Invest in Thailand
BOI & Single-Window Facilitation
Find the right starting point for investment advice, project preparation and eligible expatriate services in Thailand. Understand who handles your request, what to prepare and where to reach the official service.
T3's Role
T3 is an independent information platform — not BOI, not TIESC, not a government authority, and not an authorized submission channel. This page compiles publicly available service information and links you to the correct official channel. It cannot confirm eligibility, book an appointment, or guarantee any outcome.
Before You Rely on This Page
Every service, address, contact detail and process step below traces to a named official source with a checked date (see Sources at the bottom). Confirm current hours, fees, appointment rules and any recent notice directly with the responsible authority before travelling or applying.
Which Service Do You Need?
Six distinct services sit behind Thailand's investment and expat-facilitation ecosystem. Each card below routes you to the matching section of this guide and the correct official channel — this is a navigation aid, not an automated eligibility verdict.
Investment Advisory
Initial orientation on whether an activity may be BOI-eligible, and which pathway (BOI-promoted or standard) fits a proposed project.
Who it's for
Prospective investors and founders scoping a Thailand project before committing to an application.
- Summarise the proposed business activity in plain terms.
- Note the intended investment value, location and technology level.
Advisory conversations are orientation, not a binding eligibility decision — only BOI's formal application and evaluation process (see /invest#boi-incentives) determines actual promotion status.
Promotion Application
Filing and tracking a BOI investment-promotion application through BOI's official online system.
Who it's for
Applicants with a defined project ready to submit for BOI evaluation.
- Complete the investment project plan (investment value, technology, workforce).
- Confirm the specific promoted-activity category before filing.
Submission does not guarantee approval — each project is evaluated individually against current criteria (see the 10-step BOI Promotion Process on /invest#boi-incentives).
Business Setup
Registering the underlying Thai company — required whether or not the project is separately pursuing BOI promotion.
Who it's for
Any founder or investor forming a Thai legal entity, BOI-promoted or standard.
- Reserve the company name through DBD Biz Regist.
- Prepare shareholder, director and registered-capital details.
Not every business qualifies for BOI promotion — company registration through DBD applies to BOI-promoted and standard businesses alike (see /invest#how-to-establish-a-business).
Visa & Work-Permit Support
Facilitation for the visa and work-permit steps foreign personnel need — coordinated through TIESC for BOI-linked projects, or through standard Immigration Bureau and Department of Employment channels otherwise.
Who it's for
Foreign executives, specialists and employees who will work in Thailand for a promoted or standard business.
- Identify the correct visa category for the person's actual role (see /invest#visas).
- Confirm whether the employer's project holds BOI promotion, which determines whether BOI/TIESC facilitation applies.
A visa permits entry or stay; it does not itself authorise work. Not every visa category or facilitation route is available to every business — BOI-linked facilitation applies only where the underlying project holds current BOI promotion (see /invest#visas).
Location & Site Coordination
Guidance on industrial estates, the Eastern Economic Corridor, and other designated locations relevant to a project's site decision.
Who it's for
Investors evaluating where in Thailand to locate a facility or operation.
- Identify the target region or province (see /invest#locations).
- Note the activity's utility, land-area and logistics requirements.
Location-based incentives and estate-specific treatment vary by the exact estate, zone and promoted activity — confirm directly with IEAT or EECO before relying on any location-based benefit.
Trade-Document Systems
Thailand's Customs National Single Window (NSW) — the digital platform linking government agencies for import/export declarations, distinct from BOI, TIESC or visa processing.
Who it's for
Importers, exporters and logistics operators handling cross-border trade documentation.
- Classify the goods under the correct HS/AHTN code before filing.
- Confirm which of the 37 linked agencies' approvals apply to the specific goods.
NSW is a trade-document and customs-declaration platform — it is not a visa, work-permit or investment-promotion service, and using it does not require or imply BOI promotion.
Site Selection
Evaluating an Industrial Estate or Site
OSOS coordinates with the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) to arrange site visits — investors send their location requirements and receive a shortlist of potential sites and a site-visit programme. See the Location & Site Coordination tile above, and T3's dedicated OSOS guide for the full process.
Conceptual illustration; not an actual BOI meeting, staff member, approval or premises.
