Types of business in Thailand
Thailand categorises business activities under the Foreign Business Act. List 1 prohibited, List 2 restricted, List 3 restricted with conditions. Your category determines whether foreigners can own shares, perform work, and obtain work permits in the company.
At Thai Visa Centre we coordinate visas and work permits once your corporate advisor confirms the lawful structure. Compare alternatives in our other business forms guide.
Three lists classify how much foreign participation each activity allows.
List 3 activities typically require Thai majority unless BOI or treaty relief applies.
Promoted activities may allow full foreign shareholding with tax and work-permit benefits.
Company structure alone does not grant the right to perform work in Thailand.
FBA lists simplified
Before reserving a company name, confirm where your activity sits on the Foreign Business Act lists. List placement drives shareholder nationality requirements and whether cabinet or BOI approval is needed.
| List | Foreign participation |
|---|---|
| List 1, prohibited | Foreign participation prohibited; land ownership companies, agriculture, some media activities. |
| List 2, restricted | Cabinet approval required; security, arts, traditional crafts, and other sensitive sectors. |
| List 3, restricted with conditions | Typically 49% foreign cap; retail, services, construction, and many everyday business categories. |
Common expat structures
| Structure | When used |
|---|---|
| Thai majority Ltd | Standard operating company with Thai partners or nominee arrangements reviewed by corporate counsel. |
| BOI-promoted Ltd | Manufacturing, tech, and promoted services needing 100% foreign ownership and relaxed work-permit ratios. |
| Treaty of Amity company | US citizens in specific sectors, narrow eligibility, document-heavy path. |
| Representative office | Non-trading liaison presence; market research without local revenue. |
Visa implications by role
| Role | Immigration path |
|---|---|
| Active director or manager | Non-immigrant B visa plus work permit tied to stated employer, role, and location. |
| Passive investor | May hold business visa without work permit if not performing day-to-day work in Thailand. |
| BOI-promoted specialist | Streamlined work-permit channel once BOI approval letter and company registration align. |
Corporate registration vs immigration: DBD registration creates the entity. Department of Employment and immigration handle work authorization. We prepare the visa bundle in parallel with your attorney-led filing.
Planning checklist before you travel or relocate
Confirm your entry category, passport validity, and return plans before booking non-refundable flights or long hotel stays. Immigration officers compare your stated purpose with your visa stamp, prior entry history, and supporting documents at the counter.
Register your address through TM30 when required, complete TDAC before every arrival, and keep copies of lease agreements, insurance policies, and embassy correspondence in one folder. These records matter for extensions, tax filings, and unexpected compliance checks.
If your situation involves work, marriage, retirement funds, or property purchase, book a case review with our Bangkok team early. Small document gaps that seem minor at arrival become expensive fixes at extension season.
Planning checklist before you travel or relocate
Confirm your entry category, passport validity, and return plans before booking non-refundable flights or long hotel stays. Immigration officers compare your stated purpose with your visa stamp, prior entry history, and supporting documents at the counter.
Register your address through TM30 when required, complete TDAC before every arrival, and keep copies of lease agreements, insurance policies, and embassy correspondence in one folder. These records matter for extensions, tax filings, and unexpected compliance checks.
If your situation involves work, marriage, retirement funds, or property purchase, book a case review with our Bangkok team early. Small document gaps that seem minor at arrival become expensive fixes at extension season.
Step-by-step checklist
Follow this sequence to reduce avoidable delays and compliance gaps. Each step maps to what our Bangkok team verifies before clients submit applications or book long stays.
Confirm FBA list for your activity
Map your business objectives to Foreign Business Act List 1, 2, or 3 before choosing shareholders or BOI routes.
Align company structure with visa plan
Directors who perform work in Thailand need Non-Immigrant B visas and work permits matched to registered job descriptions.
Register with DBD and tax authorities
Corporate registration is separate from immigration; complete both tracks in parallel with counsel.
Complete TDAC before every arrival
Submit Thailand Digital Arrival Card within 72 hours on tdac.immigration.go.th; mandatory for all foreign nationals.
Maintain TM30 and reporting records
Address registration and 90-day reporting matter for visa extensions tied to your Thai company role.
Book TVC review before renewal season
Our Bangkok team maps document order, work-permit ratios, and immigration timing weeks before extension appointments.
How TDAC, TM30, and 90-day reporting fit together
Foreigners often confuse three separate obligations. TDAC is completed by the traveller before each arrival. TM30 is filed by the host when you move into an address. The 90-day report is filed by the visa holder who stays in Thailand without leaving for 90 consecutive days. Missing any one can block your next extension.
| Requirement | When | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| TDAC (Digital Arrival Card) | Every entry within 72 hours | tdac.immigration.go.th |
| TM30 address notification | Within 24 hours of moving in | Landlord, hotel, or immigration |
| 90-day report (TM47) | Every 90 days in-country | tm47.immigration.go.th or office |
| Work permit renewal | Before permit expires | Department of Employment |
Full form reference: Thailand immigration forms guide. Lifestyle planning: Thailand lifestyle guide.
Common mistakes foreigners make
Most difficult immigration cases start with avoidable errors. Use this list as a pre-travel and pre-extension control checklist.
- Assuming company registration alone authorises foreign directors to work in Thailand without a work permit.
