Greetings

Welcome Bruce in Expat.com, there is a long list of job prohibited to foreigners and architecture is included inside :

30. Architecture profession concerning design, drawing-making, cost estimation or consulting services

With respect, jobs under List 3 are allowed to be done by foreigners.

Item 8 under List 3: architect service business

2. The Business Lists under the Foreign Business Act BE. 2542 (1999)
(3)-- Business List 3: foreigners can operate business if permitted by
the Director - General of the Department of Business Development with
the approval of the Committee


List 3 is the list of 21 businesses that Thai people do not have prompt
operating abilities to compete with aliens.

1. Rice milling and production of flour from rice and farm crops

8. Architect service business


Please correct me if I am wrong.
Thanks.

Hi Bruce,

We did not talk about same things, I was talking about job employment restriction ( if you wish to be employed by a Thai company as an architect ), what you refer to is about business activities for foreign investment, classified as you said under 3 categories.

References : Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (A.D.1999), Alien Employment Act B.E. 2521 (A.D. 1978), and Investment Promotion Act B.E. 2520 (A.D.1977)

The application process can be at times very time consuming with unpredictable outcomes.

The Foreign Business License application is a complicated long process; in general, most of foreign investors will rarely go through this process even if they had a serious chance to get it.

On the other hand, they will not hesitate to submit the BOI application even when there are only a few chances that it might be promoted.

Wishing you all the best if you want to go through this way and take a good lawyer.
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Foreign Business Act Restrictions

According to Thailand Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (FBA), there are 3 types of business activities:

List 1: Business Not Permitted to Foreigners
List 2: Business Permitted to Foreigners under Conditions
List 3: Business Not Yet Permitted to Foreigners

http://www.boi.go.th/english/download/b … t-laws.pdf

Businesses that are covered by List 3 are prohibited to aliens unless permission is granted by the Director-General of the Commercial Registration Department ("CRD")
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An application should be filed with the Commercial Registration Department, which will be reviewed by the Cabinet or Foreign Business Committee, as the case may be.

Various criteria are used to consider the impact of the proposed business operation, such as the advantages and disadvantages to the nation's safety and security, economic and social development, size of enterprise, local employment, etc.

Approval of business license application is more likely when the authorities view the business as providing significantly more benefits and protect and promote Thai interests.