Association Registration
Association registration for both associations and trade associations, including preparing the documents and filing the registration on your behalf at every step. Associations file at the district office (Bangkok) or the Amphoe (district) office (other provinces), while trade associations file with the Department of Business Development (DBD) or the Provincial Commerce Office.
Association Registration Services
Key Requirements for Association Registration
- The establishment of an association involves a group of people coming together to carry out any activity jointly on a continuing basis, not for the purpose of seeking profit or income to be shared among themselves. At least 3 prospective members must jointly file the application, enclosing the names, addresses and occupations of not fewer than 10 prospective members.
- An association’s income derives from registration fees, annual membership fees and income from the association’s activities, to be spent on its activities in line with the association’s objectives
- An association must have clear goals and objectives for its establishment. For example, objectives related to religion require a letter of support from the Department of Religious Affairs, and objectives in other areas require a letter of support from the relevant agency for that area.
- Any activity of the association that involves entering into legal relations or dealing with outside parties must be carried out by the association’s committee, as the association’s representative. The legal effect of transactions involving members depends on the applicable law and the association’s rules.
- Members have the right to inspect the association’s affairs and property during business hours · Members numbering not less than one-fifth of all members, or not less than 100 members (or the number specified in the regulations), may submit a written request for the committee to call an extraordinary general meeting, stating the matters to be discussed, and the committee must hold the meeting within 30 days of the date the request is received. If the committee does not do so, the members who made the request may call the meeting themselves · Notice of a general meeting must be sent to every member at least 7 days before the meeting date, or published in a newspaper widely circulated in the locality at least 2 times, at least 7 days before the meeting date.
- The committee must hold the association’s annual ordinary general meeting every year, on any day and month of the year it chooses to specify.
Filing an application to establish an association
1. In Bangkok, file the application at the district office of the district where the association is located.
2. In other provinces, file at the Amphoe (district) office or the Provincial Administration Office.
Association Registration Service Details
- Before using the association registration service, a meeting must be held to found the association, with at least 3 members jointly filing the application to establish the association (named in the registration application).
- The association’s regulations must be drawn up. The regulations must not deviate from the provisions of the law that confers the authority, and must be drafted before applying to establish the association; the regulations may not be drafted after the association has been established.
- The location of the association, its head office and branches (if any), must be specified.
- Association committee members must be appointed and their positions defined, such as president, vice president, treasurer, social host, registrar, public relations officer and secretary.
Trade Association Registration Details
- For our trade association registration service, the client must have an association name in Thai script, which may also include foreign-language script, and must have a clearly visible association name sign posted at the association’s office.
- There must be at least 3 promoters who jointly establish the trade association. They must be individuals (natural persons) operating enterprises of the same type, or related enterprises, and the main objective must be to promote the operation of enterprises of that same type.
- A trade association must have regulations, which must include the association’s name, objectives, office location, method of admitting members, members’ rights and duties and the removal of members, the operation of the trade association, the appointment of committee members, committee members leaving office, committee meetings and general meetings.
- A trade association must have a committee that carries out its activities and represents the trade association in dealings with outside parties. The committee may assign one or more committee members to act on its behalf.
Trade Associations
Trade association registration: a trade association is an institution jointly established by several people engaged in trade, industry, finance, fisheries, agriculture or other businesses, to support one another in operating their enterprises, not for the purpose of seeking profit or sharing income. Members of a trade association may submit a written request to inspect the association’s activities and assets.
Duties of a Trade Association
- A trade association must prepare a register of members, keep it at the association’s office, and deliver a copy of the register of members to the Trade Association Registrar within 90 days of the date it received the licence to establish the trade association. When the association has new members, or there are changes to the register of members, the trade association must send a copy of the new register of members to the Trade Association Registrar within 90 days of the date the new members were admitted or the change occurred.
- A trade association must hold a meeting to elect its first committee, which will carry out its activities and act as the association’s representative in matters involving outside parties. Once the association’s committee has been elected, it must be registered with the association registrar within 30 days of the date of the committee election.
- When committee members are newly elected or replaced, this must be registered within 30 days of the date the new committee members were appointed or replaced.
- When the association’s regulations are amended or added to, the change must be filed for registration with the registrar within 30 days of the date the general meeting resolved to amend the association’s regulations.
- The association must prepare a balance sheet at least once every twelve-month period, which is regarded as the accounting year. It must be audited by an auditor, and the audited statements must be presented to the general meeting for approval within 120 days of the end of the accounting year.
- The association must prepare an annual report showing the results of its operations, to be presented to the general meeting at the same time as the balance sheet, and send copies of the report and the balance sheet to the registrar within 30 days of the date of the general meeting.
- If the trade association is dissolved, the association must notify the registrar within 15 days of the date on which the cause of dissolution arose.
Interested in Our Service for Registering Associations and Trade Associations?
Greenpro KSP Consulting Co., Ltd.
43 Thai CC Tower, 11th Floor, Room 111, South Sathorn Road, Yannawa, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120
Mobile: 094 864 9799
LINE ID: @greenproksp
E-mail: surapa@greenproksp.com