Thailand Publishing License

If you are looking to start a magazine publishing business in Thailand, acquisition of the publishing license is mandatory. As per the Publishing Act B.E. 2550 of Thailand, a magazine is termed as the newspaper.

If an individual wants to obtain a publishing license for the purpose publishing their magazine in Thailand, they need to have the following qualities for their business to be deemed legal.

  • The editor and the owner of the magazine or the newspaper should not be less than 20 years of age.
  • They should be a Thai national and have a regular residence in Thailand.
  • The editor or the own, in order to apply for the publishing license, shouldn’t be incompetent or quasi-incompetent.
  • The owner or the editor shouldn’t be imprisoned, in present or past, by the judgment of a court that is final. In cases of petty offenses or an act of negligence.

In case, where the owner of newspaper or magazine business is a company, the following rules apply to them for the purpose of obtaining the publishing license.

  • A total of 70% or more shares should be held by the Thai individual(s).
  • For shareholding companies, 70% or more shares should be owned by a Thai company.
  • At least 3/4th of the directors of that particular company should be Thai nationals.

Publishing License Acquisition Process

In order to obtain the publishing license for any individual or a company, they need to follow the steps mentioned below.

  • Before initializing the process the head/owner of the magazine is verified. Furthermore, the name of the magazine is also checked as a name already registered cannot be used again.
  • The following documents are required for the purpose of applying for publishing license:
    • Period of issuance
    • Language
    • A sample of magazine
    • Documents of the company
    • Medical checkup of the editor
    • Criminal record of the editor
  • The prescribed government fee charged at this stage is 5,000 TBH.
  • If the documents are verified, it is the time to proceed towards the last step that is to apply for ISSN – International Standard Serial Number. There is no government fee applicable to apply for the ISSN.

For the publishing license process to be hassle-free and stress-free, you need to opt for the services of Sun Belt Asia Legal Advisors. We have the team of experts who will guide you in each phase with their expertise and vast experience. Contact us today at (+66) 02-662-7004 or fill up the form below to get a free first session.

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