As the number of foreign investors in Thailand continues to grow, the Thai government has established a clear path to help them set up and operate a business in the Kingdom. Foreign investment in Thailand comes with a number of restrictions, which is why the Board of Investment (BOI) was created — to support foreign investors who want to establish and grow their business here.
The Thai BOI is a government agency dedicated to providing information and promoting foreign investment that supports the country’s social and economic growth. The agency does not only support large investments — BOI also supports small and medium-sized businesses across a wide range of promoted activities.
Before starting anything, you should first check whether your business is eligible to obtain BOI promotion: Business activities that BOI can provide privileges for
“Our Corporate Lawyer can advise you on how to obtain BOI privilege peoperly”
Key benefit: up to 100% foreign ownership, corporate income tax exemption up to 8 years, land ownership rights, and work permit/visa privileges
Please be reminded that the BOI Application and the setup of a Company Limited are separate processes handled by separate government units.
The BOI application belongs to the Board of Investment, while the company limited registration belongs to the Department of Business Development.
You have a choice to submit the BOI application first and register the company after approval (we recommend this option, as you can be assured of receiving the privilege before proceeding), or you can set up the company first and then submit the BOI application under the company’s name.
Before you apply for your BOI Privilege, here are some things you need to know:
1.The BOI Thailand Privileges
Board of Investment Thailand promotion includes:
BOI Thailand has launched special privileges for businesses that bring new, high-value technology to Thailand, including:
One of the most common questions we receive is how much a BOI application costs. Here is a realistic cost breakdown:
| Item | Approximate Cost |
| BOI application (government fee) | No fixed government filing fee for the BOI application itself |
| Company Limited registration | Approx. THB 5,000 – 50,000 (depends on registered capital) |
| Legal / professional service fee | THB 180,000 – 250,000 |
Costs vary depending on the promoted category, investment size, and whether additional services such as work permits or visas for foreign staff are required. Contact us for a free, no-obligation quote based on your specific business.
BOI’s formal review period depends on the size of your investment:
In practice, once you factor in document preparation, the board interview, and company registration after approval, the full process from initial application to receiving your BOI promotion certificate typically takes 4 to 6 months.
Before we discuss the details, please review the presentation below:
Here are the step by step registration process for BOI Privilege,
Step 1: Registration of the Investor Account
As of now, the BOI becomes a paperless organization. Any application form should be filled on the online system.
That also included any presentation that needs to be presented to the board.
So, we must register an account for the investor.
Step 2: Prepare Application Form with other presentation
Once we have an account already, we need to apply for the business category and fill in the application form for such activity.
We must also attach others material that needs to be presented to BOI for consideration such as Business Plan, Marketing Plan, Investment Plan, Man Power Plan, Milestone Check Point and more.
If BOI is satisfied with your documents as mentioned above, they will send an email to you for arranged appointment for presentation with the board.
If BOI isn’t satisfied, they will send email to you to adjust any lapses with the Application and/or provide additional presentation.
“If you have no idea on how to prepare the application and other materials, our Professional Corporate Lawyers team is here to assist you to make your BOI application in a hassle-free and smooth way”
Step 3: Presentation to the board
Once the Application and other Presentation is approved by BOI, the Investor must go to BOI for the presentation by themselves.
This process, the Investor cannot assign someone to go on his/her behalf because the board would like to interview the investor in person and they would like to see how serious you are about establishing your business in Thailand.
However, the investor can go with our lawyers and his team as well.
After the interview, the board can reject your project immediately.
But cannot approve immediately, because they need to get approved again from the higher supervisor.
Moreover, they can also advise to adjust the Application and/or provide more material.
Once everything is set and ok, they will provide the time frame for the result.
Step 4: Notification of Approval or Rejection
The BOI will send the notification whether the application is approved or rejected around 30 days after the presentation date via email.
Once the BOI send notification of approval, you must submit the form of acknowledgment of the privilege within 30 days from the date of notification.
