Factory Licence in Thailand (Ror Ngor 4)
Before you sign a warehouse lease or buy machinery, check whether the operation counts as a factory and whether local zoning allows it. Zoning is the most common reason applications stall.
- Years
- 7
- Languages
- 30+
- Countries
- 94
- Notaries
- 6
For: Manufacturers, processors, assemblers and repair operations using machinery or many workers
Reviewed by NYC legal team · บริษัท เอ็นวายซี วีซ่า แอนด์ ทรานสเลชั่น จำกัด
Which factories need a Ror Ngor 4 licence in Thailand?
Type 3 factories need a Ror Ngor 4 licence before operating. Premises with 50 horsepower of machinery or 50 workers count as factories under the Factory Act as amended in 2019.
- Threshold
- 50 hp or 50 workers
- Agency
- Department of Industrial Works
- Licence term
- No expiry (2019 amendment)
When is it a factory?
Type 1, 2 and 3
- Type 1: may operate once conditions are met
- Type 2: must notify the authority before starting
- Type 3: needs a licence (Ror Ngor 4) before building and operating
Pre-filing checks
- Zoning and land-use rules at the site
- Activity category in the ministerial list
- Building plans, machinery layout and pollution control
- Environmental impact assessment for some activities
- Inside an industrial estate, permits come under IEAT
After approval
How we work
- 1
Classify
Activity, horsepower and headcount
- 2
Site check
Zoning before leasing or building
- 3
Plans and papers
Drawings, machinery layout, company documents
- 4
File and follow up
Department of Industrial Works or provincial office, plus site inspection
Indicative fees
Fees follow ministerial regulations and factory size
Licensed engineers' drawings are quoted separately
Agency rules change. Check the latest notice with the official agency before you file.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners own a factory?+
Many manufacturing activities are not restricted under the Foreign Business Act, but check case by case. BOI promotion may also apply.
Does the licence need renewing?+
Since the 2019 amendment it has no expiry date, but annual fees and conditions still apply.
Can I lease first and apply later?+
Not advisable. Check zoning before signing, as a non-permitted zone cannot be licensed.
📚 Official references
- Factory licensing— Department of Industrial Works
- Industrial estates— IEAT
Step-by-step preparation guide
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Official sources — company registration & BOI
The information on this page follows the official sources below. Always check the latest version before you file.
- Department of Business Development — company registration— Department of Business Development
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- Office of the Council of State — Thai law database— Office of the Council of State
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Frequently asked questions
- What makes a Thai translation 'certified' and who is allowed to certify it?
- A certified translation is a translation issued with a signed certification statement from a translation agency or qualified translator confirming the text is a true and complete rendering of the original. Thailand has no single government translator register for general use, so acceptance depends on the receiving authority: the Department of Consular Affairs accepts translations submitted with the original document for legalization, embassies usually accept agency-certified translations, and some foreign authorities additionally require a sworn or NAATI translator. We confirm the receiving body's rule before translating so the document is not rejected later.
- Do I need the original document or is a scan enough for translation?
- A clear scan is enough to produce the translation, but the original is normally required for the legalization step that follows. The Department of Consular Affairs checks the translation against the original or a certified true copy issued by the responsible Thai authority, so if you plan to legalize, send us a high-resolution scan to start the translation and keep the original ready for submission.
- How should Thai names be spelled in an English translation?
- Always match the spelling printed in the passport, even when it differs from Royal Thai General System transliteration. Authorities compare the translation against the passport and treat any mismatch as a different person, which is one of the most common causes of rejection. If a name has been spelled differently on older documents, we add a spelling-variation note or arrange a name-consistency affidavit.
- How long does a certified translation take and can it be rushed?
- Standard civil documents such as an ID card, house registration, birth or marriage certificate are typically ready in one to two working days, while contracts, court judgments and academic transcripts take longer because of terminology checks. Same-day handling is possible for short standard documents if the scan arrives in the morning; rush handling does not shorten the separate MFA legalization queue.
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