Start with one practical question: what will the company actually do in Thailand? A Thai founder opening a local business and an overseas group building a foreign-owned operation may both use a private limited company, but the ownership, licences, capital and banking plan can be very different. We help you choose the workable route before you commit to shareholders, premises or filing fees.
You do not need to know the legal route before you contact us. Tell us where the owners are based, what the business will sell and how it will operate; we can then narrow the choices without forcing every founder into the same package.
If the owners are Thai, or Thai and foreign investors are building a real joint venture, a private limited company is usually the starting point. We help settle the share split, director powers, registered capital and company objectives before the DBD documents are prepared.
For a foreign-owned company, the activity comes before the share split. We check whether the business is unrestricted, needs BOI promotion, an FBL or FBC, or is better carried on through another form of presence.
Technology, manufacturing and other promoted activities may qualify for foreign-ownership permission and project-specific incentives. We first test the real activity and investment plan against the current BOI criteria.
If banking, VAT, payroll, import or product approvals, a factory licence, a visa or a work permit matter to the launch, we plan those steps alongside the registration rather than leaving them until the certificate is issued.
Yes. A foreigner may be a shareholder and a director of a Thai private limited company. The important distinction is that registering the company and obtaining permission to carry on a restricted activity are not the same thing.
Under the Foreign Business Act, a Thai-registered company is generally treated as foreign when foreigners hold half or more of its capital. What follows depends on the activity: some businesses are prohibited, some need prior permission and others fall outside the restricted lists. Sector-specific laws can add separate ownership or licensing rules.
BOI promotion is for a qualifying investment project, not simply for any company that wants full foreign ownership. The activity, investment, technology, staffing and other commitments must fit the current criteria.
An FBL may be relevant when a foreign-owned company wants to conduct a restricted activity. A Foreign Business Certificate may apply in other qualifying cases, while eligible U.S. investors can also examine Treaty of Amity protection.
A private limited company is the usual operating vehicle for both Thai and international founders. It needs at least two shareholders and one director; the capital, objectives, signing powers and registered office should be settled around the actual business.
The exact checklist changes with the owners, activity and filing method. You do not need every certified document on day one; start with the information below, and we will tell you what must be signed, translated, notarised or legalised for your case.
Thai ID or passport details, current addresses, proposed share allocation, beneficial owners, directors, signing authority and registered capital. Thai and foreign participants may be asked for different supporting evidence.
Proposed names, a plain-language description of what the company will sell, its intended objectives and the Thai registered-office details. VAT and operating licences may require a lease, landlord consent, premises records or stronger address evidence.
An overseas parent may need its incorporation certificate, constitutional documents, current director or officer record, board approval and ownership chart. We confirm the translation, notarisation and legalisation requirements before you order them.
Do not choose from a label alone. The route has to support the activity, ownership, capital, staff and licences after the company is registered. These are the three starting points we most often compare.
If Thai shareholders are part of the company, their capital, voting rights and commercial role must be real. A structure that looks convenient on the incorporation form can become a serious problem during banking, due diligence, a shareholder dispute or a regulatory review.
Do not use shareholders who contribute no capital, exercise no real rights or hold shares only for someone else. Saving time on the filing is not worth creating a company that cannot explain its ownership.
Use genuine capital contributions, clear shareholder rights and governance documents that match how decisions will actually be made. We address these points before the ownership route is filed.
Some software, digital and technology projects may fit BOI criteria, but eligibility depends on the exact activity, investment and staffing plan.
Retail, wholesale, importing, warehousing and online sales can trigger different FBA, customs, product and consumer requirements.
Factory location, machinery, environmental approvals, BOI incentives and Industrial Estate rules should be checked before a lease is signed.
Many service activities require a closer FBA review. Professional licensing may also apply independently of company registration.
The official process can move quickly after the details and signatures are complete. Most delays happen earlier—when the activity is vague, the address evidence is incomplete, the shareholding has not been settled or overseas documents arrive in the wrong form.
Describe the products, services, customers and revenue flow. We use that information to check the Foreign Business Act, BOI possibilities and sector licences before fixing the shareholding.
Agree the shareholders, one or more directors, signing powers, registered capital, share payment and Thai registered office, then confirm the evidence each party needs.
Apply through the DBD system. An approved name reservation is valid for 30 days, so the remaining documents should be ready to move within that window.
At least two founders prepare and sign the MOA, which records the company name, province, objectives, capital and founder details.
The shares are subscribed, the articles and first directors are settled, an auditor is appointed and the directors call for at least 25% payment on each share.
The directors sign the application and the incorporation is filed with the DBD. The MOA and company registration can be completed through the official same-day route when all conditions are ready.
Arrange tax and VAT registrations, accounting, social security, corporate banking, operating licences and any visa or work-permit applications in the order the business needs them.
The DBD incorporation can be completed in one day when the official same-day conditions are met, but that is not the same as having an operating company. For a straightforward setup, a sensible planning allowance is about two to four weeks for decisions, documents, signatures, registration and the first post-registration tasks. BOI promotion, an FBL, regulated licences or complex overseas ownership can take several months.
The bank makes a separate KYC and commercial decision after incorporation. We help make the application coherent: the ownership, source of capital, contracts, expected transactions and reason for using a Thai account should all tell the same story.
Contracts, customers, suppliers, expected currencies and transaction values help the bank understand the business rather than seeing only a new company certificate.
Shareholder, beneficial-owner and source-of-funds evidence must match the company records and the capital transfers.
Some banks or applicant profiles may support remote verification; others require a director or authorised signatory to attend a branch in Thailand. Confirm this before planning travel.
