Prohibited professions in Thailand and types of business
Generally about work in Thailand, I already wrote. How are things going, what are the risks, etc. Plus, our readers wrote in the comments about their experience. Read.
If we talk about professions, then almost nothing is officially impossible from what everyone here plans to do and does (tour guides, cooks, photographers), all manual work is prohibited. And it's much safer to be a travel / restaurant / hotel business owner rather than a performer. Or do IT, telecommuting and your own projects with Thailand not connected at all.
The content of the article
List of prohibited professions in Thailand
- In the field of agricultural technology, animal breeding, forestry, fish farming (with the exception of work, the performance of which requires highly professional, special or scientific knowledge in these areas);
- Bricklayer, carpenter, other construction specialties;
- Wood carver;
- Seller in all types of commercial establishments;
- Auctioneer at all types of auctions;
- Financial controller, auditor, accountant, cashier (except for the performance of work on internal audit in companies of mixed ownership);
- The driver of a vehicle or any vehicle with or without a machine drive (except for piloting aircraft of foreign airlines);
- Grinding and cutting of precious, semi-precious stones and semi-precious stones;
- Hair cutting, hairdressing, beauty industry work;
- Making fabrics by hand or using machines that do not use a machine drive;
- Making any kind of wickerwork and furniture from cane, rattan, jute, straw or bamboo;
- Hand-made rice paper;
- Manufacturing of lacquer miniatures;
- Manufacturing of traditional Thai musical instruments;
- Manufacturing of products from gold and its alloys, silver and its alloys;
- Making crafts and sculptures from stone;
- Making Thai traditional folk dolls;
- Making mattresses, mats and mattresses in Thai folk style;
- Manufacturing of religious items, incl. pots for collecting alms by monks;
- Manufacturing of natural silk and products from it;
- Making artistic incarnations of the Buddha image;
- Making knives;
- Cooks, waiter, bartender (but you can be the owner of the restaurant, manager);
- Water vehicle driver;
- Making paper fans, umbrellas;
- Making shoes;
- Manufacturing of hats and helmets;
- Broker or commercial agent (except in the field of international trade);
- Field of Civil Engineering;
- Manufacturing of clothing items;
- Pottery production;
- Hand-made cigars;
- Food and beverage production;
- Travel guide or tour guide (but you can be the owner of a travel agency, or «translator» with a guide);
- Valuation of property and goods;
- Typescript in Thai (typewriter only);
- Winding, weaving silk by hand or on traditional looms that do not use a machine drive;
- Office manager, secretary;
- Legal consultant, attorney, lawyer, arbitration officer (except for cases specifically established by international agreements).
Prohibited businesses
Below is a list of prohibited business activities for foreigners.
First category
Newspaper business, broadcasting or television business.
Rice farming, farming or horticulture.
Livestock.
Forestry, wood production from natural forest.
Fishing for marine animals in Thai waters and within specific economic zones of Thailand.
Extraction of Thai herbs.
Trading and auctioning of Thai antiques and national historic sites.
Making or casting of Buddha images and monk alms bowls.
Land trade.
Second category
Business related to national security or security
Production, sales and maintenance:
Firearms, ammunition, gunpowder, explosives.
Accessories for firearms, ammunition and explosives.
Equipment or components, all categories of military materials.
Transportation by land, water or air, including domestic airline business.
Business affecting arts and culture, traditional and folk crafts.
Trade antiques or art objects that are Thai art or craft.
Carved wood production.
Silkworm farming, Thai silk yarn production, Thai silk weaving or Thai silk printing.
Manufacture of Thai musical instruments.
Manufacture of gold, silver, black, bronze or lacquerware.
Tableware production of Thai arts and culture.
Business affecting natural resources or the environment.
Sugar and sugar cane production.
Salt farming, including underground salt.
Rock salt mining.
Mining, including blasting or crushing rocks.
Wooden production for the production of furniture and tableware.
Third category
Milling rice and making flour from rice and agricultural products.
Fishing, specifically the culture of marine animals.
Forestry from afforestation.
Production of plywood, chipboard or fiberboard.
Lime production.
Accounting or business service.
Legal business services.
Architectural business services.
Engineering business services.
Construction, excluding:
Construction that provides basic services to the population in the field of utilities or transport, requiring special tools, machines, technology or construction expertise, with a minimum foreigner's capital of 500 million baht or more.
Other construction categories as prescribed by ministerial regulations.
Broker or business agent, except:
Be a broker or underwriting agent for securities or services related to future trading of commodities or financial instruments or securities.
Be a broker or agent to trade or provide goods or services necessary for the production or provision of services between affiliated enterprises.
Be a broker or agent to trade, buy or distribute or search for domestic and foreign markets for the sale of domestic or imported goods in international business transactions, with a minimum foreign capital of 100 million baht or more.
Be a broker or agent of another category as prescribed by ministerial regulations.
Auction, except:
An international auction that is not an auction of antiques, historical exhibits or art objects that are Thai art, handicrafts or antiques of historical value.
Other auction categories as prescribed by ministerial regulations.
Domestic trade related to native products or the production of which is not yet prohibited by law.
Retail sale of all categories of goods having a total minimum capital of less than 100 million baht or having a minimum capital of each store of less than 20 million baht.
Wholesale of all categories of goods with a minimum capital of each store less than 100 million baht.
Advertising business.
Hospitality, excluding hotel management services.
Sightseeing - tourist trip.
Selling food or drinks.
Crop and business distribution.
Other categories of business services, except as prescribed by ministerial regulations.
Other laws affecting foreign business transactions
Banking and finance businesses, according to their own special laws, must be at least 75% Thai-owned.
Also, inland shipping companies must have at least 70% Thai ownership.
According to the regulations, insurance companies and insurance brokers must be at least 75% in Thai ownership.
Companies that own land are required to be 51% Thai under the provisions of the Land Law if they have special promotional privileges..
P.S. For violation, they can be imprisoned if there are no connections or they did not give a bribe to the right people. You can also marry a secret and work for her..