THAILAND: REVISED CRITERIA FOR CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT: PRODUCT CERTIFICATION (COMPULSORY AND VOLUNTARY STANDARDS) The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6. G/TBT/Notif.97.386. 1. Member to Agreement notifying: THAILAND. If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2). 2. Agency responsible: Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI). Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification can be indicated if different from above. 3. Notified under Article 5.6.2. 4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Industrial products required by the Royal Decree to be in conformity with standards (compulsory standards). 5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Revised Criteria for Conformity Assessment: Product Certification (Compulsory and Voluntary Standards). 6. Description of content: TISI has revised its criteria for conformity assessment procedures regarding product certification in order to be in line with the international system of ISO and the WTO/TBT Agreement. Regarding importation for sale in the Kingdom industrial products required by the Royal Decree to be in conformity with standards (compulsory standards), three criteria have been specified as follows: 1. For foreign factories which have received the ISO 9000 certification AND their testing for product certification will be carried out by accredited laboratories according to ISO/IEC Guide 25. 1. The factories will be exempt from quality control system assessment; and 2. Testing results of accredited laboratories are acceptable to TISI provided that 1. ISO 9000 certification bodies and laboratory accreditation bodies have reached Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) with TISI; or 2. ISO 9000 certification bodies and accredited laboratories are accredited by the National Accreditation Council (NAC) of Thailand; o~r 3. ISO 9000 certification bodies and accredited laboratories are accredited by accreditation bodies which have reached Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) with NAC of Thailand. 2. For foreign factories which have received the ISO 9000 certification or their testing for product certification will be carried out by accredited laboratories according to ISO/IEC Guide 25.~ In case of receiving ISO 9000 certification: 1. The factories will be exempt from quality control system assessment; and 2. Sampling will be carried out by TISI, provided that: 1. ISO 9000 certification bodies have reached Mutual Recognition A~greements (MRA) with TISI; or 2. ISO 9000 certification bodies are accredited by NAC of Thailand; or 3. ISO 9000 certification bodies are accredited by accreditation bodies which have reached Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) with NAC of Thailand. For the latter case: 1. Quality control system assessment will be carried out on technical files of factories presented to TISI by importers; 2. Testing results of accredited laboratories are acceptable to TISI, provided that: 1. Laboratory accreditation bodies have reached Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) with TISI; or 2. Accredited Laboratories are accredited by NAC of Thailand; or 3. Accredited Laboratories are accredited by laboratory accreditation bodies which have reached Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) with NAC of Thailand. 3. For foreign factories which have not received ISO 9000 certification OR their testing for product certification was carried out by non-accredited laboratories according to ISO/IEC Guide 25. 1. Quality control system assessment will be carried out on technical files of factories presented to TISI by importers; 2. Sampling will be carried out for each import. 7. Objective and rationale: To be in line with the international system of ISO and the Agreement on technical barriers to trade. 8. Relevant documents: The Industrial Product Standards Act, B.E. 2511 (1968), as amended by: 1. The Industrial Product Standards Act (No. 2) B.E. 2522 (1979) 2. The Industrial Product Standards Act (No. 3) B.E. 2522 (1979) 3. The Industrial Product Standards Act (No. 4) B.E. 2531 (1988) 4.The Industrial Product Standards Act (No. 5) B.E. 2535 (1992). 9. Proposed date of adoption: 1 October 1997; Proposed date of entry into force: 1 October 1997. 10. Final date for comments: Not listed. 11. Text available from: National enquiry point. (0227)

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