Hello, my Thai girlfriend wanted to start a Sole Proprietorship business in the field of software localization and translation and she was told that this is not possible, and rather a partnership must be formed. Is this true? I thought the only restricted areas are finance and insurance.

According to http://www.bia.co.th/008.html:

A sole proprietorship is a business owned by a sole natural person whose liability is unlimited. A sole proprietor can engage in virtually any business permitted by

law, unless there is a special law to the contrary. For example, a sole proprietor may not engage in finance or insurance </span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">activities</span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-AU">, because these are restricted by law

to limited companies. Generally speaking, there are few restrictions on sole proprietors.

Thank you for answers.

The following activities require commercial registration at the District Office as a sole proprietor:

1. Rice mills, sawmill (with machineries)

2. Retail business

3. Agent or representative

4. Hand craft or industrial products

5. Transportation businesses / real estate business / currency exchange

6. Producing compact discs or films

7. Gems and jewellery

8. Retailing through internet (e-commerce)

9. Computer services for internet usage (internet cafe)

10. Karaoke business

11. Services in providing computer games

12. Juke box renting

13. Factory that provide carving services (e.g. carving of elephant tusks, retail or wholesale product made from elephant tusks

Businesses not mentioned in the list do not require commercial registration. However, it may be that the Commerce Ministry official considers it to fall under the e-commerce banner.