How to Find a Manufacturer in Vietnam or Thailand: The Complete Guide

Why does this matter? Many US brands are moving some or all production out of China to spread risk, and Vietnam and Thailand are two of the most popular choices. But a bad factory choice costs far more than a slow search. Late shipments, failed quality, copied designs and surprise price hikes can sink a product launch. This guide shows you how to find a manufacturer in Vietnam or Thailand the careful way, so your first order is not an expensive lesson.

Key Takeaways

• Vietnam is strongest in apparel, footwear, furniture, wood products, electronics assembly and many consumer goods. Thailand is strongest in food processing, cosmetics and personal care, auto parts, rubber, jewelry and electronics.
• A one-page sourcing brief (specs, target price, quantity, certifications, timeline) saves weeks of back-and-forth and gets you real quotes.
• The best leads usually come from trade fairs, industry associations and referrals, not from the first page of a B2B directory.
• Always verify the business registration, visit or audit the factory and order samples before you pay a deposit.
• Use a written contract, a clear quality standard and a third-party inspection before you release the final payment.
• US tariffs on goods from both countries have changed several times since 2025. Check current rates with a licensed customs broker before you lock in pricing.

Vietnam or Thailand: Which Fits Your Product?

Both countries offer skilled workers, export experience and trade agreements with many markets. The right choice depends mostly on what you make.

When Vietnam is the better fit

Vietnam has a deep base of factories for garments, knitwear, footwear, bags, furniture, home decor, wood and bamboo products, ceramics and electronics assembly. Many large global brands already manufacture there, which means experienced factories, established suppliers for materials and logistics providers who know US export paperwork.

Vietnam's main manufacturing clusters sit around Ho Chi Minh City and the surrounding provinces in the south, and around Hanoi and Haiphong in the north. Central Vietnam, around Da Nang, has a growing base for furniture, garments and light manufacturing.

When Thailand is the better fit

Thailand is a regional leader in processed food and beverages, cosmetics and skincare (including private label and OEM, meaning the factory makes a product you sell under your brand), supplements, auto parts, rubber products, gems and jewelry, and electronics components. Its infrastructure and regulatory systems for food and cosmetics are mature, which helps if your product needs certifications like GMP (good manufacturing practice) or halal.

Most Thai manufacturing is concentrated around Bangkok and the Eastern Economic Corridor provinces such as Chonburi and Rayong.

Questions to decide between them

1. Which country already has a cluster of factories making products like yours?
2. Where are your raw materials made? Factories close to their materials usually have better prices and shorter lead times.
3. What certifications do your buyers or retailers require, and which factories already hold them?
4. What is the current US tariff situation for your product from each country?
5. Can you or your partner visit regularly? Distance from your team and agent matters more than people expect.

Before You Search: Write a Sourcing Brief

Factories respond faster and quote more accurately when you are clear. A vague message like "Can you make backpacks?" gets vague answers or none at all. A one-page brief makes you look like a serious buyer.

Include these items:

• Product description. Photos, sketches or a reference sample, plus materials, dimensions, colors and finishes.
• Technical details. A tech pack for apparel, a formula or ingredient list for cosmetics and food, or drawings and tolerances for hard goods.
• Quantities. Your first order quantity and your expected yearly volume. Factories care about both.
• Target price. Your target cost per unit and the trade term (for example FOB, which means the factory delivers to the port of export and you pay shipping from there).
• Certifications and compliance. For example, US product safety rules, FDA-related requirements for food and cosmetics, or social compliance audits your retailer requires.
• Packaging and labeling. Retail packaging, barcodes, country of origin marking and carton requirements.
• Timeline. When you need samples and when you need goods at the port.

Translate a short summary into Vietnamese or Thai if you are reaching out to smaller domestic factories. Many export factories work in English, but a native-language summary signals respect and gets a faster reply.

Where to Find a Manufacturer in Vietnam or Thailand

Use several channels at once. Good factories are often busy and do not advertise heavily, so the best ones are usually found through people and events, not ads.

Trade fairs

Trade fairs let you meet dozens of factories in a few days, see real samples and judge how a team communicates. Examples include:

• VIFA EXPO in Ho Chi Minh City, a major furniture and home accessories fair. The 2026 edition ran in March across two venues with more than 650 exhibitors, according to event coverage.
• THAIFEX Anuga Asia in Bangkok, one of Asia's largest food and beverage fairs, organized with Thailand's Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP). The 2026 edition ran in late May and reported more than 3,300 exhibitors.
• Industry-specific fairs for textiles, packaging, plastics, electronics, gems and jewelry, and beauty run throughout the year in both countries.

