An office is the face of your company. Clients will judge you by your office, but they are not the only ones. Government authorities involved in company registration and licensing will also evaluate your office first.
Who will inspect your office?
Office photos, both inside and outside with signage, must be submitted to the Social Security Office when registering the first employee and the company simultaneously, to the Labor Department when applying for a Work Permit for a foreign employee, and to the Immigration Office when extending a Non-B visa for one year.
If you are applying for licenses for specific activities such as FDA, restaurant business, or tourism business, you must comply with the requirements of the authorities for the office, warehouse, or restaurant and provide photos.
Officers from each authority may inspect your office before deciding whether to issue a license, visa, or work permit.
Type of activity
The office must match the declared business activity. If you register a real estate agency but the office has no desks, displays, or brochures, your work permit or visa applications may be rejected.
Some activities have specific requirements such as having a warehouse with a separate entrance for food imports, special equipment, fire safety systems, and more. Before renting an office, make sure it can be equipped to meet these requirements.
Separate entrance
If a building has both residential and commercial areas, a separate entrance to the office is mandatory.
If multiple companies are located in the same office, whether on one or several floors, each company must have its own sign at the entrance, either on the door or on the wall next to it. If a company is located on another floor, it must also have signage at its own entrance.
How many companies can be located in one office?
This depends on the type of activity and the number of employees. For example, three companies with two foreign employees each located in a 40 m² office may raise concerns. By law, six foreign employees require twenty-four Thai employees. Even if Thai staff work outside the office, at least three must be present in the office. Nine people and nine desks cannot realistically fit into a 40 m² space.
If the company does not plan to obtain work permits, the office capacity increases significantly.
Do not forget to sign a lease or sublease agreement on behalf of each company located in the office.
What documents should be requested from the landlord?
When registering with the Social Security Office, the company must provide:
Copy of the chanote (land title) for the office (both sides).
Copy of the house book.
Copy of the owner’s ID or company registration documents.
Copy of the house book of the office owner.
These documents must be obtained from the landlord before signing the lease agreement. If any documents are missing after signing and paying the deposit, this may become a problem.
Use of premises
Before renting, make sure the premises can legally be used as an office. A condominium unit can be used as an office only if it is designated for commercial use, usually on the ground floor.
If you plan to rent a house or townhouse in a residential compound, check with the management company whether business activities are allowed.
Do not combine office and residential premises. If you both live and work in the same place, residential and commercial areas must have separate entrances.
Our recommendation
Before signing a lease agreement, consult with a lawyer, show them the documents and photos of the premises, and explain your planned business activities and number of employees in detail. Sign the agreement only after a legal review of both the contract and all documents.
Author: Alexandra Agapitova.
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