{"id":416,"date":"2026-02-09T04:12:35","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T21:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/foreign-business-act\/"},"modified":"2026-09-17T23:07:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T16:07:14","slug":"foreign-business-act","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/foreign-business-act\/","title":{"rendered":"The Foreign Business Act in Thailand: What Foreigners May and May Not Do"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dispenses de licence : v\u00e9rifier d\u2019abord l\u2019activit\u00e9<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dbd.go.th\/storage\/law\/0e8907d4-636b-4f66-b579-83299381ca7b.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Le texte officiel du r\u00e8glement minist\u00e9riel n\u00b0 5, B.E. 2569<\/a>, publi\u00e9 le <strong>28 ao\u00fbt 2026<\/strong>, ajoute deux services sur titres et six autres cat\u00e9gories de services aux dispenses, et modifie la disposition sur les produits d\u00e9riv\u00e9s. Les huit ajouts concernent les pr\u00eats pour l\u2019achat de titres ; les prises en pension de titres ; certaines t\u00e9l\u00e9communications de type 1 ; les centres de tr\u00e9sorerie ; certains services intragroupe d\u2019administration, de ressources humaines et d\u2019informatique ; certaines garanties intragroupe de dettes nationales ; la location d\u2019espaces pour des distributeurs destin\u00e9s aux salari\u00e9s ; et le forage p\u00e9trolier sous contrat direct r\u00e9pondant aux conditions pr\u00e9vues. La modification relative aux produits d\u00e9riv\u00e9s porte sur une disposition existante. La dispense de licence au titre de la loi sur les activit\u00e9s des \u00e9trangers ne supprime ni les autorisations sectorielles ni les restrictions applicables \u00e0 une autre activit\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pour les services intragroupe d\u2019administration, de ressources humaines et d\u2019informatique, ainsi que les garanties de dettes nationales, v\u00e9rifier les liens exig\u00e9s aux points 3(15) et 3(16). Les crit\u00e8res couvrent une majorit\u00e9 commune d\u2019actionnaires ou d\u2019associ\u00e9s en nombre ; un actionnaire ou associ\u00e9 d\u00e9tenant au moins 25 % dans chaque entit\u00e9 ; une entit\u00e9 d\u00e9tenant au moins 25 % dans l\u2019autre ; ou une majorit\u00e9 commune d\u2019administrateurs habilit\u00e9s \u00e0 engager la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 ou d\u2019associ\u00e9s g\u00e9rants. Une marque commune ou un lien informel ne suffit pas. Les h\u00f4tels, restaurants et entreprises de tourisme ne figurent pas parmi ces huit ajouts. La d\u00e9finition des entreprises \u00e9trang\u00e8res et l\u2019interdiction des pr\u00eate-noms restent applicables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"dek wp-block-paragraph\">Le <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/foreign-business-act\/\">Loi sur les entreprises \u00e9trang\u00e8res<\/a> decides which businesses a foreigner may run in Thailand, and the 2026 registration rules decide whether the company you set up will survive scrutiny. Both changed this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table des mati\u00e8res<\/h2><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-the-act-actually-does\">Ce que fait r\u00e9ellement la loi<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-three-routes-that-make-a-restricted-business-lawful\">Les trois voies qui rendent une entreprise r\u00e9glement\u00e9e l\u00e9gale<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-2026-registration-crackdown-in-the-order-it-happened\">La r\u00e9pression des immatriculations de 2026, dans l'ordre chronologique<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#ministerial-regulation-no-5-2026-eight-service-businesses-no-longer-need-a-licence\">R\u00e8glement minist\u00e9riel n\u00b0 5 (2026) : huit activit\u00e9s de services n\u2019ont plus besoin de licence<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#offences-and-penalties-and-who-actually-gets-charged\">Infractions et sanctions, et qui est r\u00e9ellement inculp\u00e9<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-to-do-about-it\">Que faire \u00e0 ce sujet<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#frequently-asked-questions\">Foire aux questions<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#talk-to-a-thai-lawyer-before-you-file\">Parlez \u00e0 un avocat tha\u00eflandais avant de d\u00e9poser<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Derni\u00e8re r\u00e9vision : 15 septembre 2026.<\/strong> Every section number below was read from the official English translation of the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 prepared for the Department of Business Development. The registration orders were read from the Department of Business Development and Ministry of Commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-the-act-actually-does\">Ce que fait r\u00e9ellement la loi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999) does two things. It defines who counts as a foreigner, and it lists the businesses that a foreigner may not operate without permission. Everything else in the statute follows from those two points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of the trouble foreigners get into in Thailand comes from misreading the first one. The Act does not ask about your passport. It asks about the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-is-a-foreigner-under-section-4\">Who is a &#8220;foreigner&#8221; under section 4<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 4 defines a foreigner as any of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a natural person who is not of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/thai-citizenship\/\">nationalit\u00e9 tha\u00eflandaise<\/a>;<\/li>\n\n<li>a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/juristic-person\/\">personne morale<\/a> not registered in Thailand;<\/li>\n\n<li>a juristic person registered in Thailand where <strong>at least one half<\/strong> of the capital shares are held by the two categories above, or where investment by them is at least equivalent to one half of the total capital;<\/li>\n\n<li>a limited partnership or registered ordinary partnership whose managing partner or manager is a non-Thai natural person;<\/li>\n\n<li>a juristic person registered in Thailand at least one half of whose shares are held by any of the above.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two consequences are worth stating plainly. A Thai-registered company is a foreigner under this Act if half or more of its capital is foreign held, so the familiar 49 percent figure is not a tax rule or a convention, it is the point at which section 4 stops applying to you. And a partnership can be a foreigner purely because of who manages it, regardless of the capital split.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 4 also provides that shares represented by bearer share certificates are deemed held by foreigners unless a Ministerial Regulation says otherwise. If your structure relies on bearer instruments, assume they count against you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-three-lists-under-section-8\">The three Lists, under section 8<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 8 is the operative prohibition, and it distinguishes three categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>List One.<\/strong> Businesses not permissible to foreigners at all, by special reason. There is no licence route. Newspaper and broadcasting businesses, farming of several kinds, land trading and similar activities sit here.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>List Two.<\/strong> Businesses affecting national safety or security, arts, culture, traditions, folk handicrafts, natural resources or the environment. A foreigner may operate these only with permission from the Minister <strong>with the approval of the Cabinet<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>List Three.<\/strong> Businesses in which Thai nationals are &#8220;not yet ready to compete with foreigners&#8221;. This is where most service businesses sit, including a great deal of ordinary consulting, brokerage and retail activity. Permission comes from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/director\/\">Directeur<\/a>-General with the approval of the Commission.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 8 opens with the words &#8220;Subject to section 6, section 7, section 10 and section 12&#8221;, and those cross references are the whole game. They are the lawful ways around the prohibition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-three-routes-that-make-a-restricted-business-lawful\">Les trois voies qui rendent une entreprise r\u00e9glement\u00e9e l\u00e9gale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-a-foreign-business-licence-under-section-17\">1. A Foreign Business Licence, under section 17<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The application goes to the Minister or to the Director-General depending on the List. Section 17 sets the timetable, and it is more generous to the applicant than the practice sometimes feels:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the Cabinet (List Two) or the Director-General (List Three) must complete consideration <strong>within sixty days<\/strong> of filing;<\/li>\n\n<li>for Cabinet consideration, that period may be extended where there is an inevitable cause, but by no more than a further sixty days;<\/li>\n\n<li>once approval or permission is given, the licence must be issued <strong>dans un d\u00e9lai de quinze jours<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 5 sets out what the decision is supposed to weigh: effects on national safety and security, economic and social development, public order and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/good-morals\/\">bonnes m\u0153urs<\/a>, national values in arts and culture, conservation, energy, the environment, consumer protection, the size of the undertaking, employment, technology transfer, and research and development. If you are preparing an application, those are the headings to answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-a-foreign-business-certificate-under-a-treaty-sections-10-and-11\">2. A Foreign Business Certificate under a treaty, sections 10 and 11<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 10 disapplies sections 5, 8, 15, 17 and 18 for foreigners operating under a treaty to which Thailand is a party. Section 11 is the mechanism: you notify the Director-General, and the certificate must be issued <strong>without delay and no later than thirty days<\/strong> from receipt of the written notification. If the notification does not comply, the Director-General must tell you inside the same thirty days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best known example is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/treaty-of-amity-in-thailand\/\">Trait\u00e9 d&#039;amiti\u00e9<\/a> between