Certification

Planning Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification in Thailand is much easier once you know which standards Thai law requires and which ones are voluntary requests from buyers or export markets. This guide explains GMP, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs), standards from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) such as ISO 22000 and ISO 22716, and halal and organic certification, based on Thai FDA notifications you can check yourself. It then walks through how a site prepares for an audit. Every certificate is issued by a government agency or a certification body. Our team helps you get ready and coordinates with them. We do not issue certificates ourselves.

GMP certification in Thailand: what is mandatory and what is voluntary

People say 'getting certified' about two very different things. The first is a legal requirement in Thailand that is tied to the type of product you make. If you do not meet it, you cannot produce that product for sale. The second is a voluntary standard that a buyer, a retailer or a destination country asks for, so they can trust your system.

Food and cosmetic GMP in Thailand belong to the first group, because they are set in notifications issued under the law for that product. ISO standards, halal and organic schemes generally belong to the second group. Good hygiene practice sits underneath both, as explained further below.

This table is an overview. Product-specific notifications can add further requirements, so always check the rules for your own product before you decide.

Food GMP under Thai FDA rules: what Notification No. 420 requires

If you are looking into food GMP in Thailand, the key document is Ministry of Public Health Notification No. 420, B.E. 2563 (2020), on production methods, production equipment and food storage. B.E. stands for the Buddhist Era, which runs 543 years ahead of the Western calendar. This notification repealed several older ones, including No. 193. It requires food produced for sale to meet the rules in its annex, except at certain types of premises that it exempts (Ministry of Public Health Notification No. 420).

The annex has two parts. Part 1 sets basic requirements for every food production site, in five chapters:

1. Location, production buildings, cleaning and maintenance
2. Tools, machinery and production equipment, with their cleaning and maintenance
3. Control of the production process, from raw materials and packaging through mixing to the finished product
4. Sanitation
5. Personal hygiene

Part 2 sets specific requirements for three higher-risk groups: drinking water in sealed containers, natural mineral water and filtered edible ice; pasteurised liquid milk products; and low-acid and acidified foods in hermetically sealed containers. Producers in these groups also need a production supervisor who has completed a training course recognised by the Thai FDA.

In practice, the process-control chapter is where gaps are most often found. Points that deserve attention include:

• Traceability data such as the type, batch and source of raw materials, packaging and finished products
• Analysis of the finished product by a government laboratory or an accredited laboratory at least once a year
• Records of product type, production volume and distribution, with a product recall procedure; the notification mentions dietary supplements specifically
• Records and reports kept for at least one year after the end of the shelf life shown on the label
• Suitable training for workers at every level, with evidence that the training took place

The notification also requires food importers to hold certificates showing that the producer meets a standard equivalent to, or not lower than, the annex. Inspections follow the procedures that the Thai FDA announces.

What are GHPs and how do they relate to GMP?

Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs) is the term used in the general principles of food hygiene published by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the international food standards body. It describes the basic measures that prevent contamination throughout production: the building, equipment, cleaning, pest control and the hygiene of the people who work there.

Compare this with Notification No. 420 and you will see that its five basic chapters cover the same ground. That is why people in the industry often use GMP and GHPs almost interchangeably when they talk about basic hygiene. When you file documents or face an inspection, however, use the names and requirements of the notification that applies to your product.

The key point to remember is that good hygiene is the foundation of every food safety system. If the foundation is weak, a higher-level system such as HACCP or ISO 22000 tends to stall, because auditors always look at these basics first.

HACCP certification in Thailand: what it is and when you need it

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Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a system whose principles are set by Codex. It looks for hazards at each step of production and controls the points where a failure would make food unsafe. HACCP has seven principles:

1. Analyse biological, chemical and physical hazards at each step
2. Identify the critical control points
3. Set critical limits for each point
4. Set monitoring procedures
5. Set corrective actions for when a limit is not met
6. Set verification procedures to confirm the system works
7. Keep documents and records

Notification No. 420 does not use the term HACCP in its requirements. For most food manufacturers, HACCP certification in Thailand is therefore something added when a buyer, a retailer or an export market asks for it. The Thai FDA does, however, accept HACCP based on Codex principles, or ISO 22000, as evidence of a quality assurance system in some cases. One example is the import of beef products under Notification No. 459, for which the Thai FDA has published a list of standards it considers equivalent (Thai FDA, 2025).

If a buyer names a specific standard or certification body in the contract, follow that exactly. Certificates from different schemes may not be accepted as substitutes.

ISO 22000 and ISO 22716 in Thailand: how they differ

The two names look alike, but they cover different products.

ISO 22000 sets requirements for a food safety management system that any organisation in the food chain can use (ISO, 2018). ISO 22716 gives GMP guidelines for cosmetics, covering personnel, premises, equipment, raw materials, production, quality control, complaints and recalls (ISO, 2007).

Both are voluntary. Holding an ISO certificate does not replace any duty under Thai law. A factory must still meet the Thai FDA notifications that apply to its products.

Cosmetic GMP in Thailand and the Thai FDA site certificate

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For cosmetics, the Ministry of Public Health Notification on criteria, methods and conditions for producing or importing cosmetics, B.E. 2561 (2018), requires manufacturers for sale and contract manufacturers to meet the requirements for premises, equipment, packaging, production methods and storage in Annex A. Importers must follow Annex B (Ministry of Public Health Notification on producing or importing cosmetics, 2018).

