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SUWANVARA LAWFIRM
Suwanvara Law Firm Co., Ltd.
SUWANVARA LAWFIRM
SUWANVARA LAWFIRM
Suwanvara Law Firm Co., Ltd.
Mae Hong Son

BOI & Foreign Business Setup Lawyer in Mae Hong Son — 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 Mae Hong Son

  • 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

  1. 1Free structuring consultation — review business model, activities, ownership goals
  2. 2Choose the right vehicle and draft the constitutional documents
  3. 3Reserve name and incorporate at the Department of Business Development
  4. 4Apply for BOI promotion, FBL, or Treaty of Amity registration as applicable
  5. 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 Mae Hong Son

Mae Hong Son has one of the longest borders with Myanmar, is largely mountain and forest, and depends on tourism and highland agriculture. The legal issues that genuinely arise here differ sharply from other provinces: land and cultivation rights inside forest zones, civil status and nationality, migrant labour, and licensing for tourism and accommodation businesses.

Work of this kind requires land law, administrative law, and the working practice of the local authorities to be understood together. We give a straight assessment at the outset of which matters have a route forward and which do not, run the file from our Khon Kaen head office and Bangkok branch, and travel to appear at the Mae Hong Son Provincial Court as scheduled.

Courts we appear at in Mae Hong Son

  • Mae Hong Son Provincial Court
  • Mae Hong Son Juvenile and Family Court
  • Region 5 Labor Court (Chiang Mai)

Mueang Mae Hong Son, Pai, Pang Mapha, Khun Yuam, Mae Sariang, Sop Moei, and the areas continuing into Chiang Mai and Tak

Contact our Mae Hong Son attorneys

We serve clients across Thailand. Initial consultation.

Frequently asked questions — BOI and foreign business setup lawyer in Mae Hong Son

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.