Thailand General Information
Thailand National Single Window (NSW) was initiated in accordance with the ASEAN Agreement to establish and implement the ASEAN Single Window. The Customs Department, Ministry of Finance has been appointed by the Government to be a lead agency for establishing Thailand NSW with other relevant agencies as partners in December 2005.
Thailand NSW had its initial operation in 2008 and officially implemented in October 2011. Government agencies and business communities have agreed upon the adoption of ebXML standard and public key infrastructure (PKI) and digital signature for secure electronic document exchange in single electronic window environment. As of today, Thailand National Single Window has more than ten thousand subscribers serving about 100,000 trading companies and has participation by 38 core authorities including government and business agencies. The transaction amount that handling by Thailand NSW is around 6.5 to 7.5 million messages per month including G2G and G2B secure transactions. In additional, we are on the collaboration processes in simplifying and streamlining business processes as well as revising relevant laws and regulations to support paperless trading environment.
In regard to Thailand NSW governance, the National Logistics Committee established the Sub-Committee on Integrated Information linkage for Import, Export and Logistics, chaired by the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Finance. This National Sub-Committee consists of executives from relevant government authorities and business communities. Thailand NSW also comprises the working group on both Technical and Legal and Regulatory matters as well as some particular collaborative teams in order to enhance the single window development and facilitate integrated electronic processes among relevant sectors.
Regarding the international data communication, Thailand NSW has already supported cross-border transactions and has been enhancing NSW and relevant electronic systems to enable the electronic data exchange and trade facilitation in line with the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the global connectivity.
Thailand NSW General Information
The Government of Thailand established the National Logistics Committee chaired by the Prime Minister. The first Logistics Development Strategy was drafted by the National Economics and Social Development Board (NESDB) and approved by the Cabinet in 2007. Two main objectives of the Logistics Development Strategy were to increase cost efficiency, customer responsiveness and reliability and security in logistics services and to increase economic values in logistics and support industries.
The Strategy for Thailand Logistics Development comprises the following 5 national strategic agenda:
- Logistics Improvement for real sectors, led by the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture;
- Transport and Logistics Network Optimization, led by the Ministry of Transport;
- Logistics Service Implementation, led by the Ministry of Commerce;
- Trade Facilitation Enhancement, led by the Ministry of Finance; and
- Capacity Building for the logistics sector, led by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labor and the National Economic and Social Development Board.
Establishment of Thailand National Single Window is one of the national agendas in accordance with the 4th strategic agenda for Thailand logistics development policy. Major objectives are to facilitate, reduce time consuming and cost reduction for international trade transactions.Enhancement of e-Customs service for import and export as well as improvement of relevant government agencies operation and services significantly enhance the international trade transaction.
In fact, Thailand started implementing the electronic data interchange or EDI system for customs clearance in 1998 and entered full operation nationwide in 2000. Migration from EDI service to electronic Customs Service or e-Customs paperless service has been introduced since 2006 and has entered full operation nationwide since July 2008.The EDI system for customs clearance, implemented in 1998, provided a basis for taking an initial step to establish a single electronic window system for import and export. The establishment of Thailand National Single Window was also initiated in accordance with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) commitment (“Agreement to establish and implement the ASEAN Single Window”) On the basis of the Commitment that 10 National Single Window Systems of ASEAN Member States would be gradually integrated and operated in electronic environment in line with the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. In this regard, the Government of Thailand appointed the Customs Department, Ministry of Finance to be a lead agency for establishing the National Single Window with other relevant agenciesas partners in December 2005.
Thailand Logistics Committee established the National Sub-Committee on Integrated Information linkage for Import, Export and Logistics, chaired by the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Finance. The National Sub-Committee consists of executives from relevant government authorities and business communities. The Thailand Single Window e-Logistics was renamed as the Thailand National Single Window by the National Sub-Committee in January 2008. Such a renaming was to enhance better understanding of single window development and facilitate integrated data linkage among government and business sectors as well as resource mobilization related to National Single Window and ASEAN Single Window implementation.
The National Logistics Committee endorsed Regulatory Framework Model of Thailand National Single Window in 2010 as illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Conceptual Model of Thailand National Single Window
Government agencies and business communities have agreed upon the adoption of ebXML standard and public key infrastructure (PKI) and digital signature for secure electronic document exchange in single electronic window environment.