Step 5: Thailand Company Registration
When you get a notification of approval, you must set up a company limited with at least 3 individual shareholders (can be more than 3).
And also open the bank account for the company. Please note that one of the directors and shareholder must be the investor who applied for the application of BOI Thailand.
You can see more details on how to set up company limited here: Set Up Company Limited
Step 6: The investor transfer registered capital (money) to the company’s bank account
The investor must transfer money from overseas to the company’s bank account (must be from oversea).
The minimum required transfer is 25 percent of the registered capital. Please highly note that the sender of the money must be the name of the investor and the receiver of money must be the company’s name.
After that, you can get credit advice from the bank.
Step 7: Submit company’s document to BOI
You must scan all incorporation documents with the credit advice and submit to the BOI via online system.
After that, you need to wait for their preparation of BOI Certificate around 7-10 working days.
Step 8: Pick up the BOI Certificate
After the submission of the incorporation documents around 7-10 working days, the BOI will notify you via email that the Certificate is ready.
You can go pick up the certificate.
“The process mentioned above is our advice overview, but it has other details that needs to be carefully prepared on time. Our Professional Corporate Lawyers team is here to assist you to make your BOI application a walk on the park.”
Foreign investors setting up a business in Thailand generally have two main routes: BOI promotion, or a Foreign Business License (FBL) under the Foreign Business Act. The right choice depends on your business activity and goals:
Our corporate lawyers can review your business plan and recommend the most efficient route — BOI, FBL, or a combination — based on your industry and long-term plans.
A BOI promotion can also open the door to long-term visa options for you, your team, and your family. Under the current 2026 rules:
If you are applying for BOI promotion and also plan to relocate key staff or family members to Thailand long-term, ask our team to review your eligibility for LTR or SMART Visa alongside your BOI application.
BOI (the Board of Investment of Thailand) is a Thai government agency that grants tax and non-tax privileges — such as up to 100% foreign ownership, corporate income tax exemptions, and land ownership rights — to businesses in eligible, promoted categories.
There is no fixed government fee for the BOI application itself. You should budget for company registration (approx. THB 5,000–50,000) plus a legal/professional service fee, which varies by project. Contact us for a free quote.
BOI’s formal review takes 40–90 working days depending on investment size. Including company registration and setup, the full process typically takes 4–6 months.
Yes — and we recommend it. Applying for BOI privilege first, then registering the company after approval, ensures you are guaranteed the privilege before you commit to company formation.
BOI promotion is limited to eligible/promoted business categories but offers stronger benefits (100% ownership, tax holidays, land rights). A Foreign Business License covers a broader range of activities but does not include BOI’s tax incentives.
Yes. BOI-promoted or target-industry companies can support applications for the LTR Visa (Highly-Skilled Professional category) for executives and specialists, in addition to standard work permit privileges under BOI.
Siam Attorney provides professional advice, preparation, and guidance throughout your BOI Thailand privilege application — we are dedicated to delivering the best outcome for your business.
If you plan to invest and establish your company in Thailand, it pays to understand the incentives offered by the Board of Investment. BOI Thailand encourages foreign investment in specific activities and zones, with a wide range of privileges available to qualifying businesses.
For more information about BOI privileges, you can also visit the agency’s official website: Board of Investment (BOI).
At Siam Attorney International, we value strong teamwork, efficient working practices, and a consistent approach that allows us to manage cross-border deals effectively. We don’t just help you prepare and submit your BOI application — we make sure the entire process is seamless and hassle-free.
If you are looking for the best outcome for your BOI application, feel free to contact us any time.
BOI Approved Case
As shown in the case photo (kept from the original article),
this is the outcome of a BOI application we submitted on behalf of a client in November 2023.
We conducted the board interview with BOI via Zoom on December 6, 2023,
and received the approval letter from BOI on January 17, 2024 — a great result for our client.
