Weekly Recap: Structure Options for Foreign Investors
This week we explored the different business structures available to foreign investors. Here's your complete reference.
Structure Options Summary
Thai Limited Company
- Most common choice
- 49% foreign ownership limit (unless BOI/Treaty)
- Full operational capabilities
BOI-Promoted Company
- 100% foreign ownership
- Tax exemptions
- Best for tech and manufacturing
Branch Office
- Extension of foreign parent
- 3M THB capital requirement
- Direct profit flow to parent
Representative Office
- No revenue activities
- Market research focus
- Max 3 foreign staff
Control Mechanisms
- Preference shares allow control while maintaining Thai majority on ordinary shares
- Treaty of Amity gives Americans 100% ownership rights
- Real Thai partners are essential—never use nominees
How to Actually Choose
A summary table only helps if you are honest about your stage. Before circling a structure, write three things down: your citizenship (Americans have options others do not), whether you will sign revenue contracts on day one or only research the market, and how much control you truly need on paper versus how much you are prepared to build through real relationships.
Most investors we work with start narrower than they first imagined—a representative office or a majority-Thai limited company—and upgrade once revenue justifies it. Structure follows strategy, never the reverse, and it is far easier to scale a structure up than to unwind one that launched too ambitious.
Decision Framework
| Your Situation | Best Structure | |----------------|----------------| | Tech startup | BOI-Promoted Company | | US citizen, professional services | Treaty of Amity | | Market testing | Representative Office | | Parent company expansion | Branch Office | | Need Thai partner | Ltd + Preference Shares |
Coming Next Week
We'll preview Tax Planning:
- Thai tax overview
- Corporate vs. personal tax
- The 180-day residency rule
- Planning for tax season
Related Service: Company Registration & Legal Services — Choose the right structure with expert guidance.
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