Established on 10 March 1987, Thai International Freight Forwarders Association (or TIFFA) was officially registered with the Department of Business Development (DBD), Ministry of Commerce (MOC) by the support of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) with 8 starting members.  The first president was Mr. Som Pliansaneh and followed by Mr. Khlang Tantimongkolsuk.  The first period of establishment aimed at implementing the capacity building programs in collaboration with United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).  Several training programs for the related freight forwarding knowledge were disseminated to the freight forwarding industry sectors during that period.  At present time, TIFFA is in celebration of the 36^th years anniversary of its establishment and now approaching to the 37^th year of more success and achievement.

At the initial stage, international freight forwarding activities were not well recognized and viewed as a kind of brokerage services from the perspective of government and private sectors.  Through the continuous effort, TIFFA endlessly strived for developing the freight forwarding service standards to the higher level of acceptance from both government and freight forwarder service users.

During the leadership of our third president in 1992, Mr. Phongthep Tangpinitchit, TIFFA applied to become the member of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations or FIATA to take role and join international activities for higher level of recognition in the world of freight forwarders.  As one of the key drivers for the establishment of ASEAN Federation of Forwarders Association or AFFA since 1991, AFFA was successfully established in 1993 with the representative of TIFFA for Thailand appointed as the Vice Chairman.

Later in the subsequent presidency of Mr. Somsak Wisetruangrot, the fourth president in 1994 started the initiative in setting up the group liability insurance to accommodate the TIFFA members for utilizing the FIATA Bill of Lading (FIATA B/L) according to the criteria of FIATA.  During that period, our TIFFA members are lack of capability to source for freight forwarders’ liability insurance coverage on their own.  The group liability insurance in Thailand was the first and one-of-a-kind liability insurance at the association level applicable to all TIFFA members.  One year after, Thailand was elected to take the leading role as the Chairman of AFFA.

In 1996, while the freight forwarder industry was accelerating its growth in line with the booming economy in Thailand, the president, Mr. Somsak realized the necessity for the needs of human resource supply to the freight forwarding and international trade sectors.  By the TIFFA’s board approval, International Transport Business School (ITBS) was then established in 1997 for the supply of highly qualified and well-trained personnel to the TIFFA members as well as the freight forwarding industry.  Later in the same year, TIFFA sourced the funding for the project start-up of Trade Siam Co., Ltd. acting as a national gateway for the electronic data interchange or EDI in Thailand.  The project interestingly attracted the founding members to join the initial investment and thereafter the TIFFA Co., Ltd. (TIFFA Co) was officially established as one of the main shareholders in Trade Siam Co., Ltd.

In the following year of 1997, Mr. Suwit Ratanachinda was elected as the new president and several success stories by setting up TIFFA affiliates or group of companies were drastically recognized:

• TIFFA ICD Co, Ltd. (TIFFA ICD) was officially established in 1998 for the operations of the Inland Container Depot (ICD) Lardkrabang or customs dry port for the intermodal connectivity with Laem Chabang port by rail.
• TIFFA EDI Services Co., Ltd. (TIFFA EDI) was officially established in 1999 for providing integrated EDI services to TIFFA members in response to the increasingly growing electronic data interchange transactions with the customs department of Thailand.
• TIFFA Logistics Center (2008) Co., Ltd. (TIFFA LC) was officially established in 2008 to facilitate the project of empty load for truck services.  

The key objectives of having TIFFA group of companies were not only to support the freight forwarding operations in general but also aimed at supporting and enhancing TIFFA members to achieve the higher level of competitiveness in performing the freight forwarding and integrated logistics services as well as overall logistics cost reduction for international trade facilitation.

