Pawat supports the government's plan to impose up to a 30% tax on online imported goods but warns that higher prices for foreign products do not necessarily mean Thai stores will sell better. He calls on the government to advance three simultaneous measures to strictly regulate platforms and promote Thai products in the ASEAN market instead.
On 11 Nov 2026, Pawat Pongwittayaphanu, a party-list MP from the Prachachon Party, commented on the Cabinet's approval of restructuring import taxes on goods purchased online from abroad. The government canceled tax exemptions and reductions for goods imported via express delivery and international postal services, instead imposing customs duties up to 30% plus 7% VAT based on actual tariff classifications. Having been involved in e-commerce for over 25 years and advocating tax fairness since 2018, he agreed with and praised the government's bold steps to address this issue. Previously, Thai businesses bore strict tax burdens and legal compliance but had to compete with foreign products flooding the market at unrealistically low prices.
Pawat noted that this measure will increase the final cost of parcel items Thai people order directly from foreign apps—such as fashion items, phone cases, electronics, and miscellaneous goods—that previously were exempt from import tax or taxed at low rates. However, larger imports via shipping containers or under free trade agreements (FTAs) processed through normal customs procedures will continue under existing regulations.
He warned that although this measure improves fairness to some extent, higher import taxes do not automatically translate to better sales for Thai shops, since Thais are both buyers and sellers. Many small retailers and producers still need to import parts, components, equipment, or raw materials, so increased tax costs could become a burden for Thai businesses and consumers. Moreover, foreign sellers may shift tactics from sending individual parcels to importing bulk shipments via containers under FTAs to evade taxes, storing goods in Thai warehouses for redistribution. Ultimately, middlemen—not Thai producers—would benefit, contrary to the policy’s intent. Therefore, he proposed the government urgently implement three complementary measures:
1. Ensure full and fair tax collection: The Customs Department and Revenue Department must link their databases directly with e-commerce platforms to monitor and prevent under-invoicing. Platforms should transparently display product prices including tax to consumers before purchase. Additionally, VAT systems and electronic tax invoice systems should be integrated with platforms to fully capture tax revenue.
2. Seriously regulate online platforms: The government must control unfair fees and commission rates (GP) that foreign platforms charge Thai sellers. It should strictly enforce standards by detecting unsafe products lacking FDA or TISI certification and accelerate the enactment of digital platform economy laws to establish fair competition rules and effectively connect state supervision with platform operations.
3. Support Thai sellers and producers to reduce costs and expand markets proactively: The government should promote adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital solutions to lower costs and boost sales for Thai businesses. Most importantly, it must shift the mindset from merely reacting to imports toward opening doors for Thai exports to ASEAN by creating a cross-border digital commerce ecosystem that enables Thai goods to reach foreign markets conveniently, quickly, and at low cost.
“I want to see the government measure whether Thai stores truly improve sales, not just celebrate collecting billions more in taxes. I do not seek to block foreign products but want Thais to compete fairly. We should not stop at making imports more expensive but must also make Thai products stronger, sell better, and export more,” Pawat concluded.