BOI & Foreign Business Setup Lawyer in Laem Chabang — 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 Laem Chabang
- 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 Laem Chabang
Laem Chabang is Thailand's largest deep-sea port, and the legal work here is unlike anywhere else: it turns on goods in motion. Tariff classification and customs valuation being questioned, post-clearance audits reaching back over past years, cargo damaged or lost in transit, disputes with freight forwarders and warehouse operators, and labor cases involving the sub-contractors who staff the port area.
Customs matters are decided by the records and by the first submission, so we start by reviewing the classifications and valuation structure in use to find where they are fragile — before anything is filed. We work directly alongside the client's import-export team.
Courts we appear at in Laem Chabang
- •Chonburi Provincial Court
- •Region 2 Labor Court
- •Central Tax Court (customs and tax matters)
Laem Chabang, Si Racha, Bang Lamung, and the surrounding port and warehouse zone
Past matters in Laem Chabang
- Challenging a duty assessment after a post-clearance audit
- Recovering losses for cargo damaged in ocean transit
- Building import-export records that survive a later audit
Contact our Laem Chabang attorneys
We serve clients across Thailand. Initial consultation.
Further reading — related guide
Everything foreign investors need to know about doing business in Thailand — entity types, BOI, FBA, work permits, taxes, and pitfalls. 4,000+ words from a 39-year Thai law firm.
22 min readFrequently asked questions — BOI and foreign business setup lawyer in Laem Chabang
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