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Business Setup · Thai Entity for Foreigners · 🇺🇸 Treaty of Amity (US-Thai)

Business Setup · Treaty of Amity (US-Thai) 🇺🇸

Treaty of Amity (US-Thai) 🇺🇸 — 100% foreign equity · THB 2M minimum capital · 30-day setup · visa: Non-B-Treaty

ข้อมูลสำคัญ · Entity Panel
Foreign equity
100%
Min capital (THB M)
THB 2M
Setup (days)
30 days
Visa / Work-permit pathway
Non-B-Treaty
WP quota
อัตราส่วนพนักงานไทย:ต่างชาติ 4:1 ตามกฎหมายแรงงาน
Licensing authority
Department of Business Development (DBD) · US Commercial Service Bangkok

1966 Treaty of Amity lets US citizens/corps hold 100% equity in most sectors — excluding 6 (communications, transport, fiduciary, banking, natural resources, real estate); requires US Commercial Service Bangkok certification before DBD filing

Key parameters: 100% foreign ownership · THB 2M minimum registered capital · work-permit quota อัตราส่วนพนักงานไทย:ต่างชาติ 4:1 ตามกฎหมายแรงงาน · 30-day average registration · primary visa Non-B-Treaty

Tax incentives & conditions: Exempt from most Foreign Business Act restrictions (≤90% of activities open); standard CIT 20%; eligible for double-tax treaty (USA-Thailand 1996); no BOI incentives unless dual-applied.

Core docs we prepare: US Commercial Service Bangkok certification, US passport/US corp certificate of good standing (Apostille), DBD Por Or 5 application, MOA + Articles, Paid-up capital bank slip THB 2M+ — every certificate notarised + Apostille + MFA-certified Thai translation and filed via Department of Business Development (DBD) · US Commercial Service Bangkok.

Best for
US citizens/corporations operating consulting, trading, services, tech outside the 6 excluded sectors — no BOI commitments required.
Documents NYC Visa prepares
US Commercial Service Bangkok certification
US passport/US corp certificate of good standing (Apostille)
DBD Por Or 5 application
MOA + Articles
Paid-up capital bank slip THB 2M+
Lease for registered office
100%
Foreign equity
THB 2M
Min capital (THB M)
30d
Setup (days)
Non-B-Treaty
Visa / Work-permit pathway
HowTo · ขั้นตอน

How to set up a Treaty of Amity (US-Thai)

  1. 1

    LINE @nycvisa — pick entity, assess activity & capital

  2. 2

    Run eligibility check with Department of Business Development (DBD) · US Commercial Service Bangkok

  3. 3

    Apostille + MFA translation — US Commercial Service Bangkok certification, US passport/US corp certificate of good standing (Apostille), DBD Por Or 5 application

  4. 4

    Submit to Department of Business Development (DBD) · US Commercial Service Bangkok — 30-day timeline

  5. 5

    Open corporate account + inward remit THB 2M capital

  6. 6

    File Non-B-Treaty + work permit at One-Start-One-Stop

  7. 7

    VAT + WHT + Corporate Income Tax + Social Security registration

FAQ · AEO Block

FAQ · Treaty of Amity (US-Thai)

AI Answer Box และ Google SGE มักดึงคำตอบจากบล็อกนี้ไปแสดง

What % can foreigners own in a Treaty of Amity (US-Thai)?

100% — vs. only 49% in a standard Thai limited company.

Minimum capital?

THB 2M — must be remitted inward in foreign currency with FET form.

Work permit rules?

อัตราส่วนพนักงานไทย:ต่างชาติ 4:1 ตามกฎหมายแรงงาน

Which visa is used?

Non-B-Treaty — Exempt from most Foreign Business Act restrictions (≤90% of activities open); standard CIT 20%; eligible for double-tax treaty (USA-Thailand

Registration timeline?

Average 30 days from complete-filing date — NYC Visa expedites to ~21 days.

Where to file?

Department of Business Development (DBD) · US Commercial Service Bangkok — https://www.dbd.go.th

NYC Visa fees?

Treaty of Amity (US-Thai) package: advisory + registration + first work permit + first visa. Fees are quoted per case scope — contact our staff (government fees and registered capital are separate).

