Thailand Law Blog
Section 10 of the Foreign Business Act
Foreigners who operate a business in Thailand under a treaty to which Thailand is bound, such as Americans who open a company under the Thai-U.S. Treaty of Amity have their rights to operate business confirmed under Section 10 paragraph two of the Foreign Business Act of 1999 which states as follows: “Foreigners operating businesses specified […]
Withholding Tax for Sale of Property with Co-Owners
According to Thai Revenue Department regulations1, when the immovable property, such as land, with co-owners is sold, then payment of withholding tax when the transaction is registered at the Land Office shall apply as if the co-owners are engaged in an ordinary partnership according to Section 1012 of the Civil and Commercial Code2; in other […]
Operating as a Foreign Business in Thailand: Pros and Cons
When doing business in Thailand, one has the option of operating in a joint-venture with majority Thai ownership or as majority or solely foreign-owned firm. Although Thai law is restrictive of how foreigners are able to operate the business, it nevertheless does allow majority foreign ownership of the business and foreign entrepreneurs to engage in […]
Capitalization for Foreign Business in Thailand
The Foreign Business Act of 1999 restricts and regulations foreign business activity in Thailand in order to protect Thai businesses and one of the ways it does so is through specifying rules regarding the capitalization of foreign businesses in Thailand. Notably, although retail is restricted under (14) of Annex 3 of the Foreign Business Act, […]
Drafting an Employment Contract in Thailand
When drafting an employment contract, it is imperative to retain the services of a trained legal professional, rather than resorting to a template, such as the one found online. An important consideration is that employment contracts are ultimately abstract legal rules and the application of those rules in real-life situations may lead to certain results […]
Can a foreigner own land in Thailand?
Question: I am a foreigner who has retired in Thailand and I have recently married a Thai woman. We are currently considering the purchase of 1 rai of land in Phuket where we build our marital home. I will actually be paying for the full purchase price of the land with my own personal funds, […]
Thai Family Law: How to Parent with Child Custody
After a divorce in Thailand where there is mutual consent, the terms of divorce may be attached to the divorce certificate and has legal force according to Sections 1566(4) and 1520 paragraph 1 of the Civil and Commercial Code. If the couple has children, then the most important term that is agreed to by the […]
Thai Criminal Procedure: Hearsay
As is the case in the criminal procedure laws of other jurisdictions, Thailand prohibits the use of hearsay evidence in criminal trials (Section 226/3 of the Criminal Procedure Code). Hearsay is generally defined as testimonial evidence of a statement not made before the Court which is meant to prove the assertion made in the statement […]
Thai Labor Law: Legality of Non-Competition Contracts
A common feature in employment contracts, typically those of top-level executives, is the non-competition agreement. Such agreement normally requires that should the employment contract terminate, the employee is prohibited from engaging in a competing business for a fixed period of time. Specifically, a typical clause will define a certain period of time following the termination […]
Withdrawal of Shareholder Meeting Resolutions
A basis for withdrawing a resolution passed by a shareholder meeting of a Thai limited company is that the resolution was passed through bad-faith. Section 5 of the Civil and Commercial Code provides that “Every person must, in the exercise of his rights and in the performance of his obligations, act in good faith.” Furthermore, […]
