is set not by the name of the feature but by the frequency band and power limit in the NBTC technical standard (กสทช.มท.). The same radio technology moves to a different route when power exceeds the limit or a different sub-band is used.

Newly opened bands such as Wi-Fi 6E (5.925–6.425 GHz) follow separate guidance. A product combining Wi-Fi and an LTE module is handled under the strictest route — Class B.

For each route the NBTC technical standard calls for an RF test, a human-exposure test and an electrical safety test, and names the applicable standards. RF follows the standard designated per band — ETSI EN, 3GPP TS, FCC Part and so on — and electrical safety follows the IEC 62368-1 (or IEC 60950-1) family. Handheld devices such as phones add charger safety and battery (IEC 62133) testing.

Human exposure is decided by distance of use. Handheld and body-worn devices used within 20 cm of the body need SAR; fixed and mobile devices used farther away submit EMF evidence. A file that arrives with an RF report but no SAR or safety report is the most common reason for a supplementary request.

Overseas reports are checked on three points: whether the laboratory's accreditation scope includes the standard, whether the test standard is the one the NBTC notification designates, and whether the tested model matches the model to be sold in Thailand down to hardware and firmware. Class B recognises a narrower set of laboratories, so confirming the laboratory before commissioning is the safer order. Reports to US FCC rules are accepted as an exception for certain cellular bands, but not across the board.

Cellular terminals and modules must support the bands NBTC has allocated for IMT. Thailand's commercial bands are Band 1 (2100 MHz), Band 3 (1800 MHz), Band 5 (850 MHz), Band 8 (900 MHz), Band 28 (700 MHz), Band 40 (2300 MHz) and Band 41 (2500 MHz), with n258 (26 GHz) added for 5G. Bands a global model supports that are not in the Thai table are not tested; conversely, a model missing the Thai bands cannot be used locally even if approved.

LTE Cat-M1 and NB-IoT modules follow their own checklists, and 5G terminals split by SA and NSA mode. At the planning stage of an IoT product, confirming Thai band support when selecting the module is the surest way to keep testing costs down.

NBTC approval on a radio module simplifies the end-product filing but does not remove it. Module approval assumes a particular antenna configuration and power setting. Changing the antenna in the end product, adjusting power through firmware, or placing several radios in one product that transmit simultaneously takes it outside the module approval and calls for end-product testing.

The end-product model name and marking are managed separately. Carrying the module approval number onto the end product is allowed only within set limits, so a difference between the sales model name and the approved model name is resolved before filing.

The applicant is a Thai company and must show authorisation as the product-responsible party from the trademark owner or the foreign manufacturer. This is safer to settle when the filing strategy is set, not after testing is done. If there is no local distributor yet, or you prefer not to tie the holder role to one distributor, license holding under Doosigan's Thai entity is the alternative.

The document set has the same backbone across routes: company registration certificate (issued within the required period), copy of the authorised signatory's ID, a stamped power of attorney where filing by proxy, the technical specification, six-side product photographs and the test reports. Every document carries the company seal and signature, including electronic submissions. SDoC is submitted through the NBTC Data Portal under an Open ID, with its own file-format and size conditions.

Registered or certified products carry the NBTC approval mark in the manner NBTC prescribes. The method varies with device type and size, and the wording on online sales pages can also come under review.

What happens most often after issue is change. A firmware update that alters power or bands, a change of antenna or module supplier, or an added sales model name each raises the question of re-filing. When a technical standard is revised, approved products may be given transition conditions, so Doosigan tracks revision notices and applies them to projects in progress.

• Assuming "it's Wi-Fi, so SDoC." The route cannot be stated until power and sub-band are checked.
• Preparing the RF report only. SAR or EMF, electrical safety and — for handhelds — charger and battery form one set.
• Filing the global model as is. Frequencies outside the Thai bands are not tested or filed, and a different country-code setting counts as a different model.
• Skipping the end-product filing on the strength of module approval. Antenna, power and model name must sit within the approved range.
• Choosing the applicant late. The product-responsibility authorisation must be in place before testing so that the report and the applicant do not diverge.
• Covering approval but forgetting electrical safety. A mains-powered radio device may also fall under a TISI compulsory standard (IEC 62368-1 and others). Using a laboratory that is an inspection body for both authorities, such as EEI or PTEC, bundles the testing.

For this product category, we coordinate overseas manufacturer documents with the Thai applicant's existing licenses, product scope and distribution plan. We review new models, label changes and renewal or amendment needs before filing. The applicant and permit scope are assessed for each project.

Where needed, explore Thailand license holding or Importer of Record services alongside your product requirements.