Address and Setup for Foreign Companies and Representative Offices
ที่ตั้งสำนักงานสำหรับบริษัทต่างชาติและสำนักงานผู้แทน · § Foreign
Quick answer
Office address and document support for foreign groups establishing a subsidiary, representative office or branch in Thailand, including certified translation and notarisation of parent-company documents.
Timeline: Parent-company documents 1–3 weeks; entity setup 1–2 weeks once documents are complete
Who this is for
- Foreign companies testing the market before full investment
- Groups incorporating a Thai subsidiary for regional clients
- Investors preparing investment-promotion or Foreign Business Licence applications
Documents required
- Parent-company certificate, legalised and translated into Thai
- Power of attorney to the Thailand representative
- Board resolution approving the Thai establishment
- Passports of foreign directors and shareholders
Three ways a foreign company enters Thailand
Foreign groups usually choose between a Thai limited company, a representative office and a branch of the foreign company. Trading rights, licensing and tax exposure differ sharply, and switching later means rebuilding the structure.
A Thai limited company trades and issues tax invoices freely. A representative office may only carry out non-revenue activities such as sourcing, quality inspection and market reporting. A branch may trade but exposes the parent to Thai taxation on that activity.
Parent-company documents pass three stages
- Certify at origin: Notary or registry certification of the corporate documents
- Apostille or Thai embassy legalisation: Apostille for Hague members; embassy legalisation otherwise
- Translate and certify in Thailand: Certified Thai translation and Consular Department certification before DBD filing
Common mistakes and how we avoid them
More questions we are asked
- Can a representative office sell in Thailand?
- No. It is limited to non-revenue activities such as sourcing, quality control and reporting to the parent. Selling requires a company or a branch.
- How long does the whole process take?
- Typically four to eight weeks, mostly driven by how quickly the parent's documents are certified and legalised abroad.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Translating before origin certification
- Fix: Certify, legalise, then translate — in that order
- Choosing a representative office while planning to sell
- Fix: Any revenue activity requires a company or branch
Frequently asked questions
- Can a representative office sell in Thailand?
- No. It is limited to non-revenue activities such as sourcing, quality control and reporting to the parent. Selling requires a company or a branch.
- How long does the whole process take?
- Typically four to eight weeks, mostly driven by how quickly the parent's documents are certified and legalised abroad.
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- Certified translation — every language
Certified translation across civil, academic, corporate, contractual, financial, medical, technical and IP documents — with the Notary → MFA → embassy legalization chain handled end to end.
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- Thai MFA consular legalization
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Official sources
The information on this page follows the official sources below. Always check the latest version before you file.
- กรมการกงสุล — บริการรับรองเอกสาร (นิติกรณ์)— กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ
- สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง — วีซ่า รายงานตัว 90 วัน TM.30— Immigration Bureau
- กรมการปกครอง — ทะเบียนราษฎร ทะเบียนครอบครัว— Department of Provincial Administration
- สภาทนายความในพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์ — ทนายความผู้ทำคำรับรองลายมือชื่อและเอกสาร— Lawyers Council of Thailand
- สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา — ฐานข้อมูลกฎหมายไทย— Office of the Council of State
Related services
Most document work runs across several steps — jump straight to the next one you need.
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