News Details

Bangkok, March 2026. Thailand has circulated an addendum to its draft Ministerial Regulation requiring paper intended for food contact to conform to the prescribed industrial standard. The update does not change the substantive product scope, but revises the implementation timeline by postponing the regulation’s entry into force to 22 June 2027. The measure is intended to give manufacturers, importers, and other affected stakeholders additional time to prepare for compliance.

Relevant background and regulatory context

The addendum should be read against Thailand’s earlier Ministerial Regulation on paper for food contact, issued in B.E. 2568 (2025). Under the newly circulated amendment, Clause 1 of that 2025 regulation would be repealed and replaced so that the measure would take effect from 22 June 2027 instead. The Thai draft text makes clear that the change is targeted specifically at the effective date rather than the underlying regulatory approach.

What the draft amendment does

The current draft amendment is narrow in scope. It replaces the entry-into-force clause in the 2025 Ministerial Regulation with a new provision stating that the regulation will apply from 22 June 2027. In practical terms, this means Thailand is extending the transition period before mandatory compliance begins for industrial paper products intended for food contact use.

Why the timeline was extended

According to the addendum, the purpose of the amendment is to provide sufficient time for manufacturers, importers, and other stakeholders to prepare for compliance. This suggests that Thai authorities recognize the operational lead time needed for product assessment, conformity planning, and broader supply-chain readiness before the standard becomes enforceable.

What remains unchanged

The notification indicates a change in content or scope only to the extent of the implementation timing. The underlying regulation still concerns industrial products consisting of paper for food contact and continues to sit within Thailand’s industrial product standards framework. The legal basis cited in the Thai draft remains the Industrial Product Standards Act and its subsequent amendments.

Consultation and next steps

The amended draft is open for public consultation, with comments invited within 30 days from the date of notification. After that process, Thai authorities may proceed toward final adoption of the revised regulation, with 22 June 2027 now identified as the intended compliance date.

Business implications

For businesses placing food contact paper products on the Thai market, the delay provides additional time to review product coverage, prepare technical documentation, assess conformity requirements, and coordinate with suppliers and import channels. Companies already tracking the 2025 regulation should update their compliance timelines, but should not assume the measure has been withdrawn. Rather, the current draft indicates that Thailand is preserving the regulatory direction while allowing a longer implementation window.