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HomeBackBOI Application
How We Help
BOI Application
Lawyers for Expats
What we do for our clients when you instruct Lawyers for Expats Thailand to handle your BOI promotion — eligibility assessment, business plan, application and the compliance obligations that follow approval.
BOI Incentives
What BOI promotion delivers
BOI promotion changes the legal and financial position of a foreign-owned business in Thailand in ways that no other mechanism achieves.
100% Foreign Ownership
BOI-promoted companies are exempt from the Foreign Business Act's 49% foreign ownership cap for the promoted activity.
Corporate Income Tax Exemption
3 to 8 years of full CIT exemption depending on promoted category (A1–A4), with no cap on exempted profit. B1 companies receive a 50% CIT reduction for 5 years.
Fast-Track Work Permits
No 4:1 Thai employee ratio. No ฿2M capital per foreign employee. Work permits processed in 3 business days via BOI One Stop Service Centre.
Land Ownership Rights
BOI-promoted companies may be granted the right to own land for business operations — unavailable to standard foreign-owned companies.
Import Duty Exemptions
Exemption from import duties on machinery (A1–A4) and raw materials used in export production (A1–B1). Significant for manufacturing operations.
Smart Visa Eligibility
Qualifying executives, investors, highly-skilled professionals and startups in BOI-promoted sectors may access the 4-year Smart Visa — no work permit required.
Promotion Categories
The six promotion groups
BOI assigns every promoted activity to one of six groups. The group determines the tax incentive package. All groups receive the non-tax benefits — 100% foreign ownership, land rights, fast-track work permits.
A1
CIT
8-year CIT exemption
Enhancement
Merit-based additional 5-year 50% reduction available
Examples
Advanced technology, R&D, electronic design, bio-economy activities
A2
CIT
8-year CIT exemption
Enhancement
Merit-based incentives available
Examples
High-tech manufacturing, medical devices, digital services
A3
CIT
5-year CIT exemption
Enhancement
Location-based enhancements available
Examples
Manufacturing with value-added process, logistics, some services
A4
CIT
3-year CIT exemption
Enhancement
Standard non-tax incentives
Examples
Light manufacturing, general services meeting investment thresholds
B1
CIT
50% CIT reduction for 5 years
Enhancement
Non-tax incentives only
Examples
Infrastructure support, supporting industries
B2
CIT
No CIT exemption
Enhancement
Import duty exemptions and non-tax incentives only
Examples
Activities where employment or economic benefit warrants support
Merit-based enhancements — R&D investment, Thai supplier development, workforce upskilling — can extend CIT exemptions by up to 5 additional years on top of the base category period. Location-based enhancements apply to promoted activities established in Special Economic Zones and 20 targeted provinces.
How We Help
What happens, step by step
Four steps, one point of contact throughout.
1
We Assess Eligibility Before Anything Else
We check your proposed activity against BOI's current promoted activity list and determine the most favourable promotion category. If the activity does not qualify, we tell you before a business plan is written. If it qualifies under multiple categories, we advise on the one with the strongest incentive package.
2
We Prepare the Business Plan and Application
BOI applications require a detailed business plan covering investment amounts, revenue projections, employment numbers, production or service capacity and the technology or knowledge transfer the activity brings to Thailand. We draft this to BOI's specification — not as a generic document.
3
We Submit and Liaise with BOI
We submit through BOI's Single Window service and handle all correspondence during the 40-working-day review period. If BOI requests supplementary information, we respond. If a board presentation is required, we prepare you for it.
4
We Manage Post-Approval Registration and Compliance
Approval is not the end — it is the start of a compliance calendar. We register the company with BOI within the 6-month window, track machinery import deadlines, confirm investment conditions are met and file annual compliance reports. You are not left to manage this alone.
Q
How long does the BOI application process take?
BOI targets 40 working days from submission for standard applications. In practice, applications with complete documentation and a well-structured business plan are processed faster than those requiring supplementary information requests. Once approved, the company must register with BOI within 6 months and begin operations within 3 years. We track both deadlines and initiate each step before it becomes urgent.
What We Do For Our Clients
The work behind "we handle it"
"We handle your BOI application" covers a significant amount of ground. Here is the actual scope of what our team does on your file.
Sector Eligibility Assessment and Category Selection
BOI promotes activities across eight groups — from A1 (maximum incentives, 8-year CIT exemption) through to B2 (non-tax incentives only). The promoted activity list is updated by BOI periodically and the category assigned to your application determines the incentive package. We assess your activity against the current list, identify the correct group and confirm whether merit-based incentives or location-based enhancements apply.
Q
How do I know if my business qualifies for BOI promotion?
Eligibility depends on the specific activity, not the industry label. BOI uses a published list of promoted activities across eight groups. Many businesses that assume they qualify do not, and some that assume they do not qualify actually do. We assess eligibility against the current promoted activity list before any application is prepared — an assessment that costs nothing relative to a rejected submission.
Business Plan Preparation
The business plan is the core of the BOI application. It must address investment amount, projected revenue, employment creation, technology transfer and how the activity benefits Thailand. BOI scrutinises plans for internal consistency — a plan that claims high investment but low employment in a labour-intensive sector, or high revenue in a market where the company has no established presence, triggers questions. We draft plans that are internally consistent and commercially credible.
BOI Application Submission and Review Liaison
We submit through the BOI Single Window and manage the application through the 40-working-day review. If BOI's investment committee requests a meeting or presentation, we prepare the materials and attend with you. Where BOI requests supplementary information, we respond within the timeline without prompting you to gather documents we already hold.
Q
Do I need to be physically present in Thailand to apply for BOI promotion?
