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What the 10-digit Thai cosmetic notification number means
What a 10-digit cosmetic notification number is
A 10-digit cosmetic notification number is the number printed on a Thai cosmetic notification receipt, which the authority issues once a manufacturer, contract manufacturer or importer has filed complete details of a cosmetic. Thai FDA documents call it the "notification receipt number". The Cosmetic Act B.E. 2558 (2015) defines the notification receipt as a document showing the details of each cosmetic product, issued to the notifier. One number therefore belongs to one product and one notifier; it is not a company number or a brand number.
Once issued, the number must appear on the label. The Cosmetic Committee notification on cosmetic labelling B.E. 2562 (2019) lists the notification number among the mandatory label items, and even packs with a label area under 20 square centimetres must still show it.
It is not a Thai FDA logo
The Thai FDA's consumer guide on searching cosmetic data explains that cosmetic labels do not carry the FDA logo; instead they must carry the notification number, which shows that the manufacturer or importer has filed with the FDA. How to search the number and what to compare on the label is covered in how to check a Thai cosmetic notification number. This article focuses on what the number means, how to read it and in whose name it is held.
What the notification receipt is: three receipt types
The Ministry of Public Health notification on cosmetic notification, receipts, renewal, amendment and replacement B.E. 2561 (2018), clause 6, tells officers to issue a receipt according to the applicant's role:
- Form JP.1
(จ.ผ.1): receipt for manufacturing cosmetics for sale, for those who make products at their own site; - Form JR.1
(จ.ร.1): receipt for contract manufacturing, for factories that produce for other brands; - Form JN.1
(จ.น.1): receipt for importing cosmetics for sale, for importers.
Export-only notifications made to a buyer's specification use parallel forms with an added "S"
What the receipt shows
The receipt templates attached to the notification share the same core fields: receipt number, issue date, valid-until date, trade name and cosmetic name in Thai and English, cosmetic type, physical form of the product and its container, product format, the name of the manufacturer, contract manufacturer or importer, the address of the manufacturing or import site, and the address of the storage site.
Every receipt type also carries printed conditions. One states that the receipt is issued to show that the product has been notified, not to certify the product's quality or standard; another states that the Thai FDA may revoke it if the Cosmetic Act is breached. This answers a common question: a notification number confirms that an accountable party has filed details, while quality remains the notifier's duty.
Source: MOPH notification on cosmetic notification B.E. 2561 (2018), clause 6 and attached forms
How to read the number: 10-digit and 13-digit formats
The Thai FDA cosmetic control group's explanatory note on the labelling notification sets two ways of showing the notification number on a label:
| Digits | Format on the label | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | AA-B-CCXXXXX | Original format, still shown as notified |
| 13 | AA-B-CCXXXXXXXX | Used from B.E. 2559 (2016) |
The note explains that receipt numbers originally had 10 digits and moved to 13 digits from 2016, so both formats are valid today, each shown as notified, until the Thai FDA announces otherwise. A product showing a 10-digit number is not wrong for that reason alone, and a product that received a 13-digit number must print all 13 digits.
What each group of digits means
The note only defines how the number is displayed, in groups of two digits, one digit and a final group separated by hyphens. It does not explain what each group stands for, and none of the documents we reviewed gives an official meaning. Claims found online that the first digits identify a province or product type should therefore not be used to judge whether a number is genuine.
The practical way to read the number is to use the whole number and search it in the Thai FDA database. The FDA guide suggests searching by notification number (format XX-X-XXXXXXX) or by operator name, cosmetic name or trade name. If the record matches the product, the manufacturer or importer exists and has filed the product's details.
AA-B-CCXXXXX
AAFirst group2 digitsBSecond group1 digitCCXXXXXFinal group (10 digits in the 13-digit format)7 digits
The explanatory note sets the display format but does not define what each group means. Search the whole number in the Thai FDA database and print it exactly as on the receipt.
Source: Explanatory note on the cosmetic labelling notification, item 5
Who owns a Thai cosmetic notification number
The Cosmetic Act defines the "notifier" as the party that receives a notification receipt for manufacturing for sale, importing for sale or contract manufacturing cosmetics. Legally, the number is held in the name of the notifier on the receipt, and the notifier carries the legal duties for that product.
Who may file
Clause 2 of the 2018 notification requires an individual applicant to be a Thai national aged at least 20, and a company applicant to be registered in Thailand. Clause 5 requires the applicant to have a manufacturing or import site that meets the notification on manufacturing or import criteria.
Duties that come with the number
- Make or import exactly as notified (section 26).
- Follow the rules on premises, manufacturing or import methods, adverse reaction reporting and record keeping.
- Renew before expiry and file amendments when details change.
If the notifier does not comply, the authority may order suspension or correction and may revoke the receipt. Clause 3 of the 2018 notification adds that a receipt obtained with a non-compliant name, or for a product that is not a cosmetic, is deemed unlawful and may be revoked by the Thai FDA.
Contract manufacturing: whose name is on the receipt
The most common case is a brand owner without its own production site who hires a factory (OEM). The 2018 notification makes the contract manufacturer the applicant, and the resulting receipt is a contract manufacturing receipt on form JR.1, which has fields for both parties:
- the contract manufacturer's name, manufacturing site address and storage site address;
- the hiring party's name and business address.
