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How to Import Korean Instant Ramen into Thailand: TFDA Certification and Documentation Guide

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Instant Ramen Noodles packaging flat-lay with multiple Korean ramen packages on a neutral surface, forest green accent details and studio lighting for Thailand import guide

To legally import Korean instant ramen into Thailand, every importer must obtain a Form Orr. 7 license from the Thai FDA and register each product for a food serial number — skip either step and Customs will hold the container at Laem Chabang port until paperwork clears. Per Baker McKenzie, the import license takes about seven working days, but product serial number registration is a separate, longer step. This guide covers the TFDA certification path, Thai-language label rules updated in 2024, the 2025 azodicarbonamide removal, and how AKFTA can reduce import duty costs.

Why Thai FDA Approval Must Come Before Your Ramen Leaves Korea

Thailand's Food Act B.E. 2522 (1979), Section 15, makes it a criminal offence to import food for sale without a license, per the Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA / TFDA). This law covers all commercial food imports — there are no exceptions for small trial shipments or first-time importers.

To understand what this means for instant ramen, you need to know how Thai FDA classifies food. Per the Thai FDA, the Food Act places all food into four categories:

  • Category 1 — Specifically Controlled Food: Infant formula, certain food additives, cannabidiol-containing products
  • Category 2 — Food with Quality or Standard Requirements: Dairy products, sealed beverages, dietary supplements
  • Category 3 — Food with Labeling Requirements: Ready-to-eat meals, bread, candies, and processed noodle products
  • Category 4 — General Food: Raw plants, spices, unprocessed commodities

Instant ramen falls under Category 3 (Food with Labeling Requirements). Per the Thai FDA, all products in Categories 1, 2, and 3 must have a food serial number beginning with "U1" — obtained through the Food e-Submission System — before they can be legally imported for sale.

What happens if a shipment arrives without this number? Per Carra Globe's importer-of-record guide on Thailand, TFDA agency review at the port of entry takes 3 to 10 business days depending on product class and document completeness. Customs will not release the cargo until that review is complete. For sea freight arriving at Laem Chabang — Thailand's main deep-sea container gateway, per Carra Globe — that means your shipment waits at port while paperwork catches up.

Getting Form Orr. 7: Thailand's Mandatory Food Import License

How to Apply for Form Orr. 7 — Step by Step

  1. 1

    Establish a Thai Legal Entity

    Form Orr. 7 must be held by a Thai-registered company. Ensure commercial registration and a Thai business address are in place before applying.

  2. 2

    Prepare Required Documents

    Gather commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and food production system standards certificate (GMP, ISO 22000, or HACCP) from the Korean manufacturer.

  3. 3

    Submit via Food e-Submission System

    Log in at accounts.egov.go.th using Open ID. The system is in Thai — local regulatory assistance is recommended for non-Thai-speaking applicants.

  4. 4

    TFDA Review

    Thai FDA reviews the complete application. Processing takes approximately seven working days for Form Orr. 7, per Baker McKenzie.

  5. 5

    Receive License and Food Serial Number

    Upon approval, Form Orr. 7 is issued and a U1-prefix food serial number is assigned to each registered product.

  6. 6

    Proceed with Shipment

    With Form Orr. 7 and the food serial number confirmed, the shipment can depart Korea and proceed through Thai Customs at Laem Chabang.

Form Orr. 7 is officially titled the "License for Importation or Ordering of Food into the Kingdom," per the Thai FDA. It is the document your Thai importer entity must hold before the first ramen shipment can legally enter Thailand.

Who can hold this license?

Per the Thai FDA, the licensee must:

  • Hold a commercial registration certificate in Thailand
  • Maintain a registered Thai business address
  • Operate food storage premises that meet Thai FDA standards

This means the license must be held by a Thai-registered company — either a Thai importer of record or a Thai subsidiary of the Korean exporter. A Korean manufacturer cannot hold Form Orr. 7 directly.