Thailand and the United States. It is not the only one. Section 10 is drafted for any qualifying treaty, which is why Australians reach the same certificate route under TAFTA. What the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/treaty-of-amity\/\">Trait\u00e9 d&#039;amiti\u00e9<\/a> gives that others do not is the breadth of its national treatment, not exclusive access to section 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-boi-promotion\">3. BOI promotion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A promoted company has its own provision, <strong>section 12<\/strong>, and not the section 11 route above: section 11 is drafted for a foreigner <em>under section 10<\/em>, which is the government-permission and treaty case. Section 12 applies where the business of a foreigner who has received investment promotion, or permission under the Industrial <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/estate\/\">Patrimoine<\/a> Authority law, is <strong>in List Two or List Three<\/strong>. The company notifies the Director-General, who issues the certificate within thirty days, and it is then <strong>exempt from this Act altogether, except sections 21, 22, 39, 40 and 42, for as long as the promotion lasts<\/strong>. That exemption is the substantive difference, and section 11 contains nothing like it. Note what section 12 does not cover: <strong>List One is outside it<\/strong>, so promotion is no route to a List One business. Within the Lists it does reach, this is what permits full foreign ownership in eligible activities. See our guide to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/board-of-investment-in-thailand\/\">Conseil des investissements en Tha\u00eflande<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"minimum-capital-section-14\">Minimum capital, section 14<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 14 sets the floor. The minimum capital a foreigner uses to start a business in Thailand must not be less than the amount prescribed by Ministerial Regulation, and in any case <strong>not less than two million baht<\/strong>. Where the business is one requiring permission under the Lists, the prescribed minimum must be <strong>not less than three million baht<\/strong>. The Ministerial Regulation may also fix the time within which that capital must be brought into Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a carve-out that is regularly missed: section 14 does not apply where the foreigner uses money or property derived as revenue from a business already operating in Thailand to start another business, subscribe for shares, or invest in another undertaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-2026-registration-crackdown-in-the-order-it-happened\">La r\u00e9pression des immatriculations de 2026, dans l'ordre chronologique<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Act itself did not change in 2026. What changed is how hard it is to register a company that has a foreigner anywhere near it. The Department of Business Development issued four orders and two notifications, and most published summaries carry only one or two of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Department&#8217;s own Legal Office summary, dated 16 December 2568, sets out the first package:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Order 2\/2568, in force 1 January 2026.<\/strong> Applies to formation of a partnership or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/company-limited\/\">soci\u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e0 responsabilit\u00e9 limit\u00e9e<\/a> where a foreigner co-invests below 50 percent of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/registered-capital\/\">capital social<\/a>, <strong>and also where no foreigner is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/glossary\/shareholder\/\">actionnaire<\/a> at all but a foreigner is a director with authority to bind the company<\/strong>. Each Thai partner or shareholder must file three months of bank statements showing a withdrawal or transfer matching their capital contribution.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Order 3\/2568.<\/strong> Applies to people connected with predicate offences or mule accounts on the Anti-Money Laundering Office list. Those partners, shareholders or directors must appear <strong>en personne<\/strong> before the registrar before registration is accepted, with unexpired identification.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Order 4\/2568.<\/strong> Applies to the registered head office address where it is shared with entities already registered there. The registrar must check the address against civil registration records every time, and the applicant must produce a consent letter and proof of the right to use the premises.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Order 5\/2568.<\/strong> Applies where a partner, shareholder or director holds a State Welfare Card. That person must appear in person before the registrar, with the same document set.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Two notifications<\/strong> fix who may witness a signature on a registration application, namely licensed auditors, accountants registered with the Federation of Accounting Professions, the head, managing partner or director of a quality accounting office, and licensed security enforcers. Those witnesses must register and verify their identity through the DBD Biz Regist digital system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two further orders followed in 2026:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Order 1\/2569, issued 16 March 2026, in force 1 April 2026, and repealed on 1 August 2026 by Order 2\/2569.