Fair dates change each year, so check organizer websites before booking flights. Our Asia e-commerce calendar also helps you plan around holidays that slow down factories.

Government trade promotion agencies

Both countries run agencies that connect foreign buyers with local exporters. In Thailand, the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) runs buyer programs and supplier databases and has trade offices abroad, including in the US. In Vietnam, the trade promotion agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade and local chambers of commerce help with buyer matching and trade missions. These services are often free or low-cost.

Industry associations

Associations know which members export well and which do not. In Vietnam, examples include the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO) and the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of Ho Chi Minh City (HAWA). In Thailand, the Federation of Thai Industries has industry groups for many sectors. Ask for member lists and introductions.

B2B directories and platforms

Online platforms like Alibaba.com and other B2B directories list many Vietnamese and Thai suppliers. They are useful for a first scan, but remember that some listings are trading companies, not factories. A trading company is not bad (it may manage several workshops for you), but you should know who actually makes your product and who controls quality.

Referrals

Ask freight forwarders, inspection companies, packaging suppliers and other brands in your category (not direct competitors) who they trust. People who move goods out of a factory every week know which ones ship on time.

Sourcing agents

A sourcing agent finds, vets and manages factories for you in exchange for a fee or commission. A good agent saves months, speaks the language and is on the ground for audits and inspections. Ask how they are paid. If they also take commission from factories, that is a conflict of interest you need to know about. Our sourcing agent service is built around being on your side of the table.

How to Vet a Factory

Shortlist 5 to 10 candidates, then narrow down using this process. Skipping vetting is where most sourcing horror stories start.

Step 1: Verify the business is real

In Vietnam, company details can be checked on the National Business Registration Portal. In Thailand, the Department of Business Development (DBD) keeps company registration records. Check that the company name, registration number, address and legal representative match what the factory gave you. A mismatch is a red flag.

Step 2: Confirm it is a real factory

Ask for a live video tour of the production floor, not a pre-recorded video. Ask them to show specific machines, a production line running a similar product and the warehouse. Compare what you see to the capacity they claim.

Step 3: Check export experience

Ask which countries they export to, whether they have shipped to the US, and for one or two buyer references you can contact. Ask for copies of export documents with sensitive details blacked out. A factory with US export experience understands labeling, documentation and inspection expectations.

Step 4: Review certifications

Depending on your product and buyers, look for:

• ISO 9001 for quality management.
• GMP for cosmetics, supplements and food.
• Social compliance audits such as amfori BSCI, WRAP or SMETA, often required by US retailers.
• Product-specific certificates such as FSC for wood, OEKO-TEX for textiles or halal for food and cosmetics.

Ask for the certificate and check it with the issuing body. Expired or fake certificates do exist.

Step 5: Do an audit or visit

For serious orders, visit the factory yourself or hire a third-party auditor. A factory audit checks capacity, quality systems, working conditions and financial stability. It is much cheaper than a failed order.

Red flags to watch for

• Prices far below everyone else, with no clear reason.
• Refusing video calls or factory visits.
• Asking for full payment up front.
• Bank account names that do not match the company name.
• Vague answers about materials, subcontracting or capacity.
• Pressure to decide quickly.

Samples, MOQs and Pricing

Ordering samples

Always pay for samples. Free samples sometimes come from a different production line or a showroom, not the line that will make your order. Order samples from your top two or three factories and compare them side by side for quality, accuracy to spec and finishing.

Ask for a pre-production sample (sometimes called a golden sample) once you choose a factory. You both sign or seal it, and it becomes the quality reference for the full order.

Understanding MOQs

MOQ means minimum order quantity. Factories set MOQs to cover setup costs, material minimums and line changeovers. MOQs vary a lot by product. Simple garments or packaging may have modest MOQs, while custom molds, custom fabrics or custom formulas usually need larger runs.

How to negotiate MOQs:

1. Offer a slightly higher unit price for a smaller first order.
2. Use the factory's existing materials, colors or packaging instead of custom ones.
3. Combine colors or sizes to reach the minimum.
4. Show a credible plan for repeat orders.

Getting a clear quote

Ask every factory to quote using the same specs, quantity and trade term so you can compare fairly. Ask what is included: packaging, labels, testing, tooling or molds, and inland transport to the port. Tooling and mold costs are often one-time charges, so clarify who owns the molds after you pay for them.

Contracts, Payments and Protecting Your Design

This section is general information, not legal advice. Use a lawyer familiar with the country for your contract.

