Why Thailand Is a Premier Palm Oil Export Origin
Thailand is the world's third-largest palm oil producer, generating approximately 2.5–3 million metric tons of crude palm oil (CPO) annually from oil palm plantations concentrated in the southern provinces of Krabi, Surat Thani, and Chumphon. But Thailand's real competitive advantage is not just production volume — it is the concentration of world-class refinery infrastructure near Bangkok, which processes CPO into a full range of refined and fractionated palm oil grades ready for immediate export.
For international buyers, sourcing palm oil from Thailand offers a compelling combination of grade variety, certification depth, competitive pricing, and fast shipping. Thai refineries operate on HACCP, GMP, ISO 22000, and Halal certified production lines, and the country's port infrastructure at Laem Chabang and Bangkok Port provides regular container service to over 100 destinations worldwide.
This guide covers every palm oil grade exported from Thailand — with current 2026 FOB prices, container specifications, documentation requirements, and practical guidance for first-time and experienced importers.
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Palm Oil Grades Exported from Thailand: Full Specifications
1. RBD Palm Oil — The Gold Standard Food-Grade Export
RBD Palm Oil (Refined, Bleached, Deodorized) is produced by removing free fatty acids, color pigments, and volatile compounds from crude palm oil through a multi-stage refining process. The result is a neutral-tasting, heat-stable semi-solid oil with a cream-to-white color and melting point of 33–39°C.
Technical Specifications (RBD Palm Oil):
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Free Fatty Acid (FFA) | ≤ 0.1% (as palmitic acid) |
| Moisture & Impurities | ≤ 0.1% |
| Iodine Value (Wijs) | 50–55 g I₂/100g |
| Melting Point (Slip Point) | 33–39°C |
| Color (Lovibond 5.25" cell) | ≤ 3.0 Red |
| Peroxide Value | ≤ 2.0 meq/kg |
| Saponification Value | 195–205 mg KOH/g |
| Unsaponifiable Matter | ≤ 1.2% |
FOB Bangkok Price (2026): $900–1,050/MT
Applications: Instant noodle frying, bakery and biscuit fats, margarine and shortening production, confectionery coatings, snack food processing, retail cooking oil.
Container loading: 20–22 MT per 20ft container in flexitank at ambient temperature (above 24°C to maintain liquid state for loading). In cooler loading environments, gentle heating may be required. Solidifies below 20°C but reliquefies on warming without quality loss.
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2. RBD Palm Olein — Preferred for Retail Cooking Oil
Palm Olein is the liquid fraction of RBD Palm Oil, obtained by chilling the oil and separating the liquid portion from the solid stearin fraction through fractional crystallization. Its lower melting point (18–23°C) and higher iodine value (56–65) compared to RBD palm oil means it stays liquid at typical ambient temperatures in tropical and subtropical climates.
Technical Specifications (RBD Palm Olein):
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Free Fatty Acid (FFA) | ≤ 0.1% |
| Iodine Value | 56–65 g I₂/100g |
| Melting Point | 18–23°C |
| Color (Lovibond 5.25" cell) | ≤ 3.0 Red |
| Peroxide Value | ≤ 2.0 meq/kg |
FOB Bangkok Price (2026): $900–1,050/MT
Applications: Retail cooking oil (dominant application globally), restaurant and foodservice frying oil, food manufacturing requiring a liquid oil at ambient temperature, household cooking.
Key export markets: India (the world's largest palm olein importer), China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Nigeria.
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3. RBD Palm Stearin — Functional Fat for Solid Applications
Palm Stearin is the solid fraction remaining after liquid olein has been separated in the fractionation process. With a high melting point of 44–56°C and iodine value of 33–45, stearin is an ideal functional fat for applications requiring a firm, heat-stable solid fat at room temperature.
Technical Specifications (RBD Palm Stearin):
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Free Fatty Acid (FFA) | ≤ 0.1% |
| Iodine Value | 33–45 g I₂/100g |
| Melting Point | 44–56°C |
| Color (Lovibond 5.25" cell) | ≤ 3.0 Red |
FOB Bangkok Price (2026): $850–1,000/MT
Applications: Margarine and shortening production, confectionery fats (chocolate and compound coatings), soap stock as an alternative to tallow, pastry and puff pastry fats, cream filler bases.