Five Names, Five Different Things
These five names are often used loosely and interchangeably in casual conversation — they are, in fact, five different things. This table is an orientation aid, not an official glossary; confirm current scope directly with each authority.
| Name | What it is | Handles | Not to be confused with |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOI (Board of Investment) | The government agency that grants investment promotion. | Eligibility review, promotion applications, incentive decisions. | Not a visa authority itself — visa/work-permit facilitation for promoted projects runs through TIESC. |
| TIESC | A physical service centre at One Bangkok. | Co-located BOI, Immigration Bureau and Department of Employment counters for in-person matters. | Not itself the decision-maker — each co-located agency still makes its own determination. |
| OSOS / BOI e-Services | BOI's online platform. | Submitting and tracking BOI applications remotely, without an in-person visit. | Not a substitute for TIESC where an in-person visa or work-permit step is required. |
| Visa / Work-Permit Single Window | The coordinated visa and work-permit facilitation pathway for BOI-linked personnel. | Streamlining visa and work-permit steps for foreign staff on BOI-promoted projects. | Only applies where the underlying project holds current BOI promotion — not available to every business by default. |
| Customs National Single Window (NSW) | Thai Customs' trade-document platform. | Import/export declarations and coordination across 37 linked government agencies. | Entirely separate from visa, work-permit or investment-promotion processing — a trade-logistics system, not an investor or expat service. |
Consultation & Facilitation
The Investment Help Desk
One physical centre. Two separate access routes.
TIESC (the physical centre) and OSOS / BOI e-Services (the online platform) are related but distinct — this section keeps them separate, as the brief requires.
- Consultation by email, phone, in person or online
- Interpretation on request
- Site-visit coordination with IEAT where relevant
Thailand Investment and Expat Services Center (TIESC)
A single physical location at One Bangkok combining BOI's investor services, Immigration Bureau and Department of Employment counters under one roof — opened 17 March 2025, replacing the former standalone OSOS office.
Prepare before contacting
- Identify which specific service you need (investment promotion enquiry, visa matter, or work-permit matter) before visiting.
- Bring passport and any BOI promotion certificate, application reference or existing visa/work-permit documents relevant to your matter.
- Confirm current opening days and hours directly with TIESC before travelling — this page does not state hours because T3 could not verify a current, official hours listing at the time of writing.
- If travelling from outside Bangkok, confirm your specific service is handled at TIESC rather than at a separate Immigration or Department of Employment office.
TIESC co-locates BOI, Immigration Bureau and Department of Employment services at one address — it does not confirm that every government body referenced on this page keeps a permanently staffed counter there. Confirm which specific service is available on a given visit directly with TIESC before travelling to the location.
BOI e-Services / OSOS Online
BOI's online services system — used to submit and track investment-promotion applications, and the online front door for OSOS/TIESC-coordinated services, independent of visiting the physical centre in person.
Prepare before contacting
- Create or access a BOI e-Services account before starting a promotion application.
- Have the exact promoted-activity category identified before submitting (see /invest#boi-incentives).
- Keep application reference numbers on hand when following up.
Access to the online system does not itself confirm eligibility for BOI promotion or any other approval — eligibility still depends on the specific promoted activity and project conditions (see the BOI Orientation section on /invest#boi-incentives).
Look Inside OSOS
One Start One Stop Investment Center — 38 Agencies, One Location
A dedicated T3 guide to OSOS: company setup, visas and work permits, site selection and aftercare support, plus the full agency directory and topic index published on OSOS's own website.
Two Routes Into Thailand
Investment Pathways: BOI-Promoted or Standard
BOI promotion is not mandatory for every company.
Every business needs to register as a Thai legal entity. Only some activities are eligible for — or need — BOI promotion. Both routes are shown below with the same sourced steps already published on /invest.
Eligibility and incentives depend on the specific activity and current official conditions. Confirm directly with BOI or the responsible authority.
Pathway 1 — Investing through a BOI-promoted company
BOI does not promote every business. Eligibility depends on the exact promoted activity; conditions may include technology, value addition, process, investment amount, location, environmental requirements or other criteria. Approval is project-specific, incentive treatment is not automatic, and BOI promotion does not eliminate all licensing, tax, labour or regulatory obligations.
Identify which BOI-eligible activity category, if any, matches the proposed business.
Check the activity's current criteria, incentive tier and any location or technology conditions.
Develop the project plan, investment value, technology, and workforce details required for the application.
File the application through BOI's official channels.
Respond to BOI's requests for clarification or presentation of the project.
BOI evaluates and issues its decision on the application.
The applicant formally accepts the terms of the promotion, if granted.
BOI issues the certificate confirming the granted promotion and its conditions.
Finish company registration, capital, and operational steps tied to the promotion.
