BOI promotion in Thailand.
Corporate tax holidays, 100% foreign ownership, expedited work permits, land-purchase rights. The Board of Investment promotes activities the Thai government wants to attract — but only if the application is built precisely.
What is a BOI company?
A BOI company is simply a Thai company that holds an investment-promotion certificate from the Board of Investment. The certificate is what unlocks the privileges — it is granted for a specific activity, not for the company in general.
The Board of Investment is the government agency tasked with drawing investment into the sectors Thailand wants to build. Established in 1966, it now operates under the Investment Promotion Act B.E. 2520 (1977), using a published menu of incentives to attract capital, spread industry beyond Bangkok, and develop local skills — with current priorities (2025–2026) on the bio-circular-green (BCG) economy, electric vehicles and batteries, semiconductors and advanced electronics, digital and data-centre infrastructure, and international business-centre activities. A promoted company can take tax incentives, non-tax incentives, or both.
For a foreign-owned business the practical differences are large. Where an ordinary foreign company runs into the Foreign Business Act, a promoted one can usually be held 100% by foreign shareholders. Where an ordinary company must show four Thai employees for every foreign work permit, a promoted one is freed from that ratio and hires its experts on merit. And where foreigners normally cannot own land, a promoted company can own land for its promoted operation. Misconceptions about what is "not possible" in Thailand are common — BOI promotion is often the reason they are wrong.
Tax and non-tax incentives.
Privileges are tiered. Knowledge- and technology-intensive projects sit at the top; lower tiers still unlock the ownership, land, and immigration benefits even where the tax holiday is shorter or absent.
Tax incentives
- Corporate income-tax exemption on profits from the promoted activity, plus exemption on dividends paid out of those profits
- Exemption or reduction of import duties on machinery
- Exemption of import duties on raw and essential materials used to make goods for export
- Double deduction of certain operating costs, such as transportation, electricity, and water supply
- Additional deductions for the cost of installing or constructing the project's infrastructure
The length of the income-tax holiday depends on the activity tier: up to 13 years for top-tier advanced-technology and semiconductor projects (A1+), 8 years for A1 and A2, 5 years for A3, and 3 years for A4. Group B activities receive the non-tax privileges without a tax holiday, and merit-based criteria (for example R&D spending) can extend the period further.
Non-tax incentives
- Permission to bring in foreign skilled workers and experts for the promoted activity
- Permission to own land for the promoted operation, even when foreign-controlled
- Permission to remit money abroad in foreign currency
- Statutory guarantees against nationalisation and against state competition
- Streamlined visas and work permits through the e-Expert system and One Stop Service Centre — urgent approvals in as little as three hours, with no four-Thai-per-foreigner ratio
Criteria for 100% foreign ownership.
One of promotion's most valuable effects is on who may own the company. BOI certification often lifts the usual foreign-ownership ceiling entirely.
- Promotion commonly permits up to 100% foreign ownership — including for many activities otherwise restricted under Lists 2 and 3 of the Foreign Business Act.
- Activities falling within List 1 of the Act remain reserved: Thai nationals must hold at least 51%.
- The Board may still set a foreign-shareholding limit on a particular project where it considers that appropriate.
The eight BOI activity categories.
Each section is broken down into detailed sub-activities, every one with its own conditions, minimum investment, and benefit tier. We confirm the precise sub-category — and the tier it carries — before you commit.
Agriculture & agricultural products
Farming, food processing, biotechnology, and related agro-industry.
Mining, ceramics & basic metals
Mineral exploration and processing, ceramics, and basic metal production.
Light industry
Textiles, garments, leather goods, and other light manufacturing.
Metal products, machinery & transport equipment
Engineering products, machinery, automotive, and transport equipment.
Electronics & electrical appliances
Electronics manufacturing, semiconductors, and electrical appliances.
Chemicals, paper & plastics
Chemicals, petrochemicals, paper, and plastic products.
Services & public utilities
International business centres, logistics, utilities, and qualifying services.
Technology & innovation development
Biotech, nanotech, advanced materials, and digital-technology development.
The full sub-activity lists and their conditions are published by the Board of Investment. Download the official BOI activity guide (PDF, boi.go.th) → — or send us your activity and we will identify the exact sub-category and conditions that apply.
How a BOI application works, step by step.
