Lalida revealed that the government is tightening controls on nominees by introducing new measures that set additional registration criteria and procedures to prevent foreigners from using Thais as proxies to conceal business activities. These measures will take effect from 1 April 2026, with plans for in-depth inspections in five provinces.
On 24 March 2026, Ms. Lalida Pertviwatana, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, announced that the Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce, has issued Office Order No. 1/2569 from the Central Partnership and Company Registration Office. This order sets additional registration criteria and procedures to prevent the use of Thai individuals as nominees by foreigners conducting business in Thailand, effective from 1 April 2026.
The Deputy Spokesperson stated that the new measures require managing partners or authorized directors to confirm that all shareholders or partners have genuinely invested and paid in capital, and have not assisted foreigners as nominees. This represents an enhanced level of scrutiny.
Previously, the department required businesses considered at risk—such as those with foreign shareholders holding less than 50% or foreign directors—to present financial evidence from Thai shareholders to verify real investment. This led to a 65% reduction in registrations suspected of being nominee cases. However, attempts to evade these measures persist, prompting additional orders to close loopholes.
Under the new order, the department will send lists of individuals who provided confirmation and are considered at risk to the Central Investigation Police for further examination. It also warns that providing false information is a criminal offense under the Penal Code and may violate the Foreign Business Act of 1999, which carries penalties including imprisonment and fines.
The Deputy Spokesperson added that currently there are over 118,000 companies with foreign shareholdings between 0.01% and 49.99%, some of which involve nominee arrangements. This affects fair business competition and the overall economy. The new measures aim to promote transparency and ensure businesses operate legally.
Furthermore, the Department of Business Development plans to conduct in-depth inspections in high-risk areas such as Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Surat Thani, Phuket, and Krabi. If accelerated registrations are found attempting to circumvent the measures, strict legal action will be taken.
“The government is seriously cracking down on nominees to create fairness in business competition and to boost confidence in Thailand’s economic system,” Ms. Lalida said.