The Ministry of Commerce issued its Ministerial Regulation (No. 4) re: Service Businesses Not Subject Foreign Business License to Operate in Thailand dated 13^th June 2019.  The regulation was published in the Government Gazette on 25^th June 2019.

The following service businesses are exempted from the 49% foreign ownership limit under the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (A.D. 1999) and therefore foreigners can operate such businesses as a service provider without obtaining a foreign business license:-

1.   domestic lending of money;

2.   renting of office space with public utilities;

3.   providing consultation and advice in relation to management, marketing, human resource and IT

provided that the service provider and the service recipient are related for any of the following relationships:-

(a)   sharing more than a half of the same shareholders;

(b)   sharing the same shareholder holding from 25% of the share capital;

(c)   a legal entity holding from 25% of the share capital in another legal entity; or

(d)   sharing more than a half of the same authorized directors.