Teerach Atthanavanich, Director-General of the Thai Customs Department, announced measures to handle an anticipated rise in imports, particularly from China, following Donald Trump's re-election as U.S. President. This development is expected to redirect Chinese exports toward Asia, including Thailand. Customs officials have been instructed to tighten inspections on illegal and substandard goods while facilitating legitimate imports.
A significant portion of these imports is expected to consist of low-cost items priced under 1,500 THB. The Customs Department has been tasked with collecting VAT on such goods, generating approximately 200 million THB monthly between July and December 2024. This temporary measure will continue for another year, allowing the Revenue Department time to enact legislation for future collection.
Despite these efforts, revenue collection for the first two months of the 2025 fiscal year (October–November 2024) fell slightly below targets. This shortfall is attributed to tax reductions on ASEAN-sourced raw materials and the impact of government incentives for electric vehicles. The department aims to collect 120 billion THB in the 2025 fiscal year, a slight increase from 110 billion THB in 2024.