FAQ

Yes, but the two need to be understood separately. The site location usually does not directly determine the base BOI activity category — the base category is mainly determined by the product, the process and the business activity. However, the location does affect whether the project meets specific location requirements, whether regional incentives can be stacked on top, the production schedule, and the management of the project location on the BOI certificate. Therefore, for manufacturing projects it is not advisable to "fix the site first and deal with BOI later"; instead, site selection, BOI eligibility and the production timeline should be placed on the same decision table.

I. The Site Location Mainly Affects 4 Areas

1. Regional incentives. When a project falls within a BOI-recognized industrial park, promoted industrial zone, a specific EEC promotion zone, or other policy-encouraged areas, additional corporate income tax incentives or other regional benefits may apply. Whether such incentives can be stacked, and for how long, depends on the project's activity group, the zone in question and the application timing — it cannot be concluded simply because the project is "in the EEC".

2. Location requirements of certain projects. Some BOI activities themselves impose requirements on the project location; if the location fails to meet these requirements, it may affect whether the project can be filed under the intended category or incentive package.

3. Environmental assessment and production timing. Entering a mature industrial park usually helps with land use, infrastructure and alignment with government procedures, but it should not be simplified as "standard factory buildings inside a park are automatically exempt from environmental assessment". Whether a project needs an EIA/IEE must be judged separately according to its industry, scale, process and location.

4. Relocation and expansion after approval. BOI sets conditions on the location of the factory/business premises. After approval, if the relocation remains within the same designated area, BOI usually only needs to be notified; if the project moves to a new province or a new industrial park/zone, an application for a change of project location is usually required.

II. What Zhongxin Tax & Accounting Recommends for a Solid Approach

At the site selection stage, do not look only at rent, land prices and transport conditions. For manufacturing projects, at least the following should be checked simultaneously: whether the product falls under BOI-promoted activities, whether the candidate sites meet location requirements, whether regional incentives can be stacked, whether equipment imports and the production timeline will be affected, and whether the environmental assessment or factory license could become a schedule bottleneck.

Zhongxin does not engage in land purchase, factory leasing or land brokerage services, but it can provide a site selection checklist from the perspectives of BOI, taxation and accounting, and production scheduling, and can connect clients with screened industrial parks or professional service agencies when needed.

III. Professional Boundaries and Notes

Regional BOI incentives are adjusted with policy measures, activity groups and application periods, so it is impossible to promise "the EEC always gives a few more tax-free years". Specific projects should be based on the BOI announcements, project activities and site location in effect at the time of application; environmental assessment, factory construction and land transactions are the responsibility of the corresponding professional agencies.

Policy sources / official basis: Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), Project Amendments / Relocation of the Factory/Establishment; Investment Promotion Guide 2023, pp. 24-25; Investment Promotion Measures in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). The specific conditions applicable in 2026 are subject to the BOI announcements then in force.

IV. Next Step: Apply for a Preliminary Joint BOI and Site Selection Review

If your company already has 1-2 candidate sites, Zhongxin can first carry out a preliminary joint BOI and site selection assessment, so as to avoid discovering only after the lease or land purchase is finalized that the incentives, licenses or production schedule need to be redone.

Zhongxin will prioritize communication around the items you have checked, without repeatedly collecting complicated materials. Key steps: Request professional review → Zhongxin business engagement → Professional needs diagnosis → Proposal and quotation.