Thailand offers many opportunities for foreign investment in business for both the small investor and the large investor. However there are many legal requirements & limitations as well as crooks and scams.
Maneuvering through the maize of legal requirements and ensuring the legitimacy of business opportunities is best accomplished with the assistance of a good lawyer working on your behalf.
When you are ready to start looking for an investment come and visit us for a free consultation. Get to know us & when you wish to investigate specific business opportunities we can react quickly & do the ground-work necessary for due-diligence leaving you free to focus on finding opportunities.
Contact us for your initial free consultation Call our hotline: 096 165 1936
The Alien Business Law of 1972 primarily serves to define and narrow the scope of foreign participation in Thai business activities. An alien is defined as a person or company without Thai nationality and includes: | • | A company with at least one-half of shares in its registered capital being held by aliens or companies in which the capital contribution by aliens exceeds 50 percent. | | • | A company with more than half of the number of shareholders, partners or members being alien, regardless of their capital investment. | | • | A limited partnership, or a registered ordinary partnership in which the managing partner is an alien. |
Businesses activities initiated in Thailand fall under categories A, B and C of the Alien Business Law and are subject to restrictions regarding alien participation. Businesses in Categories A and B are closed to aliens. Aliens enterprises granted promotional privileges by the Board of Investment are permitted to engage in a Category B business. Businesses in Category C are open to alien involvement. Aliens wishing to engage in Category C business activities must submit an application to the Department of Commercial Registration for a permit, an Alien Business License, before beginning business activities.
| Business Activities Category A |
| Business Activities Category B |
| Business Activities Category C |
Category C – Open to Aliens Business in Commerce
| • | Wholesales of all types of products within the country except those specified in Category A (Above) | | • | Export of all types of products | | • | Retailing machinery, equipment and tools | | • | Sale of food and beverage for the promotion of tourism |
Business in Industry and Handicrafts
| • | Manufacture of animal feeds | | • | Extraction of vegetable oil | | • | Manufacture of embroidering and knitting products including weaving, dyeing, and pattern printing | | • | Manufacture of glass containers including light bulbs | | • | Manufacture of crockery | | • | Manufacture of writing and printing paper | | • | Rock salt mining | | • | Mining |
Business in Services
| • | Except for those specified in Category A and Category B |
Other
| • | Other constructions except those specified in Category A |
| Category A – Closed to Aliens Agricultural Businesses | • | Rice farming | | • | Salt farming, including manufacture but excluding rock salt mining |
Commercial Businesses
| • | Internal trade in local agricultural products | | • | Land trade |
Service Businesses | • | Accounting | | • | Law | | • | Architecture | | • | Advertising |
Brokerage or agency | • | Auctioneering | | • | Barber, hairdressing, and beautification |
Other Businesses
Category B - Closed to Aliens unless promoted by the Board of Investment Agricultural Businesses
| • | Cultivation | | • | Orchard farming | | • | Animal husbandry, including silk worm raising | | • | Timbering | | • | Fishing |
Industrial and Handicraft Businesses
| • | Rice mill | | • | Manufacture of flour from rice field crops | | • | Manufacture of sugar | | • | Manufacture of beverage, with and without | | • | Alcoholic blending | | • | Manufacture of ice | | • | Manufacture of drugs | | • | Cold storage | | • | Wood processing | | • | Manufacture of product from gold, silver, niello, or bronze | | • | Manufacture of casting of images of Buddha and manufacture of alms bowls | | • | Manufacture of wood carvings | | • | Manufacture of lacquer ware | | • | Manufacture of all types of matches | | • | Manufacture of lime, cement, or cement by-products | | • | Stone blasting or crushing | | • | Manufacture of plywood, wood veneer, chip-board or Hard-board | | • | Manufacture of garment or shoes except for export | | • | Printing press | | • | Newspaper publication | | • | Silk combing, silk weaving or printing of pattern or Silk material | | • | Manufacture of products from silk, silk treads or silk cocoon. |
Commercial Businesses | • | Retailing of all products except those specified in Category C (Below) | | • | Sale of mining products except those specified in Category C | | • | Sale of all types of food and beverage except those specified in Category C | | • | Sale of antiques, period antiques or works of art. |
Service Businesses
| • | Tour agencies | | • | Hotel business except hotel management | | • | Business under the law on service-providing establishments | | • | Photography, photographic developing and printing | | • | Laundry | | • | Tailoring and dressmaking |
Other Businesses
| • | Internal transport by land, water, or air. |
|
|
