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What does the Foreign Business Act restrict?
Answered by the corporate team at NYC Visa & Translation
The Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 groups restricted activities into three lists. List One is closed to foreigners for special reasons, including newspapers, farming and trading in land. List Two concerns national security, arts and culture and needs Cabinet-level approval. List Three covers businesses in which Thai nationals are considered not yet ready to compete and captures most service activities; it requires a Foreign Business Licence from the Director-General of the Department of Business Development with the approval of the Foreign Business Committee. Ask our Thai corporate team to review your structure by phone, LINE or email before you file.
Based on the Civil and Commercial Code, the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542, the Investment Promotion Act B.E. 2520 and related legislation as at August 2026. General information only, not advice on a specific matter — verify with dbd.go.th and boi.go.th before acting.
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Official sources
The information on this page follows the official sources below. Always check the latest version before you file.
- Department of Consular Affairs — document legalisation— Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Immigration Bureau — visas, 90-day reporting, TM.30— Immigration Bureau
- Department of Provincial Administration — civil & family registration— Department of Provincial Administration
- Lawyers Council of Thailand — Notarial Services Attorneys— Lawyers Council of Thailand
- Office of the Council of State — Thai law database— Office of the Council of State
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