Services Provided

Company Registration Service

DBD Affidavit
Company Registration Certificate
Shareholder List
DBD Account/Password

Corporate Bank Account Opening

Kasikorn Bank Passbook

Address affiliation

Company registered address affiliation (VAT can be processed)

Local directors hold on behalf of others

Anonymous director/shareholder affiliation

🇹🇭 Thailand: Many restrictions on foreign investment, requiring flexible use of BOI

As a core economy in Southeast Asia that combines economic vitality and cultural inclusiveness, Thailand has become a global hotspot for foreign investment, thanks to its superior location, comprehensive infrastructure, vast domestic market, and extensive network of free trade agreements. Thailand's business environment is full of opportunities, but its compliance system is subject to distinct localized rules—the core challenge lies in the Foreign Business Act (FBA), which imposes strict limits on foreign ownership ratios and industry access (most industries have a 49% foreign ownership cap, with 100% foreign investment allowed only in certain sectors), serving as a key compliance threshold for foreign enterprises to set up. Below is a summary of key points for registering foreign companies in Thailand to help you clarify the rules and avoid risks.

YIMING GLOBAL helps you settle in Thailand with peace of mind

Focusing on the Thai market layout, we have deeply cultivated the Foreign Business Act and BOI investment preferential policies. Our professional team handles the entire process of DBD company registration, BOI project application, tax filing, and visa quota application in one stop, avoiding core risks such as equity proxy holding, linking registered capital to visas, and address verification. Relying on BOI tax and land incentives, we help you overcome foreign ownership restrictions, efficiently take root in the Thai market, and implement practical Thai business with peace of mind.

Core advantages of Thailand registration

Infrastructure is well-developed, the free trade network is rich, and import and export trade is convenient
BOI encourages industries to enjoy 100% foreign ownership and corporate income tax exemptions for 3-13 years
Directors have no nationality or residency requirements, and the company registration process has been simplified online
BOI enterprises can legally own land ownership, which ordinary foreign-invested companies do not

Choosing the right identity: Which type of Thai company should you register?

Private Limited Company, Ltd.

✅ The basic compliance vehicle before applying for BOI, with full legal entity status

✅ You can sign contracts, issue invoices, and apply for work visas for foreign employees

⚠️ Foreign ownership is capped at 49%, strictly prohibiting proxy holding to circumvent rules

BOI Corporation (approved by the Investment Promotion Committee)

✅ Breaking through shareholding restrictions, allowing foreign capital to hold 100% without local shareholders

✅ Enjoy 3-13 years of CIT exemption, duty-free import equipment, and land ownership

✅ Must be in an encouraged industry, meet investment amounts, and meet local employment requirements

Representative Office (RO)

i️ It serves as a pre-observation station for preliminary market research and business liaison, and does not have independent legal entity status

i️ Conduct research, client liaison, and administrative support, but cannot sign profit contracts

i️ It is suitable for foreign-invested enterprises that are not currently engaged in physical business for early planning

Hard threshold: Core compliance requirements for Thai company registration

Shareholders and directors are required to do so

Shareholders: At least 2 (the new regulation has reduced the number from 3 to 2), no nationality restrictions, and can be held by individuals or enterprises

Directors: At least 1 person,Stateless and permanent residence requirements in Thailand, does not need to be a Thai citizen

Shareholding restrictions: Foreign ownership in ordinary companies ≤49%; with BOI approval or holding an FBL, 100% foreign ownership is allowed

Registered Capital Requirements

Legal baseline: minimum 15 Thai Baht (theoretical value), recommended to set at 1 million Thai Baht to meet compliance image

🚧 Practical Core:Capital directly linked to foreign employee visa quotas

▪ For each foreign employee hired, the registered capital must be increased by 2 million Thai Baht

▪ Hiring foreign employees must follow a 4:1 ratio (4 Thai employees to 1 foreign employee)

▪ The minimum investment for a BOI project is usually ≥ 10 million Thai Baht (excluding land and working capital)

🔴 Core Reminder: If the registered capital does not meet the standard, it will directly affect the visa application for foreign employees, and if it exceeds 5 million Thai baht, it must be fully paid within 15 days

Registered address requirements

The use of virtual addresses or PO BOX is strictly prohibited. A real and valid lease agreement must be submitted (lease term ≥ 1 year); DBD will conduct random on-site inspections, and addresses that do not match will be listed as business anomalies.

