Thailand Company Registration — DBD / BOI / IEAT

Complete Guide to Thai Business Entity Registration with MoJ-Certified Translation

Covers Co., Ltd., PCL, partnerships, FBL, US Treaty of Amity, BOI, IEAT, IHQ, branches, rep offices, associations, and foundations — compare capital, foreign ownership rights, and tax obligations.

13+ entity typesAligned with DBD / BOI / IEATSubmission-ready translation

Private Limited Company

Private Limited Company (Co., Ltd.)

Co., Ltd.

Most common Thai business entity — minimum 2 shareholders, limited liability.

No statutory minimum (THB 2M+ recommended for foreign employee / work permit)

Public Limited Company

Public Limited Company (PCL)

PCL

For companies preparing for IPO on SET/mai under the Public Limited Companies Act B.E. 2535.

Set by AoA; subscribed capital fully paid before registration

Partnerships

Registered Ordinary Partnership

ROP

All partners jointly and severally liable — separate legal personality after DBD registration.

No statutory minimum

Limited Partnership

Two classes: limited-liability partners (capital only) and unlimited managing partners.

No statutory minimum

Foreign-Owned / FBL / Treaty

US Treaty of Amity Company

Amity

US-majority-owned Thai company exempt from most Foreign Business Act restrictions.

Standard Co., Ltd. rules apply (2M+ recommended)

Foreign Business License (FBL)

FBL

Required to operate restricted businesses (List 2 & 3 of FBA) without BOI or treaty.

≥ 3M THB per business activity (or 25% of average 3-year expenses)

BOI / IEAT / IHQ

BOI-Promoted Company

BOI

Tax holidays up to 13 years, 100% foreign ownership, land ownership, foreign experts.

≥ 1M THB project capital (varies by activity)

IEAT Free Zone Company

IEAT-FZ

Operate inside IEAT-designated free zones with import duty and VAT exemptions.

Per IEAT zone requirements

International Headquarters (IHQ)

ROH/IHQ

BOI-promoted IHQ regime for regional management, treasury, and IP licensing.

≥ 10M THB paid-up capital

Branch / Rep Office

Branch Office of Foreign Company

Branch

Foreign company operates revenue-generating activities directly in Thailand under FBL.

≥ 3M THB remitted within 3 years

Representative Office

RepOffice

Non-revenue liaison office for market research, sourcing, or QC under FBA List 3.

≥ 3M THB remitted in 3 years (2M in first year)

Non-Profit

Association (Civil Code)

Assoc

Non-profit membership entity registered with the Provincial Office.

None

Foundation

Asset-based non-profit dedicated to a charitable, educational, or religious purpose.

≥ 200,000 THB initial assets (≥ 500,000 THB recommended for tax-exempt status)

Free consultation — choose the right entity — LINE @NAATI · Tel 080-5578887

Thai Company Registration and Corporate Setup

Thai company formation is governed by the Civil and Commercial Code (Book III), the Public Limited Companies Act, and the Foreign Business Act. ILC forms every operating structure: Thai Limited Company, Public Limited Company (Plc), Partnership (Ordinary, Registered, Limited), Branch Office, Representative Office, Regional Office, Amity Treaty US Corporation, BOI-promoted entity, IEAT industrial-estate entity, and Foreign Business Licence (FBL/FBC). Registration is handled by the Department of Business Development (DBD, Ministry of Commerce) with a target 3-working-day timeline for Limited Companies. Foreign shareholders trigger additional filings: BOI application, FBL for restricted List-2 or List-3 activities, or 51% Thai shareholding for unrestricted operations. We deliver a fully-operational company — corporate seal, tax ID, VAT registration, social security registration, e-Filing enrolment — in as little as 10 working days.

End-to-End Process — company registration thailand

The workflow below reflects current 2025–2026 practice with the relevant Thai authority and factors in queue seasonality, translation dependencies, and cross-agency handoffs.

