Chiang Rai

BOI & Foreign Business Setup Lawyer in Chiang Rai — Incorporation, FBL, Treaty of Amity, EEC

Setting up a foreign-controlled business in Thailand routes through one of several systems: a Thai limited company with up to 49% foreign ownership (the default under the Foreign Business Act), a BOI-promoted company that can be 100% foreign-owned for promoted activities, a Foreign Business Licence (FBL) for activities outside BOI scope, the US Treaty of Amity (for US persons), or an EEC-zone structure. Each carries different timelines, costs, tax positions, and ongoing reporting. We help foreign investors pick the right path before anyone signs a lease, and we then run the incorporation and post-incorporation compliance.

Scope of BOI and foreign business setup lawyer work in Chiang Rai

Pre-incorporation structuring — match the right vehicle to your industry, ownership, and tax goals
Thai limited company incorporation (with or without foreign minority)
BOI application — eligibility review, business plan, post-promotion compliance
Foreign Business Licence (FBL) application for non-BOI activities
US Treaty of Amity registration for qualifying US-controlled entities
EEC-zone setup for manufacturing and S-curve industries
Post-setup: tax registration, work permits, employment compliance, accounting setup

Process

1Free structuring consultation — review business model, activities, ownership goals
2Choose the right vehicle and draft the constitutional documents
3Reserve name and incorporate at the Department of Business Development
4Apply for BOI promotion, FBL, or Treaty of Amity registration as applicable
5Set up tax registration, VAT, social security, work permits, and bank accounts

Documents to prepare

•Passport(s) of foreign founder(s)
•ID and household registration of any Thai co-founder(s)
•Business plan / activity description (for BOI / FBL applications)
•Proof of registered office address — lease agreement and landlord consent
•Proof of paid-up capital (minimum thresholds vary by structure)

About our team in Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai is Thailand's northernmost province, bordering both Myanmar and Laos. Trade through the Mae Sai, Chiang Saen, and Chiang Khong crossings — the latter on the 4th Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge — shapes the disputes that actually arise here: customs, cross-border sale contracts, debt recovery where the debtor sits in another jurisdiction, and land disputes across highland farming and tourism areas.

Suwanvara Law Firm has run border-trade and customs matters continuously from its Mekong-side base in the Northeast, so the procedures, paperwork, and workable lines of defence in this class of case are familiar ground. We work in Thai, English, and Chinese, run the file from our Khon Kaen head office and Bangkok branch, and travel to appear at the Chiang Rai Provincial Court as scheduled.

Courts we appear at in Chiang Rai

•Chiang Rai Provincial Court
•Thoeng Provincial Court
•Chiang Rai Juvenile and Family Court
•Region 5 Labor Court (Chiang Mai)

Mueang Chiang Rai, Mae Sai, Chiang Saen, Chiang Khong, Mae Chan, Phan, Thoeng, and the areas continuing into Phayao and Chiang Mai

Related services in Chiang Rai

All Chiang Rai attorneys /criminal /civil /labor /family /business /tax

Contact our Chiang Rai attorneys

We serve clients across Thailand. Initial consultation.

Contact WhatsApp +66 92 254 2045

Frequently asked questions — BOI and foreign business setup lawyer in Chiang Rai

3 questions answered

It is the default under the Foreign Business Act for restricted activities — but there are legitimate routes around it: BOI promotion (most BOI-eligible activities can be 100% foreign-owned), Foreign Business Licence, the US Treaty of Amity (for US persons), and unrestricted activities that don't fall under the FBA at all. We will not arrange nominee Thai shareholders — that's an offence — but we will tell you the lawful path that gets you closest to 100% ownership for your activity.

Typical BOI promotion timelines run 40-90 working days from filing, depending on activity category and how much back-and-forth the Board requires on the business plan. After approval, the company is incorporated and registered for BOI privileges (corporate income tax holiday, machinery and raw-material import duty exemptions, land ownership for promoted activities, easier work permits). We brief realistic timelines case-by-case and don't promise faster than the Board actually moves.

Annual reporting to BOI on the use of promoted privileges (machinery imports, raw materials, employment numbers), standard corporate filings (annual general meeting, audited accounts, tax return), and conditions specific to the promotion (e.g., minimum capital, employment thresholds). Missing reporting deadlines can lead to suspension of privileges. We handle the calendar so you don't have to track it.