The most valuable Thai imports also include gold and refined copper. Aircraft and spacecraft is another area where Thailand’s domestic supply lags demand, as is the case for smartphones and computers in general. Similar examples are electronic circuits and microassemblies.
The following list shows on which product categories Thai importers spent the most. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level.
This level of granularity can help entrepreneurs identify more precisely which products in which Thailand has strong demand but competitive disadvantages compared with other nations. Innovation can transform these disadvantages into lucrative business opportunities.
For the most recent import data, please see the link to Thailand’s Top 10 Imports article in the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value Thai Import Products
Below are the 20 highest value import products delivered to Thai importers in 2017. Shown within brackets is the change in value for each imported product over the latest 5-year period.
- Crude oil: US$20.1 billion (Down -48.5% from 2013 to 2017)
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $11.3 billion (Up 22.3%)
- Gold (unwrought): $11.2 billion (Down -25.5%)
- Phone system devices including smartphones: $7.7 billion (Up 60.3%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $6.3 billion (Down -20.2%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $4.4 billion (Up 19.5%)
- Petroleum gases: $3.9 billion (Down -43.9%)
- Miscellaneous iron or steel items: $3.8 billion (Up 44.6%)
- Computers, optical readers: $3.7 billion (Down -4.1%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $3.6 billion (Down -19.2%)
- Refined copper, unwrought alloys: $2.4 billion (Up 23.5%)
- Unrecorded sound media: $2.3 billion (Up 21.8%)
- Whole fish (frozen): $2.1 billion (Down -9.9%)
- Computer parts, accessories: $2.1 billion (Down -34.6%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $2 billion (Up 1.1%)
- Electrical machinery: $2 billion (Up 12.6%)
- Diamonds (unmounted/unset): $1.9 billion (Up 40.7%)
- Piston engine parts: $1.8 billion (Down -13.7%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $1.7 billion (Down -1.3%)
- Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $1.7 billion (Up 7.7%)
Among these product categories, phone system devices including mobile phones posted the greatest increase in Thai import purchases with a 60.3% gain in value from 2013 to 2017.
In second place were miscellaneous iron or steel items which appreciated by 44.6%.
Thai imports of diamonds also showed a respectable year-over-year 40.7% gain, followed by import purchases of refined copper and unwrought alloys (up 23.5%).
The leading decliners over the latest 5-year period were Thai purchases of crude oi (down -48.5%), petroleum gases (down -43.9%) and computer parts or accessories (down -34.6%).
See also Thailand’s Top 10 Exports, Thailand’s Top Trading Partners and Thailand’s Top 10 Imports
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 14, 2018
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Imports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on February 14, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on February 14, 2018