How do you check a Thai company's registration?

Where do you check?

Thailand's Department of Business Development (DBD) keeps the register of companies and publishes it through DBD DataWarehouse+ at datawarehouse.dbd.go.th. Use the official address only — the DBD has warned that copies of its site have been used in scams.

Every Thai company has a 13-digit registration number, which is also its tax ID. Ask the supplier for it. Searching by number is far more reliable than by name, and Thai-script names give better results than English ones.

What does the record show?

Depending on the company, the record shows:

• Registration status, date and registered capital
• Registered address and branches
• Directors and who can sign for the company
• Registered business type
• Financial statements the company has filed

Some information is available in English, but not all of it.

What should you compare it with?

• Company name — does it match the quotation, invoice and contract exactly?
• Bank account — is the payee the same company? A different name is a warning sign.
• Directors — is the person you are dealing with authorised to sign?
• Business type and address — do they fit a company making or selling your product?
• Filed accounts — a long gap in filed statements is worth asking about, although smaller companies sometimes file late.

What can a registration check not tell you?

It cannot confirm production capacity, product quality, certificates or whether the company will deliver. It is the first check, not the last.

How can SiamPartner help?

If you cannot read the Thai records, or want them matched against your quotation, invoice and bank details, SiamPartner does this for you before you commit. You get a clear summary of what matches, what does not, and what to ask the supplier next.