Foreign Business License (FBL / FBC) 🏢 — 1-year right to work in Thailand (renewable) · companion visa: Issued to the company; pair with BOI WP or General WP for foreigners · government fees WP THB 0 + visa THB 0.
FBL is the only document that lawfully allows ≥50% foreign ownership — petitions must pass the Foreign Business Committee at the Department of Business Development (Ministry of Commerce) — NYC Visa drafts the Cabinet-style memorandum and rehearses board witnesses. Outcomes remain at the sole discretion of the embassy or authority. — This track is governed by Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999) — Lists 1/2/3; the reviewing authority is Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce + Foreign Business Committee.
Core rules: FBL/FBC bypasses 51% Thai ownership rule (Lists 2/3) · minimum paid-up capital THB 3,000,000 · minimum salary none · validity 1 yr · OSSC no.
Core documents: Articles of Association + shareholder list, Business plan (5-yr financial model), Technology transfer plan, Audited financials (parent + Thai), List of Thai personnel + payroll, Office lease + photos — each passes a 3-layer chain (Notary → Apostille/MFA → certified translation) and is bound to Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce + Foreign Business Committee standard.
Core workflow: eligibility review, document preparation, the relevant Non-Immigrant visa, address notification, filing with Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce + Foreign Business Committee, and applicable tax and social-security steps. Authority processing times vary.
Verify FBL/FBC bypasses 51% Thai ownership rule (Lists 2/3) + capital + salary + job-spec fit
Notary → Apostille/MFA → certified translation (3 layers)
Apply at home Thai embassy (Issued to the company; pair with BOI WP or General WP for foreigners)
Address notification within 24 hrs + first 90-day report
Submit WP-3 at Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce + Foreign Business Committee
Timing depends on document completeness and authority review
Tax ID + social security + annual reporting
It falls under Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999) — Lists 1/2/3.
Companies with ≥50% foreign shareholding operating in List 2 / List 3 of the Foreign Business Act 1999 — service businesses, retail/wholesale (capital <สอบถามเจ้าหน้าที่เพื่อรับใบเสนอราคาM), consulting, IT, architecture, etc..
60–120 working days (excluding document prep).
WP THB 0 + visa THB 0 (excludes NYC Visa service fee).
FBL/FBC bypasses 51% Thai ownership rule (Lists 2/3)
THB 3,000,000 per foreign hire
Renewable every 1 years as long as employment continues
Eligibility + document pipeline + filing at OSSC/DOE + 90-day reporting + annual renewals
Foreign Business License (FBL / FBC) 🏢 — 1-year right to work in Thailand (renewable) · companion visa: Issued to the company; pair with BOI WP or General WP for foreigners · government fees WP THB 0 + visa THB 0.
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)
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).
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.
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.
Different employer types use different channels, and each channel pairs with a different visa category.
| Route | When to use | Certifying authority | Approx. duration | Rejection risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard filing with the Department of Employment | The employer is an ordinary Thai company without BOI promotion | Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour | Variable, driven by how complete the employer's file is | Thai-to-foreign staff ratios and registered capital not meeting thresholds is the common refusal ground |
| BOI-promoted company channel | The employer holds a promotion certificate and the position is on the approved list | BOI together with the Immigration Bureau and Department of Employment | Generally faster than the standard route, still variable | A position that differs from the approved list requires an amendment first |
| Conditional or short-term work authorisation | Short assignments or job types covered by specific published rules | Department of Employment under the notification in force | Shorter than a full application | Working 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.
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.
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.
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.
Objectives registered with the Department of Business Development must cover the licensed activity. A mismatch forces an amendment of the affidavit first, typically costing weeks.
Many licences involve a site visit. Filing without signage, floor plans or required sanitation results in a correction order and a new inspection date.
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.
If directors change mid-process, the affidavit and power of attorney must be updated to match, otherwise the application is rejected at intake.
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.
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.
| Option | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance translator | Informal use where no authority certification is required | Many embassies will not accept an uncertified translation. |
| Translation agency with certification | Visa, study and civil registry filings | Confirm the agency also handles the legalization step if the destination requires it. |
| End-to-end provider (translate + legalize) | Files with a fixed appointment deadline | Ask which steps are in-house and which are subcontracted. |