Legal service for foreign clients
Energy and Renewables — Licensing, PPAs and Concession Work in Thailand
A power project usually dies at the zoning stage long before anyone argues about panels or turbines.
Quick answer
A Thai generation project passes through several gates: an energy business licence from the Energy Regulatory Commission, a factory licence or notification, zoning and land-use screening, building permits, then the power purchase agreement with the utility and its grid-connection conditions. We run pre-investment legal feasibility, assemble the permit stack, negotiate long land leases, and handle disputes over offtake volumes or curtailment. Engagements start at THB 60,000.
From THB 60,000 — Priced by installed capacity and the number of applications; PPA negotiation is scoped as separate work. · Feasibility reporting takes two to three weeks; a complete permit stack usually needs four to nine months depending on fuel type and location.
Who this is for
- Developers of solar farms and commercial rooftop systems
- Factories installing self-consumption systems and selling the surplus
- Foreign investors weighing shareholding limits against licence conditions
- Biomass and biogas operators facing community concerns
- Funds running diligence before acquiring an operating asset
What you receive
- A per-parcel legal feasibility report with the zoning constraints stated
- A permit roadmap sequenced the way the agencies actually require
- Drafts and negotiation positions on the PPA and interconnection terms
- A land lease or superficies right long enough to match the project life
- A response pack for community and local-authority concerns
Documents to prepare
- Land title deeds, the site plan and the applicable zoning map
- Installed capacity details and the preliminary electrical design
- Corporate certification and the current shareholding structure
- Environmental study results or the applicable code of practice
- The utility's acceptance letter or interconnection conditions
How it works
5-step process
- 1
Clear the land before signing a reservation
Cheap parcels are often cheap because generation plant is prohibited there, and a pre-check costs far less than a forfeited deposit.
- 2
Order the permits the way the agencies cross-reference them
Some applications must attach the output of another, so filing everything at once in no particular order gets the whole stack returned.
- 3
Negotiate the terms that actually move revenue
The tariff is not the only variable; curtailment rights, shortfall penalties and the commercial operation date move cash flow just as much.
- 4
Engage the community before the complaint arrives
Noise, odour and dust complaints can suspend operations, and a documented consultation record from the start carries real weight in the response.
- 5
Set up post-COD reporting
An energy licence carries periodic reporting duties, and an accumulated reporting gap can suspend the licence even while the plant runs normally.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does a factory rooftop system need a licence?
A small self-consumption array may only need notification plus a structural check of the roof, but once capacity reaches the statutory threshold a full energy business licence applies.
How much of a power project may foreigners own?
Generation is not flatly closed to foreign capital, yet certain sales models and bundled services fall under the Foreign Business Act schedules, so the structure and any investment-promotion route must be designed together.
Is a 30-year land lease enough?
Thirty years is the general statutory ceiling with renewal possible, and lenders typically add a superficies right or step-in agreement so the asset survives a developer failure.
Can repeated curtailment be compensated?
It depends on how the contract frames curtailment rights and whether they are capped; beyond the agreed envelope the generator can claim the deemed energy the contract provides for.
Does every biomass project need an environmental study?
Not always; it turns on capacity and fuel type under the current notifications, and sub-threshold projects may use a code of practice instead while still meeting factory-licence emission conditions.
What deserves extra scrutiny when buying an operating plant?
Confirm every licence is current and transferable, review the regulatory reporting history, and check for PPA amendments that change the applicable tariff.
Related services
Business Licensing, Foreign Business Licence & BOI
A lawful shareholding structure and licences that match what you actually do.
Environmental and Factory Disputes — For Communities and Operators Alike
Odour, noise, dust, and effluent become litigation when two years of complaints go unanswered.
Land & Real-Estate Lawyer — Title, Lease, Usufruct
Title due diligence, sale, lease, usufruct, superficies — and closing at Land Office.
Corporate & M&A Lawyer — Due Diligence, Joint Venture
Mid- to large-cap deals under FBA, BOI, JV — structuring and protection.
Written by: Thai Law & Accounting Services — attorneys and licensed accountants
Reviewed by: Reviewed by a Notarial Services Attorney registered with the Lawyers Council of Thailand.
Last updated: 2026-08
Information as of August 2026. Government fees and processing times change — verify with the relevant agency before acting, or let our team verify for you.