Thailand is preparing to let cannabis exporters submit their shipment paperwork electronically, part of a broader push to modernize the country’s fast-growing controlled-herb trade. The move comes as cumulative cannabis exports have now passed 2.5 billion baht in value, with total export volume reaching roughly 201,658 kilogrammes, according to deputy government spokeswoman Ploytalay Laksamisaengchan.
Linking DTAM Next with the National Single Window
At the center of the change is a plan by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) to connect its digital service platform, DTAM Next, with the Customs Department’s National Single Window (NSW) — the government’s unified portal for submitting standardized trade documents.
Once the two systems are linked, licensed cannabis exporters will be able to file the Por Thor 32 (ภ.ท.32) form — the document required for each shipment of a controlled herb — directly through DTAM Next, with the data routed automatically into the NSW for customs clearance.
Fewer Forms, Faster Turnaround
Exporters currently file an average of 100 to 200 Por Thor 32 forms a month, largely through in-person or paper-based processes that typically take five to seven working days to clear. Officials expect the new electronic pathway to cut that turnaround to just one to two working days, while also reducing paper use, cutting costs, and easing the travel burden on entrepreneurs who currently have to submit documents in person.
Beyond speed, the shift to a digital filing system is also expected to reduce manual documentation errors, improve shipment tracking, and make it harder to forge export paperwork — issues that have complicated compliance for growers and processors as the export market has scaled up.
Part of a Wider Compliance Push
The digitization effort is unfolding alongside tighter enforcement elsewhere in the sector: authorities have recently issued updated penalty guidelines for cannabis business violations, signaling that faster, paperless export filing is being paired with stricter oversight rather than looser rules. Together, the two moves point toward a more transparent, traceable export pipeline — one that Thai officials position as a foundation for the country’s ambitions as a regional hub for controlled-herb and agrotech trade.
For growers and export-focused operators already investing in certification and documentation rigor, the shift toward a faster, digitally verifiable filing process should make it easier to plan shipment timelines and demonstrate compliance to overseas buyers.
Source: Bangkok Post