November 9, 2022
On September 14, 2022, the Parliament approved the draft of the Act Amending the Thai Civil and Commercial Code (the “Amendment Act”) covering Title XXII on Partnerships and Limited Companies. Under this Amendment Act, a new M&A scheme and amended corporate governance requirements have been introduced for limited companies. The draft was initiated by the Department of Business Development (“DBD”) with the goal of facilitating business operations by revising outdated requirements, removing excessive corporate compliance obligations, and promoting the business consolidation scheme under the Thai Civil and Commercial Code (the “TCCC”). The Amendment Act was recently submitted to the Cabinet for His Majesty the King’s signature on September 19, 2022, and will take effect 90 days following its announcement in the Government Gazette. This article highlights key elements of the Amendment Act, as well as comparisons with the existing provisions under the TCCC and the implications for business operators. Key Elements of the Amendment Act The groundbreaking changes proposed under the Amendment Act can be divided into three major aspects as set out in the following table. Topic Details 1. Company Establishment (i)      Minimum Number of Promotors Section 1097 of the TCCC requires a limited company to have at least three individuals as promotors upon its incorporation. The Amendment Act reduces the minimum number of promotors required to just two individuals. (ii)    The Memorandum of Association While Section 1099 of the TCCC does not provide any deadline for the registration of a limited company’s Memorandum of Association, the Amendment Act requires that the company shall be incorporated within three months from the registration date of its Memorandum of Association with the DBD. In...