Labubu dolls, which saw a spike in popularity in Thailand, must pass industrial standards before being sold or offending sellers will face a jail term of up to six months and/or a fine of up to 500,000 baht, warns the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI).
Wanchai Phanomchai, secretary-general of the TISI, said his agency was concerned about the safety of Labubu dolls, which were now increasingly popular among consumers in Thailand.
The designer dolls with soft fur are classified as toys that must meet industrial standards as they were stuffed with textiles, Mr Wanchai said. Labubu doll keychains, and those in the form of PVC figures or cartoon models for adults, are not considered toys.
Producers and importers of Labubu dolls that did not pass industrial standards would face a fine of up to 2 million baht and/or a jail term of up to 2 years, the TISI secretary-general said, while offending sellers would face a jail term of up to 6 months and/or a fine of up to 500,000 baht.
Labubu is a toy doll with pointed ears and serrated teeth that became popular after Thai K-pop superstar Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban posted a photo of herself holding a Labubu Macaron on Instagram.
Labubu dolls are typically 18 centimetres tall, but there are also 28cm versions. Hong Kong-born Kasing Lung created the dolls, and How2Work and Pop Mart produce them.
Labubu dolls, created by Hong Kong-born Kasing Lung, are increasing popular in Thailand. (Photo: Instagram @kasinglung)