BOI Eligible Activities in Thailand
BOI promotion attaches to an activity, not to a company and not to an industry. A project qualifies only where it matches one specific activity on the Board's published list and meets the conditions attached to that activity. Operating in a promoted sector is not sufficient in itself.
This distinction accounts for more rejected applications than any other. Two businesses in the same industry may be treated quite differently: one falls squarely within a listed activity, the other sits beside it and does not qualify.
What Counts as a BOI Eligible Activity
The Board publishes a list of activities it will promote, organised into categories and divided into numbered sub-activities. Each sub-activity carries its own conditions, which may concern the technology employed, the minimum investment required, the personnel engaged, or the standards the project must meet. This list updates regularly, so get in contact for a free eligibility check.
BOI Eligible Activities by Sector
The list is divided into eight categories.
1. Agriculture and Agricultural Products
- Biological, organic and nano-coated fertilisers
- Plant or animal breeding, excluding biotechnology-qualified varieties
- Crop drying, silos, and grading or storage
- Animal husbandry, propagation and slaughtering
- Deep sea fishery
- Modified starch, and plant-based oil or fat manufacturing
- Natural extracts, animal feed and natural rubber goods
- Food preservation using modern technology, medical food and cold storage
- Agricultural goods trading centres
2. Mining, Ceramics and Basic Metals
- Mineral prospecting and potash mining
- Advanced or nano material manufacturing
- Ceramics, glass, gypsum and refractory materials
- Steel manufacturing, upstream to downstream
- Metal powder and ferro-alloy production
- Cast iron and non-ferrous metal casting or drawing
- Construction materials for public utilities
3. Light Industry
- Non-woven fabric products
- Leather goods, sports equipment and musical instruments
- Furniture, toys and jewellery manufacturing
- Medical and optical device parts
4. Metal Products and Machinery
- Metal products and parts
- Surface and heat treatment
- Multi-purpose engines, automobiles and engine manufacturing
- Vehicle parts, ships, and aircraft manufacturing or repair
- Rolling stock and rail equipment
- Aerospace, defence equipment and protective gear
5. Electronics and Electrical Appliances
- Electronic devices and components
- Semiconductors and advanced electronics
- High-technology electrical equipment
6. Chemicals, Paper and Plastics
- Oil refining and petrochemical production
- Specialty chemicals and polymers
- Plastic products for industrial and consumer use
- Special packaging and printed materials
7. Services and Public Utilities
- Public utilities, logistics and mass transit
- Industrial real estate, sterilisation and recycling
- Waste treatment and tourism support services
- Motion picture production and smart city development
- Medical services and low-income housing
- International business centres and distribution hubs
8. Technology and Innovation Development
- Software, digital platforms and digital content
- Data centres and data hosting
- Research and development
- Biotechnology, nanotechnology and advanced material technology
- Engineering design and scientific laboratories
These are summaries. The sub-activities beneath each heading carry the conditions that decide whether a particular project qualifies, and the list is revised regularly.
How to Check Whether Your Project Qualifies
Find your exact activity on the official list. Work down from the category to the numbered sub-activity that describes what the project will actually do. See the BOI's list of promoted activities.
Read the conditions attached to it. These are specific to the activity and are where most projects discover a requirement they had not anticipated.
Check the capital the activity requires. The general minimum is 1 million baht excluding land and working capital, but many activities set a different figure or measure investment on another basis entirely. See capital your activity needs.
Use pre-screening. The Board will tell you informally whether your project fits before you commit to a formal application. This is the cheapest point at which to discover a mismatch, and the step most often skipped. See apply for BOI promotion.
What the Board Looks at Beyond the Activity
Matching an activity establishes eligibility. It does not secure promotion. Projects are assessed on what they contribute:
Technology and modern processes. The project must employ current production or service methods, and new machinery where machinery is involved.
Value added to the Thai economy. The Board looks at how much of the project's value is created in Thailand rather than imported.
Development of Thai personnel. Training and the transfer of skills to Thai staff are weighted heavily, and commitments expressed in general terms are received as general commitments.
Environmental measures. Projects with potential environmental impact receive particular attention, both as to location and as to treatment of emissions and waste.
If Your Business Is Not on the List
Promotion is one route to operating in Thailand, not the only one.
A Foreign Business Licence permits foreign majority ownership in activities restricted under the Foreign Business Act, through an application to the Foreign Business Committee. See Foreign Business Licence.
The US Treaty of Amity allows American citizens and American-owned companies to hold full ownership in most activities without a licence. See US Treaty of Amity.
A Thai majority company remains available where neither route applies, with foreign ownership up to 49%.
How Attori Law Can Help
Not sure which BOI activity your business falls under? We match your project to the right activity before you apply, and look at other routes if it does not qualify. See our BOI application service or get in touch.
FAQs
What are BOI eligible activities?
They are the business activities the Board of Investment will promote, published as a list organised into eight categories and divided into numbered sub-activities. A project must match one specific sub-activity and meet the conditions attached to it. Operating within a promoted sector is not sufficient on its own.
How do I know if my business qualifies for BOI promotion?
Locate the exact activity on the published list, read the conditions attached to it, and check the capital that activity requires. Pre-screening with Board officers will then confirm the position informally before any formal application is made.
What are the BOI activity categories?
Eight: agriculture and agricultural products; mining, ceramics and basic metals; light industry; metal products and machinery; electronics and electrical appliances; chemicals, paper and plastics; services and public utilities; and technology and innovation development.
Where can I find the official list of BOI promoted activities?
The Board publishes it at boi.go.th. It is revised regularly as promotion measures change, so consult the current version rather than a summary published elsewhere, including this one.
Is there a list of BOI-promoted companies in Thailand?
Yes. The Board maintains a database of promoted companies, searchable on its website. It records which companies hold promotion and under which activity, and is a reasonable place to establish whether a competitor or a prospective partner is promoted.
What are BOI incentives?
They divide into tax and non-tax incentives. The tax incentives include corporate income tax exemption, exemption or reduction of import duties on machinery and raw materials, and additional deductions in certain cases. The non-tax incentives include full foreign ownership, the right to own land for a promoted project, and simplified visa and work permit processing.
How long do BOI tax exemptions last?
The period is set by the activity rather than by the company, according to how the Board grades that activity's significance to Thailand's development. Merit-based additions extend it where a project invests in research and development, training, or a targeted location. Confirm the figure applying to your own activity, as the grading is revised alongside the activity list.
What if my business isn't BOI eligible?
Three alternatives are commonly available: a Foreign Business Licence, which permits foreign majority ownership in restricted activities; the US Treaty of Amity, open to American citizens and American-owned companies; or a Thai majority company with foreign ownership up to 49%.
Reviewed September 2026