A Foreign Business Licence is needed when an entity the law treats as foreign (for example, with half or more of its shares held by foreigners) wants to carry out certain List 2 or List 3 activities under the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999).
DBD · Foreign Business Operations Committee
Foreign-majority companies wanting full ownership in restricted services (engineering consulting, accounting, advertising, construction) without BOI promotion or Treaty eligibility.
This page is general guidance from published sources, not an authority ruling. Rules and official fees can change; check the current version before deciding.
There is no fixed timeline. It depends on complete documents, foreign document legalisation and review by DBD · Foreign Business Operations Committee. Our staff estimate a realistic window after checking your documents.
We do not publish service fees because scope varies with the activity, capital and number of documents. Send your details to our staff for a tailored quotation. Official fees are separate, at the rates the authority publishes.
No. Decisions are at the authority's discretion. We check document completeness, prepare translations and file according to procedure. We do not offer refunds.
Usually certification in the issuing country (notarisation plus foreign-ministry legalisation or an Apostille, as the recipient accepts) and a Thai translation. Confirm the format the Thai authority accepts first.
Typically Revenue Department tax registration, VAT registration once thresholds apply, Social Security employer registration, and work permits for foreign staff.
Call 083-249-4999 or use the contact page. We reply within 2 hours during business hours, Mon–Sat 09:00–18:00 Thailand time. Head office: Ladprao 95, Bangkok.
Answers on translating and certifying Thai corporate records — company affidavit, shareholder list (BorJor.5), memorandum of association, VAT certificate (PP.20) and financial statements — for foreign counterparties, banks and authorities, following DBD/Revenue Department issuance and MFA Legalization Division practice. (22+ search topics covered)
Need your documents reviewed or your case assessed? Ask our team by phone, LINE, or email. We reply within two hours during business hours (Mon–Sat 9:00–18:00 ICT).
Company records for foreign use must be freshly issued by the Department of Business Development and then translated and legalised for the destination. Most destinations accept them only within about six months of issue.
Prefer not to handle the queues yourself, or worried about a rejection? Send us photos of your documents for a free pre-check. We handle the full chain — obtaining certified copies, translation, certification and submission — and keep you updated at each step. Reach us on LINE, phone or email during business hours.
Corporate records must come from the correct source before any certification layer can be added.
| Route | When to use | Certifying authority | Approx. duration | Rejection risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DBD certificate + translation + consular legalisation + embassy | Filing with a foreign government body, e.g. registering a subsidiary | Department of Business Development (DBD) and Department of Consular Affairs | Variable — allow several weeks including embassy queues | Using a certificate older than the destination's accepted issue window |
| Director-certified copies with attorney-notarised signatures | The receiving party is a private counterparty or overseas bank | Notarial services attorney | Usually a few days | Government recipients generally will not accept this format |
Timelines above are practical estimates from live casework and can change with each authority's policy; confirm with the receiving authority before booking travel. If you would rather not test routes by trial and error, our advisers can assess which route fits your case.
Our team has worked on cross-border documents, certified translation and government liaison since 2015. Most rejections we see are not caused by missing paperwork but by choosing the wrong route on day one, so we always start with a case assessment.
We look at your destination, purpose and deadline, then tell you which certification route applies — and which steps you can skip.
Name spelling, consistency across documents, document age and translation format are checked before anything reaches a counter.
We sequence the steps around your appointment or travel date and flag bottlenecks in advance.
We read the refusal reasons, identify the underlying cause, and plan a resubmission that answers what the authority asked for.
Rather not learn by trial and error? Send your case details and document photos for a review — reach us on LINE, phone or email during business hours.
Thai-to-foreign staff ratios and registered capital determine how many work permits you can obtain. Design the staffing structure early to avoid emergency capital increases.
Affidavits, financial statements and powers of attorney usually need notarisation abroad, government or embassy authentication, then Thai translation and legalisation by the Legalization Division, Department of Consular Affairs.
A promotion certificate carries incentives and shareholding conditions that differ from an ordinary company. Compare minimum investment, technology and employment conditions per activity before committing.
The Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 groups activities into Lists 1–3 with different conditions. Define the real activity first, then pick the route: licence, certificate, treaty right, or a BOI promotion certificate.
Holding shares on behalf of a foreigner without genuine investment breaches the Foreign Business Act, and the source of Thai shareholders' funds can be examined. We do not assist with such structures.
Incentives attach only to the promoted activity and its stated conditions. Revenue from non-promoted activities must be accounted for separately and taxed normally.
Parent-company affidavits and powers of attorney often have a validity period from issue. A slow legalisation chain can expire them before filing, forcing a fresh set.
Many licences involve a site visit. Filing without signage, floor plans or required sanitation results in a correction order and a new inspection date.
Requirements differ by authority and destination country and can change. Confirm current conditions with the receiving authority, or ask our team by phone, LINE or email.
These topics reflect the rules and practice of the relevant authorities and can change. Confirm with the receiving authority, or ask our team by phone, LINE or email.
One document set often moves through several stages — translation, notarial certification, legalization and finally a visa filing. The links below follow that real sequence.
Authority requirements change. Verify with the receiving authority before filing, or ask our team by phone, LINE or email.