Operating Cafés, Baking Workshops in Thailand

Written by Umpire Legal on . Posted in BLOG.

What could be better than opening a business related to your passion? As they say, do what you love and you won’t have to work a day in your life. 

Today let’s talk about the love for food. Everybody in one way or another, probably loves food. This applies to foodies, as well as those who consume food as part of their hobbies or art. Either way, it is a necessity. Alongside food, a little cake never hurts, does it?

What if you just wish to be flexible and open a cute little instagrammable café? What if at the comfort of your café, you also conduct occasional baking workshops? You can do this just for fun and it can even earn you extra money.

To do this, you would definitely require a license from the Food and Drugs Administration of Thailand, even if you are operating on a small scale. However, does this mean you also need a baking school license issued by the non-formal education department of the Ministry of Education? What would be the difference if you wish to operate on a larger scale? Can a foreigner own such a business? What steps do they need to undertake?

To apply and obtain a license for a baking school, the law specifies that you need to have seven or more students enrolled. If not, there is no restriction for you as you operate your business. 

If you do have to officially open a bakery school, you will be required to separate the entities: do not mix up the businesses. Further, you will also need a permit from the District Office to carry out the operations. The process takes about 45 working days. In the case of operating at a big scale, you may additionally need to apply for a factory license at the FDA.  

Regulations are always unavoidable no matter where you plan to set up. Aside from these, there are also documents, conditions, and fees. This does not even include contacting and communicating with the government officials. 

However, why worry when you’ve got us handling these processes for you? So, if you do plan to start a business and have questions and doubts, do not hesitate to contact us.