Alcohol Licenses in Thailand

When you do not have the Thai nationality, many steps are to be realized before being able to officially sell alcohol in Thailand. First, you will have to apply for a work permit to be able to carry out a commercial activity in Thailand and a visa. Once your work permit is validated, you will have to pay excise duties (special taxes for alcohol). Then, it will be strongly recommended to create a company and finally to ask for an authorization (license of alcoholic drinks) to be able to sell your alcohol, in a bar, restaurant or store. You will be able to sell alcohol from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and from 5:00 pm to 12:00 am, with the exception of duty free in airports.

A person who does not have Thai nationality cannot sell alcohol in Thailand without registering a company. The type of structure will be established with your lawyer, nevertheless it is recommended to create a private limited company, because this type of company provides considerable advantages.
It is important to remember that a foreigner cannot hold his company at 100%, the social shares are 49%, while 51% of the shares are held by Thai residents. However, thanks to the preferential shares, your law firm will be able to unofficially set up a management power with a voting system that will be advantageous to you.

Any person who wishes to sell alcohol in Thailand must have a liquor license or alcohol license, issued by the Ministry of Finance. The application for the license is made at the district office of the place of the sale of alcohol and in the name of the holder of the business.
The issuance of such a license costs approximately 2000 baht and will have to be renewed every year (expiration on December 31) at a cost of 1100 baht.

To work in Thailand, you will have to obtain a work permit and a “non-immigrant visa B“, which are delivered by the Thai consulates and embassies. They are thus obligatory documents to be able to sell alcohol in Thailand. The work permit is delivered by the office of work, only if the foreign person possesses a qualification sought in Thailand.
The B visa gives the right to stay for 90 days (one entry into the country, with a final exit) with a permission to extend at the immigration office. Other visas are possible, but will depend on your situation and your project.

If you want to sell alcohol in Thailand you have to take into account the excise duty which is an indirect tax on some products, such as tobacco, fuel or alcohol.
Therefore, registration of excise duty is done at the Excise Department of the Ministry of Finance, according to Article 25 of the Excise Duty Act.
Certain documents will be required to register your application, form “Por Sor 01-01” must be prepared followed by the following documents:

When you apply for registration, you will need to use the “por 08- 05” form, along with the following documents:

For a standard procedure, the administrative fees will not exceed 2200 baht and 3 working days. However, if you wish to accelerate the process, in this case for a total of 5 500 baht (type 1 liquor license), you will receive your license the same day. Finally, the relevant authorities will perform other checks to ensure that your alcohol complies with Thai laws, such as approving your labels on your alcoholic beverages. Some of the checks will depend on the customs authorities who will examine your situation to know whether or not you can sell alcohol in Thailand.

The sale of alcohol is not allowed for persons under 20 years of age or for persons incapable of discernment (already drunk). Furthermore, it is forbidden to sell alcohol in Thailand near schools, religious establishments or gas stations, as well as during religious vacations. Finally, it is prohibited to sell alcohol online since December 7, 2020.

Many health restrictions have considerably reduced the possibility to sell alcohol in Thailand. Since November 1, Thailand has reopened its borders and the government is allowing the sale of alcohol again for certain tourist destinations: Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi and Pand-nga.
Activities have not yet resumed, although some restrictions have been lifted. Indeed, since October 29, restaurants are allowed to serve meals inside but cannot sell alcohol to their customers. In addition, some entertainment complexes are not allowed to reopen.
However, the situation seems to point to a resumption of economic and tourism activities during the year 2022.

If you cannot present a liquor license, you are liable to a fine of up to 100,000 baht. In addition, failure to comply with the hours of sale of alcohol, can result in up to 6 months imprisonment and / or up to 10,000 baht fine.

To conclude, if you want to sell alcohol in Thailand, you have to follow the steps related to the creation of a company to obtain the mandatory status and then you have to have the necessary authorizations to sell alcohol in Thailand. Contact our experts to make sure that your activity respects the regulations imposed in the country.