Due diligence & scams
How to Confirm a Thai Supplier's Business License Is Valid
You've found a Thai factory or trading company that looks solid on paper — a registered address, a VAT number, maybe a slick website. But before you wire a deposit, the real questi
You've found a Thai factory or trading company that looks solid on paper — a registered address, a VAT number, maybe a slick website. But before you wire a deposit, the real question is simpler and harder: is this company actually a legally registered business in Thailand, in good standing, and authorized to sell what it's offering? Confirming a Thai supplier's business license is valid isn't about trusting a PDF they email you — it's about checking public records yourself. This guide walks through exactly how to do that, using the same government sources trade professionals rely on.
Why this matters more in Thailand than you might expect
Thailand has a large, active small-business sector, and it's common for sellers on Alibaba-style platforms or local trade shows to operate through loosely connected entities — a trading company registered in one name, manufacturing done by another, and a sales team that may not be directly employed by either. None of this is necessarily fraudulent, but it means the 'company' you're emailing may not be the legal entity you think it is. For regulated goods (food, cosmetics, supplements, medical devices), an invalid or mismatched registration can also mean the export paperwork you receive later won't match the actual manufacturer, which creates problems during customs clearance in your own country. Supplier verification at the registration level is the first, cheapest check you can do — before you ask for samples, quotes or factory visits.
Step 1: Get the company's registration number and legal Thai name
Every legally registered company in Thailand has a 13-digit juristic person registration number assigned by the Department of Business Development (DBD), part of the Ministry of Commerce. Ask the supplier directly for: their exact Thai legal name (not just an English trading name), the registration number, and ideally a copy of their company affidavit (หนังสือรับรอง). A supplier who hesitates to share this, or who only has an English name with no Thai registration details, is a signal to slow down — legitimate Thai companies are used to providing this for trade purposes.
Step 2: Check the registration against DBD's public database
The DBD runs a public business information service (DBD DataWarehouse / e-Service) where you can search by juristic registration number or company name to confirm the entity exists, see its registered capital, registration date, business objectives on file, and current status (active, dissolved, or under liquidation). If the company name or registration number your supplier gave you doesn't return a match, or returns a different business type than what they claim to do, that's a reason to ask direct questions before proceeding. Some details are easier to access in Thai, so if you don't read Thai, it's worth having a local contact, sourcing agent or translator cross-check the record rather than relying on machine translation alone.
Step 3: Confirm the business type matches what they're selling you
A valid registration doesn't automatically mean the company is licensed for your specific product category. Thailand separates general business registration (DBD) from product-specific authorizations — food, cosmetics, supplements and medical devices typically fall under the Thai FDA (Food and Drug Administration), while certain exported goods may need additional permits from the Department of Foreign Trade or other agencies depending on the product. So the check has two layers: is the company itself legally registered, and separately, does it (or its manufacturer) hold the relevant product authorization for what you're importing. Ask the supplier which entity actually holds the Thai FDA license or manufacturing license, since it's often not the trading company you're negotiating with, but the factory behind it.
Step 4: Cross-check with VAT registration and tax status
Companies doing a meaningful volume of business in Thailand are generally VAT-registered, and you can ask for their 13-digit tax ID, which in most cases is the same as the juristic registration number. A mismatch between the VAT ID on an invoice and the DBD registration number for the company name is worth asking about directly — sometimes it's simply a branch or related entity, but it's better to get that explained before payment than after a shipment is stuck.
Step 5: Use third-party verification when you can't check sources yourself
If language, access, or simply time is a barrier, Thailand's Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) and Thai trade promotion offices abroad can sometimes help confirm whether a company is a known, registered exporter, and some sourcing agents and due-diligence services offer company-background checks as a paid service. This doesn't replace checking DBD records yourself, but it's a reasonable second layer, especially for a first order with a new supplier or a higher-value shipment where supplier verification deserves more than a five-minute search.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is a Thai business registration the same as a product export license?
No. DBD registration confirms the company legally exists and is allowed to operate as a business in Thailand. It says nothing about whether that company or its factory holds product-specific authorizations, such as Thai FDA approval for food, cosmetics or supplements. You need to check both separately.
What if the supplier only gives me an English company name?
Ask for the Thai legal name and 13-digit registration number directly — they're standard information for any registered Thai business. If a supplier can't or won't provide them, treat that as a flag to investigate further before moving ahead.
Can I check a Thai company's registration status for free?
Yes, the Department of Business Development's public business database allows searches by name or registration number at no cost, though some details are presented in Thai and may require help from a Thai-speaking contact to interpret fully.
What should I do if the registration details don't match what the supplier told me?
Ask for a direct explanation before paying any deposit — it could be a related branch, a different trading arm, or a genuine discrepancy. Either way, get it clarified in writing and, where the order size justifies it, consider a third-party verification before committing.
Prepared by the Import Thai team for informational purposes. Some links may lead to referred partners.
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