On 26 November, IPDAL, in partnership with the Embassy of Thailand in Portugal and the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), held the “Doing Business in Thailand” event at the Dom Pedro Lisboa Hotel. The informative session aimed to present investment opportunities and address questions from Portuguese business leaders regarding the Thai market.
The morning began with a welcome and networking moment, followed by opening remarks from the Ambassador of Thailand to Portugal, Kanokwan Pengsuwan, who highlighted the long-standing ties and strong bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The Ambassador also underlined the economic prospects linked to the future EU–Thailand Free Trade Agreement, expected in 2026, and the growth potential in sectors such as electric vehicles, automotive, textiles, and the digital industry.
The President of IPDAL’s General Assembly, Ivan Gonçalves, reinforced Thailand’s strategic role as a gateway to the ASEAN market, a region of 700 million consumers, and emphasized the country’s importance as a major production hub in Southeast Asia.
This was followed by a presentation from Nuntanart Krisnachinda, Director of the BOI, who outlined the main incentives available to foreign companies, including tax exemptions of up to eight years, facilitated work visas, the possibility of 100% foreign ownership, and support for establishing businesses in priority sectors such as renewable energy, technology, engineering, and tourism.
The Portuguese perspective was presented by Antonio Viñal of AVCO Legal, who explained the legal and practical challenges of operating in Thailand, namely licensing issues, capital requirements, subsidiary structuring, and applicable tax regimes. He also warned about common mistakes made by European companies, such as the lack of continued presence in the country and the absence of strong local partnerships.
The event concluded with a Q&A session moderated by Cátia Moreira de Carvalho, Member of IPDAL’s Board and head of the Asia Desk, followed by a final networking moment.