BOI applications, from the field.
Three field-tested checkpoints to lock down before a BOI application — written from the operations side.
What is BOI?
The Board of Investment (BOI) is Thailand's investment promotion arm. It offers corporate tax exemptions, foreign-ownership permissions, land ownership rights, and work-permit privileges — a package designed to attract long-term investment.
But not every business activity is eligible. Each industry sits in a "promoted category," and the first gate is whether your business actually fits one of them.
Point 1: Resolution of the business plan
The business plan is the single most decisive document. What approvers read line by line:
- Investment amount (paid-in capital, equipment, payroll)
- Hiring plan (mix of local vs. expatriate staff)
- Revenue plan (Year 1 through Year 5)
- Procurement plan (equipment, raw materials)
What works disproportionately well is pairing numbers with why they hold. In particular, the hiring plan is the heart of BOI incentives — your contribution to local employment translates directly into evaluation.
Point 2: The interview matters
After the document review, a BOI interview is almost guaranteed. The question being answered is: can the applicant explain the business in their own words?
- Why Thailand?
- Who are the customers — and who are the competitors?
- Where do you want to be five years out?
The interview is not "read your plan back to BOI." It's a conversation. Internalize the plan to the point where the answers come naturally.
Point 3: Approval is the start, not the finish
A BOI certificate is only the beginning. You commit to operating in line with the approved plan, every year.
- A wide gap between plan and actuals can put incentives at risk
- An Annual Report to BOI is mandatory every year
- Disposing equipment, raising capital, or changing shareholders requires BOI approval
The shortcut, ironically, is designing a plan that won't trip you up in the operating phase — straight from the application stage.
At MIRAI BizLab we own the full arc: BOI application, approval, and the operational discipline that comes after. Reach out early — even before you know whether your case is eligible.