Advertising permits

Before you run an ad or post a product online in Thailand, check whether it needs Thai FDA advertising approval. Food, herbal products and cosmetics fall under different laws, and each law handles advertising in its own way. This guide explains what the ฆอ. food advertising permit is, where its number must appear, what Thai rules treat as an exaggerated claim, and how Thailand cosmetic regulations deal with advertising without a pre-approval step. The aim is to help you get your wording right the first time, so the review goes as smoothly as possible.

Thai FDA advertising approval: three product types, three systems

People often say 'advertising approval' as if one system covered every product. Legally, it does not. Food (including dietary supplements) and herbal products must be approved before certain kinds of advertising. Cosmetics do not need approval before advertising, but the law lists statements you must not use and lets you ask an expert committee for an opinion if you are unsure. All three are overseen by the Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA).

A note on dates and codes: Thai laws are dated in the Buddhist Era (B.E.), which runs 543 years ahead of the Western calendar, so B.E. 2569 is 2026. Form codes such as ฆอ. are Thai abbreviations. We keep them in Thai so you can match them to the official documents.

What the three groups share is a ban on false or exaggerated statements, and on anything that misleads consumers about the essential nature of the product. Even where no pre-approval is needed, the Thai FDA has the power to order a non-compliant ad to be corrected or stopped.

Each of these laws is amended from time to time. Check the latest notifications before every submission.

What the ฆอ. food advertising permit is and when you need one

AI-generated image

ฆอ. is the Thai shorthand for the food advertising application. The legal basis is Section 41 of the Food Act B.E. 2522 (1979). Anyone who advertises the benefits, quality or properties of a food for commercial purposes, whether on radio, television, film, in print or by any other means, must first submit the sound, images or text to the licensing authority for review. Only after approval can the ad run (Food Act B.E. 2522, Chapter 5).

The Thai FDA Notification on food advertising criteria B.E. 2569 (2026), which replaced the 2021 version, sets out more clearly when an application is required:

• Ads that present the benefits, quality or properties shown on an approved label. If you want to claim more than the label approval covers, the claim must first be assessed and the label approved.
• Ads that make nutrition claims or use nutrient content to promote sales. These must also follow the rules on nutrition labeling.
• Health claims, which must follow the rules on health claims on food labels.
• Any other ad that does not fall under an exemption.

Only a few kinds of communication can go out without an application: academic information with no commercial purpose that does not point to a specific product, corporate image advertising, and factual statements that match the wording listed in the annex to the notification. If the same piece also contains benefit or property claims, the whole piece needs an application (Thai FDA, 2026).

Labels are a frequent source of confusion. The notification says that a label made under the labeling rules is not an advertisement. But once you take the label image or its wording and publish it in other media in an advertising way, it counts as advertising under the law.

How to apply for a food advertising permit and show the ฆอ. number

The 2026 notification splits advertising media into three types: images only without sound, sound only, and images with sound. One application covers one media type only. In summary, the process looks like this:

1. Make sure the food itself is compliant first, including its quality standard, formula, use of food additives and label. The notification requires the food to be lawful before it can be advertised.
2. Complete the food advertising application (form ฆอ.1). Enter the food serial number, the 13-digit number often called the 'Or Yor' number (อย.), and the Thai product name exactly as approved.
3. Prepare the attachment (form ฆอ.3) to suit the media: a sharp final image or draft for print, a voice script for audio, or a storyboard with scene details for video.
4. Attach supporting documents for every claim. They must be accurate, complete and consistent with the ad content.
5. Once approved, produce the ad exactly as approved and follow any conditions set by the licensing authority.

When people search for a 'ฆอ. number', they mean the food advertising permit number. The notification requires this number to appear in the approved media. The permit can be valid for up to 5 years from the approval date. If the ad that actually runs differs from the approved version, or leaves out part of the approved text, the notification treats the entire ad as unapproved (Thai FDA, 2026).

If the label carries a warning, the ad must show a matching warning. In print, the warning letters must be at least 1/25 of the height of the advertising area. In video, the warning can be read out clearly, every syllable audible, or shown as superimposed text for at least 5 seconds.

Changing an image, cutting a word or adding text after approval, even a small change, can make the whole piece count as unapproved. If you need to change it, submit it again.

