BOI & Foreign Business Setup Lawyer in Surat Thani — 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 Surat Thani
- 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 Surat Thani
Surat Thani is the largest province in the upper South, combining a mainland oil-palm and rubber base with Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao — tourism and property markets with a large foreign buyer and operator population, substantial enough that Koh Samui has its own provincial court. The caseload splits into two worlds: agriculture and industry on the mainland, and property, visas, and hospitality on the islands.
Island work usually turns on landholding, long leases, and joint ventures with Thai partners — arrangements that are common but that frequently do not survive being tested in court. We establish first how far the existing structure is actually enforceable. The team works in Thai, English, and Chinese, runs the file from our Khon Kaen head office and Bangkok branch, and travels to appear at the Surat Thani and Koh Samui Provincial Courts.
Courts we appear at in Surat Thani
- •Surat Thani Provincial Court
- •Koh Samui Provincial Court
- •Surat Thani Juvenile and Family Court
- •Region 8 Labor Court (Phuket)
Mueang Surat Thani, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Phunphin, Chaiya, Wiang Sa, and the areas continuing into Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Krabi
Contact our Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani
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