Write a real contract

A purchase agreement should cover product specs (referencing the approved golden sample), quantity, price, trade term, delivery date, packaging, quality standard, inspection rights, penalties for delays or defects, who owns molds and designs, confidentiality and how disputes are resolved. A simple purchase order alone is rarely enough for a first order.

Payment terms

A common structure in the region is a deposit (often around 30%) to start production and the balance before shipment, after a successful inspection. Avoid paying 100% up front. Pay only to a bank account in the factory's registered company name, and confirm bank details by phone or video before any first payment. Email-based payment fraud, where scammers send "updated" bank details, is a real risk.

Protect your brand and design

Register your trademark in the country where you manufacture, not just where you sell. Both Vietnam and Thailand generally follow a "first to file" approach, so someone else could register your brand there and cause problems with exports. Our guide to trademark registration in Vietnam explains the process. Many brands also use an NNN agreement (non-disclosure, non-use and non-circumvention), written to be enforceable locally, before sharing detailed designs.

Quality Control and Inspections

Quality control is not one check at the end. It works best at several points:

1. Pre-production check. Confirm materials and components match the spec before mass production starts.
2. During production inspection. Usually done when roughly 20% to 30% of the order is finished, to catch problems while there is still time to fix them.
3. Pre-shipment inspection. Done when the order is finished and mostly packed. An inspector randomly pulls units using an AQL sampling standard (AQL means acceptable quality limit, the number of defects you will tolerate in a sample) and checks them against your spec and golden sample.
4. Container loading check. Confirms the right goods and quantities are loaded and packed properly.

Third-party inspection is affordable compared to the cost of a bad shipment. As an example of published pricing, one large inspection company lists all-inclusive Vietnam rates of roughly $268 to $298 per inspector day as of 2026. Prices vary by company, location and product, so get quotes.

Tie inspections to payment. Make it clear in your contract that the balance is paid only after a passed pre-shipment inspection.

Shipping, Tariffs and Country of Origin

Trade terms and freight

Decide early whether you are buying FOB (the factory delivers to the port, you handle ocean freight), EXW (you collect from the factory door) or DDP (the seller delivers to your door with duties paid). FOB is common for new importers because it is simple to compare. Use a freight forwarder to book shipping, handle export paperwork and coordinate with your US customs broker.

US tariffs as of late 2026

US tariffs on Vietnamese and Thai goods have changed several times. After the US Supreme Court ruled in February 2026 that the earlier emergency-powers tariffs were not authorized, a temporary across-the-board surcharge applied for a few months. As of late 2026, published trade guidance indicates that goods from both Vietnam and Thailand face an additional 12.5% tariff layer under a Section 301 action that took effect on 24 July 2026, on top of normal duty rates. Some products, such as steel and aluminum items, face separate tariffs as well.

These rules can change quickly, and your actual rate depends on your product's tariff classification. Always confirm the current total duty with a licensed US customs broker before you set your retail price.

Country of origin and transshipment

US Customs looks closely at where a product is really made. Goods made mostly in China and only lightly processed or repackaged in Vietnam or Thailand are generally treated as Chinese for tariff purposes, and false origin claims can lead to penalties. Ask factories where key materials and components come from, and keep records that show where the main manufacturing happens.

Food and cosmetics extra steps

If you import food, beverages or cosmetics, there are extra US requirements, such as FDA food facility registration and prior notice for food shipments. Our guide on FDA registration for Thai food exporters covers the food side in more detail.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Choosing on price alone. The cheapest quote often hides weaker materials, missed deadlines or subcontracting.
• Skipping the sample stage. Never go straight from a catalog photo to a production order.
• No written quality standard. If it is not written and sampled, you cannot hold the factory to it.
• Paying 100% up front. You lose all leverage if something goes wrong.
• Ignoring holidays. Factories in Vietnam close for about one to two weeks around Tet (Lunar New Year), and Thai factories slow down around Songkran in April. Order early.
• Not registering your trademark. Squatters target successful foreign brands in manufacturing countries too.
• Forgetting tariffs in your margin. A few percentage points of duty can turn a profitable product into a loss.

Work With an Operator on the Ground

Finding the right factory is only half the job. Someone still has to vet it, negotiate, check samples, manage production and catch problems before your goods leave port. Raw Marketing Group Asia handles factory-direct sourcing across Vietnam, Thailand and the wider region, with one contract and one accountable team from first search to shipment.

If you are ready to move production or start a new product, book a free 30-minute strategy call and we will map out where to source, what it should cost and how to protect your first order.