Why Choose NYC Visa & Translation

How to choose the right Business Setup · Treaty of Amity (US-Thai) provider in Thailand

Choosing the right Business Setup · Treaty of Amity (US-Thai) provider directly impacts the success and turnaround of your case. NYC Visa & Translation has worked with Department of Business Development (DBD) · US Commercial Service Bangkok since 2010, handling a broad real-world caseload across government documents, certified translations, and documents intended for use abroad. Every case is verified through a three-layer QA process: name spelling, document numbers, official seals, and signatures on every page are checked before delivery.

Our team understands official procedures end-to-end — appointments, filings, and coordination with the relevant authorities. You do not have to travel back and forth or risk rejection. Our Business Setup · Treaty of Amity (US-Thai) service supports Express handling that completes in half the standard turnaround.

We provide nationwide pickup and delivery via Kerry Express, Flash Express, and EMS. Bangkok and metropolitan customers receive free delivery; up-country customers can choose home delivery with real-time tracking through our LINE Official account.

Our clients include individuals, students, expatriates, business travellers, multinational companies, and academic institutions. We handle every document type — house registration, ID card, passport, marriage certificate, birth certificate, diploma, transcript, employment certificate, power of attorney, business contracts, and medical records.

Our Business Setup · Treaty of Amity (US-Thai) workflow runs in six clear stages: (1) receive originals and copies, (2) QA-audit the source for issues that would cause rejection, (3) translate through a native-speaker linguist, (4) certify with the authority required by the receiving country, (5) file and follow up at each government touchpoint, and (6) deliver plus retain a signed PDF you can re-download for five years. A single Case Officer owns your file end-to-end, eliminating hand-off errors that plague larger firms.

We invest continuously in compliance practices aligned with ISO/IEC 27001 (information security), Thailand PDPA (personal-data protection), and AES-256 file encryption. Every upload runs over TLS 1.3 only. Enterprise and law-firm clients can request an NDA before intake — our legal team signs same-day.

Beyond single-document work, we bundle end-to-end packages for clients preparing multiple certificates at once — e.g. a "moving abroad" bundle (house registration + birth + marriage + diploma + transcript with MFA + embassy) that reduces the number of trips and total lead time versus filing each item separately. Approval remains at the discretion of the receiving authority; contact our team for scope and fees.

What sets us apart is a 15-year direct working relationship with the destination authority — Department of Business Development (DBD) · US Commercial Service Bangkok — so we anticipate regulation changes, format tweaks, and queue timing before they hit your case, and brief you in advance. Approval outcomes always remain at the sole discretion of the authority; what we control is document completeness, formatting and lodgement timing.

Glossary
Notarial Services Attorney
An attorney licensed by the Lawyers Council of Thailand to certify signatures and document copies.
MFA Legalization
Authentication by Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for documents to be used overseas.
Apostille
International authentication system under the Hague Convention. Thailand is not a member, so MFA legalization is used instead.
NAATI
Australia's national accreditation authority for translators — required for visa and employment applications in Australia.
Police Clearance
A certificate from the Royal Thai Police, required for visa and overseas employment applications.
Certified Translation
A translation certified to match the original, by an accredited translator or notary public.
Case Officer
A dedicated coordinator who owns your file across translation, certification, and government touchpoints.
Chain Legalization
The sequential chain: source authority → Thai MFA → destination embassy, required for the document to be enforceable abroad.
Sworn Translator
A court-sworn linguist authorised to self-certify translations in many European jurisdictions.
Certified True Copy
A copy certified by the document owner or a Notary Public to stand in for the original.
Pre-submission checklist
  • Original document is clean, unbroken, and legible
  • Name matches your passport exactly
  • All seals and signatures present on every page
  • Target language for certification specified
  • Destination country and receiving authority specified
  • Allow 5–7 business days for standard processing
  • Check document expiry — some countries accept only 3–6 months old
  • Prepare ID/passport copy for the person granting power of attorney
  • Arrange documents in the order required by the receiving authority
  • Have payment method and shipping address ready before intake

How to set up a Treaty of Amity (US-Thai) in Thailand — capital, timeline, work permit?