How to apply:

Applications go through Thailand's Food e-Submission System, authenticated via Open ID at accounts.egov.go.th, per Artixio citing the Thai FDA e-Submission System. The platform interface and most documents are in Thai, so most foreign exporters work with a local regulatory agent or Thai importer of record to handle the submission.

Required documents for processed food imports, per the U.S. International Trade Administration, include: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and a food production system standards certificate — GMP, ISO 22000, or HACCP — from the Korean manufacturing facility.

One useful update from November 2024: per ChemLinked citing the Thai FDA Notification of November 27, 2024, accreditation certificates that can be verified online through an IAF-member body's database no longer require a physical certified copy. If your Korean factory's GMP or HACCP certificate is in a recognized online database, an electronic copy is now accepted.

Processing time: Per Baker McKenzie's Asia Pacific Food Law Guide on Thailand, a complete Form Orr. 7 application takes approximately seven working days to process. Incomplete submissions restart that clock. The license is valid for three years and must then be renewed, per the Thai FDA.

Label Requirements Under MOPH Notification No. 450 (2024)

Thai Label Mandatory Elements for Imported Instant Ramen (MOPH Notification No. 450)

  • ✓ Product name in ThaiMust accurately describe the product category (instant noodles)
  • ✓ Net quantityIn metric units (grams)
  • ✓ Manufacturer and importer name and addressBoth the Korean manufacturer and the Thai importer must appear on the label
  • ✓ Manufacturing and expiry datesBoth dates required and must be legible
  • ✓ Ingredient listAll ingredients listed; descending-by-weight order is optional under Notification No. 450
  • ✓ Allergen declarationsNotification No. 450 added shellfish and squid — check all seafood-flavored varieties carefully
  • ✓ Applicable warning statementsPer TFDA requirements for the specific product category

Per Tilleke & Gibbins citing MOPH Notification No. 450 B.E. 2567 (2024), effective July 19, 2024, all prepackaged consumer food sold in Thailand must carry a Thai-language label. For instant ramen importers, these elements are mandatory:

  • Product name in Thai — must accurately reflect the food category
  • Net quantity — in metric units (grams)
  • Manufacturer name and address (the Korean factory) and importer name and address (the Thai entity) — both must appear
  • Manufacturing and expiry dates — both required and legible
  • Ingredient list — descending-by-weight order is now optional under Notification No. 450
  • Allergen declarations — Notification No. 450 added shellfish and squid to the mandatory disclosure list, per Tilleke & Gibbins. Korean ramen varieties with seafood-based seasoning packets must explicitly declare these allergens.
  • Applicable warning statements per TFDA requirements for the product category

Products labeled before July 19, 2024, may continue to be sold through existing stock until July 18, 2026, per Tilleke & Gibbins. New production destined for Thailand should comply with Notification No. 450 before the shipment departs Korea.

On sticker labeling: Thai regulation does not prohibit using a sticker to add the Thai-language label, but the sticker must be applied before Thai Customs releases the goods. Common approaches include stickering at a bonded warehouse near Laem Chabang, or printing Thai labels at the Korean factory before export.

The 2025 Additive Change That Directly Affects Ramen Formulations

Per ChemLinked citing MOPH Notification No. 468 B.E. 2568 (2025), effective December 12, 2025, Thailand replaced its food additive regulation with a revised framework aligned with Codex Alimentarius and JECFA safety reviews.

The change that directly affects instant ramen: azodicarbonamide has been removed from Thailand's permitted food additives list. This compound is a flour improver and bleaching agent found in some processed wheat noodle products. Under Notification No. 468, products containing azodicarbonamide cannot be registered for a Thai food serial number, and any existing shipments entering Thailand after the grace period ends must also be free of this compound.

A two-year grace period applies for products that were already compliant with the superseded MOPH Notification No. 444 (2023), per ChemLinked. New registrations and shipments entering Thailand from December 12, 2025, must meet Notification No. 468 requirements.

