Tet Gifting with Thai Products: A Reseller Guide for Vietnam
This article is general information for reference only and is not legal, tax or customs advice.
Why Tet is a strong season for Thai products
Tet, the Lunar New Year, is the biggest gifting and household-spending moment of the year in Vietnam. Families refresh their homes, visit relatives, thank business partners and buy presents in volume. For resellers and distributors, that means a predictable burst of demand for products that look good, feel premium and are easy to give.
Thai consumer goods fit this pattern well. Thai beauty brands are already familiar to Vietnamese shoppers, herbal balms and inhalers are practical small gifts, and Thai snacks and instant foods are popular for sharing at family tables. The opportunity is not just selling single items, but building complete gift sets and Tet-ready bundles.
Which Thai product types suit Tet gifting
A good Tet assortment mixes different price points and recipient types, so that a buyer can quickly find a gift for a parent, a colleague or a client. Typical groups to consider:
- Beauty and makeup gifts: lip colour, cushions, face powders and skincare from brands such as Mistine, Cathy Doll, Srichand, Sivanna Colors and JOJI are easy to bundle into a pretty set. Browse the beauty and skincare range for ideas.
- Herbal balms and inhalers: Tiger Balm, Siang Pure and Poy-Sian are compact, familiar and suit older relatives. See the herbal range.
- Household and personal care: Downy, Comfort and Hygiene are practical fresh-start-of-the-year items, and Babi Mild and Kodomo suit families with children.
- Snacks and instant foods: MAMA noodles and Chupa Chups make easy add-ins for hampers. Explore the Thai consumer foods section.
- Vitamins and wellness: brands such as Vistra and Blackmores are commonly given as health-minded presents, subject to local rules on supplements.
Planning backwards from the holiday
The most common mistake is ordering too late. Tet orders pass through several steps: choosing the range, confirming a quotation, preparing goods, export paperwork, international shipping, import clearance and then local delivery to your customers. Each step depends on the product, the route and the season, and the busy period before Tet can be congested for carriers and customs alike.
A practical approach is to start from the date you want goods on your shelf or in your warehouse, work backwards through each step, and add buffer. Timing is always confirmed in the quotation rather than assumed, so ask early and plan with margin.
Building bundles and pricing logic
Bundles lift average order value and make comparison shopping harder. A simple structure is an entry set for casual gifting, a mid-tier set for family and friends, and a premium set for clients. Keep the contents consistent so your photos, boxes and descriptions can be reused.
Presentation counts as much as the product itself at Tet. Red and gold packaging, a short greeting card and a tidy arrangement make an ordinary set feel like a proper gift. Plan packaging early, because gift boxes, ribbons and cards are also in high demand before the holiday, and check that anything you add does not obscure the labels required in your market.
When setting retail prices, work from your full landed cost: product, shipping, import duties and taxes, packaging, platform fees and your own handling. Then compare against what local shoppers expect to pay for similar gifts. Avoid copying another seller's price blindly; your cost structure is yours.
Where to sell during Tet
In Vietnam most gifting traffic flows through marketplaces and social commerce. In practice, many resellers combine a marketplace shop, a Facebook or Zalo community and direct messaging to repeat customers.
Content matters: clear photos of the gift set, a short description of what is inside, and honest usage notes tend to build trust. Avoid making medical or exaggerated claims about any product.
Import and compliance reminders
Rules for importing cosmetics, foods, supplements and herbal products differ by country and change over time. Vietnamese labelling, registration and customs requirements are the importer's responsibility, so confirm the current rules with the relevant local authority or a licensed customs broker before you order. Import permits, customs clearance, duties and local compliance stay with the importer.
ThaiNex supports and coordinates shipping and export documents through trusted international logistics partners, and can advise on what documents are typically needed for a given product. Exact requirements depend on product and destination.
How ThaiNex can help
You can browse the full product catalogue and the brand pages to shortlist items for your Tet range. If you are new to buying from Thailand, tell our team what you plan to sell and in which market, and they will advise on suitable products and next steps. Resellers who prefer to build their own local business can also look at the Seller Partner programme.
Planning a Tet range? Request a wholesale quote or ask for a catalogue from ThaiNex, and our team will help you shortlist Thai products for the season.