Publishing License Service in Bangkok, Thailand

If you are intending to do business of newspaper or magazine publication then you are obliged to apply for Publishing License. Publishing License in Thailand comes under the jurisdiction of Publishing act 2007.

First and foremost, thing to do before applying your Publishing license is to check for the name. The act clearly specifies a newspaper or publishing name should not

1. Be identical with or intended to be similar with the royal titles, the royal monograms nor the dynasty title
2. Be identical with or intended to be similar with the titles granted by the king unless the title belongs to the submitter, his ascendants or descendants
3. Be identical with the names of the newspaper hat have previously been used by other
4. Be having an offensive word or meaning.

Qualification of the owner and/ or editor as laid out in act and related regulations are:

1. Being not less than twenty years of age
2. Being of Thai nationality
3. Should be having habitual residence in Thailand
4. Should not be incompetent or quasi incompetent person; order to a term of imprisonment unless having been discharged for a period of not less than 3 years and except for an offence committed through negligence or a petty offence.

IF owner is a juristic person in such casa following conditions has to be met  

1. The company should be registered Thai company with 70 % of its shares held by shareholder of Thai nationality and
2. Directorship in the company must comprise ¾ of directors to be Thai nationals. (75%)

Once above mentioned basic compliance is met, the application can be file at office of fine arts with following information furnished

1. Name, nationality and domicile of the printer, publisher, editor or newspaper proprietor
2. Name of the newspaper
3. Objective and time internal of issuance of the newspaper
4. Language used in the issuance of the newspaper
5. Name and location of the printing house or printing place
6. Name and location of the office of the newspaper.

Documents required for application includes but not limited to

1. A copy of national Identity card and a copy of house registration of publisher, advertiser. Editor and the owner.
2. A copy of certificate of business registration along with shareholder list issued not less than six months.
3. Letter of consent and lease agreement asserting the right to use a place as the newspapers headquarter.
4. Medical checkup report of editor
5. Police clearance report of editor
6. Sample of Magazine

Once the application is approved by the competent officer, government fee of THB 5,000 has to be paid to get the license. Furthermore, application for International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) has to be applied.