Company Formation in Thailand for Foreign

Company Registration in Thailand for Foreign

According to world bank economy ranking, Thailand is the 2nd largest economy in Southeast Asia. Business here in Thailand is a profitable, lucrative, and enjoyable one if you know how to do it right. Though business in Thailand is profitable, but registering a company could be complicated. Many foreigners want to start a business in Thailand but do not know the complete process of Registration.

However, before you even consider your journey, you need to understand the complete procedure of Registration of a company in Thailand, Thai business law, and regulation. Let’s discuss the Thai Registration of a company and formation process below: -

Types of Company Foreigners Can Start in Thailand

Foreigner can choose from the flowing companies to start a business in Thailand –

  • Limited Liability company.
  • Limited Partnership.
  • Public limited company
  • Representative office, branch office or regional office

Limited Liability Company

The civil and commercial Code governs the limited liability company in Thailand. It requires at least three shareholders and one director to register an LLC. Remember, Thai citizen must hold at least 51% shares of the company. Twenty-five percent of the share must be paid while registering the company.

Limited Partnership

This is a type of company where the liability of one partner is limited while the liability of other partners is unlimited. The Thai limited partnership is similarly like registering a partnership company. The partners of this company can be either foreigner for a Thai local.

Public Limited Company

The Public Company Act governs all the public limited company in Thailand. To register a public limited company, it requires a minimum share capital of USD 622000 and minimum registered capital of USD 9.3 million. Others requirement includes–

  • Minimum 15 shareholders
  •  At least 5 directors.
  • Minimum paid up capital of USD 1
  • Half of the company shareholders must be Thai.

Representative & Branch Office

A representative office in Thailand can be 100% foreign owned. A representative office cannot make any direct sales in Thailand.  However, this business can only engage in–

  • Promoting the business of the parent company.
  • Market research.
  • Control the quality and quantity of food manufactured in Thailand.

Unlike a representative office, a branch office is not limited to non-trading activities. The branch office is allowed to earn income from Thailand. FBA Act governs all the branch office in Thailand. And they need to require a foreign business license to conduct any activities in Thailand.

Registration of a company Steps in Thailand

Company Registration Steps in Thailand

In this section of this article, we will discuss the steps of Registration of a company in Thailand. The steps are:

  1. company name Registration
  2. Filling MoA
  3. Registering a limited company
  4. Registering for vat & tax and payment of Registration of a company fees in Thailand for foreigners that are imposed by the government.

Company Name Registration

Firstly, you need to choose a unique company name. The name should not be identical to any registered pre-existing company. However, the company cannot use any name that has the term “Investment.” The company name must end with “limited.” Though the company name is in English, but it will be converted and registered in the Thai language.

Filling Memorandum of Association

This is an agreement that is made by the founders of the of the company. The MoA must contain the following information.

  • Proposed name of the company.
  • Objectives of the company
  • Number of the shareholders
  • Amount of shares capital proposed for Registration of a company.
  • Total number of shareholders
  • Total number of shares subscribed to each promoter.

Registering the Company

Once the Memorandum of Association is registered, you are eligible to lodge an application to the Ministry of Commerce for Registration of a company. Remember the company must be registered within three months from the date of MoA Registration. These are the following information you must provide in application–

  • Total number of companies shares
  • Total amount of money receipt from the shares
  • Name, NIC, address of directors.
  • Address of the registered office or branches  
  • Mention period for which the company is registered

At this step of Registration of a company, the shareholders of the company may need to disclose the information about the source of investment. The directors of the company need to prepare a statement stating the name of the shareholders and their shared amount. 

Registering for Vat & Tax

Once the company is registered, the company needs to registered for tax and vat with 60 days of incorporation. The corporate tax ID can be obtained from the Thailand Revenue Board. The process of vat and tax Registration can be done online. The table below shows the government fees for Formation of a company –

Item Thai government fees Stamp Duty
Company name Registration Free of charge 10 TBH 
Statutory Meeting Free of charges Nil
Registration of a company 5000-250000 THB for per million baht of capital Maximum 400 THB
Registration for Tax ID Free of charge 10 THB
Filling MoA 50 Bhat for 100000 THB of capital/ 500 THB for 25000 THB Maximum 200 THB
Vat Registration Free of charge s 10 THB

Conclusion

Doing business or Registration of a company in Thailand could be problematic for foreigners because most of the foreign investors don’t know the complete process of Registration of a company Thailand . Therefore, it is recommended to contact with business consulting firm who may assist you in doing all sort of business Registration paper works. In Thailand S & F Consulting firm is one of the leading business consulting firm. Besides Registration of a company service, they also provide services like -accounting, bookkeeping, auditing, business advisory, and many other. 

Frequently Asked Question

How much time it requires to register a company in Thailand?

It takes maximum 30 days to register a company in Thailand.

What type of business is most profitable in Thailand?

Restaurant, real-estate, automobile, health care service and tech product and may other business.

Can foreigner register a 100% foreign owned company in Thailand?

Foreigner who have American citizen ship can register 100% foreigner owned company in all sector.

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