The government is pressing ahead with the development of Nakhon Phanom Customs, expanding its customs zones from 1 to 3 locations to accommodate One Stop Service, supporting border trade and transport connectivity with Laos, Vietnam, and southern China.
Today (19 August 2026), Ms. Lalida Phroetwiwattana, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, announced that the Cabinet approved in principle a draft ministerial regulation on the designation of customs checkpoints and border checkpoints (No. ..) as proposed by the Ministry of Finance, in order to increase the customs zones of Nakhon Phanom Customs from the original 1 location to 3 locations, in line with the current sites where customs formalities are carried out, to support One Stop Service, and to enhance the efficiency of border trade and international transport.
The Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office stated that the draft ministerial regulation designates the customs zones of Nakhon Phanom Customs as comprising: 1) the area of Nakhon Phanom Customs, At Samat Sub-district, Mueang Nakhon Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province, which is the existing area; 2) the area of the cargo inspection and temporary storage warehouse, or Warehouse R8, At Samat Sub-district, Mueang Nakhon Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province, which is a newly added location; and 3) the area of the customs warehouse building at the Nakhon Phanom Provincial Border Transport Centre, At Samat Sub-district, Mueang Nakhon Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province, which is also a newly added location.
The expansion of these areas is necessary because the Customs Department has been authorised to use the R8 warehouse building — situated adjacent to the fence of Nakhon Phanom Customs — as a cargo inspection and release facility, while preparations are also underway to open the Nakhon Phanom Provincial Border Transport Centre. However, neither of these two sites has yet been legally designated as a customs zone, making it necessary to amend the ministerial regulation so that customs formalities and cargo inspection and release can be carried out lawfully, and so that import and export services can be provided efficiently on a One Stop Service basis.
Ms. Lalida said that Nakhon Phanom Customs is an important border checkpoint, located approximately 1 kilometre from the Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge border crossing (Nakhon Phanom–Khammouan), and serves as a hub for international cargo transport via Route R12, which connects Thailand with the Lao PDR, Vietnam, and southern China, as well as linking to major transport corridors such as Asian Highway 1 (AH1) and the Ho Chi Minh Highway. It therefore has strong potential as a strategic route for the transport and distribution of goods, particularly Thai agricultural produce such as durian, to the Chinese market.
"Expanding the customs zones from 1 to 3 locations will give the actual operational areas proper legal status, making it more convenient to inspect and release goods and to process import and export formalities. The key objective is to develop the Nakhon Phanom Provincial Border Transport Centre into a full One Stop Service facility, reducing procedural steps and increasing the efficiency of cargo transport — which will benefit operators and enhance the competitiveness of Thailand's border trade," Ms. Lalida said.
Furthermore, the designation of additional customs zones will help support trade, investment, and international transport, improve the efficiency of customs duty collection, as well as inspection and prevention of customs law violations. The Cabinet has tasked the Ministry of Finance and relevant agencies with acting on the recommendations of the National Economic and Social Development Council, with particular emphasis on accelerating the procurement of equipment, developing facilities, and integrating the agencies responsible for inspecting and releasing controlled goods — such as plants, animals, and food — so that they can operate together in a comprehensive manner, while also clearly communicating service guidelines and requirements to importers and exporters going forward.
