Company registration and VAT registration in Thailand: cost, timeline and documents

Price and timeline table

These figures are budgeting estimates, not binding quotations. Government fees are separate from the service fee, and the applicable price is confirmed in a written quotation after the documents have been reviewed.

What makes the price differ

How the work actually runs

1. 1. Structure and name

   Decide shareholding, directors, signing authority, objectives and registered capital, then reserve up to three candidate names.

2. 2. Prepare the constitutional documents

   The memorandum of association, articles, shareholder list and director consents are drafted and circulated for signature.

3. 3. File with the DBD

   The registration is filed and the government fee paid; the certificate and affidavit are issued on approval.

4. 4. Tax identification and address documents

   The company obtains its tax identification and assembles the address evidence: lease or consent letter, house registration, owner's ID and photographs of the premises with signage.

5. 5. File the VAT application

   Form Phor Phor 01 is submitted with the address evidence and a description of the business activity.

6. 6. Revenue Department inspection

   Officers verify that the address exists, is identifiable by signage, and is genuinely usable as a place of business. Photographs and a floor plan are usually requested.

7. 7. Certificate issued and compliance begins

   Phor Phor 20 is issued, tax invoices may be issued from that point, and monthly VAT returns become due regardless of activity.

Documents to prepare

• ID cards or passports of every shareholder and director
• House registration or proof of address for Thai individuals involved
• Signed memorandum of association, articles and director consents
• Lease agreement or a letter of consent to use the premises, with the owner's ID and house registration
• Photographs of the building exterior, the signage bearing the company name, and the working space
• A map or location description for the Revenue Department file

Mistakes that make you pay twice

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to register a Thai limited company?

With complete documents and all signatures in hand, the registration stage itself is short — commonly three to seven business days from name reservation to receiving the certificate. What extends the timeline is almost never the registry: it is collecting certified identity documents from shareholders abroad, agreeing the shareholding structure, and waiting for signatures. Preparing those in parallel with the name reservation is the single most effective way to compress the schedule.

What is the government fee for incorporation?

The Department of Business Development charges a registration fee scaled to registered capital, together with smaller fees for the certificate and certified copies. These are paid to the registry, not to the service provider, and should always appear as separate lines from the professional fee. Because the fee tracks capital, the registered capital figure should be set to match the company's real needs and any work permit or licensing plans, rather than being inflated.

Is there a government fee for VAT registration?

No. Filing form Phor Phor 01 carries no government charge. The cost of VAT registration is the professional work of assembling the address evidence, preparing the application, attending or coordinating the inspection, and responding to any follow-up questions. The Phor Phor 20 certificate itself is issued free once the application is approved.

Can a company register for VAT at a virtual office address?

It can, provided the address is a real, identifiable place of business that the company is genuinely entitled to use, with a consent or lease document, visible signage, and usable working space at the site. What fails inspection is a pure mailbox with no premises behind it. A virtual office intended for registration should therefore come with the documentation pack and a physical location that an officer can visit and photograph.

What does the Revenue Department check during the inspection?

Officers confirm that the address exists and matches the application, that the company name is displayed, that there is space consistent with the stated activity, and that someone can explain what the business does. They commonly take photographs and ask for a map. Having the consent letter, the owner's identification, the house registration and a floor plan ready on the day is usually enough to complete the visit in a single appointment.

Must a new company register for VAT immediately?

Not necessarily. Registration is mandatory once taxable turnover exceeds the statutory threshold, but many companies register voluntarily at the start because corporate customers require a valid tax invoice. The trade-off is that monthly filing obligations begin at once, including nil returns. The practical rule is to register when the first customer needs a tax invoice, and to have the accounting arrangement in place before, not after, that date.

What obligations start on the registration date?

From incorporation the company must keep accounting records, appoint a licensed bookkeeper, have its annual financial statements audited, file a corporate income tax return, and submit withholding tax returns for the payments it makes. If it employs staff, social security registration and monthly contributions follow. None of these depend on making a profit, which is why budgeting for year-one compliance matters as much as budgeting for registration.

Can a foreigner own a Thai company outright?

Foreign ownership is restricted in many business categories under the Foreign Business Act, and permitted structures depend on the activity, on whether a foreign business licence or BOI promotion is obtained, and on any applicable treaty. Structures that use nominee Thai shareholders to disguise foreign control are unlawful and create serious risk. The ownership question should therefore be settled before the name reservation, because it determines the whole structure.

How do I change the registered address later?

A change of address requires filing with the Department of Business Development, updating the Revenue Department record — including a new Phor Phor 20 for a VAT-registered company — and, where relevant, notifying the Social Security Office, banks and licensing authorities. Notifying only the registry is the common mistake, because tax invoices bearing an outdated address can be challenged by the recipient's auditor.

How much does closing a company cost compared with keeping it?

Dissolution requires a shareholders' resolution, registration of the dissolution, a liquidation process with audited liquidation accounts, tax clearance and a final deregistration, and it typically takes several months. Because that process is slower and more expensive than most owners expect, the cheaper decision for a genuinely inactive company is usually to keep it compliant at dormant-company cost while deciding, rather than to abandon filings and face accumulated penalties later.

Other cost guides

• Lawyer fees in Thailand
• Accounting firm fees in Thailand
• Notarial certification fees