Container loading: Must be loaded in liquid state (heated to above 55°C). Typically shipped in 200L steel drums (80 drums per 20ft container = ~16 MT) or ISO tank containers with heating coils. At destination, heated storage tanks are required.
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4. Crude Palm Oil (CPO) — For Refinery and Industrial Buyers
CPO is the unrefined oil pressed directly from fresh oil palm fruit bunches. It has a characteristic orange-red color from high beta-carotene content, a distinctive palm odor, and FFA content of 3–5% — all of which are removed during refining.
Technical Specifications (CPO):
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Free Fatty Acid (FFA) | 3–5% max |
| Moisture & Impurities | 0.25% max (combined) |
| Iodine Value | 50–55 g I₂/100g |
| Melting Point | 33–38°C |
| Color | Orange-red to brown-amber |
FOB Bangkok Price (2026): $780–900/MT
Buyers: Refineries that process CPO in-country, biodiesel production plants, oleochemical manufacturers, buyers in markets with refining capacity who want the price advantage of unrefined crude.
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5. Palm FFA 70% (PFAD) — High-Value Industrial Byproduct
Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD) is a byproduct of the physical refining process — captured during steam deodorization as volatile fatty acids, tocopherols, and sterols are stripped from the crude oil. PFAD has a minimum FFA content of 70% (expressed as palmitic acid), with the fatty acid profile dominated by palmitic acid (C16:0, ~45%) and oleic acid (C18:1, ~35%).
Technical Specifications (PFAD / Palm FFA 70%):
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Free Fatty Acid (FFA) | ≥ 70% (as palmitic acid) |
| Moisture & Impurities | ≤ 1.0% |
| Iodine Value | 45–55 g I₂/100g |
| Unsaponifiable Matter | ≤ 3.0% |
| Tocopherols | 2–5% |
| Loading Temperature | 45–55°C |
FOB Bangkok Price (2026): $550–700/MT
Applications: Soap noodle and laundry soap manufacturing (primary market), oleochemical plants producing fatty acids and fatty alcohols, biodiesel feedstock (esterified to FAME), high-energy animal feed supplement (~8,000 kcal/kg), industrial lubricant and metalworking fluid ingredients.
Container loading: PFAD solidifies below 40°C and must be loaded at 45–55°C. Flexitank 20ft container: 18–19 MT. ISO tank: 20–21 MT. 200L steel drums: ~15–16 MT per 20ft container.
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Current FOB Pricing Summary (Bangkok, 2026)
| Grade | FOB Bangkok (USD/MT) |
|---|---|
| RBD Palm Oil | $900–$1,050/MT |
| RBD Palm Olein | $900–$1,050/MT |
| RBD Palm Stearin | $850–$1,000/MT |
| Crude Palm Oil (CPO) | $780–$900/MT |
| Palm FFA 70% (PFAD) | $550–$700/MT |
Prices are indicative and updated daily with Bursa Malaysia CPO futures (FCPO contract). Volume discounts of 2–5% available for orders above 5 containers or annual contracts. Contact our export team for today's firm FOB quote and CIF pricing to your destination port.
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MOQ and Container Loading for Palm Oil Export
Standard MOQ: 1 × 20ft container per grade. Mixed-grade orders accepted.
