Can the office sell or accept orders for the parent?

Do not use this structure as a substitute for reviewing sales or order-taking permissions. Assess the actual tasks against the permitted scope first.

Does having no revenue make an office a representative office?

Not by itself. Review the intended functions, not merely whether customers or invoices exist yet.

Does overseas invoicing establish non-revenue Thai activity?

Do not infer that from the invoice location. Review the actual operator, service recipient, contracts and activities performed in Thailand.

What is useful for an initial suitability assessment?

Provide the Thai task list, beneficiaries, funding arrangements, parent status records, signatories, representative and proposed premises.

Are accounting and tax checks still necessary?

Yes. Assess applicable duties for the actual status, including expenses, funding, personnel and reporting. Do not assume that every obligation disappears.

How can I obtain the service charges?

Send the information for suitability review and request a written quotation separating filings, translation, certification, accounting and official fees as applicable.

Company registration services

Representative Office in Thailand

Assess non-revenue parent-support functions for a representative office, separately from sales, orders and customer services. Prepare parent records and representative authority.

Discuss scope and quotation LINE @Thainotary

A representative office is a route for assessing defined parent-support functions, not a label that avoids licensing checks for sales or services. Explain who receives the work, who funds it and whether charges arise. If the plan includes customer transactions, review the appropriate structure before relying on representative office status. This guide prepares that discussion without declaring all support work eligible.

Illustration of project information and corporate document preparation — Illustration; not an actual office or client photograph

Information for a scope review

Topic	Starting information	Review question
Parent	Status evidence and signatories	Legal identity and local authority
Thai functions	Tasks, beneficiaries and contracting parties	Permitted non-revenue support scope
Operations	Funding, premises and personnel	Separate tax, accounting and work checks

Match each support function to the permitted scope

Describe each proposed task, such as gathering or communicating information for the parent, then check the current permitted representative-office functions. Calling a service support does not resolve its status. Disclose work for other group companies or outside parties rather than assuming that all related-party work qualifies. JETRO explains that the 2017 reform removed the FBL requirement for qualifying representative offices, while document submission to DBD for a registration number remains. Confirm current status and procedures; this is not a blanket exemption for every activity.

Non-revenue activity is not simply a pre-sales phase

Distinguish functions not undertaken to earn revenue from a sales plan that has not started. Quotes, orders, sales negotiations or commitments and service charges need assessment beyond the representative-office label. Identify payments and contracting parties honestly. Moving invoicing overseas does not establish that every Thai activity qualifies.

Use parent evidence to explain the office purpose

Prepare the foreign entity’s status, business and reasons for a Thai office, together with authorised signatories and representative records. Make the reporting line and beneficiary of the work clear. An existing parent company does not make every local activity permissible.

Document funding and genuine premises rights

Explain the expense budget, funding provider and parent remittances, with premises rights and a person responsible for records. Check applicable evidence and procedures against the actual office status. Do not substitute generic package capital or remittance figures for verified current requirements.

No revenue does not mean no reporting obligations

Review accounting, tax, employment and reporting requirements for the office status with the responsible advisers. Retain expense and funding evidence systematically. Establishing the office does not immediately grant foreign staff or representatives work permission; visa and work-permit checks remain separate.

Assess suitability before agreeing the quotation

Send the task list, beneficiaries, funding arrangements and parent documents for review. If unsuitable, discuss a branch or subsidiary without assuming another route will be approved. Request a written quotation separating scope assessment, filings, translation, certification and official fees. A fixed completion date is not assured.

Questions before preparing an application

Can the office sell or accept orders for the parent?: Do not use this structure as a substitute for reviewing sales or order-taking permissions. Assess the actual tasks against the permitted scope first.
Does having no revenue make an office a representative office?: Not by itself. Review the intended functions, not merely whether customers or invoices exist yet.
Does overseas invoicing establish non-revenue Thai activity?: Do not infer that from the invoice location. Review the actual operator, service recipient, contracts and activities performed in Thailand.
What is useful for an initial suitability assessment?: Provide the Thai task list, beneficiaries, funding arrangements, parent status records, signatories, representative and proposed premises.
Are accounting and tax checks still necessary?: Yes. Assess applicable duties for the actual status, including expenses, funding, personnel and reporting. Do not assume that every obligation disappears.
How can I obtain the service charges?: Send the information for suitability review and request a written quotation separating filings, translation, certification, accounting and official fees as applicable.

Official sources for requirement checks

General preparation guidance. Check current announcements and project facts before filing; eligibility and approval are not assured.

Review the branch route for commercial activities Review incorporation separately from investment permissions