Practical step before registration: Request a full ingredient specification sheet from your Korean ramen manufacturer. If azodicarbonamide appears in the noodle block or in any seasoning component, ask for written confirmation of its removal or identify a compliant product variant before filing for a food serial number.

Using AKFTA to Reduce Import Duties on Korean Ramen

Per BusinessKorea, South Korean ramen exports to Thailand reached approximately USD 30.07 million, placing Thailand among the top markets for Korean instant noodles in 2024. For importers managing costs, the ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Agreement (AKFTA) can meaningfully reduce import duties.

Per the AKFTA Secretariat, AKFTA eliminates tariffs on approximately 80% of goods traded between South Korea and ASEAN member states, including Thailand. Normal Track tariff eliminations were complete by 2012; Sensitive Track reductions phased out by 2020.

To claim an AKFTA preferential duty rate on instant ramen (HS code 1902.30), your shipment needs:

  1. Form AK certificate of origin — obtained from the Korea Customs Service or a designated chamber of commerce in Korea, before the shipment departs
  2. Regional Value Content (RVC) confirmation — at least 40% of the product's value must originate from South Korea or another AKFTA member country, per the AKFTA Secretariat
  3. Alternatively, the Change in Tariff Heading (CTH) rule — an alternate origin criterion that can be used if it is easier to demonstrate for your specific product

Most Korean ramen manufactured entirely in Korea with Korean ingredients will meet the 40% RVC threshold. However, the exact preferential tariff rate for HS 1902.30 should be confirmed with a Thai customs broker or Thailand's Department of Foreign Trade before relying on it in your cost models — specific rates are not available through publicly accessible static sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Thai FDA license do I need before importing instant ramen, and where do I apply?
You need Form Orr. 7 — the License for Importation or Ordering of Food into the Kingdom — issued by the Thai FDA. It must be held by a Thai-registered entity. Applications go through Thailand's Food e-Submission System at accounts.egov.go.th. Each ramen product also needs a separate food serial number (U1 prefix) from product registration before Customs will release the cargo.
How long does registration take, and should I apply before my first shipment leaves Korea?
Yes — apply well in advance. Per Baker McKenzie, Form Orr. 7 takes approximately seven working days once all documents are complete. Product serial number registration for Category 3 food can take considerably longer. Shipments arriving without a valid serial number face TFDA port review of 3 to 10 business days per Carra Globe, before Customs clearance can proceed.
Does Korean ramen qualify for AKFTA preferential import duties in Thailand?
It is likely eligible, but the specific rate for HS 1902.30 must be confirmed with a Thai customs broker or Thailand's Department of Foreign Trade. Per the AKFTA Secretariat, claiming the rate requires a Form AK certificate of origin and proof of at least 40% Regional Value Content from AKFTA member countries.
What must appear on the Thai-language label, and can I use a sticker label?
Per Tilleke & Gibbins citing MOPH Notification No. 450 (2024): product name in Thai, net quantity, manufacturer and importer name and address, manufacturing and expiry dates, ingredient list, allergen declarations (shellfish and squid added in 2024), and applicable warnings. Sticker labeling is not prohibited, but stickers must be in place before Customs releases the goods.
Which food additives are now prohibited under Thailand's 2025 additive regulation?
Per ChemLinked citing MOPH Notification No. 468 (2025), azodicarbonamide has been removed from Thailand's permitted additives list, effective December 12, 2025. Korean ramen formulations containing this flour improver cannot be registered or imported into Thailand from that date. Check ingredient specification sheets from your manufacturer before filing for product registration.

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Last updated: 2026-06. This information is provided for reference purposes only. Food and drug regulations in Thailand change. Thailand's food import licensing requirements, labeling rules, permitted additives, and applicable tariff rates are subject to revision and depend on your specific product's formulation, classification, and shipment details. Verify your product's current compliance status directly with the Thai FDA at en.fda.moph.go.th or consult a qualified Thai regulatory affairs specialist before exporting.

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