The real cost of starting a company in Thailand: one-time items versus every-year items
A line-by-line map of what it costs to open and keep a Thai company: government fees, registered address, monthly bookkeeping and the annual audit — who collects each one and which items are unavoidable.
Zura Labs & Business Hub Co., Ltd.
The cost of a Thai company falls into three groups: one-time government fees at registration (scaled to registered capital and the filings you submit), the service fees of whoever helps you — registered address, filing work, bookkeeping — and the recurring items that arrive every year: monthly bookkeeping, tax filings, year-end closing and the auditor. Judge the first full year, not just the registration fee: what trips founders up is almost always the recurring side.
Reviewed 2026-09-14 by the Zura Labs corporate services team.
- What government fees scale with
- Registered capital and the type of filing. Rates are published by the DBD; check the current schedule on the DBD website.
- One-time items
- Name reservation, memorandum filing, company registration, company seal, certified copies of the affidavit, and preparing the first document set.
- Monthly items
- Bookkeeping, withholding-tax returns, VAT returns (if registered), social-security contributions (if you have staff), and the registered address under whichever agreement you choose.
- Annual items
- Year-end closing, the auditor's fee, filing statements with the DBD, half-year and annual corporate income tax, plus any industry licence renewals.
- Must registered capital sit in the bank?
- Registered capital is a shareholder commitment; cash is not shown at filing. It does affect fees and the thresholds used for visas and work permits.
- Any cost with no revenue?
- Yes. A company with no revenue still keeps books, files nil returns on schedule, closes its accounts and is audited every year.
How this works in practice
- 01
List the whole first year before deciding
Use three columns — one-time, monthly, annual — and total the first year. Compare options against that number, not against the registration fee alone.
- 02
Set registered capital deliberately
Capital set higher than needed only raises fees; set too low it can fail partner, visa or tender requirements. Anchor it to the actual plan and the conditions you must meet.
- 03
Choose the registered address that fits
A home address depends on householder consent and condominium rules; a rented office address helps with documents and mail. Either way, the supporting property documents must be complete.
- 04
Budget bookkeeping before you incorporate
Document volume per month, VAT status and headcount drive the bookkeeping workload. Estimate from realistic first-year activity and revise as the business grows.
- 05
Reserve budget for the year-end close
Closing and audit land as one lump at the end of the accounting period. New owners routinely forget it; set it aside from the start so the filing is never late.
Reasons this gets delayed or rejected
Comparing only the registration price
A cheaper incorporation package may exclude government fees, the seal or certified copies. Ask exactly what is inside the figure and what is not.
Inflating capital to look credible
High capital raises fees and partner expectations without guaranteeing easier credit. Set it from real need.
Assuming nil months need no filing
Months with no activity still require returns on time. Skipping them creates penalties and surcharges under the law.
Answers to the questions we hear most
What is the cheapest way to open a company?
Trim what the first year does not need: set capital to what the business actually requires, stay out of VAT while you are under the threshold and no customer demands it, and rent a registered address instead of a full office. What the law requires — books, returns and the annual close — cannot be trimmed.
How much are the government fees?
Rates depend on registered capital and the filings submitted, and they change by announcement, so check the current DBD schedule when budgeting. We confirm the exact amount before filing.
What drives the monthly bookkeeping fee?
Monthly document volume, VAT status, headcount, number of bank accounts, and complexity such as inventory or project accounting. More documents and more complexity mean more work.
Is an auditor really required every year?
A Thai limited company files audited financial statements with the DBD every year, including years with no revenue. Check the current requirements with the DBD.
Can I change capital or address later?
Yes, but each is an amendment filing with its own fees and paperwork. Settling the structure before the first filing is cheaper.
This is general preparation information, not case-specific legal or accounting advice. Government fees, processing times and conditions change with official announcements. We review each guide on a schedule and show the review date on the page.