Do I need a physical office, or will a registered address do?
For the DBD, a registered address needs the house registration document (ทะเบียนบ้าน) of the premises and, where the company is not the owner, the owner’s written consent; a residential address can serve, and companies are registered at homes and serviced offices every day. The test that actually bites comes later, at VAT registration, where the Revenue Department expects a real place of business and may inspect it, which is where a bare virtual office usually fails.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026
What the DBD asks of an address
The registrar wants an address in Thailand it can tie to a person who consented: the ทะเบียนบ้าน of the premises, and if the company does not own them, the owner’s consent letter and ID. A condo can work on paper, but check the juristic person rules first: many buildings prohibit commercial use, and a later dispute with the building is a company address change with a registered filing attached.
The address is public. It appears on the company affidavit, and mail from the DBD, the Revenue Department and the Social Security Office goes there, so an address that nobody checks is a way to miss a deadline you did not know you had. The compliance calendar is long enough without unopened letters.
Where virtual offices come apart
VAT registration is the checkpoint. The application asks for the address evidence, and the Revenue Department may inspect the premises before approving; area offices commonly expect a lease, the owner’s consent, photographs and something that looks like the business actually being there. A desk that exists only as a mail drop tends not to survive that, though practice varies office to office. If the business needs VAT, and most foreign linked businesses end up needing it, choose the address as if the inspection will happen.
The practical hierarchy
- A real office or shop you occupy: no issues anywhere.
- A home you own or rent with the owner’s consent: fine for the DBD, usually workable for VAT if the business genuinely runs from it.
- A serviced office with a dedicated, lettered space and a landlord used to VAT inspections: the standard answer for small foreign owned companies.
- A bare virtual address: fine only for a company that will never register for VAT, and a false economy for one that will.
Setup quotes often include a registered address for the first year. What that does and does not get you is exactly the kind of line worth comparing across three quotes.
Related questions
- Registering for VAT in Thailand: when is it mandatory, and when is it a choice?
- How long does registering a Thai company really take, start to finish?
- Nominee shareholders: why firms still offer them, and what the risk actually is
Sources
- DBD, guide to establishing a company limited, address requirements (Thai, PDF)
- Revenue Department, VAT registration (English)
- Formichella & Sritawat: nominee enforcement and premises screening, 2026
This is general information about how a filing works, not accounting or tax advice for your company. Confirm anything that matters against the official notice or with your accountant. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.