泰国外商投资法律-限制多吗？

胡星律师

我国从1979年第一部中外合资经营企业法，吸引外资距今已逾4年。泰国外商投资相关法律 Foreign Business Act （“《外国商业法》”）前身Alien Business Act 其实更早，由泰国军政府1972年颁布。曼谷作为一个世界500强高管因喜欢其文化多样性和包容度，常上榜亚洲前三最佳跨国公司总部的城市，这个国家外商投资法律是怎样的呢？下面来读读。
Section 5. In permitting the foreigners to operate the businesses under this Act, the advantages and disadvantages to the nation s safety and security, economic and social development, public order (/public-order) or good moral, art, culture and tradition of the country, natural resource conservation, energy and environment, consumer protection, size of the enterprises, employment, technology transfer, and research and development shall be taken into account.
本条叙述了泰国允许外国投资人在泰从事商业活动所需考虑的各种因素，包括国家安全、文化保护、自然资源等方方面面。
Section 8. Subject to Section 6, Section7, Section 10 and Section 12
1. Foreigners shall be prohibited from operating the business not permitted to them with special reasons as described in List One.
(1)Newspaper business, radio broadcasting or television station business;
(2)Rice farming, farming or gardening;
(3)Animal farming;
(4)Forestry and wood fabrication from natural forest;
(5)Fishery for marine animals in Thai waters and within Thailand specific economic zones;
(6)Extraction of Thai herbs;
(7)Trading and auctioning Thai antiques or national historical objects;
(8)Making or casting Buddha images and monk alms bowls;
(9)Land trading.
禁止投资（清单1）：泰国《外国商业法》禁止外国人进行的投资，列出了上述9条。
2. Foreigners shall be prohibited from operating any business concerning national safety and security, business affecting art and culture, tradition and folk handicraft or the business affecting natural resources or environment as prescribed in List Twounless permitted by the Minister with the approval of the Cabinet.
Group 1: The businesses related to the national safety or security
(1) Production, selling, repairing and maintenance of: firearms, ammunition, gun powder, explosives; accessories of firearms, ammunition, and explosives; armaments, ships, air-craft or military vehicles; equipment or components, all categories of war materials;
(2) Domestic land, waterway or air transportation, including domestic airline business.
Group 2: The businesses affecting arts, culture traditional, folk handicraft:
(1) Trading antiques or art objects being Thai arts and handicraft;
(2) Production of carved wood;
(3) Silkworm farming, production of Thai silk yarn, weaving Thai silk or Thai silk pattern printing;
(4) Production of Thai musical instruments;
(5) Production of goldware, silverware, nielloware, bronzeware or lacquerware;
(6) Production of crockery of Thai arts and culture.
Group 3: The businesses affecting natural resources or environment:
(1) Manufacturing sugar from sugarcane;
(2) Salt farming, including underground salt;
(3) Rock salt mining;
(4) Mining, including rock blasting or crushing;
(5) Wood fabrication for furniture and utensil production.
限制类投资（清单2）：涉及国家安全、艺术与传统文化工艺、自然资源环境三类业务，实行许可证经营。外国投资人必须事先获得泰国内阁批准和总理允许，否则不能经营。
3. Foreigners shall be prohibited from operating the businesses prescribed in List Three in which Thai nationals are not ready to compete unless permitted by the Director-General (of Commercial Registration Department) with the approval of the (Foreign Business) Committee.
(1) Rice milling and flour production from rice and farm produce;
(2) Fishery, specifically marine animal cultures;
(3) Forestry from forestation;
(4) Production of plywood, veneer board, chipboard or hardboard;
(5) Production of lime;
(6) Accounting service business;
(7) Legal service business;
(8) Architecture service business;
(9) Engineering service business;
(10) Construction, except for (omitted);
(11) Broker or agent business, except (omitted);
(12) Auction, except (omitted);
(13) Internal trade connected with native products or produce not yet prohibited by law;
(14) Retailing all categories of goods having the total minimum capital less than 100 million Baht or having the minimum capital of each shop less than 20 million Baht;
(15) Wholesaling all categories of goods having minimum capital of each shop less than 100 million Baht;
(16) Advertising business;
(17) Hotel business, except for hotel management service;
(18) Guided tour;
(19) Selling food or beverages;
(20) Plant cultivation and propagation business;
(21) Other categories of service business except that prescribed in the ministerial regulation.
限制类投资（清单3）: 涉及泰国公民尚未准备充分，不足以与外国人竞争的某些领域，实行许可证经营。外国投资人必须事先获得泰国外资委批准和商业注册处处长允许，否则不能经营。
作为上述禁止、限制类投资规定的例外，第8条开头列出第6、7、1、12条是例外。其中第6、7条与中国投资人关系不大；第1条规定了关于与泰国共同是公约国，受限于公约规定，可从泰国国王政府拿临时许可的例外情况；第12条涉及另一部法规《投资促进法》下，获得许可证的例外情况。第1、12条规定复杂，本文不作论述。
Section 13. In the case where the provisions of other laws regulate shareholding, foreigners  partnership or investment, permission or prohibition for the foreigners in operating certain businesses or prescribe rules on the foreigner s business operation, the laws shall prevail and the provisions of this Act shall not be applicable to the areas that the other laws specifically govern.