The registered office must work for what follows. VAT or licensing may require a lease, landlord records and premises evidence beyond what was enough for the incorporation filing.
The standard corporate income tax rate is 20%. VAT is currently 7%, and registration is generally required when annual turnover exceeds THB 1.8 million, subject to exemptions and activity-specific rules.
Thai companies need proper books, tax returns, annual financial statements, an audit, the annual shareholders' meeting and filings with the DBD and Revenue Department. A dormant company is not automatically free from these duties.
The conversation starts here: What service will be supplied, to whom, from which location and under which contract?
Then we test the route: Is the activity restricted, BOI-promotable, covered by an exception, suitable for an FBL or FBC, or available under treaty protection?
A company certificate, BOI certificate or FBL covers a defined scope. Adding a new revenue line later can change the ownership or licence analysis.
Qualifying U.S. citizens and U.S.-owned businesses may use Treaty of Amity protection for majority or full ownership in many activities. Certification is required, and excluded sectors still need to be checked. The U.S. Embassy's business FAQ is a useful official starting point.
A Thai subsidiary is a separate legal entity. A branch remains part of the overseas company and may need foreign-business permission for the activity. A representative office has a limited, non-revenue role and is not a substitute for a trading company.
If Thailand is still one of several possible bases, compare where the team, customers, contracts and management will actually sit. Our guides to Singapore company registration, Malaysia company registration and Vietnam company registration can help you compare the operating implications before you choose.
The THB 5,000 minimum company-registration fee is not the total setup cost. Registered capital affects government charges, while foreign-business permission, overseas documents, a registered office, tax work, licences, banking and immigration can add separate costs. Our proposal separates government fees, professional work and third-party expenses.
Official company-registration fee for a private limited company, calculated by registered capital and subject to the statutory minimum and maximum.
Official licence-fee range for restricted activities. List 3 and List 2 businesses use different ranges and the application work is separate.
There is no honest all-in figure until the address, owners, activity, bank, tax and staffing requirements are known.
This page was reviewed against the authority guidance below on 27 August 2026. Requirements can change, and the DBD, BOI, Revenue Department or another regulator may ask for additional evidence in a particular case.
Official access to DBD Biz Regist and the online services used for juristic-person registration and foreign-business applications.
The current official guide covers founders, the MOA, the statutory meeting, share payment and the company-registration sequence.
Official guidance on foreign-company definitions, restricted business activities and Foreign Business Licence or Certificate routes.
Official corporate income tax, VAT, withholding-tax and other published tax information for businesses operating in Thailand.
These are the questions we usually hear before a founder spends money on documents, capital or premises. Where an approval is involved, the DBD, BOI, bank, immigration office or sector regulator makes the final decision.
Yes. A foreigner can be a shareholder and a director of a Thai private limited company. The permitted ownership percentage and any additional approval depend on the business activity, because incorporation does not by itself authorise an activity restricted under the Foreign Business Act.
Sometimes. Full foreign ownership may be possible when the activity is not restricted, when the project receives BOI promotion, when an FBL or Foreign Business Certificate is available, or when a qualifying investor can use treaty protection. Check the exact activity before deciding that 49% or 100% is the right number.
A Thai private limited company generally needs at least two shareholders and at least one director. Nationality, signing authority, regulated activities, banking and work-permit plans can affect who should hold those roles.
There is no single capital figure that fits every Thai company. At least 25% of the value of subscribed shares is generally called at formation, while FBA permissions, BOI conditions, regulated activities, work permits and the operating budget can require a higher amount. We recommend setting capital only after those requirements are checked.
The official private limited company registration fee ranges from THB 5,000 to THB 250,000, depending on registered capital. That is not an all-in setup price. Professional work, certificates, overseas documents, translations, the registered office, VAT, licences, banking and immigration are separate where required.
The DBD provides a same-day route when all statutory conditions and documents are ready. In practice, allow about two to four weeks for a straightforward setup from planning through the first post-registration tasks. BOI promotion, an FBL, complex overseas documents, banking and operating licences follow separate timelines and can take several months.
Much of the planning, document preparation and filing coordination can be handled while you are overseas. Original signatures, identity verification, notarisation or legalisation may still be required in some cases. Banking, tax, licensing and immigration steps can also require direct participation.
Remote onboarding may be available for some companies and banks, but it is not universal. A bank may request a video call, extra KYC evidence or an in-person branch meeting. We can prepare and coordinate the application, but the bank decides whether to approve the account.
BOI promotion is granted to qualifying projects and may provide foreign-ownership permission plus tax or non-tax incentives. An FBL is permission to conduct an activity restricted under the Foreign Business Act. They have different eligibility tests, evidence and ongoing conditions.
No. The DBD company certificate creates the legal entity, but it does not replace an FBL, factory licence, import registration, product approval, tourism licence or another permission required for a regulated activity. Identify those approvals before signing a long lease or announcing a launch date.
The standard corporate income tax rate is 20%. VAT is currently 7%, and registration is generally required when annual turnover exceeds THB 1.8 million, although activity-specific rules and exemptions apply. Companies also need bookkeeping, tax filings, annual financial statements, an audit and corporate filings.
No. Owning or registering a company does not automatically authorise a foreigner to live or work in Thailand. The immigration and work-authorisation route depends on the role, company capital, Thai employment, BOI status and other requirements that apply to the individual case.
Qualifying U.S. citizens and U.S.-owned companies may use the U.S.–Thailand Treaty of Amity to hold a majority or all of a Thai business in many sectors. Certification is required, and the treaty does not cover every activity, including certain land, banking, transport, communications and natural-resource businesses.
Tell us what support you need, from company setup and banking to accounting, tax and ongoing compliance.