Tourism industry in Thailand is the industry which provides or gives services in return for remuneration in connection with tourism activities within and outside the Kingdom as follows:
– Tour business
– Tourist hotels business
– Business relating to restaurants, service places and resorts for tourists
– Business relating to the sale of souvenirs or other goods for tourists
– Business related to sports for tourists
– Exhibitions, shows, trade fairs, promotional advertisement or any other activities with the aim of encouraging and promoting tourism.
In doing tourism business in Thailand, one needs to comply with the rules and procedures as prescribed by Tourism and Tourist Guide Business Act B.E. 2551 (2008).
Once your company registered as a tourism business with the Department of Business Development of the Ministry of Commerce, you have to apply for tourism business license with the registrar at Bureau of Tourist Business and Guide Registration of the Department of Tourism. It is advisable to set up a juristic entity as a limited company because of its limited liabilities and professional acts. However, in order to qualify as a tourism licensee, a limited company must meet the following conditions:
1. Being a limited company registered under Thai laws having objective of running tourism-related business and the office shall be located in Thailand
2. At least 51% of its registered capital shall be held by one of more natural persons of Thai nationality.
3. Majority of its directors shall be natural persons of Thai nationality.
4. The authorized director(s) must be at least 20 years old on the application date, Thai nationality, and has domicile or residence in the Kingdom of Thailand.
The registrar will notify you in writing within 30 days as from the date of receiving your application and documents. Such notification shall specify the amount of tourism business fee and bond to be provided.
After your application form and necessary documents have been approved, you are required to provide one or more of such bond as cash, bank guarantee, Thai government bond or State enterprise bond which both principal and interest guaranteed by the Thai government to the registrar as security deposit in an amount as stated below:
Tourism business license: Specific area 10,000 THB
Tourism business license: Domestic 50,000 THB
Tourism business license: Inbound 100,000 THB
Tourism business license: Outbound 200,000 THB
The rate of fee for each tourism business license is 3,000 THB. The registrar will issue you the tourism business license within 7 days as from the date of receiving such fee and bond. Please note that the tourism business fee may be determined at different rates in accordance with the category or nature of the tourism business entrepreneur.
The tourism business license will be invalid when the tourism business entrepreneur dies or the business ceases to be a juristic person. A desire to end the business is subject to an order to revoke the tourism license.
Interested to set up a tourism business in Thailand, contact ThaiLawyers for consultation and company registration services.