What do we mean by “Representative Office in Thailand wants to earn income”? Many foreign companies first started their operation in Thailand as a representative office. They thought they only wanted to do the business activities that do not involve earning incomes, which are one or more of the below. Later they want to start selling their products/services in the country.

The activities that are allowed to be engaged by a Representative Office:

1) To report the business movements in Thailand to the head office or affiliated company or the group company;

2) To give advice on various aspects pertaining to the goods distributed by the head office or affiliated company or the group company to the distributors or the users;

3) To seek for the supply source of goods or services in Thailand for the head office or affiliated company or the group company;

4) To inspect and control the quality and quantity of the goods that the head office or affiliated company or the group company purchased or hired to manufacture in Thailand;

5) To disseminate the information in relation to the new goods or services of the head office or affiliated company or the group company.

When the head office overseas wants to change its course in Thailand, they need to apply for a foreign business license to operate their income earning activities. Then they need to cancel their representative office status. A representative office cannot be transformed into a branch office. This is because a representative office does not need to obtain a foreign business license. It just needs to notify the Department of Business Development who will issue a document called “Certificate of the Identification Number of the Juristic Person established under foreign laws which operates in Thailand”. However, a branch office of a foreign company, to operate their business in the Kingdom, needs to apply for a foreign business license.

MSNA Group has been helping foreigners set up their branch office, representative office, Thai limited company and BOI promoted company for 25 years. Consult with us for your business needs today.