Meet BOI's ongoing reporting and condition-compliance requirements after promotion begins.
Pathway 2 — Non-BOI (standard) company formation
Available to any business activity that is not restricted under the Foreign Business Act, or that has secured the applicable licence, certificate or exemption where it is. Registering a Thai company
Determine exactly what the business will do before choosing a structure or pathway.
Review whether the activity is restricted under the Foreign Business Act before proceeding. Warning: Nominee shareholding arrangements are not a lawful substitute for foreign-ownership compliance.
Suitability depends on activity, liability, tax, ownership and commercial objectives.
Register through the Department of Business Development's mandatory online system.
Restricted activities require separate approval before a foreign-majority company can operate them.
Register for the taxes that apply to the business and set up compliant accounting.
Licence requirements depend entirely on the activity and location.
Set up compliant employment, payroll and work-permit arrangements.
Establish the operational and financial infrastructure the business needs.
Ongoing filings and renewals keep the business in good standing.
BOI Orientation, Category by Category
BOI does not promote every business. Eligibility depends on the exact promoted activity; conditions may include technology, value addition, process, investment amount, location, environmental requirements or other criteria. Approval is project-specific, incentive treatment is not automatic, and BOI promotion does not eliminate all licensing, tax, labour or regulatory obligations.
An eligibility screening conversation with BOI or TIESC is orientation, not an official decision — only BOI's formal application and Board evaluation determines actual promotion status.
Eligible Activities
BOI promotes specific, listed activities across targeted industries (e.g. digital, EV, advanced manufacturing, BCG) — not every business qualifies, and eligibility is defined activity by activity.
Application and Project Evaluation
Each application is evaluated as an individual project against the current criteria for its specific activity, not approved automatically.
Tax Incentives
Corporate income tax exemption periods vary by activity and merit — recent updates allow up to 8 years for qualifying digital, EV and green-energy projects; other activities may receive shorter periods or none.
Machinery Import-Duty Treatment
Import duty exemption or reduction on qualifying machinery may be granted, depending on the promoted activity and project conditions.
Raw-Material Treatment
Duty treatment on imported raw or essential materials used in production may be granted for export-oriented promoted projects.
Merit-Based Incentives
Additional incentives may be available for projects that meet criteria such as R&D spending, workforce development, or technology transfer.
Location-Based Measures
Projects located in designated investment-promotion zones, including second-tier provinces, may receive extended incentive periods.
Technology and Innovation Measures
Enhanced incentives exist for projects involving advanced technology, automation, or innovation-driven activity.
Foreign Ownership
BOI promotion can facilitate majority or full foreign ownership for many promoted activities, subject to the specific activity's conditions.
Land-Related Rights
Promoted companies may be granted rights to own land for the promoted business, subject to BOI approval and conditions.
Foreign Experts
BOI facilitates the entry of foreign specialists and executives needed for the promoted project.
Visa and Work-Permit Facilitation
BOI-promoted companies can access streamlined visa and work-permit processes through BOI's own service channels and TIESC.
Obligations After Promotion
Promoted companies must meet ongoing reporting, investment, and compliance conditions — promotion is not a one-time approval with no further obligations.
Mobility for Foreign Personnel
Visa & Work-Permit Facilitation
A visa is not a work permit.
BOI-linked facilitation applies only to projects that hold current BOI promotion. Standard businesses use the same Immigration Bureau and Department of Employment channels available to any employer.
Entry rules can change. Confirm eligibility through the official Thai authority before applying or travelling.
Read Before You Rely on This Section
A visa permits entry or stay. It does not automatically grant permission to work. A separate work authorisation or an applicable integrated programme may be required.
Tourist status is not a work-authorisation route. The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) also should not be described as a substitute for company-sponsored employment or a work permit. Applicants must confirm permitted activities directly with the responsible authority.
BOI's official Single Window portal carries a notice referring to a changed digital work-permit procedure effective 9 February 2026 — confirm the current procedure for your category directly rather than following an older walkthrough.
Non-Immigrant B
Business visitors and company-sponsored employees
Business meetings and business activity; also the standard employment pathway
A work permit is normally required before employment begins, even after the visa is granted.
Does not itself authorize work — the Department of Employment work permit is a separate step.
Official page (opens in a new tab)Non-Immigrant IB
Foreign personnel of qualifying BOI-promoted investment projects
Investment and business activity tied to a specific BOI-promoted project
Project and BOI conditions apply; foreign personnel and work authorisation remain subject to the applicable process.
