Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Foreign Direct Investment in Thailand. I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from Khao Sod English, that's khaosodenglish.com, the article is titled: Q1 Foreign Investment Soars by 25%, $960 million, Japan Top. Quoting directly: "Thosapone Dansuputra, Director-General of the Business Development Department in his capacity as the Secretary of the Board of Investment of Foreign Business, revealed that in the first quarter of 2023 (January-March) a total of 174 foreign businesses were granted permission to invest in Thailand under the Foreign Business Act of 1999, with a total investment value of 33 billion Baht (960 million US Dollars)." Quoting further: "Out of these, 56 businesses obtained investment licenses and 118 received a certificate of permission to operate their business. These businesses also created job opportunities for 1,932 Thai people." So all of that is great news, glad to hear that.

One thing I thought was worth noting, so 56 businesses obtained investment licenses and 118 received a certificate of permission to operate their business. So something to bear in mind is BOI Certification, so if you are granted a concession through the Board of Investment, that is different than being granted a Foreign Business License. A Foreign Business License occurs under the Foreign Business Act directly; that can be issued directly by the Ministry of Commerce, by the Department of Business Development whereas BOI, Board of Investment can grant a concession and thereby issue a certificate to allow a business to operate. It's a little bit different, I do understand, it's kind of a semantic point but a Foreign Business License it is kind of a one-off in a way where as BOI, there is ongoing compliance that has to be maintained lest you lose your certification. 

So the thing to take away from this video is 1) quite honestly things are looking on the up and up for the Thai economy and 2) if you are a foreign business owner or somebody who is of foreign nationality looking to do business in Thailand, there are multiple avenues of doing so. So for example, BOI is one, again Foreign Business Licensure. As we have discussed in other videos and a video I am making contemporaneously with this one, there is also what is called the US-Thai Treaty of Amity for Americans to allow them to own their businesses here 100%, again not really the thrust of this video, but there are multiple options for foreign nationals looking to come do business in Thailand. There is also the traditional methodology many opt to undertake which is setting up a 49/51 primarily Thai owned company so basically finding a Thai counterpart to do business with here in Thailand and maintain a corporate structure that way, that is also a methodology of doing things. So there are multiple different options for foreigners looking to do business here in the Kingdom of Thailand.