New laws, amended regulations and the enforcement that follows, filtered to what reaches a foreign resident: work permits, company ownership and nominee structures, licensing, cannabis and alcohol rules, and the penalties attached. One bill is typically covered by a dozen outlets in two languages, so we cluster the Thai and English reporting into a single story and update several times a day.
Thailand is actively cracking down on foreign nominee arrangements for businesses and property nationwide, with investigations ongoing in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Hua Hin, Koh Samui, and Koh Phangan. Foreigners using nominee structures or long-term leases for property or business face heightened scrutiny, legal risk, and potential loss of assets, as new business registrations in high-risk categories have dropped by 75% due to tightened checks and linked databases.
12 developmentsThailand has approved new regulations for deporting foreigners, including those deemed to violate moral norms or commit serious crimes. The Interior Minister now has broad authority to fast-track deportations, requiring prisons to submit case files 15 days before a foreign inmate's release.
3 developmentsThe Thai government has stepped up inspections of foreign workers and employers, targeting those working illegally or in jobs reserved for Thai nationals. Penalties include fines, deportation, and bans. Expats should ensure valid work permits and avoid prohibited occupations.
Thailand's Commerce Ministry has removed Foreign Business Act licensing requirements for seven specific service categories, including telecom services, treasury centres, and intra-group administrative services, to simplify approval for foreign investors. The exemptions apply only to narrowly defined activities and do not affect retail, hospitality, or property businesses.
Thailand's crackdown on nominee businesses has reduced new registrations in the high-risk category by 75% (141 vs 561 last year). The government is tightening pre-registration checks, extending post-registration scrutiny to changes in shareholders or directors, and linking databases with the Land Department to uncover nominee land ownership. Foreigners involved in Thai businesses or property should be aware of heightened enforcement.
A new ministerial regulation published in the Royal Gazette adds several service categories to the list of businesses foreigners can operate in Thailand without a Foreign Business License. The additions include securities lending, derivatives trading, telecom services without own network, treasury centers, administrative/HR/IT services between related entities, internal debt guarantees, leasing space for payment terminals, and petroleum drilling services. The regulation takes immediate effect.
Thailand's Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has issued new regulations granting himself broad authority to fast-track deportations of foreign criminals, illegal workers, and their accomplices. Prisons must now submit case files 15 days before a foreign inmate's release to allow immediate deportation. The move expands the minister's powers over foreign nationals in Thailand.