In other words, the notifier on this receipt is the factory, and the brand owner appears as the hiring party. The document schedule requires the contract manufacturer to attach the manufacturing contract, and the Thai FDA's service process chart includes a step for registering details of a new hiring party.
When details change
The amendment form JK.4 attached to the notification covers changes to the container, or to the name or address of a site belonging to the notifier or the hiring party, on condition that the party remains the same individual or company and no manufacturing site is added. It is therefore not a route for changing the notifier. A brand owner who may move factories should settle what happens to the notification in the contract from the start, and check with the authority before moving production. The factory side is covered in contract cream manufacturing.
Imported products: the Thai importer holds the number
For imported cosmetics, the notifier is the importer, a Thai national or Thai-registered company, which receives an import receipt on form JN.1. A foreign brand cannot notify directly. The document schedule requires the importer to attach an authorisation from the brand owner or foreign manufacturer.
The 2019 labelling notification requires imported cosmetics to show the importer's name and address, the manufacturer's name and the country of manufacture, so consumers can see who is responsible in Thailand. A foreign brand that changes importer should understand that the existing number sits in the previous importer's name, for the same reason as in contract manufacturing.
English-language receipts
Businesses that need documents for overseas partners can request an English-language notification receipt through the Thai FDA system. The system manual says an existing receipt number is required; the system pulls the details, and where there is a hiring party, its name and address must be entered in English.
Validity, renewal, amendments and replacement
A notification number does not last forever. The Cosmetic Act makes the receipt valid for three years from issue, and the 2018 notification sets the follow-up steps:
| Matter | Form | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal | JK.2 | File within 180 days before expiry; if expired by no more than one month, renewal with a request for leniency is possible, with a daily penalty |
| Amendment | JK.4 | Container, or site name or address, with the same individual or company |
| Replacement | JK.6 | Lost or materially damaged receipt; file within 15 days of learning of it |
A replacement receipt is marked "replacement" at the top centre with its issue date. Receipts issued before the 2018 notification took effect remain valid until they expire.
For consumers, a search result showing an inactive status is a reason to ask the seller or brand before buying. For brand owners, an expiry reminder for every product is worth setting up, because an expired number should not be on goods still being made for sale.
What brand owners should check before printing the number
- One product, one receipt. A new formula or a different product type needs its own receipt; do not reuse the number of a similarly named product.
- Print every digit. Use the 10- or 13-digit format you received, and match the trade name, cosmetic name, type and manufacturer on the label to the receipt.
- Formula changes affect the number. The Act requires manufacture as notified; before adjusting a formula, check whether it still matches the notified details.
- Choose a compliant name. Names implying a drug or effects beyond a cosmetic can make the receipt unlawful.
- Keep the receipt in the product file. The notification on keeping cosmetic data requires a copy of the receipt, with proof of ownership or the manufacturing contract, to be kept for inspection.
- Track expiry and file renewal within the 180-day window.
If you are unsure whether a product is a cosmetic, run a first check with the product classification tool, ask notification questions in the RA Advisor, or follow the full filing steps in how to notify cosmetics with the Thai FDA. For a team to handle filing and renewals, see our registration and notification service.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 10-digit cosmetic notification number still valid?
Yes. The Thai FDA's explanatory note says numbers originally had 10 digits and moved to 13 digits from 2016; both formats may be shown as notified, as long as the receipt has not expired.
If I hire a factory, is the receipt issued in my brand's name?
On the contract manufacturing receipt (JR.1) the contract manufacturer is the notifier, and the receipt has fields for the hiring party's name and business address. The brand owner appears as the hiring party, so agree in the contract how the notification will be managed.
Does a notification number mean the product's quality is certified?
No. Every receipt states that it is issued to show the product has been notified, not to certify its quality or standard. Quality and safety remain the notifier's responsibility.
What if the notification receipt is lost?
Request a replacement on form JK.6 within 15 days of learning it was lost or materially damaged; for a loss, attach a police report.
Can a foreign brand hold a Thai notification number?
Not directly. The applicant must be a Thai national aged 20 or over or a Thai-registered company, so the Thai importer files on form JN.1 with an authorisation from the brand owner or manufacturer.
Sources
- Cosmetic Act B.E. 2558 (2015) · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH notification on cosmetic notification, receipts, renewal, amendment and replacement B.E. 2561 (2018) · Open source · Search our archive
- Cosmetic Committee notification on cosmetic labelling B.E. 2562 (2019) · Open source · Search our archive
- Explanatory note on the Cosmetic Committee notification on cosmetic labelling · Open source · Search our archive
- Searching cosmetic data (Thai FDA consumer guide) · Open source · Search our archive
- Cosmetic services at central and provincial level (Thai FDA process chart) · Open source · Search our archive
- User manual for the English-language cosmetic notification receipt system (for operators) · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH notification on rules for manufacturers, importers and contract manufacturers to keep cosmetic data for inspection B.E. 2560 (2017) · Open source · Search our archive
This article is for general information. It is not a Thai FDA ruling or legal advice, and rules change — check the latest notification or ask an expert before filing or producing.
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