What 'exaggerated claims' means in Thai food advertising

Section 40 of the Food Act prohibits advertising the benefits, quality or properties of food in a way that is false or that unreasonably deceives people into believing it. The 2026 notification spells out which statements may fall into this category:

• False or exaggerated statements.
• Statements suggesting the food treats, relieves, cures or prevents a disease or its symptoms.
• Statements suggesting the food changes the structure or function of the body or of an organ.
• Statements suggesting the food boosts sexual desire or sexual performance.
• Statements suggesting the food nourishes the skin or serves a beauty purpose.
• Statements suggesting weight loss, slimming, body shaping or fat blocking (except foods for weight control permitted under their own specific notification).
• Using or citing scientific reports or statistics that have not passed the Thai FDA health claim assessment.

The notification also lists statements considered unfair to consumers. These include suggesting that the food contains an ingredient it does not contain, or contains less of it than advertised; having medical professionals, or people presented as medical professionals, recommend or endorse the food; and comparing the product with, or disparaging, other products (Thai FDA, 2026).

In practice, then, restricted wording is not limited to obvious words like 'cure' or 'heals completely'. Everyday phrases such as 'clearer skin', 'better figure', 'flatter tummy' or 'helps you sleep', and before-and-after photos, can also carry a meaning that falls under these bans. The safer route is to stay with the wording on your approved label, and tell your story through taste, ingredients, how to enjoy the product, or where the brand comes from.

Some food types have extra rules. Infant food may not be advertised, and ads for dietary supplements must use presenters aged 15 or over who are not pregnant. Check the specific chapter for your product.

Thailand cosmetic regulations on advertising: no pre-approval, clear limits

The Cosmetic Act B.E. 2558 (2015) does not require approval before advertising in the way food law does. But Section 41 says cosmetic ads must not use statements that are unfair to consumers or that may harm society. The Act treats the following as falling into that category:

• False or exaggerated statements.
• Statements that mislead about essential facts, including citing scientific reports or statistics that are untrue or exaggerated.
• Statements claiming to treat disease, or claiming effects that are not the purpose of a cosmetic.
• Statements suggesting the product boosts sexual desire.
• Other statements specified by ministerial regulation.

That last point is now covered by the Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2567 (2024) prescribing cosmetic advertising statements that are unfair to consumers or may harm society as a whole. Anyone writing cosmetic ad copy for Thailand should read it alongside the Act.

In Thailand, cosmetics are 'notified' rather than registered, so the person responsible for a product is called the notifier. If the Thai FDA suspects a statement is false or exaggerated, it can order the notifier or the advertiser to prove it. If an ad cites research or an endorsement that cannot be proven, the Thai FDA may order the wording to be corrected or banned, stop the ad, or require an ad that corrects the misunderstanding (Cosmetic Act B.E. 2558, Sections 44–45).

If you are unsure, Section 46 lets the notifier or advertiser ask the Cosmetic Committee for an opinion before advertising. The request uses form ฆส.1 and comes with the ad text, the formula showing the quantity and function of every ingredient, a product sample, and documents supporting the claims (Ministry of Public Health Notification on requesting opinions on cosmetic advertising, 2018). The Act states that acting in line with the committee's opinion is not a criminal offense, although the committee can reconsider its opinion when there is good reason.

Herbal product advertising: a license before you publish

Section 70 of the Herbal Products Act B.E. 2562 (2019) prohibits advertising a herbal product or its benefits unless a license has been obtained first. Section 71 says an advertising license is valid for 3 years from the date of issue.

Those who may apply are the holders of the product's registration certificate, detailed notification receipt or notification receipt, and anyone with their consent. The application uses form ฆสมพ.1, together with the ad content prepared for each media type and any academic documents (Thai FDA Notification on herbal product advertising licenses, 2021).

Approved herbal ads may contain the wording approved at registration or notification, price information, marks or certifications backed by real evidence, and research data consistent with the approved properties. An approved ad must show the following clearly enough to read or hear:

• The correct product name, as shown on the certificate or receipt, at least once.
• The advertising license number, in every approved media type.
• A statement on how to report harm through the Thai FDA hotline 1556.
• A statement asking consumers to read the warnings on the label and leaflet before use, if the product carries warnings.

Key prohibitions include claiming a miraculous or complete cure, stating false or exaggerated properties, having any person or institution endorse or praise the product's properties, and claiming to prevent or treat certain serious diseases listed by the Ministry (Herbal Products Act B.E. 2562, Section 74; Ministry of Public Health Notification on herbal product advertising, 2021).

On social media, the license holder must monitor and control unlawful comments from others so they do not spread. Leaving comments that overstate benefits on your page is a risk for the brand itself.

