Company Registration

Branch & Representative Offices

The registration requirements and procedure for a foreign company operating in Thailand through a branch or a representative office, rather than a separate Thai subsidiary.

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Tell us the situation and we will tell you what we think you should do — and what it will cost.

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Foreign companies opening a Thai branch office
Head offices establishing a non-trading representative office
Foreign contractors performing a specific project in Thailand
Groups formalising an existing liaison presence

Branch office establishment, including Foreign Business Licence applications where the activity requires one

Representative office establishment within its permitted-activity scope

Minimum-capital remittance planning and the evidence the schedule requires

Head-office documents — translation, legalisation and the manager’s appointment

Tax, VAT and employer registrations for a branch

Work permits for the foreign manager, coordinated with our immigration practice

Confirm the chosen form and whether the activity needs a licence
Prepare the head-office corporate documents, translated and legalised
File the establishment or licence application
Remit the minimum capital and file the transfer evidence on schedule
Complete the tax and employer registrations the form requires
Coordinate the manager’s work permit and hand over the document set

Documents to prepare

Head-office certificate of incorporation, affidavit and articles, legalised for use in Thailand
Head-office board resolution establishing the Thai office and appointing its manager
Passport and details of the appointed manager
Description of the intended activities in Thailand
Thai office address proof and the premises owner’s consent

Only non-revenue support work for its head office — sourcing and quality inspection of goods, providing product information, and reporting on business conditions in Thailand. It cannot sell, invoice, accept orders or earn income here. If the plan involves revenue, it is not a representative office.

It depends on the activity. A branch of a foreign company doing business restricted under the Foreign Business Act needs a licence before it starts operating; treaty protection or BOI promotion changes the analysis. We confirm the position on the actual activity before anything is filed.

Yes — a branch is the same legal entity as its head office, so Thai liabilities reach the head office. A subsidiary’s liability is separate. Which trade-off is right for you is a structuring question for our Corporate & Business Advisory practice; this page covers how each form is registered once chosen.

A statutory minimum capital must be remitted into Thailand on a set schedule of instalments; the amount depends on the form and on whether the activity needs a licence. We confirm the exact figure and the remittance calendar for your case before filing, because the transfer evidence is checked.

A representative office is normally faster than a licensed branch, because a licence application adds a substantive review. Indicative range for our matters: BRANCH_SETUP_TIMEFRAME. Preparing legalised head-office documents from abroad is usually the longest single step.

Yes, subject to the capital and Thai-employee conditions that work permits attach to the entity. We plan the headcount against those conditions at the establishment stage, together with our immigration practice, rather than discovering the ceiling afterwards.

Lawyers for this matter

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