OCPB Direct Marketing Registration Services
Online stores and businesses that offer products directly to consumers through websites, social media, chat or telephone are considered direct marketing businesses under the Direct Sales and Direct Marketing Act B.E. 2545 (2002), and must register with the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) and place a security deposit before selling, unless an exemption applies, for example individuals whose income from online sales does not exceed 1.8 million baht per year. Greenpro KSP handles direct marketing registration through every step. Service fees start at 20,000 baht, excluding the security deposit.
We first check whether
you must register or are exempt
We prepare product documents
and file a complete application
A team with
30 years of experience
How Do Direct Marketing and Direct Sales Differ?
The same law divides these businesses into 2 types. Direct marketing is communicating information to offer goods or services directly to consumers who are at a distance, so that the consumers respond and buy. Direct sales is offering goods or services directly to consumers at their home, workplace or another place that is not a regular store, through direct sales agents or independent distributors.
| Direct Marketing | Direct Sales | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Websites selling products, Facebook pages, LINE OA, TikTok, Instagram, live streams that close sales in chat, sales by telephone or TV | Companies that sell through a network of agents or independent distributors |
| Who can register | Individuals, partnerships or companies | Only partnerships (registered capital of at least 500,000 baht) or companies (registered and paid-up capital of at least 1,000,000 baht) |
| Security deposit for new applicants | Individuals 5,000 baht · Partnerships or companies 25,000 baht | 25,000 baht |
| Documents that differ | Product list, sales method and sample sales documents | Plus a plan for paying compensation to agents |
| Failure to register | Imprisonment of up to 1 year, or a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both, plus a further fine of up to 10,000 baht per day | Imprisonment of up to 1 year, or a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both, plus a further fine of up to 20,000 baht per day |
An example of a direct marketing business registration certificate issued by the OCPB to one of our clients
Both types are prohibited from running a business that pays compensation for recruiting people into a network in the manner of a pyramid scheme.
Greenpro KSP provides direct marketing registration only. For direct sales businesses with networks of agents, the law requires the business operator to be a partnership or company, and the registration conditions differ from those for direct marketing.
Who Must Register for Direct Marketing
- Stores that have their own website, or sell through Facebook pages, LINE OA, TikTok or Instagram
- Stores that sell through live streams, send sales messages, or sell by email and then close the sale directly with the customer
- Businesses that sell by telephone, TV or catalog for customers to order from a distance
- Companies or partnerships that sell online, even if their sales have not yet reached 1.8 million baht, if they have not yet registered as SMEs
If you have several companies or several clearly separate websites, you must register separately for each juristic person; one registration cannot cover them all. Applicants who are individuals and sell over the internet must also have an electronic commercial registration certificate to support the application (companies and partnerships no longer need commercial registration since 2024).
Who Is Exempt from Registration
The Ministerial Regulation Prescribing Purchases and Sales of Goods or Services by Electronic Commerce That Are Not Deemed Direct Marketing B.E. 2561 (2018) exempts online sales by
- Individuals who have not yet registered for direct marketing and whose income from electronic commerce sales does not exceed 1.8 million baht per year
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) registered under the law on the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises
- Registered community enterprises and community enterprise networks
- Cooperatives and farmer groups registered under the law on cooperatives
This exemption applies to sales through electronic channels. If you are not sure which category your business falls under, message us and our team can check for you first.
Steps to Register for Direct Marketing with the OCPB
| Step | Details | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Check whether you need to register | Review the sales channels, sales volume and product types, and choose whether to register as an individual or a juristic person | 1–2 days |
| 2. Prepare product documents | Product list and prices, licenses for products controlled by a regulatory agency such as food and cosmetics, labels, product photos, and contracts showing the source of the products | Depends on the number of products |
| 3. File the application on Form Kh.T.2 (registration application) with the OCPB registrar | Our team fills in the application and attaches the documents. Officials review it and may ask for corrections or additional documents. | The OCPB manual sets a total of 68 business days after the documents are complete |
| 4. Place the security deposit | Cash, a bank guarantee, or Thai government/state enterprise bonds, in the required amount, within 30 days from the date you receive the notification letter from the registrar. If it is not placed within this deadline, the registrar will not accept the registration. | 30 days after receiving the notification letter |
| 5. The registrar accepts the registration | You receive the notice of acceptance of the direct marketing business registration | About 6 months in total |
Products That Cannot Be Sold Through Direct Marketing
The OCPB’s Citizen’s Manual states that products which specific laws prohibit from being sold outside business premises cannot be sold through direct marketing, namely medicines, medical devices, liquor and fertilizers. There are also products that the OCPB states should not be sold through this channel because of the risk of being used for pyramid-scheme fundraising, such as gold bars, gold jewelry, gems, government lottery tickets, cigarettes and mobile phone SIM cards. If your store’s products fall into this group, you should consult us before filing the application.