这条有点意思，作为一部泰国总理1999年签署的效力等级高的法规，在本条中自贬身价， 规定若有其他关于股权、外国人合伙或投资、外国人在特定商业领域经营许可或禁止的法律规定，本法相关规定将不适用，而其他法律规定优先。
如果一定要自圆其说，那可能这条规定是为了“特别法优于普通法，新法优于旧法”吧。
这条规定使外国投资人暴露于更高的因泰国法律变化而带来的商业风险，不利于吸引外商投资。曾几何时，我们也常焦头烂额向外资客户解释那些朝令夕改的国内法规…
Section 14. The minimum capital used at the commencement of the business operation shall not be less than that prescribed by ministerial regulations and shall in no case be less than two million Baht.
In the case where the businesses in the preceding paragraph require the licenses under the Lists attached hereto, the minimum capital to be prescribed in the ministerial regulations for each of the businesses shall in no case be less than three million Baht.
Ministerial regulations issued by virtue of this Section may also prescribe the time for the minimum capital to be brought or remitted into Thailand.
The provisions of this Section shall not apply in the events where the foreigners make the invest with the money or property derived from the business operation that has previously been in operation in Thailand in another business or use them as a share or an investment in other enterprises or juristic persons.
最低初始资本金投入。外商投资的企业运营前，投入的最低资本为200万泰铢；若限制类投资，为300万泰铢。若投资来源于外国投资人在泰国其他商业运营所赚取的现金或物产，本条不适用。
我国现行外商投资法下，对外商投资实行准入前国民待遇加负面清单管理制度，在负面清单之外的领域，按照内外资一致原则实施管理，因此，不存在类似最低初始资本金投入要求。
Section 15. The foreigners may operate the business under List Two only if Thai nationals or juristic persons that are not foreigners under this Act hold the shares of not less than 40% of the capital of that foreign juristic persons. Unless there is a reasonable cause, the Minister with the approval of the Cabinet may reduce the proportion requirement but it shall not be less than 25 percent and the number of Thai directors shall not be less than two-fifths of the total number of directors.
外资比例限制。就清单2中的限制类投资，非外资持股比例不得低于40%，作为例外，经内阁批准总理可以许可低于40%比例，但不应低于25%，且泰国籍董事不得少于2/5董事会人数。因此，外资持股通常不超过60%，作为例外最多不超过75%。
在我国最新版负面清单中，除文化、金融另有规定，限制类投资仅小麦玉米、出版物印刷、特定汽车整车制造、核电站、国内水上运输、公共航空运输、民用机场、电信、广播电视收听和收视调查、中外合作办学有外资持股比例限制。
Section 34. Any foreigner granted with the license or certificate whose license being suspended or revoked or being ordered to stop the licensed business operation and having lost the right to appeal or being ordered by the Minister with a final decision to suspend or revoke the license or to stop the business operation still carries on the business operation shall be punishable with an imprisonment of not exceeding three years or a fine from 100,000 Baht to 1,000,000 Baht or both, and also a fine of 10,000 Baht per day throughout the period of violation.
本条是罚则。若许可证被暂停、撤销或责令停止且不再有机会申诉，但外国投资人仍继续经营的，应被处罚不超过3年监禁，单罚或并罚10万-100万泰铢，以及违法日起每天1万泰铢罚金。
Section 35. Any foreigner, being grated the license to operate any business under this Act, takes part in a business owned by other foreigners not permitted to operate the business under this Act or operates the business jointly owned by such other foreigners by showing that he is the sole owner of the business in order for such other foreigners to avoid or violate the provisions of this Act,
shall be punished with an imprisonment of not exceeding three years or a fine from 100,000 Baht to 1,000,000 Baht or both and the Court shall order the dissolution of such joint business or business operation. Any violation of the Court s order, it is punishable with a fine of 10,000 Baht to 50,000 Baht per day throughout the period of violation.
Section 36. Any Thai national or juristic person that is not a foreigner under this Act, aiding or abettingor taking part in the business operation of the foreigners whose business falls under the Lists attached hereto and the foreigners are not permitted to operate the business or taking part in the business operation of the foreigner by showing that he or it is the sole owner of the business or holding shares on behalf of the foreigners (acting as a nominee (/nominee) shareholder) in any partnership or limited company or juristic person in order for the foreigners to operate the business in avoidance of or violation to the provisions of this Act, including the foreigners allowing Thai nationals or juristic persons that are not foreigners under this Act to do so,
shall be punished with an imprisonment of not exceeding three years or a fine from 100,000 Baht to 1,000,000 Baht or both, and the Court shall order a stoppage of the aiding or abetting or order a stoppage of the joint business operation or order a stoppage of share holding or a cessation of the partnership as the case may be. Violators of the Court s order shall be subject to a punishment with a fine of 10,000 Baht to 50,000 Baht per day throughout the period of violation.
“股权代持”罚则。这两条冗长表述，其实就是要逮违法的“股权代持”。即，拿不到许可证的外国人（隐名股东），通过有许可证的外国人或者泰国公民（显名股东）代持股份，显名股东要一同遭殃被罚，无论显名股东是帮助、教唆、还是仅有参与行为。
结语
《外国商业法》共46条，本文未讨论的条文，多涉及外商投资程序性要求、注册官方机构的成立和运行管理规定，以及违反程序性规定相关罚则，在此不展开讨论。
总体读下来，泰国对外商投资的限制并不多，虽然 “有点奇葩”的第13条增加了外商投资人所面对的整体法律环境的不确定性。作为东南亚第二大经济体，泰国政府2016年提出Thailand 4.0目标，鼓励产业升级和技术创新，为此战略泰国吸引外商投资的脚步也并未停下。
本文仅作讨论，不构成律师法律意见。若转载，请得到作者事先同意。