Is your next big investment going to be in the Thailand hotel business? If you are a foreigner looking to start up a hotel, guest house or hostel, you may do so through a limited company. In case you are a Thai national, the hotel license may be requested for your sole proprietorship, partnership or limited company. A manager must be appointed to oversee the operations of the hotel.
Depending on the size of the hotel’s facilities and provided services, hotel licenses can be divided into the following categories:
The Board of Investment promotes companies operating hotels with at least 100 rooms or with a minimum investment of 500 million THB (excluding cost of land and working capital). Promoted hotels located in one of the special investment promotion provinces are entitled to corporate income tax exemption, exemption on import duties on machineries and raw materials, as well as non-tax incentives. Promoted hotels located in other provinces are eligible for exemption on import duties on raw materials and non-tax incentives.
If you do not fall under the category of BOI promoted businesses, you may also operate a hotel, guesthouse or hostel through a Thai limited company which would require the company to have majority Thai shareholding and a Thai director to sign for the hotel license application. As a US national, you may also own and operate the hotel under the Treaty of Amity without actually purchasing the property since the Treaty does not entitle you to land ownership.
Please let us know what goods you are trading in, so that we can check on the responsible government authorities with whom the additional licenses should be requested.
In the case that the hotel will serve food and/or drinks, it will also have to apply for:
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246 Times Square Building, Unit 11-01
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Khlongtoey, Bangkok 10110 Thailand
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Umpire Legal Co., Ltd.
246 Times Square Building, Unit 11-01
11th Floor, Sukhumvit Road (12-14)
Khlongtoey, Bangkok 10110 Thailand
We are open Monday – Friday
9:00 am – 6:00 pm