Corrugated box names in Thai and English

The standard English term for กล่องกระดาษลูกฟูก (klong kradat luk fuk) is "corrugated box." Each style of corrugated box also has its own trade names, such as regular slotted container (RSC), mailer box and tuck end box. The table below gives the Thai and English names for 13 common styles, each paired with a FEFCO reference code.

Why box style names vary

Box style names come from the market. No industry body sets official common names, so one style can go by several names, and the same name can mean different styles in different places.

Thai names mostly describe how the flaps or lid look: fa chon means "flaps meet," fa koei "flaps overlap," fa siap "tuck-in lid" and hu chang "elephant ear." English names tend to describe either the structure, as in "slotted container," or the use, as in "mailer box."

To make styles easy to cross-check, the table gives each one a FEFCO reference code. Every code is tied to one die-line, which is the flat layout of a box showing its cut lines and fold (crease) lines. The FEFCO section further down explains how the codes work.

Thai and English names for common box styles

Rows run from slotted boxes, the most widely used, to die-cut boxes and inner parts; "Multiple codes" marks a name that covers many sub-styles.

The gallery under the table shows die-lines labeled with Thai and English names.

Mailer box (klong hu chang)

The usual English name for กล่องหูช้าง is "mailer box," listed in the FEFCO catalog as 0427. Some Thai websites call the same style a "tuck side box."

Its closing is called an ear lock. The lid folds down, and two tabs at the end of the lid flap slot into the side walls. These tabs are the "ears" that give the style its Thai name. Once closed, the box locks itself with no tape or glue.

Mailer boxes ship flat and assemble easily, which has made them popular internationally for mail and parcel shipping and for subscription boxes. FEFCO places the style in group 04, which covers boxes folded from one sheet. As a die-cut style, it is built differently from an RSC, a difference explained in die-cut boxes and how they differ from an RSC.

Tuck end box (klong fa siap) and its bottom types

The English name for this style is "tuck end box," a name that on its own leaves the bottom unspecified. It covers several styles that share the same closing, a tongue at the end of the lid flap that tucks into the body so the box can be opened and closed many times without tape.

What sets them apart is the direction of the lid and the type of bottom, so a description needs to name the bottom too. No single FEFCO code covers every tuck end style.

• Straight tuck end: the top and bottom tucks go in the same direction.
• Reverse tuck end: the top and bottom tucks sit on opposite sides.
• Tuck top with snap lock bottom: the bottom flaps interlock. The Thai name for this style is ฝาเสียบก้นขัด (fa siap kon khat).
• Tuck top with crash lock bottom (also called auto bottom): the bottom is pre-glued and locks when the box is opened. The same bottom is also used on boxes with an RSC-style top.

Tuck end styles are also very common in paperboard folding cartons, so adding "corrugated" to the name, as in "corrugated tuck end box," makes the material clear. The FAQ in RSC vs FOL boxes: how to choose compares tuck end boxes and RSCs on cost-effectiveness.

English terms for corrugated boxes

When a box is corrugated, putting "corrugated" in its name removes most of the doubt. Several everyday words overlap with the term "corrugated box," and some of them also cover boxes with no flutes at all.

Spec terms that often appear with box names

The structure of the board, and how E, B, C, BE and BC flutes differ, is covered in the corrugated flute guide.

FEFCO codes as an international reference

FEFCO, the European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers, publishes the FEFCO Code: a catalog of standard box styles, each identified by a 4-digit code and shown as a die-line next to an image of the folded box. It dates from the 1960s and was created so that people working in different languages could refer to the same box style.

The 12th edition of the code, launched in March 2022, added more than 100 new styles, and the International Corrugated Case Association (ICCA) has adopted the code as well.

One limit matters when reading codes next to trade names. FEFCO gives no names to individual codes, so terms such as RSC and mailer box are market names used alongside them.

FEFCO groups 01–09

Each code reads in two parts. The first two digits give the group, and the last two give the style within that group.

Codes with a dotted suffix

A number after a dot, as in 0201.2, marks a variant modified from the standard style, and the same suffix can refer to different styles in different places. The FEFCO document also notes that some of these variants belong to a single manufacturer only.

Describing a box style clearly

Because a Thai or English name alone can still call up different boxes for different people, a clear description covers four items:

1. Style name in Thai or English, with a picture or die-line if one is available
2. Internal dimensions L × W × H, with L and W measured at the opening and H measured from the opening to the bottom
3. Board spec: flute type and paper grade
4. A sample box, for die-cut or modified styles

Handle boxes, hexagonal boxes, multi-piece box sets and other styles outside the table usually have no common name. For these, a die-line and a sample box do most of the work of describing the box.

The slotted, die-cut and assembled styles available for custom production are listed on the custom corrugated boxes page. Types of corrugated boxes sorts boxes into four groups by forming method and compares their costs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the English word for corrugated box?
The standard term is "corrugated box," and the word "corrugated" is what makes the meaning clear. Carton, case and cardboard box are also used, though carton and cardboard can also mean paperboard boxes with no flutes.

What does RSC stand for?
Regular Slotted Container, กล่องฝาชน (klong fa chon) in Thai, FEFCO 0201. Its top and bottom flaps are each half the box width, so they meet exactly at the center.

What is FEFCO?
The European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers, whose 4-digit box style codes are referenced across the corrugated industry worldwide. Since each code is tied to one die-line, the codes show whether two differently named boxes are the same style.

What is กล่องฝาครอบ (klong fa khrop) called in English?
A telescope box. A lid that covers the full height of the body makes it a full telescope; a lid that covers part of the height makes it a partial telescope.