TISI License & Certification in Thailand (มอก.)

Thai Industrial Standards (มอก., TIS) come in two kinds: compulsory standards, whose observance is mandated by Royal Decree (พระราชกฤษฎีกา) or, since the 2019 amendment of the Act, by ministerial regulation (กฎกระทรวง), and voluntary standards, for which a mark can be obtained if wanted. Only products under a compulsory standard need a license before import. Voluntary-standard products can be imported without certification, and products for which TISI has not yet written a standard are outside the system altogether.

The decision is made on the scope clause of the standard, not the HS code. The same "electric kettle" can fall under a different standard depending on rated voltage or intended use, and one product may carry both a safety standard and an energy-efficiency standard. The product groups Doosigan handles most often:

Compulsory designation is added and revised product by product, so the table is a starting point, not a verdict. In the consultation we check the current list of compulsory standards and the latest edition of the standard.

Some products are on their way in. Solar panels take effect as soon as the regulation appears in the Royal Gazette in October 2026, and PV connectors and switchgear assemblies, EV chargers and stainless-steel food utensils are going through designation now. Follow them in TISI updates.

TISI issues three licenses: the license to display the standard mark (Mor.1), the domestic manufacturing license (Mor.3) and the license to import for sale (Mor.5). Bringing a foreign manufacturer's product into Thailand calls for Mor.5, filed through E-license (i.tisi.go.th). The common conditions come down to three: the factory's quality-control system passes assessment, sample test results conform to the standard, and the licensee complies with the license conditions.

The point most often missed is the applicant. The applicant and holder of Mor.5 is the business that imports and sells in Thailand — the Thai importer. The foreign manufacturer or brand headquarters is the party tested and audited, not the party holding the license. The license number and the importer's name also appear on the product label.

The commercial effect is significant. A license obtained in one distributor's name becomes a problem when the relationship with that distributor ends. The Act has a transfer procedure (Mor.9), but it needs the transferor's cooperation. Brands that intend to work with several distribution partners therefore decide who holds the license before testing starts. If no partner should hold it, license holding is one option.

Samples not intended for sale clear customs under a separate import permit. For a small sale limited to a single invoice there is a one-time import license (Mor.5/1), but only for products listed in specific inspection criteria and subject to quantity caps.

Testing is done at a body TISI has designated for that standard. The list places Thai institutions — MASCI, the Electrical and Electronics Institute (EEI), the Electrical and Electronic Products Testing Center (PTEC), the Thailand Automotive Institute (TAI), the Thailand Textile Institute (THTI), TISTR — and global laboratories such as SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek and TÜV differently for each standard. No single laboratory covers every product, and some bodies may test only certain items of a standard or within a limited measurement range. That is why the designation table is checked before commissioning.

Before samples ship to Thailand, TISI's sample import permit is obtained with the invoice, packing list, waybill and product specification. Without it, a compulsory-standard product stops at customs. Once samples reach the laboratory, results are reported by the laboratory directly to TISI.

The role of overseas reports and CB test reports should be stated plainly. TISI is a National Certification Body in the IECEE CB Scheme, but acceptance of the CB certificate as such is limited to products TISI has listed in a separate notification. For other products, an overseas report serves as a reference for identifying the differences from the Thai standard (voltage, frequency, national deviations). Separating what is already covered from what must be tested in Thailand is what makes the test plan accurate.

If the product also has a radio function such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, NBTC rules apply as well. A laboratory recognised by both authorities, such as EEI or PTEC, can run the two test plans in one place.

Importing a compulsory-standard product for sale requires the foreign factory's quality-control system to pass assessment. The criteria are set by a TISI notification of 2021 (B.E. 2564), and the audit is carried out at the factory by TISI staff or a designated inspection body (IB). The auditors' travel schedule and visas and the factory's readiness often determine the overall timeline, so the audit is scheduled at the same time as the test order.

Once a foreign factory is registered with TISI, subsequent imports can substitute a LoC issued for that registered factory in place of the on-site audit. The registration criteria are set in a separate notification and the registration has a validity period that must be renewed. A change of site or manufacturing process brings the factory back into assessment.

We are often asked whether an ISO 9001 certificate exempts the factory from audit. TISI has separate criteria for accepting quality-management-system certification results and looks at the issuing body, the accreditation framework and whether the certificate scope covers the relevant production process. A certificate does not create an automatic exemption, and further evidence or an on-site check can be requested depending on the standard and product.

TISI is checked at the border, not only in the market. The Customs Department publishes notifications listing the HS codes and statistical codes whose TISI licence data must be linked through the National Single Window (NSW) before the import declaration is sent. Once your product's code is on that list, the declaration does not go through without a matching TISI licence or registration record, and the goods stay at the port. The list keeps growing: Customs Notification No. 116/2569 added vacuum flasks and other vacuum vessels, and their parts other than glass inners, from 13 October 2026.

Two things to check:

• Match the HS code against the current linkage list before shipment. Finding out after the goods land is too late.
• Keep the licence scope in line with what you declare. Models outside the licence go to a separate review, and clearance slows down.

The details of the latest linkage notice are in our analysis of Customs Notification No. 116/2569.

The license is not the end. Each import of a compulsory-standard product is registered in TISI's NSW (National Single Window): product name, type and specification, quantity, factory and country of manufacture, exporter, HS code, invoice number and storage location, referencing the license number for each item — and the data passes to the Customs Department. If there is no license, or some models fall outside its scope, the entry goes to a separate review in which TISI officers examine the reason for import.

After issue there is TISI surveillance, and a confirmed nonconformity can lead to suspension or revocation and product disposal procedures. What comes up more often in practice is change: adding models, changing components, relocating the factory (Mor.8), transferring the license (Mor.9) and replacing a lost license (Mor.7) each have their own form and procedure. When a standard is revised, licensed products may need retesting against the new edition, so Doosigan tracks revision notices and applies them to projects in progress.

• The applicant. The applicant is the Thai importer. Starting tests before the holder structure is fixed leaves you with a report and no one able to file.
• What a CB certificate covers. CB acceptance is limited to listed products; for the rest, national-deviation items are retested in Thailand.
• Bringing in samples. A compulsory-standard product arriving without an import permit is held at customs.
• When models are added. Models outside the license scope fail NSW registration, so file the amendment before shipment.
• Scheduling of the factory audit and testing. The two can run in parallel. We assess whether they can, to reduce avoidable waiting time.
• Whether ISO 9001 is accepted. A waiver depends on the certificate's issuer and scope and on the standard.

Before samples ship or a license application is filed, we can review what you already have. The review checks whether the product and its HS code fall under a compulsory standard, which TIS edition and product type apply, how far existing CB or other reports go and which items will be tested in Thailand, and whether the importer and factory documents are ready. You receive a written gap list and a proposed order for testing, the factory audit and the filing.

Your project is led by specialists with more than ten years managing global accounts in the Thai entities of global regulatory and testing firms.

We combine regulatory evidence retrieved through Doosigan RAG with specialist judgment. Comparing source standards with product documents helps establish the applicable requirements and reasoning for authority responses. Our specialists review model configurations, test evidence and factory documentation, organize requirements and prepare documentation more efficiently. Your specialist manages the product-specific issues, testing coordination and filing work within the agreed scope.

Useful for an initial review: product specification, model configuration, existing certificates and test reports, manufacturing-site information, and proposed Thai importer structure

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.