A company that has filed cosmetic notifications and wants written proof can apply for a certificate for its manufacturing or import site. Applications go to the Thai FDA, a provincial public health office or the electronic system. Officers check whether the site meets the notification above, and the certificate is valid for three years from the date of issue (Ministry of Public Health Notification on cosmetic site certificates, 2018).

The Thai FDA also publishes a site inspection guideline for this notification. It is the most useful document to compare against during a gap assessment, because it shows what inspectors look at under each heading (Thai FDA, 2025, site inspection guideline, revised edition 2).

Herbal products have their own Ministry of Public Health notification on criteria, methods and conditions for manufacturing herbal products, B.E. 2564 (2021) (Ministry of Public Health Notification on herbal product manufacturing, 2021). If one factory makes several product types, check the requirements under each law separately.

Halal certification in Thailand and organic claims

Halal means permitted under Islamic law. A halal certificate confirms that a product's raw materials, processing aids and production process meet halal requirements. In Thailand, halal certification is overseen by Islamic organisations, with the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand as the main body. It is not a Thai FDA function.

When preparing for halal certification in Thailand, companies usually need:

• A full list of raw materials with source documents, especially for animal-derived materials, alcohol and processing aids
• A production flow chart and the measures that prevent cross-contamination with non-halal products
• Basic hygiene documentation, much of which can be shared with GMP work

Organic certification comes in many schemes, public and private, Thai and foreign. Each has its own rules on raw materials, ingredient proportions and use of the logo. Choose your target market first, then the scheme that market recognises.

Using the words halal or organic on a label without evidence risks being treated as misleading. Get certified first, then use the words or logo under the certifier's conditions.

How to prepare for a GMP certification audit, step by step

Whether you are preparing for legally required GMP or a voluntary standard, the preparation follows a similar order. These steps suit most sites:

1. Be clear about which standard you need, why, and who is asking for it, for example the law or a buyer's contract
2. Run a gap assessment, comparing the site and existing documents with each requirement
3. Plan corrections, separating changes to buildings or equipment from documentation work
4. Build the document system: work instructions, record forms, process flow charts and traceability
5. Train staff at each level and keep evidence of the training
6. Run the system for real and keep records for a period, because auditors review past records, not just written procedures
7. Hold an internal audit to find what is still not ready
8. Apply and book the audit with the government agency or certification body
9. Correct any findings and submit evidence of the corrections within the deadline

Time and cost depend on the size of the site, the product type, the standard chosen and where the site starts from. After the assessment, our team sets out the scope of work in a quotation. Audit fees and charges of the certification body are separate from our preparation work.

The audit result is decided by the government agency or certification body. Our team helps the site be as ready as possible, but we cannot guarantee the outcome of an audit.

Talk to our team about certification

If you are preparing for food GMP, cosmetic GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000, ISO 22716, halal or organic certification, the consultants at TIBD Co., Ltd. can help with the gap assessment, the document system, audit readiness and coordination with the certification body. The team works in Thai and English.

To help us understand your case quickly, please have this information ready:

• The products you make, and your current licence or production site number
• The standard you need and who is asking for it, such as a local buyer, an overseas buyer or a retailer
• Documents or systems you already have
• The deadline your buyer has set

Send the details through the web form on the Talk to our team page, message LINE @tibdglobal, or email info@tibdglobal.com. The team will contact you to understand the work, then propose a scope and a quotation. Work starts once you agree. In the meantime, you can use the free Notification search on this site to read the full notifications cited in this article.

Frequently asked questions

References

1. Ministry of Public Health. (2020). [Notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No. 420) B.E. 2563 (2020) issued under the Food Act B.E. 2522 (1979) on production methods, production equipment and food storage] (in Thai). Thai Food and Drug Administration. Open document ↗
2. Thai Food and Drug Administration. (2025). [List of food production system standards equivalent to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system or ISO 22000:2018] (in Thai). Open document ↗
3. Ministry of Public Health. (2018). [Notification of the Ministry of Public Health on criteria, methods and conditions for producing or importing cosmetics B.E. 2561 (2018)] (in Thai). Thai Food and Drug Administration. Open document ↗
4. Ministry of Public Health. (2018). [Notification of the Ministry of Public Health on applications for and issuance of certificates for cosmetic manufacturing or import sites] (in Thai). Thai Food and Drug Administration. Open document ↗
5. Thai Food and Drug Administration. (2025). [Site inspection guideline under the Ministry of Public Health Notification on criteria, methods and conditions for producing or importing cosmetics B.E. 2561 (2018), revised edition 2] (in Thai). Open document ↗
6. Ministry of Public Health. (2021). [Notification of the Ministry of Public Health on criteria, methods and conditions for manufacturing herbal products under the Herbal Products Act B.E. 2562 (2019), B.E. 2564 (2021)] (in Thai). Thai Food and Drug Administration. Open document ↗
7. International Organization for Standardization. (2018). ISO 22000:2018 Food safety management systems — Requirements for any organization in the food chain. Open document ↗
8. International Organization for Standardization. (2007). ISO 22716:2007 Cosmetics — Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) — Guidelines on Good Manufacturing Practices. Open document ↗