<\/strong> It reached amendments that admit a foreigner as a partner, or as a director with signing power. The requirement survives: clause 4 of Order 2\/2569 now requires an <strong>Lettre de confirmation d&#039;investissement<\/strong> on the annexed form in those situations. A false statement to the registrar is an offence under sections 137 and 267 of the Penal Code.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Ordonnance n\u00b0 2\/2569, en vigueur depuis le 1er ao\u00fbt 2026.<\/strong> \u00c0 la constitution, les articles 2 et 3 de l\u2019ordonnance DBD n\u00b0 2\/2569 s\u2019appliquent lorsque les associ\u00e9s ou actionnaires \u00e9trangers d\u00e9tiennent moins de 50 % du capital, ou lorsqu\u2019une soci\u00e9t\u00e9 n\u2019a aucun actionnaire \u00e9tranger mais poss\u00e8de un signataire habilit\u00e9 \u00e9tranger. Le dossier exige la lettre explicative d\u2019investissement, trois mois de relev\u00e9s des comptes de paiement des investisseurs tha\u00eflandais concern\u00e9s et les justificatifs du compte recevant les fonds. Les modifications ult\u00e9rieures vis\u00e9es utilisent un autre formulaire selon l\u2019article 4 ; l\u2019article 5 ajoute des justificatifs pour certaines modifications durant la premi\u00e8re ann\u00e9e. L\u2019article 4 exige une attestation d\u2019investissement pour les modifications vis\u00e9es introduisant une participation \u00e9trang\u00e8re ou un signataire \u00e9tranger parmi des signataires auparavant tous tha\u00eflandais. L\u2019article 5 ajoute une lettre explicative d\u2019investissement et des justificatifs bancaires du capital lib\u00e9r\u00e9 uniquement si l\u2019entit\u00e9 a \u00e9t\u00e9 constitu\u00e9e \u00e0 compter du 1er ao\u00fbt 2026 et si la modification concern\u00e9e est d\u00e9pos\u00e9e dans l\u2019ann\u00e9e suivant sa constitution. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dbd.go.th\/storage\/law\/e402a35e-d320-406c-9347-25bc89b5b741.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lire l\u2019ordonnance et les formulaires<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Read together, the practical position since 1 August 2026 is that a foreigner cannot be quietly added to an existing Thai company later. That was the ordinary workaround, and it is now the transaction the Department is looking hardest at. Our page on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/thailand-nominee-company-crackdown-2026\/\">R\u00e9pression des candidats de 2026<\/a> covers the enforcement side, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/regulatory-reform-for-companies-in-thailand\/\">regulatory reform for companies<\/a> covers the wider reform programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ministerial-regulation-no-5-2026-eight-service-businesses-no-longer-need-a-licence\">R\u00e8glement minist\u00e9riel n\u00b0 5 (2026) : huit activit\u00e9s de services n\u2019ont plus besoin de licence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Le R\u00e8glement minist\u00e9riel fixant les activit\u00e9s de services pour lesquelles les \u00e9trangers n\u2019ont pas besoin d\u2019autorisation (n\u00b0 5) B.E. 2569 est <strong>en vigueur<\/strong>. It was published in the Royal Gazette on 28 August 2026, following the Cabinet&#8217;s approval in principle on 12 May 2026. It takes eight service businesses out of the licence requirement for &quot;other service businesses&quot; in List Three, so a foreigner carrying on one of them no longer needs a Foreign Business Licence or a Foreign Business Certificate for that activity. The eight fall into three groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reg5-group-1-sector-regulated\">Groupe 1 : services r\u00e9glement\u00e9s par secteur (la licence sectorielle reste requise)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Services de t\u00e9l\u00e9communications de type 1<\/strong>, c\u2019est-\u00e0-dire fournis sans r\u00e9seau propre \u00e0 l\u2019op\u00e9rateur. La licence de la NBTC reste obligatoire.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Services de centre de tr\u00e9sorerie<\/strong> exerc\u00e9s selon la r\u00e9glementation des changes de la Banque de Tha\u00eflande.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Securities-purchase lending<\/strong>, subject to the applicable securities-law conditions.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Buying securities under a reverse repurchase agreement<\/strong>, subject to the applicable securities-law conditions. The regulation separately revises the existing derivatives exemption.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reg5-group-2-intra-group\">Groupe 2 : services intra-groupe uniquement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Services de gestion administrative, des ressources humaines et informatique<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Garanties de dettes internes<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ces deux activit\u00e9s ne sont exempt\u00e9es qu\u2019entre personnes morales qui remplissent le crit\u00e8re de lien pr\u00e9vu par le r\u00e8glement, fond\u00e9 sur un actionnariat commun ou des administrateurs communs. Appartenir au m\u00eame groupe au sens commercial large ne suffit pas : v\u00e9rifiez ce crit\u00e8re au regard de votre propre organigramme d\u2019actionnariat avant de vous en pr\u00e9valoir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reg5-group-3-ancillary\">Groupe 3 : services accessoires<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Services de forage p\u00e9trolier<\/strong> under a contract made directly with a petroleum concessionaire, production-sharing contractor or service contractor under petroleum law.