Thailand NBTC RF Exposure & Health Rules Consultation 2026

Thailand: NBTC Consults on Updated RF Exposure and Human Health Rules for Radio Equipment

Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is moving to modernise the human-health limb of its radiocommunication rules the requirements that govern how much radiofrequency energy a device may couple into the human body, how that exposure is assessed, and how compliance is declared and labelled. For manufacturers and importers, this is a different and arguably more consequential workstream than the recent NBTC radar and general use technical standard hearing (4 May - 3 July 2026): where that consultation reshaped emission and type approval characteristics band by band, an RF exposure update reaches into the SAR/EMF evidence, user manual safety statements and marking obligations attached to every body proximate radio product placed on the Thai market.

This article sets out the regulatory framework the update sits within, what a revision aligned to the latest international standards would change in practice, and the concrete steps compliance teams should take now.

The NBTC RF exposure framework being updated

Thailand's RF exposure requirements are not new they are long standing and international in origin. The relevant instrument is NTC TS 5001-2550, the national standard covering human exposure to electromagnetic fields from radiocommunication equipment, built on the ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) reference limits for RF radiation across roughly 9 kHz to 300 GHz. Compliance is demonstrated through SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) and EMF field strength assessment, depending on the device's power and how close it operates to the body.

The "alignment with the latest international standards" framing points to a specific technical driver: ICNIRP substantially revised its RF guidelines in 2020 (covering 100 kHz–300 GHz), introducing changes to averaging intervals, whole body and local exposure metrics, and treatment of the 6–300 GHz range relevant to millimetre wave and 5G devices. National regulators that reference ICNIRP as Thailand does periodically update their domestic standards and test methods to track that reference. An NBTC revision is best understood in that light: a refresh of which exposure limits, assessment methods and documentary evidence are accepted, rather than a wholesale change of philosophy.

Why the NBTC RF exposure update matters more than a band specific change

A technical standard change typically affects one equipment family or frequency band. An exposure and labelling change is horizontal: it can alter the accepted SAR/EMF test standard, the wording of the mandatory user manual safety statement, and the marking obligations for any product operating above low power thresholds or near the body. That is why importers, test labs and certification bodies should treat this consultation as in scope even if their products were untouched by the radar hearing.

Technical and scope detail

Under Thailand's conformity framework, radio equipment is sorted into three assessment pathways, and the RF exposure obligations attach differently to each:

• Class A: the most stringent path, requiring testing by the NBTC, an NBTC certificate, and product labelling. It applies to higher risk devices, including those operating above roughly 20 mW or used within 20 cm of the body smartphones, cellular tablets and wearables being the clearest examples. These are precisely the products where SAR evidence is decisive.

• Class B: the same procedure as Class A, but the NBTC accepts test reports based on recognised international standards (FCC, ETSI/EN) issued by an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory. Products still carry the NBTC mark.

• SDoC: a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity path for lower risk short range and RFID type products, with lighter obligations.

  
  

Two operational details make the exposure limb distinctive. First, the English language user manual must carry an NBTC specific safety statement, with radio exposure warnings and frequency band disclosures whose exact wording varies by device class. Second, NBTC certificates are valid indefinitely provided the product's specifications do not change which means a change to the accepted exposure standard or required safety statement wording is one of the few triggers that can force existing portfolios to be revisited.

What this means for manufacturers

1. Re check your SAR/EMF test basis. If the update moves the accepted standard toward the ICNIRP 2020 reference, existing SAR reports generated against older limits or averaging methods may need re evaluation or fresh testing before they will support a new or amended NBTC filing.

2. Audit body proximate and higher power products first. Class A devices (smartphones, cellular tablets, wearables, and anything used within 20 cm of the body) carry the greatest exposure risk and the highest re work exposure. Inventory these ahead of anything else.

3. Review user manual safety statements. Any change to mandated radio exposure wording or frequency band disclosure will require documentation and artwork updates across every affected SKU and language variant.

4. Confirm your test lab's accreditation scope. Class B relies on ISO/IEC 17025 accredited FCC/ETSI-EN reports. Verify that your lab's accreditation covers the revised exposure/SAR standard once finalised.

5. Plan for possible re marking. Because NBTC certificates are open ended, a standard change is one of the few events that can reopen an approved product. Budget time for label/artwork changes and, where required, re submission.

6. Engage in the consultation. Where the draft affects your device families, submitting comment during the hearing window is the lowest cost way to shape averaging methods, transition periods and documentary requirements before they are fixed.

   
   

Certification impact summary

Compliance element	Current position	Likely effect of an RF-exposure update
Governing standard	NTC TS 5001-2550 (ICNIRP-based, ~9 kHz–300 GHz)	Revised limits/methods aligned to latest ICNIRP reference
Assessment metric	SAR (body-proximate) / EMF field strength	Possible changes to averaging intervals and local/whole-body metrics
Class A (NBTC-tested)	NBTC test + certificate + label	Re-test / re-evaluation most likely here (smartphones, tablets, wearables)
Class B (accepted reports)	FCC/ETSI-EN via ISO 17025 lab + NBTC mark	Accepted report standard updated; confirm lab scope
SDoC	Declaration for SRD/RFID	Lower impact; monitor threshold changes
User manual	NBTC-specific exposure safety statement	Wording / disclosure likely revised
Certificate validity	Indefinite unless specs change	Standard change may reopen approved products

Timeline and required actions

Phase	Date / trigger	Status	Required action
Consultation launch	15 July 2026 (per brief)	not independently confirmed	Confirm launch date and scope on the NBTC hearing portal
Comment window	Consultation period (length TBC)	Pending source confirmation	Prepare and submit comments for affected device families
Draft review / finalisation	After comment window closes	Not yet scheduled	Track NBTC "summary of hearing results" publication
Standard publication	To be announced	Not yet published	Lock the final accepted SAR/EMF standard into test plans
Effective date / transition	To be announced	Not yet published	Schedule re-testing, manual updates and any re-marking