- Selecting memorandum objectives that do not match actual operations; immigration renewal officers compare invoices and websites.
- Using nominee Thai shareholders without documented control structures reviewed by corporate counsel.
- Skipping TDAC because you completed it on a previous trip; each arrival requires a fresh submission.
- Relying on outdated blog posts instead of DBD, BOI, and immigration.go.th for current rules.
How Thai Visa Centre can help
Our Bangkok team works with retirees, remote workers, spouses, and business owners who need the right visa before they sign leases or transfer pension funds.
Document review
We check passport scans, bank statements, and embassy-specific requirements before you pay application fees.
Work permit coordination
Non-Immigrant B bundles need aligned job descriptions, company documents, and Labour Department timing.
BOI and FBA strategy
We help map whether promotion, treaty, or Thai-majority structures fit your sector before DBD filing.
Bangkok office visits
Chaeng Watthana queues reward prepared applicants. We help clients arrive with complete folders and correct form order.
Visa and entry paths at a glance
Thailand offers multiple legal routes depending on age, income, family ties, and activity type. The table below maps common goals to visa categories. Use it as orientation, then confirm eligibility for your passport on thaievisa.go.th.
| Goal | Visa path | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Active director or manager | Non-Immigrant B + work permit | Employer sponsorship tied to registered company and stated role. |
| Passive investor | Business visa without work permit | Permitted when not performing day-to-day work in Thailand. |
| BOI-promoted specialist | BOI work-permit channel | Streamlined once BOI approval letter and company registration align. |
| Remote work / freelancer | Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) | Separate from company ownership; activity and financial proof required. |
| Premium long stay | Thailand Privilege (Elite) | Paid membership with reduced immigration friction for qualifying investors. |
Long-stay lifestyle planning: Thailand lifestyle guide. Entry requirements: Thailand entry requirements.
Before you commit money or sign a lease
Immigration status should be decided before you ship household goods, enrol children in school, or sign a 12-month lease. Many long-term categories must be applied for at a Thai embassy abroad, or meet strict in-country rules that did not exist when you entered on exemption.
Keep a single folder with passport copies, TDAC confirmations, TM30 receipts, lease agreements, bank statements, and insurance policies. Extension officers at Chaeng Watthana and provincial offices ask for this history in chronological order.
If your situation involves remote work, marriage, retirement funds, or a Thai company, book a case review with our Bangkok team before your next border crossing. Small document gaps at arrival become expensive fixes at extension season.
Extension and long-stay next steps
Short-term entry rules are only the first layer. If you plan to remain in Thailand beyond your initial stamp, build compliance habits early; immigration compares your full history at every extension.
Confirm stamp expiry early
Set a calendar reminder two weeks before your visa or exemption stamp ends.
Maintain TM30 continuity
Every address change needs a fresh TM30. Gaps in address history are a common extension denial trigger.
File 90-day reports on time
Use tm47.immigration.go.th or attend in person before the deadline if your visa requires reporting.
Match activity to visa category
Running a business on the wrong stamp creates immigration and tax exposure; switch category before you start.
Keep financial proof current
Retirement, marriage, and DTV routes expect maintained balances at extension time, not only at first application.
Book TVC review before renewal season
Our Bangkok team maps document order, bank statement timing, and work-permit requirements weeks before your appointment.
Related: Thailand lifestyle, 90-day reporting, and TM30 guide.
Work permit and visa coordination
Company registration alone does not authorise a foreign director to work in Thailand. Active managers typically need a Non-Immigrant B visa and work permit tied to the sponsoring entity. Passive investors may use business visa routes without a work permit only when they perform no work in Thailand. Immigration interprets "work" broadly, including day-to-day management.
BOI-promoted companies often receive streamlined work permit processing, but FBA List 3 activities still require Thai majority shareholding unless another exemption applies. Coordinate corporate structure, shareholding, and visa planning in one timeline with your lawyer and our immigration team.
Next reads: Thailand work permit guide, Business visa Thailand, and BOI Thailand guide.
Frequently asked questions
Q:Can foreigners own a restaurant in Thailand?
A:Restaurants usually fall under List 3, which typically requires a Thai majority shareholder unless BOI promotion or another lawful structure applies. Immigration officers also check that your visa and work permit match the registered business activity.
Q:Does an online business change the rules?
A:Your memorandum objectives must match actual operations. Immigration renewal officers compare website activity, invoices, and work-permit job descriptions; mismatches trigger refusals even when the company is legally registered.
Q:How do franchises work for foreigners?
A:A foreign brand usually pairs with a Thai entity. The franchise agreement sits alongside company registration, FBA compliance, and separate visa planning for any foreign manager working in Thailand.
Q:Where do branch and representative offices fit?
A:Branch offices extend a foreign parent; representative offices cannot generate revenue. Each structure carries different capital, tax, and work-permit rules. See our other business forms guide for side-by-side comparison.
Q:When was this guide last reviewed?
A:June 2026. Immigration rules, embassy practices, and entry requirements change. Verify on official government portals before you travel or apply.
Q:Can Thai Visa Centre review my documents before I submit?
A:Yes. Our Bangkok team checks passport eligibility, supporting documents, and filing order for visa applications, extensions, and entry compliance.