Find an importers or business partner in Thailand

If you want to sell your product in a country, you mostly need a wholesaler that can also act as your importer.

It strongly depends on your expectations of such an importer how easy you can find him.

If you just want to outsource the formalities and some logistics, you will easily find a party. If you look for an importer that will also find retailers or direct customers for your product, this may be more difficult.

Importers and wholesalers in Thailand

Thailand: double digit growth percentages

Thailand has around 67 million inhabitants, of which 10 million live in the Bangkok region. The consuming class, those who have more to spend than just for the basic necessities, will grow from 30 million to 36 million in the next four years. The market for consumer goods and processed food products will grow with over 10% annually. The current political situation has only added to the economic stability and growth of the country.

How to find a good business partner?

Bangkok is the place to start, all major organisations have their headquarters there. For services and industrial products this can be a good place to start with quite some coverage. Chiang Mai is the economic centre for the North and can be a good extension.

Finding an agent or distributor requires good knowledge of the Thai language and a good understanding of the culture. Without this it will be difficult to get access to the market.

What an importer really does

An importer or wholesaler can take over customs clearance, storage, product checks, repacking and returns handling. Often it also acts as importer of record: the party legally responsible for the goods in the country.

Decide what you expect. A party that only handles the formalities and the logistics is easy to find. One that also actively sells your product to retailers or end customers is much harder, and will ask for margin, exclusivity or marketing support in return.

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Finding an importer in Thailand in three steps

Step 1

Decide what you need

Formalities and logistics only, or active selling as well? Your answer decides which parties fit and how much margin you have to give away.

Step 2

Shortlist and check

Look for parties that already import comparable products. Check their licences, their storage, their customer base and whether they can act as importer of record.

Step 3

Agree the terms

Settle pricing, stock levels, who owns the goods, who pays duties and VAT, and how complaints and returns are handled before the first shipment leaves.