Thailand: The Thai Board of Investment announces changes to land ownership privilege limitations

15 Aug 2025    1 minute read

In brief

Effective 1 September 2025, the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) will restrict land ownership privileges for foreign-promoted businesses in specific manufacturing sectors, including metals, chemicals, and plastics. Exceptions apply to companies with a substantial prior BOI investment history. Additionally, Thai-majority shareholding will be required for businesses involved in manufacturing leather goods, furniture, and printed matter.

Contents

In more detail

The BOI has amended its investment promotion policy regarding land ownership privileges (i.e., the right of foreigners to own land for use in promoted businesses). The BOI normally grants land ownership privileges to promoted businesses as part of its incentives. However, under the BOI's new policy, businesses applying for investment promotion for the following business activities, starting from 1 September 2025, will no longer be eligible for land ownership privileges:

  1. Rolling, drawing, casting, or forging of non-ferrous metals.
  2. Manufacture of ferrous metal products or parts.
  3. Manufacture of non-ferrous metal products or parts.
  4. Manufacture of other metal products or parts.
  5. Manufacture of industrial chemical products.
  6. Manufacture of plastic products for industrial goods and parts.

The above limitation does not apply to existing promoted companies that have already obtained at least three investment promotions from the BOI in the past 15 years, with total investments of at least THB 5 billion (excluding the cost of land and working capital).

Thai-majority shareholding requirement

In addition, businesses applying for investment promotion for the following activities, starting from 1 September 2025, will be required to have Thai-majority shareholding structures:

  1. Manufacture of bags made of leather or artificial leathers.
  2. Manufacture of furniture or parts.
  3. Manufacture of printed matter.

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