How to check a Thai company registration
By the Vanguard Verify desk · Published 2026-10-27 · Updated 2026-11-01
Short answer: to check a Thai company, search its 13-digit juristic person registration number (or its Thai name) on DBD DataWarehouse+ (datawarehouse.dbd.go.th), the free register search of the Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce. Confirm the status reads ยังดำเนินกิจการอยู่ (operating), that the directors and address match the offer, and, for anything you will sign or pay against, order a certified company certificate (หนังสือรับรอง) through DBD e-Service and check its QR code.
Step by step
- Get the identifiers. Ask for the exact registered name in Thai and English and the 13-digit registration number (เลขทะเบียนนิติบุคคล). Every juristic person on DataWarehouse+ carries one; for example, PTT Public Company Limited is 0107544000108. A real Thai company prints this number on its invoices and tax documents.
- Search DataWarehouse+. Enter the full 13-digit number to open the record directly. No account is needed. The full record is in Thai; the English view leaves out the directors, the signing rule and the head office address, so use the Thai view (a browser translator is fine) when comparing details.
- Read the status. Only ยังดำเนินกิจการอยู่ means the company is operating. เลิก means dissolved, ร้าง means removed from the register, and ล้มละลาย means bankrupt. A seller trading under a dissolved or struck-off entity is a stop sign.
- Match the legal form. A public limited company is บริษัทมหาชนจำกัด (often "Public Company Limited" or "PCL"); a private one is บริษัทจำกัด ("Co., Ltd."). A partnership (ห้างหุ้นส่วน) or an unregistered sole trader is not a "PCL", and sole traders do not appear in the juristic person search at all.
- Compare directors and signing authority. The Thai record lists the directors and the rule on who may sign for the company. If the person who signed your FCO or SPA is not a director or authorised signatory, ask for a board resolution or power of attorney and check the signer against the register.
- Look at the filings. DataWarehouse+ shows financial statements filed with the DBD. A company offering 50,000 MT a month with tiny reported revenue, or no filings at all, does not fit the deal.
- Order a certified certificate. DBD states that DataWarehouse+ data cannot be used as a legal reference. For a contract, open DBD e-Service and buy a หนังสือรับรอง (company certificate, 40 baht per item for a limited company). Electronic certificates carry a DBD official's digital signature and can be checked by QR code and by the reference number printed at the bottom.
- Check the export side. Some Thai exports have their own regulators. Jasmine rice exporters must register with the Department of Foreign Trade's Office of Commodity Standards, renewed every 31 December. Sugar exports are reported to the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board. Ask for the relevant registration and confirm it with the agency directly.
- Contact the company yourself. Call the head office number you found independently, not the one in the email, and ask them to confirm the offer and the person handling it.
What each status means
| Status on DataWarehouse+ | Meaning | Can it sign a new contract? |
|---|---|---|
| ยังดำเนินกิจการอยู่ | Operating | Yes, subject to signing rules |
| เลิก | Dissolved | No, it is winding up |
| ร้าง | Removed from the register | No |
| เสร็จการชำระบัญชี | Liquidation completed | No, it no longer exists |
| ฟื้นฟู | Business rehabilitation | Under rehabilitation; get legal advice before signing |
| ล้มละลาย / พิทักษ์ทรัพย์เด็ดขาด | Bankrupt / absolute receivership | No |
Red flags
- No 13-digit number, or a number that opens a different company name.
- The company certificate is a scan only, with no QR code or reference number that checks out on the DBD system.
- A photocopied paper certificate: genuine paper copies carry micro-text and a DBD watermark that blur or vanish when copied.
- The signer is not on the director list and there is no power of attorney.
- Contact details are a free webmail address or a mobile number only, while the registered address is a different province.
- An "allocation" of ICUMSA 45 sugar or 100,000 MT of rice from a company with no export registration and no filed accounts. See is that ICUMSA 45 offer real?
- Pressure to pay a "registration", "allocation" or "legal" fee before you can see any document.
A clean register entry proves the company exists. It does not prove the person emailing you works there or that the cargo exists, so combine it with the steps in how to verify a rice supplier and an independent inspection.
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FAQ
Is the Thai company register free to search?
Yes. DBD DataWarehouse+ (datawarehouse.dbd.go.th) is free and needs no account. Certified documents such as a company certificate come from DBD e-Service and cost a small fee, for example 40 baht per certificate item for a limited company.
How many digits is a Thai company registration number?
Thirteen. Every juristic person on DataWarehouse+ has a 13-digit registration number, for example 0107544000108 for PTT Public Company Limited.
Can I rely on a DataWarehouse+ printout in a contract?
No. DBD says DataWarehouse+ data cannot be used as a legal reference. Order a certified company certificate (หนังสือรับรอง) through DBD e-Service and verify its QR code and reference number.
How do I check a Thai company certificate is genuine?
Scan the QR code and check the reference number at the bottom of the document on the DBD system. Paper originals also carry micro-text and a DBD watermark that blur when photocopied.
Vanguard Verify is run by Vanguard Trade Capital Goods Wholesalers DWC-LLC, Dubai South, Licence 14282. This answer is general information, not legal or financial advice.