Treaty of Amity (US-Thai) 🇺🇸 — 100% foreign equity · THB 2M minimum capital · 30-day setup · visa: Non-B-Treaty

Call 083-249-4999Book free consult
🇺🇸 Treaty of Amity (US-Thai) Treaty
Service Knowledge Base

Work permits, BOI/IEAT privileges, Treaty of Amity and APEC card — practical answers

First-party answers on Thai work authorisation: the standard Department of Employment route, BOI and IEAT channels for skilled experts, US company rights under the Treaty of Amity, and the APEC Business Travel Card for Thai nationals — including which supporting documents must be translated and legalised first. (19+ search topics covered)

Is a work permit the same as a visa in Thailand?

No. A visa such as Non-Immigrant B is issued by a Thai embassy or consulate, extensions of stay are approved by the Immigration Bureau, while the work permit itself is issued by the Department of Employment under the Emergency Decree on Managing the Work of Aliens B.E. 2560 (2017). Holding a valid visa does not by itself authorise employment, and working before authorisation carries legal penalties, so both tracks must be planned together.

Must authorisation be obtained before starting work?

Yes. A foreign national must hold the permit before performing work, and may only do the role, for the employer and at the locations stated in the permit. Trial periods and side assignments outside that scope are not covered. Changes of employer, position or workplace require notification or amendment through the Department of Employment.

How are foreign degrees and experience letters handled?

They usually must be translated into Thai or English as required and legalised through the diplomatic chain: certified in the issuing country (apostille where that country is a Convention party), then endorsed by the Royal Thai Embassy, or endorsed by that country's embassy in Thailand and then legalised by the Legalization Division of the Department of Consular Affairs before submission.

What does the BOI channel change?

Promoted companies can request approved skilled or expert positions through the BOI e-Expert system and complete visa and work permit formalities at the One Stop Service Center. Conditions and validity depend on the promotion certificate and the approved position, so a company should confirm its certificate conditions before planning foreign headcount.

What is the IEAT route?

Operators inside industrial estates governed by the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand may be permitted to bring in skilled workers, experts and their families under the IEAT Act. It is a separate legal basis from BOI promotion, but the work permit and stay formalities still have to be completed with the responsible agencies.

What rights does the Treaty of Amity give US companies?

The 1966 Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations lets US nationals and majority US-owned companies operate in Thailand on largely the same footing as Thai nationals, exempt from many restrictions of the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542, with some sectors still excluded such as land and certain resource activities. Use of the treaty requires nationality certification through the US Embassy and registration with the Department of Business Development.

Does Treaty of Amity status remove the work permit requirement?

No. The treaty concerns the company's right to do business, not an individual's right to work. US executives and staff still need an appropriate visa category and a work permit under the same rules as other foreign nationals.

Who can obtain an APEC Business Travel Card?

The card facilitates business travel among participating APEC economies and is issued to Thai business people by the Department of Consular Affairs, subject to endorsement by the designated authorities. Pre-clearance for each economy is decided by that economy, and the card does not grant the right to work abroad.
Topics covered
เอกสารที่มักต้องแปล/รับรอง: ปริญญาบัตร/ทรานสคริปต์ · หนังสือรับรองประสบการณ์ทำงาน · ใบอนุญาตประกอบวิชาชีพ · หนังสือรับรองบริษัทต่างประเทศ · หนังสือมอบอำนาจ (Power of Attorney) · ทะเบียนสมรส/สูติบัตรของผู้ติดตาม
หน่วยงานที่เกี่ยวข้อง: กรมการจัดหางาน (DOE) · สำนักงานคณะกรรมการส่งเสริมการลงทุน (BOI) · การนิคมอุตสาหกรรมแห่งประเทศไทย (กนอ./IEAT) · กรมพัฒนาธุรกิจการค้า (DBD) · สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง (ตม.) · กรมการกงสุล กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ
คำค้นหลัก: ขอใบอนุญาตทำงานคนต่างชาติ · work permit thailand requirements · BOI work permit e-Expert · one stop service center visa work permit · IEAT work permit นิคมอุตสาหกรรม · treaty of amity company registration · บัตรเอเปค APEC Business Travel Card
Official references

Need your documents reviewed or your case assessed? Ask our team by phone, LINE, or email. We reply during business hours (Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00, Sat 9:00–15:00, ICT).