Standard registration roadmap (including additional BOI procedures)

DBD Name Approval Application

Submit 3 alternative names (Thai pinyin and English), avoid sensitive words, name will be reserved for 30 days

Draft the Memorandum of Association (MOA)

List the registered capital, shareholding ratio, and business scope; documents of foreign shareholders need notarization and certification.

Hold a statutory shareholders' meeting

Confirm the appointment of directors/auditors, clarify that the paid-in proportion of the initial registered capital is ≥25%, and create meeting minutes

Submit a registration application to obtain a license

Submit the full set of materials online, ordinary companies are processed in 1-2 months, and receive the 'Company Registration Certificate'

Tax and Social Security Registration

Apply for a TIN within 60 days after obtaining the registration certificate; if annual income exceeds 1.8 million Thai Baht, VAT registration is required; apply for social security within 30 days of hiring employees.

Bank Account Opening and Capital Injection Filing

Open a corporate account to complete capital injection; when foreign capital is remitted, the FETF Form must be retained as proof for profit repatriation.

(BOI Extra)

BOI Project Pre-Approval

Submit business plan and technical materials, projects with investment ≤ 200 million THB will be approved within 40 working days, and receive BOI certificate

Required Registration Documents Checklist

Basic Information (Individual Shareholders/Directors/Supervisors)

Color scanned copy of passport (validity ≥ 18 months, including photo and signature pages, unobstructed)
Scanned copies of both sides of your country's ID card (Chinese shareholders must provide their ID card)
Copy of Thailand visa page (if available, expedited KYC verification)

Special information on company shareholders

Overseas company business license/registration certificate, articles of association, and financial statements for the past 3 years
Board resolution (approval to invest in the Thailand project, signed by all directors and stamped with company seal)
Power of Attorney (POA): Identification of the authorized representative and KYC documents
Bank credit certificate for the past 6 months; Capital verification report must be provided for registered capital exceeding 5 million THB

Office Premises and Compliance Documentation

Lease contract with a lease term ≥ 1 year (specifying that company registration can be used) Landlord's ownership certificate
Detailed map of registered address, on-site photos (including house number), and a landlord's address using an affidavit
Overseas documents must be translated into Thai and notarized by the Thai Embassy (dual authentication required for non-Hague member states)

Additional information on the BOI project

Business plan (including technology transfer plan and local employment plan)
Investment budget table, industry qualification certificates (e.g., environmental impact assessment reports required for manufacturing)

Additional documentation and compliance explanations

✅ All foreign language documents must be translated into Thai by a DBD-accredited institution; direct translation will be rejected;
✅ Passport notarization, deposit certificates, etc. are relatively short, so it is recommended to apply within one month before registration;
✅ For catering/production industries, pre-approval materials (food business license/environmental impact assessment report) must be prepared in advance;
✅ Strictly prohibit proxy equity holding to circumvent the 49% holding limit; upon verification, license revocation and legal responsibility will be pursued.

Tax compliance: the core cornerstone of operations in Thailand

The Thai tax authorities have strict supervision and have recently strengthened invoice and transfer pricing inspections. Compliance is the core prerequisite for long-term business operations. The core taxes and rules are as follows:

Corporate Income Tax (CIT)

Standard tax rate20%； tiered exemptions for small and medium-sized enterprises; BOI encourages industries to enjoy full exemptions for 3-13 years, with subsequent reductions halved; Multinational enterprises are subject to a 15% global minimum tax

Value-Added Tax (VAT)

Standard tax rate10%, a preferential 7% tax rate will be implemented in 2025; Mandatory registration is required for annual turnover over 1.8 million baht; Zero tax rate applies to exported goods

Withholding Tax

Non-resident enterprise dividends 10% (reduced to 5% for China-Thailand agreement with shareholding ≥25%), interest/royalties 15%, service fees 15%; declare within 7 days of the following month after payment

Key Compliance Notes

Prepay CIT semiannually, final settlement within 150 days of the next year; e-invoices must match logistics and fund flows; related-party transactions require contemporaneous documentation; BOI enterprises must submit project progress reports quarterly

Clarify the compliance path for Thailand company registration

Materials, timeline, and costs are explained at once, guaranteed as agreed if not processed.

Schedule a Consultant Assessment →

Thailand Company Registration