This is the official path every promoted project follows — and the deadlines that attach to each stage once promotion is granted. We run each step with you and track every deadline.
Feasibility study
The proposed project is pre-screened with the relevant BOI officers to test its viability and flag any changes needed to the plan before a formal application is lodged.
Application & interview
The application forms and supporting project documents are prepared and submitted, then discussed directly with BOI officers, who confirm that every certification requirement is met.
Approval & acceptance
The BOI notifies the applicant in writing within seven working days of the decision, setting out the privileges and conditions granted. The applicant then accepts within 30 days — extendable in 30-day intervals up to three times.
Register the Thai company
The promoted company must be incorporated and its documents — memorandum, registration certificate, shareholder list, evidence of the inward transfer of funds, and so on — submitted within six months of acceptance (extensions of four months, up to three times).
Foreign Business Certificate
With the BOI promotion certificate granted, the company applies to the Department of Business Development for a Foreign Business Certificate, which authorises the promoted foreign-owned company to carry out the activity. It is usually straightforward but remains a required step before operations begin.
Work permits & visas
The company registers in the e-Expert system, opens and gets approval for each foreign position, then files for the visa and work permit through the One Stop Service Centre.
Reporting & compliance
Machinery must be imported within 30 months and construction and installation completed within 36 months. BOI permission is needed to pause operations for more than two months or to sell or transfer duty-exempt machinery.
BOI accounting
On top of standard VAT, withholding-tax and social-fund filing and the half-year and annual audit, a promoted company must meet the accounting requirements specific to its promotion category — monitored by both Revenue Department officials and BOI inspectors.
How we help with your BOI application.
BOI promotion is not a generic 'fast-track' status. It is granted on a per-activity basis, against a published list of categories, each with its own conditions, minimum capital, technology criteria, and ongoing reporting obligations.
The application succeeds when the proposed activity fits a current BOI category cleanly and the supporting business plan documents the technology, value added, and Thai-staff progression credibly. We have seen strong applications fail because the business plan was generic, and weak applications succeed because they were precisely written to the criteria.
Our role is to find the right activity code, build the project document and financial projections, prepare the questions you will be asked at the BOI panel, and stay on after promotion is granted to manage the ongoing reporting obligations — which are non-trivial.
What we do
- BOI activity-fit assessment against the current investment-promotion list
- Project document drafting (technology, business plan, projections)
- Financial projections compliant with BOI templates
- Pre-application meeting coordination with BOI officials
- Application submission and tracking
- Panel presentation preparation and attendance
- BOI promotion certificate processing
- Post-promotion implementation: raw-material stock privileges, import-duty exemptions on machinery, visa privileges
- Ongoing BOI reporting (monthly, semi-annual, annual)
What you get
- Activity-fit assessment before you commit — no application unless we are confident
- Bilingual drafting; Thai-language submissions, English-language internal versions
- Post-grant compliance: the annual performance report (Tor Sor 310), filed once a year — not an ongoing retainer
- Coordinated with company registration and work-permit applications
Speak with our team
Send a message — typical response within one hour during office hours.
WhatsApp +66 95 332 2447 Send an Enquiry Call +66 2 026 0600Frequently asked
How long does BOI promotion take to obtain?
The BOI's decision windows run from the date your application is accepted as complete: 40 working days for projects investing up to THB 200 million, 60 working days for those above THB 200 million, and 90 working days for projects over THB 2 billion. Once approved, you have 30 days to accept the promotion (extendable) and six months to incorporate the company and lodge the supporting documents. We track each of these deadlines for you.
What are the main benefits of BOI promotion?
Corporate income tax holiday (typically 3–8 years depending on activity, and up to around 13 years for top-tier advanced-technology, BCG, and EV activities under the current scheme), 100% foreign ownership, expedited work permits for foreign experts, exemption from import duties on machinery, and the right to own land for promoted projects.
Is there a minimum investment requirement?
Most categories require a minimum investment, typically THB 1 million excluding land and working capital — but this varies significantly by activity. Some technology-focused activities have lower thresholds.
What if BOI promotion is denied?
We do an activity-fit assessment before submission to avoid this. If a panel raises concerns, we can usually address them in revisions. Outright denial is rare when the activity has been mapped correctly.
Reviewed by the Khonsu Legal team · 16 July 2026
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