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Location d\u2019espaces pour des distributeurs automatiques de billets, des bornes de services financiers ou des distributeurs automatiques<\/strong> au profit du personnel de l\u2019entreprise.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reg5-what-has-not-changed\">Ce qui ne change pas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>La d\u00e9finition de l\u2019\u00e9tranger \u00e0 l\u2019article 4 et le <strong>seuil de 49 pour cent restent inchang\u00e9s<\/strong>. Une soci\u00e9t\u00e9 dont la moiti\u00e9 ou plus du capital est d\u00e9tenue par des \u00e9trangers reste un \u00e9tranger.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Les Listes un, deux et trois sont inchang\u00e9es.<\/strong> Toute autre activit\u00e9 restreinte exige toujours une Foreign Business Licence, un certificat conventionnel ou une promotion BOI.<\/li>\n\n<li>Les licences sectorielles s\u2019appliquent toujours int\u00e9gralement (NBTC, Banque de Tha\u00eflande, SEC, Department of Mineral Fuels).<\/li>\n\n<li>Le <strong>D\u00e9cret royal<\/strong> retirant de la Liste trois le n\u00e9goce de contrats \u00e0 terme agricoles avec livraison physique est <strong>toujours en attente<\/strong>. Il requiert la sanction royale et n\u2019\u00e9tait pas encore publi\u00e9 lors de la derni\u00e8re r\u00e9vision de cette page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reg5-not-covered-dbd-denial\">Non couverts : h\u00f4tels, restaurants, voyagistes et \u00e9coles de langues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apr\u00e8s la publication du r\u00e8glement, des publications en ligne ont affirm\u00e9 qu\u2019il dispensait de licence les h\u00f4tels, restaurants, voyagistes, boutiques de souvenirs, services sportifs et \u00e9coles de langues. Le 14 septembre 2026, le directeur g\u00e9n\u00e9ral du D\u00e9partement du d\u00e9veloppement des entreprises, Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, l\u2019a d\u00e9menti publiquement : ces activit\u00e9s ne figurent <strong>pas du tout dans le r\u00e8glement<\/strong>. Elles restent restreintes exactement comme avant, et les exploiter par l\u2019interm\u00e9diaire d\u2019un pr\u00eate-nom tha\u00eflandais demeure une infraction au titre de l\u2019article 36.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Si votre activit\u00e9 fait partie des huit, v\u00e9rifiez d\u2019abord le crit\u00e8re de lien et la licence sectorielle, puis d\u00e9cidez si une demande de licence en cours reste n\u00e9cessaire. Si elle n\u2019en fait pas partie, rien ne change pour vous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sources : note client de Baker McKenzie (2 septembre 2026) ; The Nation (3 septembre 2026) ; The Thaiger, compte rendu du d\u00e9menti du D\u00e9partement du d\u00e9veloppement des entreprises (14 septembre 2026).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"offences-and-penalties-and-who-actually-gets-charged\">Infractions et sanctions, et qui est r\u00e9ellement inculp\u00e9<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The penalty sections are widely misquoted, including on Thai law websites. These are the four that matter, read from the official translation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr><th>Section<\/th><th>Who commits it<\/th><th>Peine<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Article 34<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>A licensed or certified foreigner who keeps operating after the licence is suspended or revoked, or after the business has been ordered to cease<\/td>\n<td>Up to 3 years imprisonment, or a fine of 100,000 to 1,000,000 baht, or both, plus a further fine of 10,000 baht per day throughout the violation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Article 35<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>A <strong>licensed<\/strong> foreigner who fronts for another foreigner who has no permission, or runs a business co-owned with them while holding it out as their own<\/td>\n<td>Up to 3 years imprisonment, or a fine of 100,000 to 1,000,000 baht, or both, and the court orders the participation or operation to cease. Breach of that order: 10,000 to 50,000 baht per day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Article 36<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>The nominee provision, and it catches <strong>both sides<\/strong>: the Thai national or Thai juristic person who assists, aids and abets, operates jointly while holding it out as their own, or holds shares as a foreigner&#8217;s nominee; <strong>ET<\/strong> the foreigner who allows that to be done<\/td>\n<td>Up to 3 years imprisonment, or a fine of 100,000 to 1,000,000 baht, or both, and the court orders the assistance, joint operation or shareholding to cease. Breach of that order: 10,000 to 50,000 baht per day throughout the violation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Article 37<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>A foreigner who operates a business in violation of section 6, section 7 or section 8, that is, without the licence or certificate required<\/td>\n<td>Up to 3 years imprisonment, or a fine of 100,000 to 1,000,000 baht, or