Only relevant where the underlying project holds current BOI promotion.
Official page (opens in a new tab)SMART Visa
Startup founders (SMART-S) and their spouse/dependants (SMART-O), in BOI-targeted industries
Support for certified startups in Thailand's targeted industries
SMART-S holders are exempt from the standard work-permit requirement for the promoted activity; SMART-O spouses may also work without a separate work permit.
As of the February 2025 restructuring, the former Talent, Investor and Executive SMART categories were removed and merged into the LTR Visa — not every founder or digital worker automatically qualifies for SMART-S; targeted-industry and certification criteria apply.
Official page (opens in a new tab)Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa
Wealthy Global Citizens, Wealthy Pensioners, Work-from-Thailand Professionals, and Highly-Skilled Professionals
Long-term residency for four defined target groups, each with its own income, asset, employment, insurance and other eligibility conditions
Includes access to a digital work permit for eligible categories, subject to that category's own conditions.
Eligibility criteria were loosened in January 2025 but remain category-specific — not every investor or remote worker qualifies; current criteria must be checked directly.
Official page (opens in a new tab)
Workplace Integration
Foreign specialists and technical staff working alongside Thai colleagues, once a visa and work permit are already in place. This image represents day-to-day workplace integration — it is not a claim about visa eligibility, which depends on the categories above and each applicant's own circumstances.
Conceptual illustration; not an actual BOI meeting, staff member, approval or premises.
Trade & Logistics — Not a Visa Service
Customs National Single Window (NSW)
A different single window entirely.
Thai Customs' National Single Window links government agencies for import/export declarations and permit data exchange. It has nothing to do with BOI promotion, visas or work permits — a business importing machinery or materials should treat it as a separate trade-document system.
- Not the visa portal
- Import/export declarations
- 37 linked government agencies
After You Are Set Up: Aftercare
Investment facilitation does not stop once a project is registered and operating. Two distinct, separately-run channels can help with ongoing matters — neither is a substitute for the other, and neither has a published service-level deadline or a named account manager that T3 can confirm.
OSOS — Ongoing Topics
OSOS's own "Setting Up Business" index is not only for new arrivals — it also lists ongoing operational topics such as recruiting and labour issues, paying taxes, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency, available to investors at any stage. See T3's OSOS topic index for the full list and official links.
Investor Club Association (IC)
The Investor Club Association is a private, membership-based body — distinct from BOI and OSOS — that provides ongoing services to BOI-promoted companies, including RMTS and eMT Online (raw material and machinery tracking) and its own visa/work-permit counter service. Confirm current membership terms and services directly with IC before relying on any of them.
Visit ic.or.th (opens in a new tab)Conceptual illustration; not an actual BOI meeting, staff member, approval or premises. T3 has not confirmed a specific reporting deadline, service turnaround time or assigned account manager for either channel — check current terms directly with OSOS or IC.
Prepare Your Consultation
This is a T3 preparation checklist — not an official or mandatory application form. Do not use it to submit confidential documents; use the official channel for that.
Ready to Talk to the Official Desk?
A short, well-prepared agenda gets more out of a consultation than a long one without focus. Use the checklist below, then reach OSOS/TIESC through the Official Contacts section.
Find the official contactConceptual illustration; not an actual BOI meeting, staff member, approval or premises.
- Your intended activity and products/services.
- Whether you are exploring, establishing, expanding or modifying a project.
- Investor/company background and intended ownership structure.
- Proposed location and indicative project scale.
- Production process, technology or service-delivery model.
- Expected Thai and foreign staffing needs.
- Machinery, raw-material imports and site/utility questions, if relevant.
- A short list of decisions you need help with.
Use official channels only for confidential application documents. A T3 inquiry should never request passports, financial statements or account credentials.
Official Contacts
Contact the official investment consultation desk directly. Hours, holiday closures and appointment rules are not confirmed here — ask the desk to confirm these, along with relevant officers and any language assistance, before you travel.
OSOS / TIESC Investment Consultation Desk
One Bangkok, PARADE Zone, 7th floor, 1877 Rama IV Road, Lumphini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330. OSOS investment consultation is on the 7th floor; visa and work-permit services are on the 6th floor.
Source: BOI OSOS contact listing. Ask the desk to confirm the appointment, relevant officers, required materials and any language assistance before travelling.
Contact the Official Desk vs. Ask T3 About This Guide
Use the official desk above for eligibility questions, applications, appointments and anything requiring a decision. Use T3's AI Concierge only to navigate this guide's content — it cannot submit applications, book appointments, or confirm eligibility on BOI's behalf.
