What should I check before choosing a contract manufacturer in China or Thailand?

Before choosing a contract manufacturer in China or Thailand, check who actually makes your part, which steps run on the supplier’s own floors, whether one company can cover every material in your product, and whether you can talk to the engineers before any tooling is cut. Then verify each answer with something you can see: live video, documents and samples you approve yourself. This page is a checklist you can run on any supplier, including us. It is not a ranking, and no checklist replaces seeing the work for yourself.

The checklist

What to check	Why it matters	How to verify
Own floors or a trading company	A reseller adds a price layer and slows technical answers. Neither is always wrong, but you should know which you have.	Ask for a live video walk-through at a time you choose, check the business license scope, and read our page on factory vs trading company.
Which processes run in-house and which go to partner shops	Most factories use some outside shops. The risk is not knowing which steps, because quality control then sits with someone you have not met.	Ask for a list by process. A clear, specific answer is a good sign. “Everything is in-house” with no detail deserves a follow-up.
Multi-material and multi-process under one company	Parts that combine plastic, metal, rubber or fabric often fail at the joints between suppliers, where nobody owns the fit.	Ask which of your materials and processes one company handles, and who is responsible when two parts do not mate.
Engineers you can talk to	A design review before tooling catches problems on a screen, where they are cheap to fix.	Ask to speak with the engineer who will run your part, not only a sales contact. Send a drawing and see what questions come back.
Certifications and audits	ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment) and ISO 45001 (health and safety) show a managed system. A social audit such as SMETA covers labor and ethics practices.	Ask for the certificate or report. Check that it names the supplier’s legal entity and the plant address, and confirm with the issuing body.
Tooling ownership	A mold you do not own is hard to move to another supplier.	Ask who pays for the tooling, who owns it, and get the answer in writing before you pay.
Sample and sign-off process	The approved sample becomes the standard that production is judged against.	Ask how first samples are produced, who checks them against the drawing, and whether production waits for your written approval.
Inspection and testing	Tight tolerances and finishes need measuring, not guessing.	Ask what measuring equipment and test labs are on site and what data can be shared with a shipment.
Location options	Where a part is made affects tariffs, shipping and supply risk. Some processes only run at some sites.	Ask where each step of your part would run and what origin your customs paperwork would show. See China vs Thailand tariffs.
Visits and live video	A response to a visit request tells you a lot, even if you never travel.	Ask for a visit by appointment and a live video call from the floor.
Communication	Slow or vague answers during quoting usually continue into production.	Note how quickly technical questions are answered and whether answers come from the people doing the work. Agree on working hours and a contact for each stage.
How long customers stay	A supplier whose customers keep coming back is usually getting the first samples, the communication and the follow-through right. It is one signal among several.	Ask how long a typical customer has worked with them. Most suppliers will tell you if they are asked directly.
Fit for your stage	Some suppliers focus on large programs. Others also work with startups placing a first order.	Ask what a first order looks like, what tooling must be funded and what the supplier needs from you to start.

China, Thailand, or both?

China and Thailand are not interchangeable, and the better question is which steps of your product belong where.

Shenzhen has the widest range of processes in one place. Machining, tooling, stamping, die casting, finishing and multi-material molding sit close together, which helps when a product mixes plastic and metal. Thailand is attractive when you want a second base outside China, and for some products, a different tariff position. Tariff rules change often, so confirm the current rules for your project rather than relying on a rule of thumb.

The catch is that not every process runs in both places. A part that needs overmolding or CNC machining cannot simply move to Thailand. Many buyers end up with a mix: injection-molded and assembled parts in Thailand, with machined or multi-material parts coming from China. Ask any candidate for a clear map of which step happens at which site, and read our guide to China vs Thailand tariffs for how that affects customs origin.

How Fudakin answers each check

You should check us the same way you check anyone else. Here is what we can say, and what you can verify.

• Own floors. Fudakin is an OEM and ODM contract manufacturer founded in 1996, with its own factories in Shenzhen, China and Bangkok, Thailand. The main processes (CNC machining, mold making, injection molding, assembly and painting) run on our own floors. We are not a trading company or a sourcing agent.
• Partner shops. A few steps run at trusted partner shops that we manage: some die casting, silicone and rubber molding, and prototypes. We tell you which shop when you ask.
• Multi-material under one roof. We work on hard parts, especially multi-material parts and tight tolerances. Shenzhen runs injection molding, overmolding and two-shot molding, CNC machining, stamping, die casting, finishing and assembly.
• Engineers. An engineer reads your inquiry, and a design review comes before any steel is cut. We also work from rough concepts, including a 3D-printed prototype.
• Certifications. Both sites hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certification and are SMETA audited. See Standards & Certifications.
• Tooling. You pay for your tooling and you own it. See Tooling & Minimums.
• Samples. First samples come from the finished tool. You check fit, look and function against your drawing, and production starts only after you approve. Keep the approved sample as your reference.
• Inspection. Shenzhen holds a ZEISS CMM lab and a testing lab, staffed by a full-time QC team.
• Locations. Shenzhen is the headquarters and the full machine floor. Bangkok runs injection molding, warehousing and assembly. Machining, overmolding and two-shot molding stay in Shenzhen.
• Visits and video. You can visit both factories by appointment, and we can do a live video walk-through on request.
• Prototypes. Our CNC machining is production only. We arrange prototypes through partners we work with and manage them for you.
• Customer relationships. In our estimate, most of our customers have worked with Fudakin for five years or more.
• Price. Our price is often higher, and on critical components we think that is worth it. Ask any supplier what is behind its price, and weigh it against the cost of a part that fails.
• Startups and larger brands. We work with startups making a first order and with established brands.

What to do next

Run this checklist on every supplier on your list, including us. When you have a part to discuss, get a quote with your drawing or CAD file, the material, and your tolerance and finish needs, and an engineer will read it.