Thailand is a source that conducive to business investment in almost every aspect. There are both strategic locations, abundant natural resources and a large number of workers that attract foreign investors or foreign investors to do business in Thailand. The meaning of legal aliens are as follows:
- Individuals without Thai nationality
- Juristic person who is not registered in Thailand
- A juristic person registered in Thailand with half or more of its capital owned by the person or juristic person as specified in item 1 or 2.
- A juristic person registered in Thailand whose capital is at least half owned by the person or juristic person in item 1, 2 or 3.
Businesses in Thailand that foreigners cannot do.
According to the Foreign Business Act Foreigners are prohibited from operating certain types of businesses and certain types of businesses may only be operated upon obtaining a license or a certificate, depending on any cases. The types of businesses specified under the Act are divided into 3 lists:
List one is a type of businesses that foreigners are prohibited from operating for special reasons are as follows:
- Newspaper business, operation of radio station broadcasting business or television
- Farming or gardening husbandry
- Animal husbandry
- Forestry and wood processing from natural forests
- Fishing activities, especially in Thai territorial waters and in economic zones specific to Thailand
- Thai herbal extraction
- Trade and auction of antiques of Thailand or historical value of the country.
- Making or casting Buddha statue and making alms bowls
- Land trade
List two is a type of businesses related to the safety or security of the country or affecting arts and culture, customs and local handicrafts or natural resources and the environment in which foreigners may engage in business upon obtaining permission from the minister with the approval of the cabinet are:
Category 1 Business related to national safety or security
- Production, sales and maintenance
- (a) Firearms, ammunition, gunpowder, explosives
- (b) Parts of firearms, ammunition and explosives
- Armaments, ships, aircraft or military vehicles
- All kinds of equipment or parts of war equipment
- Transportation by land, water or air in the country including the domestic aviation business
Category 2 Businesses affecting arts, culture, traditions and local handicrafts
- Antique trade or objects of art which is a work of art Thai handicrafts
- Production of woodcarving machines
- Silkworm farming, Thai silk production, Thai silk weaving or pattern printing.
- Production of Thai musical instruments
- Production of gold, silver, nielloware, gold and stoneware or lacquerware
- Production of crockery or pottery that is Thai art and culture
Category 3 Businesses that affect natural resources or the environment
- Sugar production from sugarcane
- Salt farming, including the production of rock salt
- Making rock salt
- Mining, including blasting or crushing rocks
- Wood processing to make furniture and utensils
List three is a type of businesses that Thai people are not ready to compete in business with foreigners. However, foreigners can operate the business when permitted by the Director-General with the approval of the Foreign Business Committee, are as follows:
- Rice milling and flour production from rice and field crops
- Fishing, especially aquaculture
- Forestry from planted forests
- Plywood production Veneer, chipboard or hardboard
- Lime production
- Accounting service business
- Legal service business
- Architectural service business
- Engineering service business
- Construction, except as follows:
- (a) Construction of things which provide basic services to the public for public utilities or transportation requiring special tools, machinery, technology or expertise in construction with a minimum capital of five hundred million baht or more for foreigners.
- (b) Other types of construction as prescribed in the Ministerial Regulations.
- Brokerage or agent business, except as follows:
- (a) Being a broker or agent for trading securities or providing services related to futures trading of agricultural commodities or financial instruments or securities.
- (b) Being a broker or agent for trading or supplying goods or services necessary for the production or provision of services of an associated enterprise.
- (c) Becoming a broker or agent purchasing or distributing or procuring, both domestic and foreign markets for the sale of manufactured products in the country or imported from abroad in the nature of international business operations with a minimum capital of one hundred million baht or more for foreigners.
- (d) Being a broker or agent of other types as prescribed in the Ministerial Regulations.
- Auction, except as follows:
- (a) Auction in the manner of an international auction which is not an auction of antiques, antiques or objects of art which are works of art, handicrafts or antiques of Thailand or the historical value of the country.
- (b) Other types of auctions as prescribed in the Ministerial Regulations.
- Insider trading in indigenous agricultural products or produce that is not yet prohibited by law.
- Retailing of all types of goods with a minimum total capital of less than one hundred million baht or with the minimum capital of each store less than twenty million baht.
- Wholesale of all types of goods with a minimum capital of each store less than one hundred million baht.
- Doing advertising business
- Hotel business, except hotel management services
- Guided tour
- Selling food or beverages
- The business of breeding, expanding or improving plant varieties
- Other service business, except for the service business specified in the ministerial regulations.
Application for business of foreigners and where do foreigners have to submit?
Foreigners must submit at the Foreign Business Services Office, 8th floor, Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce, Nonthaburi Province, Telephone 0 2547 4425-26, Fax 0 2547 4427 or E-mail Address: foreign@dbd.go.th. In applying for a business license under the list 2 and list 3, the form used is T.2 form with supporting documents and there is a request fee of 2,000 baht.
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