1) Name reservation
Three preferred names submitted to DBD; typical approval within 1 business day.
2) MoA / Articles drafting
Custom Memorandum of Association and Articles reflecting founder intent, board rights, and dividend policy.
3) Statutory meeting
Founders' meeting and initial share subscription documented per CCC Section 1108.
4) Registration at DBD
Filing of registration package with paid-up capital declaration; 3 working days standard.
5) Tax and VAT setup
13-digit Tax ID and VAT registration with Revenue Department (mandatory above THB 1.8M turnover).
6) Banking and operations
Corporate bank account, social security registration and e-Withholding setup.

Documents and Preconditions

The checklist below covers standard files. Complex or corporate matters can add supplementary certificates, board resolutions, or notarised affidavits; ILC brief these during the intake call.

Three preferred company names
Registered office lease agreement
Passport/ID of all shareholders and directors
MoA and Articles of Association drafts
Initial paid-up capital plan
Business scope description (TSIC codes)

Who Uses This Service

Real-world scenarios where clients rely on this service every month, spanning individual, family, and corporate mandates.

Foreign JV entering Thai market

Structured with 49/51 Thai-foreign shareholding plus preferred shares to secure investor control.

BOI-promoted tech startup

100% foreign-owned under Category 5 (Digital) with corporate income tax exemption.

Regional Operating Headquarters

IHQ / ITC structure for Asia-Pacific management centres.

Family holding company

Private company to consolidate family assets and structure succession planning.

Options and Trade-offs

Three delivery paths are usually available. We select the option that balances cost, deadline pressure, and destination-authority preferences.

Option	Pros	Trade-offs
Thai Limited (Thai majority)	Fast, low regulatory friction, universal business scope	Foreign shareholder capped at 49% for restricted activities
BOI-promoted	100% foreign ownership, tax privileges, no ratio	Requires project meeting BOI criteria
FBL	Legal path for restricted List-3 activities	Cabinet approval slow (4–6 months)

In-Depth FAQ

Can foreigners own 100% of a Thai company?

Yes under BOI, IEAT, Amity Treaty (US), or FBL — otherwise capped at 49% for List-2 and List-3 activities.

What is the minimum capital?

THB 2M paid-up per foreign work permit (THB 1M if the foreigner is married to a Thai national).

Do I need a Thai director?

Not mandatory for foreign-owned companies; however, a Thai signatory speeds up banking KYC.

How fast can we start operations?

Realistically 10–15 working days for registration + banking + VAT.

Local Expert Insight

Expert perspective: Thai Company Registration and Corporate Setup

“The Thai Company Registration and Corporate Setup files we see most often are ones the applicant filed themselves and got rejected for an outdated template or a passport-name mismatch — that's why we audit every document before touching translation.”

กองบรรณาธิการ ILC

Legal Documentation Editorial Team

Cost ladder

Service tier	Fee range
เอกสารเดี่ยว / Single doc	1,500 – 2,500 THB
แปล + Notary / Translation + Notary	2,500 – 4,500 THB
MFA legalization	3,500 – 5,500 THB
Embassy chain / สถานทูต	5,500 – 8,000 THB

Timeline (Day 1 → Day N)

Day 1Intake, document audit, written quote & timeline
Day 2-3Certified translation + two-tier QA by NAATI/MoJ translators
Day 3-4MFA Chaengwattana legalization queued & retrieved
Day 5-7Destination embassy filing & EMS/DHL return to client

Case snapshot (anonymized)

A corporate client (name withheld) needed Thai Company Registration and Corporate Setup on a tight embassy deadline. ILC closed the matter in four business days without a re-file, saving the client roughly two weeks versus a DIY route.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-20 · Cross-referenced against MFA Consular practice + Lawyers Council of Thailand

A working guide to company-registration-thailand in Thailand

company-registration-thailand has been the daily bread of our Bangkok office since 2004. Each matter is opened as a numbered case file that carries the same audit trail — intake note, translator sign-off, attorney jurat, and MFA/embassy stamps — from the first LINE message through to final courier hand-off. Every company-registration-thailand matter is scoped by a senior specialist on LINE Official @NAATI or by email at ilc@thainotary.co.th before any file moves.