Other proven successes were also achieved during Mr. Suwit’s leadership and presidency including:

• In 2001, the withholding tax issue was escalated to the Revenue Tax Department for the reduction from 3% to 1%. The notification of the Revenue Tax Department was officially enacted.
• Later in 2005, through the TIFFA’s collaboration with the Marine Department, Thailand was the first country in ASEAN member states to officially enact Multimodal Transport Operator (MTO) Act which was a few months ahead of the enforcement of ASEAN Framework Agreement on Multimodal Transport (AFAMT) implemented in ASEAN in the same year.
• In 2006, TIFFA was awarded by the government sectors in the field of logistics as follows:
  • Outstanding Award: The process of providing export documents in 2006 from the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC)
  • Outstanding Trade Association Award: in 2006 from the Department of Business Development (DBD), the Ministry of Commerce
  • Outstanding Award: Special international customs services from the World Customs Oraganization (WCO) in 2007
• In 2007, the Thai Logistics Services Provider Federation (TLSPs) was officially established, and Mr. Suwit was also elected as the Chairman of the TLSPs. In the similar year, he was elected to take the position of Vice President of FIATA as well.
• In 2010, Thailand was elected to host the FIATA World Congress 2010 during 4-8 October 2010 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) and the Royal Thai Navy Convention Hall. Suwit also received the great honor from FIATA to take the position of Senior Vice President and later took the leading role as Honorary Board Member of FIATA until the present time.

In 2012, Mr. Somsak was reelected to take another lead as TIFFA’s president.  By the cabinet’s approval as proposed by the Ministry of Transportation (MOT), he was appointed as an international trade expert committee in the Maritime Promotion Commission.

Later in 2014, Mr. Kettivit Sittisoontornwong was then elected as the seventh president.  TIFFA collaborated with the Thailand Professional Qualification Institute (Public Organization) or TPQI for establishing the professional qualification standard framework for international freight forwarders (IFF), Multimodal Transport Operator (MTO) and International Distribution Centers (IDC) for the TIFFA members to certify their human resource standard of knowledge and skills.

In 2018, AFFA established the AFFA Logistics Institute (ALI) to enhance the logistics knowledge in ASEAN countries.  Mr. Somsak Wisetruangrot was officially elected to take the lead as the chairman of ALI.

Later in 2019, Mr. Witoon Santibunyarat was elected as the eighth president of TIFFA.  By 2021, TIFFA officially launched the “TIFFA Mark” which is a recognition of high quality standard in performing the logistics services.  TIFFA Mark comprises of 3 distinctive levels based on different criteria:

• Bronze level
• Silver level
• Gold level

In the same year, TIFFA also joined the membership of World Logistics Passport (WLP) which is an international alliance unit set up by DP World.  WLP is an international alliance of global trade and logistics network which bridges the international collaboration for trade and logistics connectivity.

In 2023, TIFFA by the leadership of Mr. Chalermsak Karnchanawarin, the ninth president officially signed the Distribution Agreement with FIATA for implementation of electronic FIATA Bill of Lading or e-FB/L.  The group of integrated logistics collaboration was officially initiated for the digital signatories of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the Thailand International Logistics Fair 2023 (TILOG LogistiX 2023) by the 9 leading logistics federations and associations as follows:

• Thai Logistics Service Provider Federation (TLSP)
• Thai Federation on Logistics (THAILOG)
• The Land Transport Federation of Thailand (LTFT)
• Thai International Freight Forwarders Association (TIFFA)
• The Customs Broker and Transport Association of Thailand (CTAT)
• Thai Authorized Customs Broker Association (TACBA)
• Hazardous Substances Logistics Association (HASLA)
• Thai Transportation and Logistics Association (TTLA)
• Warehouse Silo and Cold Storage Business Association (WSCBA)

This initiative was officially endorsed and supported by the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).  The integrated logistics group was then named as “1Logistics" with the aim to lead the logistics industry collaboration and enhance the competitiveness of logistics industry at the national level.  The  key slogan of 1Logistics is “One Vision, One Collaboration, One Future”.   

