Department of Business Development Reveals Crackdown on Nominee Company Accounts

The Department of Business Development is intensifying its efforts to combat nominee company accounts, revealing significant progress in preventing fraudulent business registrations. In the first 9 months of 2025, 478 companies were found to be set up as nominee accounts, but this number dramatically dropped to just 71 companies in the last three months. With the implementation of strict new registration measures on January 1, 2025, the number of nominee companies further plummeted to just 1 company between January and mid-February. Currently, Thailand has 778,457 active companies, with 121,096 featuring foreign investment. Approximately 97% of foreign-invested companies have less than 50% foreign ownership, primarily concentrated in 12 key provinces including Bangkok, Chonburi, Surat Thani, and Phuket. The department warns business owners and professionals against participating in nominee arrangements, emphasizing that those found guilty could face up to 3 years in prison or fines ranging from 100,000 to 1 million baht.