Business licensing in Thailand.
Many businesses in Thailand need a sector-specific license in addition to company registration — across corporate and foreign-investment approvals, financial services, FDA and healthcare products, food and beverage, hospitality, manufacturing, education, real estate, and more. We help you identify, prepare and file the licenses your activity requires, and coordinate with the relevant authority through to issuance.
What is business licensing in Thailand?
Incorporation and licensing are two separate layers. Registering with the Department of Business Development creates the company; a sector-specific license is what lets that company actually operate in a regulated activity.
A license is a permit issued by the relevant government body — the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Public Health and the Thai FDA, the Tourism Authority, the SEC or Bank of Thailand, the NBTC, or a local municipality, among others. Licenses are applied for once the company exists, and the right combination depends entirely on the activity and where it operates. Some are not available to every ownership structure, which is why a sector review at the outset saves time later.
The licenses most commonly needed, by sector.
The lists below are indicative; some specialist areas are handled together with trusted partners. We'll confirm exactly what your activity requires after a short review.
Corporate & foreign investment
- Foreign Business License
- BOI promotion
- Treaty of Amity certificate
- Representative, branch & regional office set-up
- VAT and import-export registration
- E-commerce business registration
Financial services & FinTech
- Money changer license
- Payment service / e-money license
- Digital asset exchange, broker & dealer licensing
- Crowdfunding platform licensing
- Lending and consumer-finance licensing
- SEC & Bank of Thailand application support
FDA & healthcare products
- Food registration
- Food import license
- Cosmetics & cosmetic import notification
- Medical device & import license
- Dietary supplement registration
- Pharmaceutical / drug import license
Food & beverage
- Food business license
- Food production license
- Alcohol sales license (Type 1 & Type 2)
- Alcohol manufacturing license
- Catering operations
- Cloud-kitchen compliance
Hospitality & tourism
- Hotel license (Hotel Act)
- Tourism business license
- Tour operator license
- Travel agency license
- Short-term-rental advisory
Industrial & manufacturing
- Factory license (รง.4, class 1 / 2 / 3)
- Hazardous substances licensing
- Warehouse license
- TISI product standard certification
- Import / export of controlled goods
HR & employment
- Recruitment / employment agency license
- Payroll & social-security registration
Education
- School license
- International school license
- Language school license
- Training centre license
- Vocational institution license
Real estate & construction
- Construction permit
- Building-modification permit
- Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) support
- Land allocation / housing-estate licensing
Telecommunications & technology
- NBTC licensing
- Broadcasting license
- Internet service provider (ISP) license
- Data-centre approvals
Healthcare & wellness
- Clinic license
- Hospital license
- Spa license
- Massage establishment license
- Traditional Thai medicine licensing
Entertainment & regulated activities
- Entertainment / nightclub venue license
- Event & venue permits
How we work, step by step.
From a first sector review to renewal support — and an honest read on feasibility before any application is prepared.
Sector review
We review your activity and location to map out the licenses your business needs.
Feasibility & eligibility assessment
We confirm which licenses are available for your structure and sector before any application is prepared.
Application preparation & filing
Where a license is feasible, we help prepare the documentation and support filing with the relevant authority.
Liaison with the authority
We follow up with the local municipality, ministry, or department and respond to queries through to a decision.
Renewal support
We provide reminders ahead of expiry and support renewal filings so key dates are easier to stay ahead of.
We can't make the authority's decision for them — but we make sure your application gives them no reason to say no.
What's changed recently (2025–2026).
- Company filings have gone digital. Since 1 July 2025, company and partnership registrations are filed through the DBD's online Biz Regist platform with electronic identity verification, replacing paper submissions.
- Alcohol retail hours relaxed. The long-standing 2 pm–5 pm afternoon sales ban was lifted in December 2025, while a new Alcoholic Beverages Control Act (in force from 8 November 2025) tightened advertising rules and raised penalties.
- Factory licensing eased. The threshold to count as a licensable “factory” has risen to 50 horsepower or 50 workers, and qualifying factory licenses no longer require periodic renewal — many small operations now fall outside the regime entirely.
- Foreign-ownership reform in progress. The Cabinet has approved, in principle, liberalising selected restricted service sectors and streamlining the Foreign Business License — phased through 2026, so the current 49% / FBL rules still apply until each change takes effect.
How Khonsu supports your sector licensing.
Where a license is feasible for your business, we can support the application from preparation through filing and liaison with the relevant authority, and provide renewal reminders so key dates are easier to stay ahead of.
What you get
- A sector review at the outset so likely requirements are clear early
- A realistic, indicative feasibility and eligibility view before you commit
- Application preparation and filing support, where applicable
- Renewal reminders and filing support to help you stay ahead of expiry dates
- Inspection coordination where a license requires physical premises checks
Good to know
We help identify, prepare and file the sector licenses your business needs, and coordinate with the relevant authority through to issuance. Some specialist licenses are handled together with trusted partners. The lists above are indicative; we'll confirm exactly what your activity requires after a short review. Final approval always rests with the issuing authority.
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 do I know which licenses I need?
Send us your activity description and location and we'll carry out a sector review to outline the licenses your activity requires.
What happens if a license expires?
Operating on an expired license can expose the business to fines or, for some activities, closure by inspectors. That is why we provide renewal reminders and filing support to help you stay ahead of expiry dates.
Can a foreign-owned company hold sector licenses?
It depends. Eligibility varies with the specific license, sector, and ownership structure, and some sectors are restricted regardless of how the company is owned. We assess this case by case as part of a feasibility and eligibility review.
How long do sector licenses take?
Timelines vary widely and are ultimately set by the issuing authority. After a sector review we can provide an indicative estimate, but we cannot guarantee processing times.
How do you improve the chances of approval?
Approval is the authority's call, but a well-prepared application makes a real difference. We assess feasibility first, prepare correct and complete documentation, and liaise with the authority through to issuance — so the application is as clean and strong as it can be.
Can you help with licenses in any sector?
We assist across a broad range of sectors, and some specialist areas are handled together with trusted partners.
Reviewed by the Khonsu Legal team · 1 July 2026
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