Thailand-Australia Customs Boost Trade 39%, Seize 1,200kg of Drugs

On August 18, 2025, in Sydney, Thailand's Customs Department Director Panthong Lorkunnant unveiled deepened customs cooperation between Thailand and Australia focused on two key areas: trade facilitation and cross-border crime suppression. Both countries employ a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) for certified operators at the Authorized Economic Operator standard, known as Trusted Traders, a globally recognized certification system that reduces redundant inspections, speeds up cargo clearance, and cuts transportation time and costs while maintaining supply chain security.

On the enforcement side, Thai customs coordinates with Australia's Border Force (ABF) to intercept smuggled narcotics, particularly heroin, and contraband cigarettes with high profit margins. They employ deep intelligence sharing and risk management analysis to target specific flights and vessels rather than conduct random inspections, minimizing disruption to shipping schedules. A K-9 unit program supported by Australia, including trained dogs and handler training, has been instrumental in seizing over 1,200 kilograms of drugs in the first ten months of this fiscal year.

Bilateral trade between Thailand and Australia from January to July 2025 totaled 448.77 billion baht, up 39.05% year-on-year, with Thailand running a trade surplus of 140.29 billion baht. Exports reached 294.53 billion baht (up 35.48%) and imports 154.24 billion baht (up 46.41%). Gold exports surged to 64.11 billion baht as Thailand ships 96.5% purity gold to Australia for refining into 99.99% LBMA standard bars for investment, masking underlying industrial export growth of only 3.0%, as car exports declined while pickup trucks and air conditioners remained stable.

With New Zealand, roughly 8.4 times smaller than Australia, Thailand maintained a surplus of 14.37 billion baht on total trade of 53.62 billion baht, bringing the combined two-market surplus to 154.65 billion baht.