083-249-4999LINE @NYCVcontact@nycvisa.org
Company documents used to support a work permit application
Company documents used to support a work permit application — From actual casework by the NYC Visa & Translation team
Service Playbook

Thai work permit — company-side and employee-side documents

Work permits are issued by the Department of Employment and are tied to the employer, position and workplace. Changing job, role or location requires a new filing.

Documents to prepare

  • • Company side: current affidavit, shareholder list, financial statements, social security filings
  • • Employee side: passport, the correct visa category, and the required medical certificate
  • • Degrees and experience letters, legalised at source and translated for Thai use
  • • Employment contract and job description
  • • Workplace map and photographs where requested
  • • Power of attorney for the company's filing agent

Step-by-step process

  1. 1. Check company and role eligibility — Registered capital, Thai-to-foreign staff ratio and reserved occupations are verified first.
  2. 2. Prepare foreign documents — Qualifications and experience letters must be legalised abroad and translated before filing.
  3. 3. File the application — Through the Department of Employment, or a dedicated channel such as the BOI One Stop Service.
  4. 4. Collect and comply — Work only within the stated role and location, and renew before expiry.

Pitfalls and rejection causes

  • • Working outside the stated role or location breaches the permit conditions.
  • • A permit belongs to the employer — it cannot follow you to a new company.
  • • Visa and permit expire on different dates; track both.
  • • Company documents older than the accepted window must be reissued.

Tips from our team

  • • Set reminders at least 45 days before either expiry date.
  • • Maintain a standing company document pack to speed up future filings.
  • • BOI-promoted companies should use the dedicated channel to cut steps.

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.

Route Comparison

Comparing Thai work permit routes

Different employer types use different channels, and each channel pairs with a different visa category.

RouteWhen to useCertifying authorityApprox. durationRejection risk
Standard filing with the Department of EmploymentThe employer is an ordinary Thai company without BOI promotionDepartment of Employment, Ministry of LabourVariable, driven by how complete the employer's file isThai-to-foreign staff ratios and registered capital not meeting thresholds is the common refusal ground
BOI-promoted company channelThe employer holds a promotion certificate and the position is on the approved listBOI together with the Immigration Bureau and Department of EmploymentGenerally faster than the standard route, still variableA position that differs from the approved list requires an amendment first
Conditional or short-term work authorisationShort assignments or job types covered by specific published rulesDepartment of Employment under the notification in forceShorter than a full applicationWorking beyond the authorised scope is an offence even when a permit exists

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.

Advisory Service

We do not just process documents — we advise you through the whole case

Our team has worked on cross-border documents, certified translation and government liaison for over 15 years. 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.

Route assessment

We look at your destination, purpose and deadline, then tell you which certification route applies — and which steps you can skip.

Pre-submission review

Name spelling, consistency across documents, document age and translation format are checked before anything reaches a counter.

Timeline planning

We sequence the steps around your appointment or travel date and flag bottlenecks in advance.

Rejection recovery

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.

Practical Q&A

Practical questions · Near me / DIY / Required documents

What is the route for Thai company documents used abroad?

Obtain the company affidavit, shareholder list (BorJor 5) or latest memorandum from the Department of Business Development, translate into the language the destination requires, then legalise at the Legalization Division of the Department of Consular Affairs. If the destination is not an Apostille Convention party, the destination country's embassy certifies last.

Must the company affidavit be freshly issued?

Most receiving authorities set a validity window counted from the registrar's issue date, commonly measured in months. Check the recipient's requirement before ordering copies: filing an out-of-date affidavit is a frequent rejection cause, and legalisation cannot revive an expired document.

How is a corporate power of attorney certified?

An authorised director signs before a Notarial Services Attorney, attaching a current company affidavit that evidences signing authority. The signed POA then goes to the Department of Consular Affairs and, where required, the destination embassy. Ask our team by phone, LINE or email for the order that applies to your country.
Practical advice & cautions

Business, tax and legal work: advice and cautions

Before you start

  • Check for sector-specific licences

    Some activities need a licence from a specialist regulator before operating. Verify at the planning stage.