The application itself can be submitted without your physical presence — document preparation and BOI submission are handled by us. Some aspects of post-approval registration, particularly those involving the company's first directors attending in person, do require presence in Thailand. We will tell you precisely when you need to be here and ensure each visit achieves multiple steps.
Post-Approval Conditions Compliance
Every BOI approval letter specifies conditions: machinery import deadlines, investment completion dates, operation commencement timelines and minimum employment numbers. Missing a condition can result in partial or full revocation of the incentive package. We map every condition against a compliance calendar and initiate each step in advance.
Q
What are my obligations after BOI promotion is granted?
BOI promotion comes with conditions: minimum investment must be made within the permitted period, machinery and equipment must be imported within the approved window, operations must commence within 3 years and annual reports must be submitted to BOI confirming ongoing compliance with the promoted activity. Failure to comply can result in revocation of benefits. We track and manage every condition across the promotion period.
Work Permit and Visa Fast-Track
BOI-promoted companies access the BOI One Stop Service Centre for work permits — no 4:1 Thai employee ratio requirement, no ฿2,000,000 paid-up capital per foreign employee and 3-business-day processing. Qualifying executives and specialists may also be eligible for the Smart Visa, which removes the work permit requirement entirely for up to 4 years. We identify and use the most efficient route for each person.
Annual BOI Compliance Reporting
BOI-promoted companies must file annual reports confirming continued compliance with the promoted activity, investment levels and employment numbers. Reports that are inaccurate or late expose the company to audit and benefit review. We prepare and file annual reports on your behalf and advise immediately where any change in business activity risks the promoted status.
Q
Can BOI promotion be revoked once granted?
Yes. BOI can and does revoke or partially withdraw incentives where the promoted company fails to meet its investment conditions, changes the nature of its business activity without BOI approval, fails to file annual reports or is found to have misrepresented its application. We advise clients on what triggers review and manage the annual compliance cycle to avoid any exposure.
Our Commitment To You
What you can hold us to
Honest Eligibility Assessment Before Any Application Is Prepared
Not every business qualifies for BOI promotion, and not every business that qualifies benefits from it — the compliance obligations and the cost of maintaining promoted status are real. We tell you whether your activity qualifies, which incentive category applies and whether the benefits justify the compliance structure. If the answer is no, we tell you that before a business plan is drafted.
Q
How do I know if my business qualifies for BOI promotion?
Eligibility depends on the specific activity, not the industry label. BOI uses a published list of promoted activities across eight groups. Many businesses that assume they qualify do not, and some that assume they do not qualify actually do. We assess eligibility against the current promoted activity list before any application is prepared — an assessment that costs nothing relative to a rejected submission.
Business Plans Written for BOI, Not for Investors
A BOI business plan is not an investor pitch deck. It addresses BOI's specific criteria: technology transfer, employment creation, investment-to-output ratios and the benefit to Thailand's economy. Plans drafted without understanding these criteria produce supplementary information requests, delays and sometimes rejection. We draft for the BOI committee, not for a general audience.
Conditions Tracked Across the Full Promotion Period
BOI promotion runs for 3 to 8 years depending on category. The compliance obligations — machinery imports, investment timelines, operation commencement, annual reports — span the entire period. We maintain the compliance calendar from approval through to the end of the promotion period. You are not expected to track a multi-year obligation schedule without support.
One Contact Throughout
The same lawyer who assesses your eligibility, drafts the business plan, submits the application and attends the BOI review handles the post-approval compliance calendar. You are not handed to a compliance team after the application is approved.
Q
Do I need to be physically present in Thailand to apply for BOI promotion?
The application itself can be submitted without your physical presence — document preparation and BOI submission are handled by us. Some aspects of post-approval registration, particularly those involving the company's first directors attending in person, do require presence in Thailand. We will tell you precisely when you need to be here and ensure each visit achieves multiple steps.
Who You'll Work With
Real people, not a case number
Kanokpich Ukritdutsadee (Lawyer Pook)
Managing Director & Lead Barrister
Leads the legal assessment of BOI eligibility and the preparation of the business plan and application — responsible for the submission and the BOI liaison throughout the review period.
"BOI is one of the most misunderstood processes in Thailand. Companies that qualify are not applying, and companies that should not are submitting incomplete applications. We fix both problems."
Brian Ramsden
General Manager of Foreign Affairs
Your point of contact from first eligibility question through to annual compliance reporting — the bridge between you and the legal team at every stage of the BOI process.
Q
What is the practical difference between a BOI company and a standard Thai company?
A standard Thai company under the Foreign Business Act is capped at 49% foreign ownership for most business types. A BOI-promoted company can be 100% foreign-owned for the promoted activity, is exempt from corporate income tax for 3 to 8 years depending on category, can own land, receives fast-track work permit and visa processing, and has a dedicated BOI officer. These are substantive differences — not administrative ones.
Related Resources
BOI and business in Thailand
BOI promotion is typically used alongside company formation. The ownership structure, capital and activity must be designed around BOI requirements from the start.
BOI Thailand Guide
→Promotion categories, CIT exemptions, eligible sectors, application process and post-approval obligations explained.
Company Formation Lawyers
→Thai company registration, DBD liaison, foreign ownership structures and employer requirements.
Work Permit Lawyers
→Fast-track work permits for BOI-promoted companies — no ratio, no capital threshold.
Business in Thailand
→All business services — company formation, banking, work permits and BOI.
Lawyers for Expats Thailand, 2026. BOI promotion categories and incentive periods are current as of August 2026 and subject to change by the Board of Investment. This page is general information and does not constitute legal advice. Contact us for advice on your specific circumstances.