Thailand is to adopt its own “ePhyto” system for plants and plant products, enabling Thai exporters to apply for digital certificates online while saving time and money compared to the paper-based system.
Visitors to the ePhyto Thailand Project Completion Event held last week in Bangkok were told of the change. The system also enables document traceability and will be upgraded to allow digital exchanges with trading countries.
Electronic phytosanitary certificates (ePhyto) are a digital version of paper phytosanitary certificates that certify that plants and plant products do not carry pests and diseases that could be harmful to plant or human health.
Bernd Christiansen, Counsellor for Food and Agriculture at the German Embassy, said the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation through Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH began the ePhyto Thailand Project in 2021.
It worked with the assistance of Thai authorities including the DOA, National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS), and Customs Department (CD) to enable certificate exchange with trading countries via the National Single Window (NSW) of Thailand.
Pouchamarn Wongsanga, Project Director, ePhyto Thailand Project, said GIZ supported improving the existing DOA ePhyto platform to pave the way for more electronic certificate exchanges with countries connected to the hub.
This development also promoted international trade and upgraded governmental working processes to respond to changes in global trade arenas.