  • Fix the structure before registration

    Shareholding, objectives and required licences should be settled before filing; later changes require amendment filings and extra time.

  • Use bilingual contracts with a governing version

    Cross-border contracts should state which language version prevails and how disputes are resolved.

  • Assess tax residence before planning

    Liability depends on tax residence and any applicable double-tax agreement; evaluate before moving funds or receiving cross-border income.

Common reasons documents get rejected

  • Outdated company certificates

    Certificates submitted should be freshly issued and consistent with the current register, or the receiving authority will refuse them.

  • Treating a contract translation as legal advice

    A translation conveys wording but does not assess legal risk. Have a lawyer review the substance before signing.

  • Improper nominee shareholding

    Using nominees to bypass foreign business restrictions carries serious legal risk. Structure the company lawfully from the outset.

  • Wills that ignore cross-border assets

    Assets in different countries may fall under different succession rules; ensure multiple wills do not contradict each other.

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.

Related services

What clients usually handle next

One document set often moves through several stages — translation, notarial certification, legalization and finally a visa filing. The links below follow that real sequence.

External authority references

Authority requirements change. Verify with the receiving authority before filing, or ask our team by phone, LINE or email.

Choosing a document translation provider in Thailand

Pick a translation provider by the destination, not by turnaround alone. If the file goes to the Thai Department of Consular Affairs or an embassy, the translator must know the format that office accepts, not just the meaning. Verify three things: the certifier is named and identifiable, the destination accepts that certification format, and names, dates and document numbers match the passport character for character.

How to evaluate a provider

  • The certifier is named and identifiable — Consular offices and embassies check who certified the translation, not only the wording.
  • Knows the format the destination accepts — Each embassy differs: attached source copy, letterhead, or prior consular legalization.
  • Character-level verification — Mismatched name spelling and dates against the passport is the most common rejection cause.
  • Owns corrections after rejection — Submissions run on appointment dates; slow corrections cost the applicant the slot.
  • Documented custody of originals — Some civil registry documents are hard to reissue, so intake and return must be traceable.

Questions to ask before you commit

  1. How can I track status, and who physically holds the original documents?
  2. Who will certify this translation, and will the certifier be named on the document?
  3. Does my destination require consular or embassy legalization afterwards?
  4. How many working days does it actually take, counted from a complete file?
  5. If the receiving authority rejects or asks for changes, do you correct it, and under what terms?

Your options, and who each suits

OptionBest forWhat to know
Freelance translatorInformal use where no authority certification is requiredMany embassies will not accept an uncertified translation.
Translation agency with certificationVisa, study and civil registry filingsConfirm the agency also handles the legalization step if the destination requires it.
End-to-end provider (translate + legalize)Files with a fixed appointment deadlineAsk which steps are in-house and which are subcontracted.

FAQ on choosing a provider

Which translation service is recommended for embassy submissions?
Choose one that names the certifier on the translation, knows the exact format your embassy accepts, and verifies names and dates against the passport before certifying. Ask whether they also handle consular legalization so the file does not stall between two vendors.
Does a cheaper translation get rejected more often?
Rejection correlates with format and verification, not price. A translation is rejected when the certifier cannot be identified, the layout does not match the receiving office's requirement, or a name or date differs from the passport.

แหล่งอ้างอิงทางการ · Authoritative Sources

  1. Department of Business Development (DBD) · US Commercial Service Bangkok — Primary licensing authority
  2. Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999) — Foreign equity restrictions (List 1/2/3)
  3. BOI Investment Promotion Act + Announcement 2/2566 — Tax holiday + one-stop service
  4. Revenue Department — Royal Decree 674/2561 (IBC) — IBC tiered CIT 8/5/3%
Other entity types
🏛️ BOI-Promoted Company🏭 IEAT Industrial Estate Company🏢 Representative Office🏬 Branch Office🌐 International Business Center (IBC)📜 Foreign Business License (FBL)🏝️ Offshore Holding (BVI / Singapore SPV)
Related corporate verticals & tax-work profiles
boi foreign expertltr wealthy global citizentax resident foreign income remitltr wpthailand elitesmart visa