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Restaurant – Food & Alcohol Licenses
If you operate a restaurant or bar with an area bigger than 200 square meters, you must apply for a food and/or alcohol (retail) license for your business, and the license certificates must be displayed in a prominent location within the restaurant or bar.
Restaurant (Food) License
Application Process
- Siamese International Law firm will assist you in compiling the essential government paperwork and supporting papers for submission at the appropriate district office for the application. It is vital to highlight that such commercial operations are permitted under the construction permit for the structure in which the restaurant is located..
- After the application has been accepted by the officials, an appointment will need to be scheduled for the officials to check the restaurant’s facilities. Additional documentation may be sought following the examination at the discretion of the official.
- All Thai employees working in the restaurant would thereafter be required to report to the district office to take an exam consisting of multiple choice questions. Siamese can help you gather the necessary government documentation and supporting documents for submission at the relevant district office for the application. It is critical to emphasize that such commercial operations are authorized under the building permit for the structure in which the restaurant is located, which consists
of 50 multiple-choice questions, at least 40 of which must be successfully answered. The questions mostly involve the restaurant’s standards and hygiene. The district office gives a booklet for staff to study before the test. Prior to the license being issued, the personnel will also be needed to provide a medical certificate.
4. A license will be awarded if the regulators confirm that the documentation, restaurant inspection, and personnel test results match their standards. The issuing of the food license may take up to or slightly more than a month, depending on a variety of circumstances such as the availability of officials for an inspection, the condition of the restaurant, and so on.
- Commercial name of the restaurant, which may be different from the company’s name
- Photos (print out) in front of and inside the restaurant
- Layout of the restaurant (interior and floor plan)
- Total size in square meters of the whole restaurant (including tables, kitchen, counter etc.)
The government fee is calculated based on the square meters of the restaurant.
Related Licenses
Alcohol License
We may also help you apply for a retail license to sell alcoholic drinks if you want to sell alcohol in your restaurant or bar. Some government paperwork, firm registration documents, documentation from the legal owner of the property, and a copy of the authorized director’s passport or Thai ID are required for this license application. If all paperwork are in order, it can be collected within a couple of working days from the Excise office in the district where you are located.
It should be emphasized, however, that the site of the restaurant/bar (selling alcohol) should not be adjacent to a school, temple, hospital, etc., and officials may seek to check the premises before giving the alcohol license.
Construction Permit
It should be noted that the construction permit for the building where the restaurant is located is required for the application to operate a restaurant.
As noted in the first phase of the application procedure, the restaurant’s premises must adhere to building codes. Simply put, this permit ensures that the restaurant is safe to operate in the chosen building and that the structure permits such company activity.
Operating a Restaurant Without a License
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