In Thailand, a restaurant business means a business that involves cooking or baking food, either in the form of selling to be served and eaten at the restaurant or to take home. Food factories or facilities that use industrial machinery for food production are not considered as a restaurant business.
Thai Lawyers can assist in setting up your restaurant business in Thailand. However, if you are a foreigner but not an American national, you need a Thai partner to open a restaurant business. After registering a company, you need to obtain a restaurant license before you can operate the restaurant. This is in accordance to the Public Health Act of 1992 whereas markets, food sales and food storage area must obtain a license to help protect consumers and environment to promote cleanliness and good health. Anyone who does not comply will be liable as below:
- Those who set up the business but did not obtain a license are liable to imprisonment for up to 6 months or a fine of not more than THB 50,000;
- Those who set up a place for food sales or food storage with an area not more than 200 square meters and did not get a notification certificate shall be liable to imprisonment for up to 3 months or a fine of not more than THB 25,000
The company must submit the application to obtain a restaurant license with the district office if the restaurant is in Bangkok or provincial office if the place is in the province. The officer will inspect general hygiene, the floor, walls, food containers and food samples. Many factors will be considered such as the ways of managing the food preparation area, the ingredients for cooking, cooking process including the tools used for cooking and maintaining the cleanliness to make customers feel safe when using the service.
Interested in setting up a restaurant business in Thailand? Contact us now for assistance in company registration, restaurant business application, obtaining visa and work permit.