How the workflow runs end-to-end

Every deliverable ships with a scanned colour PDF archive alongside the physical original, so the client can lodge with foreign embassies, DHA ImmiAccount, or destination universities the same day the original is dispatched by DHL, FedEx, EMS, or Kerry.

Who this service is for

Individual applicants typically move from first LINE message to signed jurat in under 72 hours; corporate and cross-border matters are quoted on their own SLA depending on volume, destination, and required chain of legalization.

Coverage, fees, and turnaround

International return is handled by DHL Express, FedEx International Priority, or Thailand Post EMS depending on destination and client preference; each option carries a signed proof-of-delivery scan sent to the client's registered email once the pack is received abroad.

Quality assurance and confidentiality

For matters that go before Thai courts, translations are re-certified under the Ministry of Justice's court-listed translator register so the deliverable is admissible as a documentary exhibit under the Civil Procedure Code without a separate hearing on authenticity.

Start your company-registration-thailand matter today

Reach ILC on LINE Official @NAATI, email ilc@thainotary.co.th, or phone 080-5578887. Office hours are Monday to Sunday, 08:30 to 20:00 Bangkok time. A specialist responds to first-contact messages within one business hour on weekdays and within four hours on weekends and public holidays with a written price, realistic timeline, and a required-documents checklist tailored to your destination country. There is no charge for the initial consultation, and no obligation to proceed after receiving the quote — ILCearns repeat business by delivering the first company-registration-thailand matter cleanly and on time, not by locking clients into open-ended retainers.

Local Expert Insight

Expert perspective: company-registration-thailand

“The company-registration-thailand files we see most often are ones the applicant filed themselves and got rejected for an outdated template or a passport-name mismatch — that's why we audit every document before touching translation.”

กองบรรณาธิการ ILC

Legal Documentation Editorial Team

Cost ladder

Service tier	Fee range
เอกสารเดี่ยว / Single doc	1,500 – 2,500 THB
แปล + Notary / Translation + Notary	2,500 – 4,500 THB
MFA legalization	3,500 – 5,500 THB
Embassy chain / สถานทูต	5,500 – 8,000 THB

Timeline (Day 1 → Day N)

Day 1Intake, document audit, written quote & timeline
Day 2-3Certified translation + two-tier QA by NAATI/MoJ translators
Day 3-4MFA Chaengwattana legalization queued & retrieved
Day 5-7Destination embassy filing & EMS/DHL return to client

Case snapshot (anonymized)

A corporate client (name withheld) needed company-registration-thailand on a tight embassy deadline. ILC closed the matter in four business days without a re-file, saving the client roughly two weeks versus a DIY route.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-20 · Cross-referenced against MFA Consular practice + Lawyers Council of Thailand

Company registration and corporate documents

Explore the site

Go deeper on Corporate and company document certification

Our advisory team has run these certification chains for 15+ years. Two references we keep updated for clients:

Not sure which route applies? Send us the scan — LINE @NAATI · 080-5578887 · ilc@thainotary.co.th

Documents usually required

Freshly issued company affidavit and certificate of registration
Memorandum and articles of association, or the current shareholder list
Board resolution or power of attorney signed by the authorised director
ID or passport copies of the authorised signatories

Common reasons a bundle is rejected

Company affidavits are usually accepted only within a short validity window.
Director names and job titles must match the registered filing exactly.
Spell every name exactly as it appears in the passport, across every document in the same bundle.

Prefer not to handle the chain yourself? Send the scans and we run every step for you, from translation to the final endorsement.

What clients typically use this for

Foreign subsidiary registration
Bank account opening abroad
Tender and contract submissions

An advisor, not only a document processor

Before any work starts, our team assesses how many certification layers your document actually needs, which authorities are involved, and the correct order for the office you will really file with. One step out of order usually means restarting the whole bundle. More than 15 years of cross-border document work means we recognise how each authority rejects files and prevent it up front.

The certification route is matched to the receiving authority before work begins.
Rejection risks are checked, from name spelling to document validity windows.
The filing sequence is planned around the deadline you actually have.

Consult us at LINE @NAATI · 080-5578887 · ilc@thainotary.co.th

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