Doing business in Thailand means operating under a strict regulatory framework. From time to time, companies may receive unexpected administrative orders from government authorities that restrict their operations, impose new compliance obligations, or levy fines and penalties. When this happens, a business may challenge the order under Thailand’s administrative law system. The primary concern in pursuing administrative litigation is timing, as strict statutory deadlines apply and missing them can permanently affect a company’s rights. First Step: Administrative Appeal Many companies assume the first step is to immediately bring the matter before the Administrative Court to seek revocation or suspension of the order. Some even attempt to request an interim injunction to stop the order from taking effect. However, Thai law generally requires that the company first challenge the order through an administrative appeal with the same agency that issued it. Only after this process is complete can the matter be taken to court. Seeking an interim injunction at this stage is also not possible. This is because Thai law does not allow a standalone application for an interim injunction; an injunction can only be requested together with the underlying complaint filed with the Administrative Court. Since a court complaint cannot be filed until the administrative appeal process has been exhausted, an injunction is usually not available at the early stage. What Are the Timeframes for Administrative Appeal? Thailand applies a two-stage administrative appeal process. The appeal must first be submitted to the same authority that issued the order, which will review its own decision. If that authority affirms its decision, the appeal is then escalated to the relevant higher authority for further review. In most cases, both stages must be completed before a company is allowed to proceed to court. The timeframe for filing an administrative appeal is very

Attorneys from Tilleke & Gibbins have updated the latest edition of Doing Business in Thailand, a Q&A-style guide from Thomson Reuters Practical Law that offers an overview of key legal considerations for companies operating in jurisdictions worldwide. The contribution outlines the country’s legal and regulatory framework for foreign investment and business operations and reflects the latest legislative developments. The chapter addresses the following core topics: Legal system: Structure of the courts and the codified nature of Thai law. Foreign investment: Business restrictions under the Foreign Business Act, sector-specific regulations, exchange control rules, and investment incentives. Business vehicles: Overview of partnerships, private and public limited companies, and other legal entities. Employment: Labor protections, employment contracts, foreign worker requirements, and termination procedures. Tax: Corporate and personal income tax, indirect taxes, and tax obligations for residents and non-residents. Intellectual property: Registration and enforcement of patents, trademarks, designs, and copyrights. Data protection: Key provisions of the Personal Data Protection Act and related compliance obligations. Competition law: Regulatory framework under the Trade Competition Act. Anti-bribery and corruption: Relevant legislation and enforcement mechanisms. E-commerce and digital business: Legal regime for online transactions and digital platforms. Marketing and advertising: Consumer protection laws and regulations affecting advertising and marketing practices. Product regulation and liability: Safety standards, liability regimes, and roles of enforcement authorities. Practical Law, a legal reference resource from Thomson Reuters, publishes a range of guides for hundreds of jurisdictions and practice areas. The insurance and reinsurance guide is a valuable resource for legal practitioners, covering numerous jurisdictions worldwide. To view the latest version of the guide, please visit the Practical Law website and enroll in the free Practical Law trial to gain full access.

Tilleke & Gibbins’ anticorruption team in Bangkok has authored the Thailand chapter of the newly released Anti-Bribery & Corruption 2026, published by Lexology Panoramic. This global guide provides a comparative overview of antibribery and anticorruption regimes across multiple jurisdictions. The Thailand chapter addresses the following key areas: Relevant international and domestic law: International anticorruption conventions, foreign and domestic bribery laws, successor liability, civil and criminal enforcement, out-of-court resolution and leniency mechanisms Foreign bribery: Legal framework, definition of foreign public officials, gifts, travel and entertainment, facilitating payments, payments through intermediaries, individual and corporate liability, private commercial bribery, defenses, enforcement authorities, enforcement trends, prosecution of foreign companies, sanctions, recent decisions and investigations Financial record-keeping and reporting: Applicable laws and regulations, disclosure of violations or irregularities, prosecution under accounting legislation, penalties for record-keeping violations, and tax deductibility of domestic or foreign bribes Domestic bribery: Legal framework, scope of prohibitions, definition of domestic public officials, gifts, travel and entertainment, facilitating payments, public official participation in commercial activities, payments through intermediaries or third parties, individual and corporate liability, private commercial bribery, defenses, enforcement authorities, enforcement trends, prosecution of foreign companies, sanctions, recent decisions and investigations Updates and trends: Key developments over the past year The Thailand chapter outlines recent developments in anticorruption enforcement, including significant cases involving multinational corporations and continued operations targeting transnational fraud networks along the Myanmar border. It also provides an overview of Thailand’s legal framework for addressing domestic and foreign bribery, including the Organic Act on Anti-Corruption B.E. 2561 (2017). The full Thailand chapter is available as a PDF through the button below. Readers may also register for 30 days of complimentary access to the complete Anti-Bribery & Corruption 2026 guide and other Lexology Panoramic publications through this link.