FDA advises against ordering health products with no Thai labels

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urging Thai consumers not to order cosmetics and healthcare products that do not have Thai labels from online platforms as they cannot be checked for ingredients that could cause allergic reactions.

The warning comes on the heels of Chinese online retailing platform Temu’s entry into the Thai e-commerce market on Monday, which sparked concerns among Thai entrepreneurs and consumers about the influx of ultra-cheap and often substandard goods from China.

“Ordering a health product directly from overseas manufacturers could pose a risk to consumers, especially if they are unable to read the label to check what is contains and where it was made,” Lertchai Lertvut, the FDA’s deputy secretary-general, said on Thursday.

If the imported product turned out to be not as advertised, consumers often have limited options to return it or file a complaint with overseas manufacturers, he added.

“Health products produced in Thailand are required to have a clear label in Thai detailing ingredients, health warnings and place of manufacture, ensuring consumer safety as well as telling them where they can return the product or file a complaint,” said Lertchai.

The FDA also warned that products ordered from overseas will be thoroughly checked by x-ray machines at the customs checkpoint. For health-related products, FDA officials will also manually check to see if they match the manifest, and will pursue legal action against the receivers if the products do not match the description.

Lertchai said that with the entry of Temu to the Thai online market, the FDA is closely monitoring the number of items being ordered via the platform and will arrange adequate officials at customs checkpoints in case of a spike in Chinese imports to ensure that all health-related products are thoroughly checked before they reach consumers.