Last year, the foreign company I work for in Bangkok set up a Thai-registered company and created new work contracts for its Thai staff. This leads me to think that before this date it may have been operating in Thailand illegally since it first started doing business here six years ago.

If there was no Thai company established before last year could the staff (which include Thai nationals) be legally employed by an overseas company while working in Thailand? Is there any way I can check on the registration and ownership of businesses since 1996?

It is legal for a foreign company to hire Thai employees so long as they contract with a firm to do payroll and withholding tax.

There is a registry of businesses in Thailand but the register is in Thai. Sunbelt Asia can do a search for you if you wish to contact us.

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