Influencers, reviews and online posts under Thai FDA rules

AI-generated image

All three laws define advertising broadly: any way of making the public see, hear or learn of a message for commercial benefit. Page posts, short videos, live selling and scripts given to influencers are therefore treated the same way as ads in traditional media.

In practice, problems often arise when a reviewer goes beyond the approved wording, for example by saying a chronic condition improved, or that their skin changed within a short time. Even if the brand did not write the script, a paid or commercially used review can count as unlawful advertising. Points to watch closely:

• Food: medical professionals, or people presenting themselves as such, may not recommend or endorse the benefits of a food.
• Herbal products: no person, group or institution may endorse or praise the product's properties, except in advertising aimed directly at licensed health professionals as the law allows, and that still needs a license.
• Cosmetics: do not cite research or statistics you cannot prove, and do not suggest the product treats disease.
• All product types: before-and-after images, result figures, and words like 'the best' or 'results for sure' need evidence and must not mislead.

A simple way to reduce the risk is to give every reviewer a short brief of what they can and cannot say before work starts, and to check each clip or post before it goes live.

Pre-submission checklist: catch restricted wording in one pass

Most returned applications are not missing documents. They come back because the wording in the piece does not match the evidence, or does not match what was already approved. Before you submit, check in this order:

• Confirm the product category: food, dietary supplement, herbal product or cosmetic. This decides which law applies.
• Check that the food serial number, cosmetic notification number or herbal registration number is still valid and that the product name matches.
• Go through the copy sentence by sentence, comparing it with the approved label wording and with the bans in the relevant law.
• Check images, sound, on-screen text and music, because pictures carry meaning just as words do.
• Prepare supporting documents for every claim, such as analysis results, test reports or academic papers.
• Plan how many media types you will use, since one food advertising application covers only one media type.

This website offers free tools for a first check. RA Advisor is an AI assistant for regulatory affairs questions: you can ask in plain sentences or attach a photo of your label, and it gives initial guidance. There is also a restricted-words game for practicing how to tell acceptable wording from unacceptable wording, and a Thai FDA notification search for reading the original notifications. Results from these tools are not Thai FDA rulings.

Approval is decided by the Thai FDA, and no service provider can decide the outcome on its behalf. What we can do is prepare wording and evidence that fit the criteria as closely as possible from the start.

Talk to our team about advertising approval and claim review

TIBD Co., Ltd. reviews ad copy and claims before submission, prepares and files food advertising applications and herbal product advertising license applications, and submits requests for an opinion on cosmetic advertising. We look at the wording, the visuals and the media plan together.

To start, send us your product details and samples of the ad pieces you plan to use. The team will contact you to understand the work, then propose a scope of work and a quotation, and start once you agree. Timing depends on the product type, the number of media pieces and how complete the documents are; the team will state it in the quotation.

You can reach us through the web form on the 'Talk to our team' page of this website, on LINE at @tibdglobal, or by email at info@tibdglobal.com. The team works in both Thai and English.

Frequently asked questions

References

1. Thai Food and Drug Administration. (2026). [Notification of the Food and Drug Administration on food advertising criteria B.E. 2569] (in Thai). Open document ↗
2. Thai Food and Drug Administration. (1979). [Chapter 5: Registration and advertising of food, Food Act B.E. 2522 (1979)] (in Thai). Open document ↗
3. Thai Food and Drug Administration. (2015). [Cosmetic Act B.E. 2558 (2015)] (in Thai). Open document ↗
4. Thai Food and Drug Administration. (2018). [Notification of the Ministry of Public Health on requesting opinions on cosmetic advertising, dated 29 April 2018] (in Thai). Open document ↗
5. Thai Food and Drug Administration. (2024). [Ministerial Regulation prescribing cosmetic advertising statements that are unfair to consumers or may harm society as a whole B.E. 2567, dated 20 November 2024] (in Thai). Open document ↗
6. Thai Food and Drug Administration. (2019). [Herbal Products Act B.E. 2562 (2019)] (in Thai). Open document ↗
7. Thai Food and Drug Administration. (2021). [Notification of the Ministry of Public Health on criteria, methods and conditions for advertising herbal products B.E. 2564] (in Thai). Open document ↗
8. Thai Food and Drug Administration. (2021). [Notification of the Food and Drug Administration on criteria, methods and conditions for applying for and issuing herbal product advertising licenses B.E. 2564] (in Thai). Open document ↗