both, and the court orders the operation, undertaking or shareholding to cease. Breach of that order: 10,000 to 50,000 baht per day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Note what section 37 is <strong>pas<\/strong>. It is not the nominee provision. Section 36 is. We have seen section 37 described as the provision that targets foreign principals in nominee arrangements, including in material published by law firms, and it is wrong: section 37 is the general offence of operating in violation of sections 6, 7 or 8. If you are reading advice that gets this backwards, be careful with the rest of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Note also what the court may order. Sections 35, 36 and 37 give the court power to order <strong>cessation<\/strong>, with a daily fine for defying that order. They do not give the court power to dissolve the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"section-41-the-directors-are-personally-liable\">Section 41: the directors are personally liable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the provision that changes how a director should behave, and almost nobody puts it on the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where a juristic person commits an offence under section 34, 35, 36 or 37, section 41 makes <strong>directors, partners and persons with authority to represent the juristic person<\/strong> personally liable if they connived at the offence <strong>or failed to take reasonable action to prevent it<\/strong>. The penalty is the same as the company&#8217;s: up to three years imprisonment, or a fine of 100,000 to 1,000,000 baht, or both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Failed to take reasonable action to prevent it&#8221; is not a high bar for a prosecutor. Put it next to Order 2\/2569, which now requires a named director to sign an Investment Explanation Letter about the very shareholding that would be at issue, and the exposure is obvious. A director who signs that letter without checking where the Thai shareholders&#8217; money actually came from is signing the evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-to-do-about-it\">Que faire \u00e0 ce sujet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check what List your activity is actually in<\/strong> before you assume you need a licence, and before you assume you do not.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Decide the route deliberately<\/strong>: licence, treaty certificate, or BOI. They have different timetables, different decision makers and different ongoing conditions.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Fund the Thai shareholders properly and document it.<\/strong> Since 1 January 2026 the bank statements are part of the file, and since 1 August 2026 so is an explanation letter.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>Look at existing structures too.<\/strong> Order 2\/2569 reaches later changes of shareholders and directors, so a structure that was registered without scrutiny can still meet it on the next amendment.<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>If you are a director, read section 41<\/strong> and satisfy yourself before you sign anything.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"frequently-asked-questions\">Foire aux questions<\/h2>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list\">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1788700000000\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">La loi sur les entreprises \u00e9trang\u00e8res emp\u00eache-t-elle un \u00e9tranger de poss\u00e9der 100 pour cent d'une entreprise tha\u00eflandaise ?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Pas en soi. La loi restreint les activit\u00e9s commerciales des trois listes annex\u00e9es, et non la propri\u00e9t\u00e9 en tant que telle. Un \u00e9tranger peut poss\u00e9der enti\u00e8rement une entreprise lorsque l'activit\u00e9 n'est pas restreinte, ou lorsqu'une licence d'entreprise \u00e9trang\u00e8re, un certificat de trait\u00e9 en vertu des articles 10 et 11, ou une promotion du BOI la couvre. Lorsque l'activit\u00e9 est restreinte et qu'aucun de ces cas ne s'applique, l'article 4 signifie qu'une entreprise dont le capital \u00e9tranger est \u00e9gal ou sup\u00e9rieur \u00e0 50 pour cent est elle-m\u00eame consid\u00e9r\u00e9e comme \u00e9trang\u00e8re et ne peut pas l'exercer l\u00e9galement.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1788700000001\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">L'article 37 est-il la disposition relative aux personnes d\u00e9sign\u00e9es ?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Non, et c'est l'erreur la plus fr\u00e9quente dans les documents en anglais sur la loi. L'article 36 est la disposition relative aux pr\u00eate-noms, et il s'applique \u00e0 la fois au pr\u00eate-nom tha\u00eflandais et \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger qui permet cet arrangement. L'article 37 est l'infraction g\u00e9n\u00e9rale d'un \u00e9tranger exer\u00e7ant ses activit\u00e9s en violation des articles 6, 7 ou 8, ce qui signifie en pratique exercer sans la licence ou le certificat requis.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1788700000002\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Un tribunal tha\u00eflandais peut-il dissoudre ma soci\u00e9t\u00e9 en vertu de la loi sur les entreprises \u00e9trang\u00e8res ?