BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand has eased restrictions on foreign businesses, with seven additional service activities now exempt from the requirement to obtain a foreign business license. The new rules were published in the Royal Gazette on August 28, 2026, under the Ministerial Regulation on Businesses Not Requiring Permission for Foreigners to Operate a Business (No. 5), B.E. 2569 (2026). The regulation was signed by Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun on August 18. The changes expand the list of activities that foreign businesses can operate in Thailand without applying for permission under the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999).
The seven newly exempted service activities are:
-Telecommunications services under Type 1 licenses, covering operators without their own telecommunications networks.
-Treasury center services under Thailand’s foreign exchange control regulations.
-Administrative, human resources, and IT services provided between related companies.
-Space rental for financial service equipment and vending machines for the convenience of company employees.
-Domestic debt guarantees between related companies, subject to specified conditions.
-Space rental for electronic financial service equipment and automated machines for company employees.
-Petroleum drilling services provided directly to concessionaires, production-sharing contractors, or service-contract holders under Thailand’s Petroleum Act.
The regulation also updates rules covering securities and derivatives businesses, including securities lending for share purchases, repurchase transactions, and the roles of derivatives dealers, advisers, and fund managers, subject to conditions prescribed by law. The latest changes are part of Thailand’s efforts to streamline regulations for foreign businesses, clarify licensing requirements, and support the country’s economic development and international competitiveness. (PRD)