In the late of 2023, TIFFA Logistics (2008) Co., Ltd. signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Spedition Sigma Co., Ltd. an appointed landlord by the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) to be the operator of the Bangkok Port Free Zone (BKP FZ).  TIFFA Logistics Center Co., Ltd. (TIFFA LC) was officially established in the same year for the new expansion of ICD dry port and warehouse operations in Lard Krabang.  The targeted date of official opening is by the end of 2024.   

The objectives of the TIFFA are as follows:

1. To enhance the business operations of the freight forwarding and logistics services.
2. To support and assist TIFFA members for any operational obstacles or business difficulties and act as an intermediary for liaison with external parties for the mutual business operations in line with the freight forwarding and logistics sectors. This also includes the driver of freight forwarding and logistics to become the significant part of trade facilitation and economy.
3. To collaborate the cohesiveness and exchange the knowledge and open opinion for academic, research, trade information and news in connection with the international freight forwarding and logistics.
4. To collect statistical data, documentation, or any related information from members with regard to the conduct of the international freight forwarding and logistics with prior consent provided.
5. To ensure that the international freight forwarding, and logistics services are performed up to the international standard and to the satisfaction of the industry and service users.
6. To collaborate with the government sectors or competent authorities to promote and support the international freight forwarding and logistics services to the highest quality of service standard.
7. To initiate the mutual agreement or rules of law or regulations for the members to comply or exempt as to ensure that the members’ businesses are operated in a good manner.
8. To enhance the inter-member activities such as sport and entertainment events for strengthened relationship and collaboration.
9. To compromise or find an amicable solution among members or between members with external parties during the business operations.
10. To provide members the welfare as not restricted according to the Provision 22 of the Trade Act B.E. 2509 (giving discount for the seminar of the association).
11. Not to conduct trade or political acts in direct competition with members.

As of 22 November 2023, TIFFA has the total number of 245 members comprising of:

• General members: 187 companies
• Associate members : 58 companies

Privileges of TIFFA members

• TIFFA members shall have the voting right for board committee’s election and adoption of rules and regulations in the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association.  
• TIFFA general members and associate members shall receive the official endorsement of being the TIFFA’s membership. General members shall have the right to use TIFFA logo in any company’s publication or electronic materials (For example, name card, brochure, presentation, letterhead, and electronic signature etc.).
• TIFFA members are entitled to exercise the TIFFA’s Group Liability Insurance Policy in which can be submitted for the registration of the Multi Transport Operator (MTO) with the Marine Department.
• TIFFA members are qualified for the certification of TIFFA Mark, Q-Mark, TPQI, AEO depending on the achievement of the defined criteria.
• TIFFA members shall have the privileged access into the qualified personnel of ITBS for apprenticeship programs and final acceptance of candidates for work.
• TIFFA members can attend the special events or join the programs as occasionally or periodically organized by TIFFA or initiated in collaboration with the external parties such as government, private associations, and academic sectors.

Thai International Freight Forwarders Association (TIFFA) is the member of government bodies, national and international federations, alliances and partners as well as academic sectors.  Those are for example:

1. FIATA: The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations

https://fiata.com/home.html

2. AFFA: ASEAN Federation of Forwarders Association: AFFA

https://www.affa-asean.org/

3. WLP: World Logistics Passport and DFA: Digital Freight Alliance by DP World

https://www.worldlogisticspassport.com/

[insert web site of DFA]  

4. 4. BOT: Board of Trade of Thailand by the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC)

https://www.thaichamber.org/

5. 5. TLSP: Thai Logistics Service Providers Federation (TLSP)
6. 1Logistics: “One Vision, One Collaboration, One Future”

Government bodies, private and academic sectors: -

1. UN ESCAP: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
2. Ministry of Commerce
3. Ministry of Transport
4. Ministry of Finance
5. Ministry of Labor
6. Thailand Professional Qualification Institute (Public Organization)

7. Other government academic sectors