| Grade | Container Format | Net MT per 20ft |
|---|---|---|
| RBD Palm Oil | Flexitank | 20–22 MT |
| RBD Palm Olein | Flexitank | 20–22 MT |
| RBD Palm Stearin | 200L drums or ISO tank | 16 MT (drums) / 22 MT (ISO) |
| CPO | Flexitank or ISO tank | 20–22 MT |
| PFAD | Flexitank (loaded at 50°C) | 18–19 MT |
Packaging alternatives: - 200L steel drums: 80 drums per 20ft container (~16 MT) - IBC totes (1,000L): 18–20 units per 20ft container (~18–20 MT) - ISO tank containers: 20,000–24,000L (~20–22 MT) - Retail bottles (1L–5L): private label available, MOQ 1 container per SKU
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Export Documentation Package
Every Jit Aree palm oil export shipment includes the following documentation:
- Commercial Invoice — product, grade, quantity, unit price, total value, HS code, Incoterms, ports
- Packing List — container number, seal number, gross/net weight per unit, total shipment weight
- Bill of Lading (B/L) — issued by the carrier after loading; original required for cargo release
- Certificate of Origin (CO) — Thai Chamber of Commerce; Form D for ASEAN FTA buyers
- Certificate of Analysis (COA) — full batch-specific lab results for all specification parameters
- Health Certificate — Thai Ministry of Public Health; required by most food-grade import markets
- Halal Certificate — CICOT (Central Islamic Council of Thailand); recognized by JAKIM, MUI, GCC
- SGS Pre-Shipment Inspection Report — independent quality verification before container sealing
On request (no additional charge): - MSDS/SDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) — required for PFAD and industrial grades - EUR.1 Movement Certificate — for EU GSP tariff preference (where applicable) - Non-GMO Declaration — vegetable oils are inherently non-GMO; declaration available if required - RSPO certificate copy — for buyers with sustainability supply chain requirements
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Thailand's Key Export Markets for Palm Oil
Thailand exports palm oil to over 65 countries. The leading markets by volume and the grades they typically source:
India: Largest destination for Thai palm oil exports. Primarily RBD Palm Olein for retail cooking oil. Thai palm oil enters India under the ASEAN-India FTA with preferential duty rates, making it highly competitive against Indonesian and Malaysian origin.
Pakistan and Bangladesh: RBD Palm Oil and Palm Olein for food manufacturing, vanaspati (vegetable ghee), and cooking oil blending. High-volume markets with regular container demand.
China: Palm olein for frying oil and food processing, plus PFAD for oleochemical plants. Chinese buyers typically purchase through Hong Kong and Shanghai trading companies.
Nigeria and Ghana (West Africa): RBD Palm Oil for retail cooking oil and soap manufacturing. Palm Stearin for soap stock. Transit time from Laem Chabang to Lagos is 25–30 days.
UAE and Saudi Arabia: Food-grade RBD palm oil and olein for food manufacturing, plus PFAD for the region's large soap and oleochemical industry. Thai Halal certification is recognized in GCC markets.
Vietnam and the Philippines: Palm olein for frying and cooking oil manufacturing. Zero import duty under ASEAN ATIGA and 3–5 day transit from Laem Chabang.
Europe (Netherlands, Germany, Belgium): Palm stearin for confectionery fats and margarine. Buyers increasingly require RSPO certification — available on request. Transit time: 20–25 days.
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Certifications for Thai Palm Oil Export
| Certification | Issuing Body | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 22000:2018 | SGS / Bureau Veritas | Food Safety Management System covering entire production chain |
| HACCP | TÜV SÜD | Hazard Analysis; required by EU, FDA, and most food-grade buyers |
| GMP | Bureau Veritas | Good Manufacturing Practices; Thai FDA standard |
| Halal | CICOT (Thailand) | Recognized by JAKIM (Malaysia), MUI (Indonesia), and GCC authorities |
| SGS Inspection | SGS S.A. | Per-shipment independent quality verification |
| RSPO | RSPO Secretariat | Sustainable palm oil; available on request for eligible buyers |
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How to Place a Palm Oil Export Order from Thailand
- Submit an RFQ: Specify grade (e.g. RBD Palm Olein), volume (e.g. 2 × 20ft flexitank), destination port, Incoterms (FOB or CIF), and required certifications.
- Receive Proforma Invoice (PI): Our export team responds within 24 hours with a formal PI including exact specifications, FOB price, loading window, and payment terms.
- Confirm order and pay deposit: Standard T/T 30% deposit on PI signing, or L/C at sight for orders above $100,000.
- Production and pre-shipment inspection: SGS inspection conducted before container sealing. Inspection report shared with buyer before final payment.
- Final payment and document release: 70% balance against copy B/L. Full document package couriered within 48 hours of vessel sailing.
- Test on arrival: Draw samples at discharge point. Compare FFA, peroxide value, and moisture against COA. Any deviation from contract specifications is grounds for a formal quality claim and credit note.
Request a palm oil export quote from Thailand — our export team responds within 24 hours with current FOB Bangkok pricing, container availability, and a Proforma Invoice.