Required Documents
- Application Form Kh.T.2 (our team fills it in for you)
- Individuals: Copies of ID card and house registration
- Juristic persons: ID cards and house registrations of the authorized directors, and copies of the company affidavit, Memorandum of Association and list of shareholders, no more than 3 months old, prepared just in case (the Department of Business Development (DBD) has announced that the OCPB is 1 of 22 agencies that no longer require these 3 documents, but the OCPB’s Citizen’s Manual and Form Kh.T.2 still list them) (foreign directors use a passport and work permit)
- Lease agreement or letter of consent to use the premises, together with the lessor’s documents
- Map and photos of the head office, both inside and outside, clearly showing the address number
- A table of products and prices, with documents for each type of product, such as food registration numbers, cosmetic notification receipts, labels and product photos
- Contracts showing the source of the products, such as a distributor appointment letter or a contract manufacturing agreement
- Electronic commercial registration certificate (only for applicants who are individuals selling over the internet)
- Sample sales documents given to customers, and a description of how to order, pay and receive delivery of products
- Power of attorney (our team prepares it)
Service Fees, Government Fees and Security Deposit
Direct marketing registration service fees start at 20,000 baht, excluding government fees and the security deposit.
- Government fees: The OCPB’s Citizen’s Manual states that there is no fee for direct marketing registration.
- Security deposit for new applicants: Individuals 5,000 baht · Partnerships or companies 25,000 baht, placed with the OCPB. Any interest earned belongs to the business operator, and the deposit can be refunded when the business is dissolved or transferred, after showing evidence that all debts under this law have been paid.
- After registration, the security deposit amount is reviewed every 3 years based on revenue. If revenue does not exceed 25 million baht per year, the original rate applies. If revenue is higher, it increases to 50,000 baht (over 25–50 million), 100,000 baht (over 50–100 million) and 200,000 baht (over 100 million).
Examples of Work We Have Handled
A company that sells products online and had already registered its company with us wanted to operate in compliance with the direct sales and direct marketing law, so it assigned our team to also register it for direct marketing with the OCPB. Our team checked that the company did not fall under any exemption, compiled the product list, product documents and sample sales documents, filed the application and placed a security deposit of 25,000 baht in the name of the juristic person, until the registration was accepted. To date, we have handled direct marketing registration for about 10 clients.
Frequently Asked Questions About Direct Marketing Registration
Do I need to register for direct marketing to sell online?
If you offer products directly to customers through websites, social media or chat, this is considered direct marketing and you must register with the OCPB, except for individuals whose income from online sales does not exceed 1.8 million baht per year, SMEs registered under the SME promotion law, community enterprises, and registered cooperatives or farmer groups.
Does a company whose sales have not yet reached 1.8 million baht need to register?
Yes, it must register. The 1.8 million baht threshold applies only to individuals. Companies or partnerships that sell online must register for direct marketing, unless they have already registered as small and medium-sized enterprises under the SME promotion law.
How Do Direct Marketing and Direct Sales Differ?
Direct marketing is communicating sales offers directly to consumers who are at a distance, such as selling through websites, pages or telephone, and individuals can register for it. Direct sales is selling to consumers in person through direct sales agents or independent distributors; the operator must be a partnership or company with capital that meets the criteria, and must also submit a compensation plan.
How much is the direct marketing security deposit, and is it refundable?
New applicants who are individuals place 5,000 baht, and partnerships or companies place 25,000 baht. It can be placed as cash, a bank guarantee or bonds. Any interest earned belongs to the business operator, and the deposit can be refunded when the business is dissolved or transferred, after showing that all debts under this law have been paid. If it is not claimed within 5 years, it becomes state property.
Who cannot register for direct marketing?
The law does not set a nationality or minimum age for applicants, but an applicant who is an individual, or the managing director and managing partner of an applicant juristic person, must not have any prohibited characteristics under Section 38/2, namely: not being bankrupt; not being incompetent or quasi-incompetent; never having been sentenced to imprisonment by a final judgment (except for offenses committed through negligence or petty offenses); not being an executive of another partnership or company that is currently registered for direct sales or direct marketing; and never having been an executive of a juristic person whose registration was revoked within the 5 years before the application. In addition, the applicant must never have had a direct sales or direct marketing registration revoked within the 5 years before the application.
What is the penalty for not registering for direct marketing?
A direct marketing business operator who does not register faces imprisonment of up to 1 year, or a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both, plus a further fine of up to 10,000 baht per day for as long as the violation continues.
If I already have an electronic commercial registration, do I still need to register with the OCPB?
They are separate matters. Electronic commercial registration is done with the Department of Business Development to verify the identity of an online store, while direct marketing registration is done with the OCPB. If you fall under both, you must do both. Applicants who are individuals also use the electronic commercial registration certificate to support the direct marketing application, while companies and partnerships no longer need commercial registration since 2024.
How long does direct marketing registration take?
The OCPB manual sets a total review period of 68 business days from when the documents are complete. In practice, the whole process takes about 6 months, depending on the number of products, the documents for each product, and corrections to documents requested by officials.
If I have several websites or several companies, can I register just once?
No. If the business is split into several companies or several clearly separate websites, you must register separately for each juristic person. A single registration cannot cover all of the businesses.
Can customers who buy through direct marketing cancel their purchase?
Yes. The law allows consumers to terminate the contract by sending a written notice of their intent within 7 days from the date they receive the goods or services, and the seller must refund the money within 15 days from the date it receives the notice. Stores should therefore state this condition in their sales documents.
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Consult Us About Direct Marketing Registration
Tell us your sales channels, product types, and whether you sell as an individual or a company. Our team will first check whether you need to register and how much security deposit you need to place.
Address: 43 Thai CC Tower, 11th Floor, Room 111, South Sathorn Road, Yannawa, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120
Phone: 094 864 9799
LINE Official Account: @greenproksp
E-mail: surapa@greenproksp.com