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Sections 34 to 41 do not give the court power to dissolve a company. What sections 35, 36 and 37 give is an order to cease the operation, the joint operation or the shareholding, backed by a fine of 10,000 to 50,000 baht for every day the order is defied. That is severe enough in practice, because the business has to stop.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1788700000003\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">What is the minimum capital for a foreigner under the Act?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Section 14 sets a floor of not less than two million baht generally, and not less than three million baht where the business requires permission under the Lists, with the exact figure fixed by Ministerial Regulation. The floor does not apply where the money comes from revenue of a business the foreigner already operates in Thailand.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1788700000004\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">How long should a Foreign Business Licence take?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Section 17 requires the decision within sixty days of filing, extendable by up to a further sixty days only where the Cabinet faces an inevitable cause, and the licence must then be issued within fifteen days. A treaty certificate under section 11 runs on a shorter clock: the Director-General must issue it without delay and no later than thirty days from the written notification.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1788700000005\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Quelles activit\u00e9s n\u2019ont plus besoin d\u2019une Foreign Business Licence depuis 2026 ?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Eight service businesses, under Ministerial Regulation No. 5 B.E. 2569, published in the Royal Gazette on 28 August 2026 and in force: Type 1 telecoms without an own network, treasury centres, securities-purchase lending, reverse repurchase transactions, intra-group administrative, HR and IT services and domestic guarantees between related companies, petroleum drilling under direct contracts with concessionaires, production-sharing contractors or service contractors, and space for ATMs or vending machines for a company&#8217;s own staff. Hotels, restaurants, tour operators and language schools are not covered, as the Department of Business Development confirmed on 14 September 2026. The 49 percent rule and the Lists are unchanged, and the Royal Decree on agricultural futures is still pending.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1788700000006\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">I already have a Thai company. Do the 2026 orders affect me?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>They can. Order 2\/2569, in force since 1 August 2026, extends the checks beyond formation to changes in shareholder and director structure after registration. Adding a foreign shareholder or a foreign authorised director to an existing company now triggers the Investment Explanation Letter and the bank statement requirements.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"talk-to-a-thai-lawyer-before-you-file\">Parlez \u00e0 un avocat tha\u00eflandais avant de d\u00e9poser<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Serving foreigners in Thailand since 2006, ThaiLawOnline.com advises on Foreign Business Licences, treaty certificates, BOI structures and company formation, and reviews existing structures against the 2026 registration rules. We will tell you plainly whether a structure will hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/contact-thailawonline\/\">Planifiez une consultation<\/a><\/strong>, or read our guides to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/register-a-company-in-thailand\/\">enregistrer une soci\u00e9t\u00e9 en Tha\u00eflande<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/setting-up-a-company-in-thailand-foreigner\/\">setting up a company as a foreigner<\/a> ET <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/company-registration-cost-thailand\/\">frais d'immatriculation d'entreprise<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This article is general information, not legal advice for your situation. It states the law as read on 22 August 2026 from the official translation of the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 and from the Department of Business Development and Ministry of Commerce. Proposals described as approved in principle are not law and may change or lapse.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>La loi sur les entreprises \u00e9trang\u00e8res d\u00e9termine les activit\u00e9s qu'un \u00e9tranger peut exercer en Tha\u00eflande, et les r\u00e8gles d'enregistrement de 2026 d\u00e9terminent si la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 que vous cr\u00e9ez survivra aux contr\u00f4les. Toutes deux ont chang\u00e9 cette ann\u00e9e.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":"foreign business act","rank_math_title":"Foreign Business Act Thailand: The 2026 Rules","rank_math_description":"Foreign Business Act rules, the eight 2026 licence exemptions, sector conditions and nominee restrictions. Check the activity before applying for an FBL.","rank_math_breadcrumb_title":"Foreign Business Act","rank_math_canonical_url":""},"class_list":["post-416","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=416"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7653,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/416\/revisions\/7653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}