Thailand has formally removed the foreign business licence requirement for seven specified service activities, under a new ministerial regulation published by the Royal Gazette on 3 September 2026.

The regulation, titled the Ministerial Regulation Prescribing Service Businesses Not Requiring Permission for Foreigners to Operate Businesses (No. 5) B.E. 2569, was signed by Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun. It was issued under the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999).

The Commerce Ministry said the change is intended to update rules, make doing business easier and encourage foreign investment to support economic growth.

The seven exempted activities

The exemptions are limited to defined types of service business rather than a blanket opening of all service sectors to foreign operators.

7 service businesses that foreigners do not need permission to operate

1. Telecommunications services (Type 1 licence): Only service for operators that do not own their own telecommunications network. Such services are already liberalised under telecommunications law.

2. Treasury centre services: The management of funds in accordance with laws governing foreign exchange controls.

3. Management services within the same corporate group:Including administrative services, human resources (HR) and information technology (IT) services provided between legal entities that are related under shareholding or director-relationship criteria.

4. Space rental services for automatic machines: Renting part of a premises for the installation of ATMs, financial machines or vending machines for the convenience of company employees.

5. Domestic debt guarantee services: Limited to guarantees of debts between related legal entities within the same corporate group, subject to the conditions prescribed by law.

6. Petroleum drilling services: Limited to contractors that have entered directly into contracts with concessionaires, production-sharing contractors or service-contract holders under petroleum legislation.

7. Additional financial and derivatives services: Including lending money for securities purchases, securities repurchase agreements, and acting as a dealer, adviser or fund manager for derivatives contracts, as well as transactions based on foreign exchange and interest rates.

What this means for foreign investors

For foreign-owned companies and overseas investors, the measure potentially removes one significant approval step for businesses that fall precisely within the listed categories. In many cases, the change is likely to be most relevant to multinational groups with Thai operations, particularly those providing internal HR, IT, treasury or management support.

However, the exemption does not mean foreigners can automatically operate any business in Thailand without formalities. The scope of each activity is narrowly defined, and other sector-specific licences, company-registration requirements, exchange-control rules and regulatory conditions may still apply.

For expatriates planning to work in a business covered by the new regulation, normal immigration and employment rules also remain separate matters. A business exemption under the Foreign Business Act does not in itself provide a visa or work permission.

A targeted change, not a general opening

The regulation focuses largely on services connected with corporate groups, regulated finance, telecommunications and petroleum operations. It does not state that ordinary foreign-owned retail, hospitality, property, consultancy or other general service businesses are exempt from foreign business licensing requirements.

Foreign investors considering an affected activity should therefore check whether their proposed operation matches the regulation's conditions before relying on the exemption.

Picture courtesy of Royal Gazette

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4 September 2026

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Little by little, inch by reluctant inch ...

8 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Little by little, inch by reluctant inch ...

Yes, and reluctant being the operative word.

30 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Little by little, inch by reluctant inch ...

No you are wrong- surely this massive change will open the floodgates!!

A targeted change, not a general opening

The regulation focuses largely on services connected with corporate groups, regulated finance, telecommunications and petroleum operations. It does not state that ordinary foreign-owned retail, hospitality, property, consultancy or other general service businesses are exempt from foreign business licensing requirements.

I'm sure somebody, somewhere is thrilled with this massive regulation breakthrough.

Any idea if this will help open the way for Starlink?

These categories are relatively meaningless for the vast majority of foreigners who do business here in Thailand. The crackdown on the nominee arrangement is going to scare a lot of very legitimate investors and homeowners, who are law-abiding citizens, bring alot to the table, and simply want a home to live in.

Foreign investments in Thailand will drop, I think there's no question about this. Anutin's extreme xenophobia is really starting to rear its ugly head.

Off topic troll posts removed @riverhigh

Regulations in favor of banks and oil companies.

4 hours ago, sungod said:

Any idea if this will help open the way for Starlink?

No.

Starlink is 100% owned globally by SpaceX, but its local operating branches must obey the ownership laws of individual countries.

Thailand requires local Thai investors to hold a majority stake (at least 51%) in telecom infrastructure, rejecting SpaceX's request for full 100% ownership.

be interested to know whether this includes corporate and executive training, attracting significant budget expenditure. Could be part of the HR component or possibly admin services. Need to see a) fine print and b) how officials will interpret it. Thailand may be an attractive, if gullible, target to some well known transnational corporate consultancy firms (the ones that "borrow your watch to tell you the time, then walk off with your watch")