What BOI promotion actually delivers
The Board of Investment grants Thai companies engaged in promoted activities a package of benefits worth far more than their headline corporate tax holiday. The full package includes 100% foreign ownership in normally-restricted sectors, exemption from the 2M THB capital / 4 Thai staff per work permit rule, land ownership rights for the company, accelerated work-permit and visa processing through the One-Stop Service Centre, and 3–8 years of corporate income tax exemption depending on category.
Activity categories that qualify in 2025
- Software development, digital services, e-commerce platforms, data centres and cloud services (Category 5).
- Manufacturing of targeted goods — EVs, medical devices, advanced electronics, biotech (Categories 4–6).
- International business centres (IBC) and regional headquarters, with a separate 8–10% withholding-tax regime.
- Tourism-related projects above defined thresholds, including marinas, theme parks and convention centres.
- Agricultural processing, biotechnology and certain healthcare services.
What the application takes
BOI applications are filed online with a business plan, 3-year financial projections, technology description and, for manufacturing, factory plans. The board interviews the applicant within 40–60 working days of filing; promotion certificates are usually issued within 90 days of approval.
Investment must be at least 1M THB excluding land and working capital for most categories, with a debt-to-equity ratio not exceeding 3:1.
After approval — the ongoing obligations
BOI-promoted companies file an annual report with the board, maintain separate accounts for promoted and non-promoted activities, and submit machinery and raw-material import requests through the BOI e-system to claim the duty-free import benefit.
Falling out of compliance — for example missing the annual report deadline twice — can trigger withdrawal of promotion and clawback of the tax benefits used to date.
Is BOI worth it for your business?
If you're forecasting Thai corporate income tax of more than 1.5–2 million THB a year, the tax holiday alone usually pays for the application and ongoing compliance several times over. For service businesses with thin margins, the 100% foreign ownership and easier work permits are often the bigger draw than the tax saving.
For consultancies with no qualifying activity, BOI is the wrong tool — a Treaty of Amity company (US citizens), a Foreign Business Licence application, or a 49/51 structure with a real Thai partner is the realistic route.