Related Government Bodies
Not every body below keeps a permanently staffed counter at TIESC — confirm which specific service is available on a given visit directly with TIESC before travelling.
Coordinated, Not Combined
TIESC and OSOS coordinate access to BOI, Immigration Bureau, Department of Employment and other agencies at one location — each agency listed below still makes its own decision on its own matter.
Conceptual illustration; not an actual BOI meeting, staff member, approval or premises.
Investment Promotion & Entry Support
Immigration, Employment & Social Security
Frequently Asked Questions
No — treat them as distinct pathways. BOI promotion is an optional incentive status for eligible activities (see Investment Pathways below); registering a Thai company through the Department of Business Development is a separate, always-required step. Use the sourced registration steps on /invest#how-to-establish-a-business for the general company-formation process.
Yes. OSOS/TIESC publishes consultation channels — email, telephone, in person and online — for investors exploring, establishing, expanding or modifying a project. Contact the desk with a clear agenda; see Prepare Your Consultation below for what to bring.
No. "Single window" describes coordinated service delivery or electronic processing at one point of contact — it does not exempt an application from the responsible agency's own eligibility rules and decision.
No. Thailand's Customs National Single Window (NSW) is a trade-document and logistics platform linking government agencies for import/export declarations. It is entirely separate from the BOI-linked visa and work-permit Single Window described in this guide.
No. This page provides information and links to official channels. T3 is not an authorized government representative, submission portal, or visa agent, and cannot submit, track or guarantee any application on your behalf.
BOI does not promote every business. Eligibility depends on the exact promoted activity; conditions may include technology, value addition, process, investment amount, location, environmental requirements or other criteria. Approval is project-specific, incentive treatment is not automatic, and BOI promotion does not eliminate all licensing, tax, labour or regulatory obligations.
Related T3 Chapters
Invest in Thailand
The full investment gateway — market data, sectors, ownership, tax, locations and more.
Manufacturing Thailand
Capability directory, industrial estates and BOI pathways for manufacturers.
Professional Business Services
Legal, accounting, consulting and advisory firms supporting market entry.
Logistics Thailand
Freight, warehousing and trade-facilitation infrastructure.
Trade Services
Import/export procedure, customs and trade-document support.
Business Networks & Associations
Chambers, federations and councils supporting investors in Thailand.
Sources & Verification
Service-level details on this page (TIESC address/contact, OSOS description, Customs NSW overview) were checked 9 September 2026 against the sources below. Every incentive, process-step, visa-category and government-body claim reused from /invest traces to investGateway.ts's existing source register, last checked 22 August 2026. On 11 September 2026, six additional images were added to this page (an alternative hero registered but not displayed, plus site-selection, consultation, agency-coordination, international-talent and aftercare photographs) together with the new Aftercare section above; the accompanying metadata/image-manifest.csvreferenced in that update's brief could not be located anywhere in this project, so this page relies on the brief's own written asset table (role, crop and alt text) rather than that file.
Source: Thailand Board of Investment (OSOS) — Thailand Investment and Expat Services Center Officially Inaugurated (opens in a new tab) · Accessed 2026-09-09
Source: One Bangkok — BOI and One Bangkok Partner to Launch TIESC (opens in a new tab) · Accessed 2026-09-09
Source: Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) — Investment Promotion Guide 2025 (opens in a new tab) · Accessed 2026-08-22
Source: Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) — Eligible Activities (opens in a new tab) · Accessed 2026-08-22
Source: Department of Business Development (DBD) — DBD Biz Regist and company-registration guidance (opens in a new tab) · Accessed 2026-08-22
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) / Thai e-Visa — Non-Immigrant Visa B guidance and e-Visa system (opens in a new tab) · Accessed 2026-08-22
Source: Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) and secondary sources — IEAT overview, zones and free-zone treatment (opens in a new tab) · Accessed 2026-08-22
Source: Thai Customs Department — Thailand National Single Window overview (opens in a new tab) · Accessed 2026-09-09
Source: Thai Customs Department — Customs and trade-facilitation services (opens in a new tab) · Accessed 2026-08-22
Source: Investor Club Association (IC) — official site (opens in a new tab) · Accessed 11 September 2026
Photographs on this page are AI-generated conceptual illustrations, not actual BOI offices, employees or successful applicants. Recheck operational instructions (hours, fees, appointment rules) directly with the responsible authority before relying on them.