Editing Telecommunications in Thailand (section)

==Telecommunications regulatory environment in Thailand==

National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)<ref name=":0" />

The NRA Organization Act of 2010 established the new National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) in December 2010 as a single converged regulator for the telecoms and broadcasting sectors in Thailand.<ref name=":0">"[http://www.nbtc.go.th/wps/portal/NTC/eng National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission]". www.nbtc.go.th.</ref>

The Telecommunications Business Act of 2001<ref>"[http://www.mict.go.th/download/law/2008-07-16-1216189831.pdf Telecommunications Business Act, B.E. 2544 (2001)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130233456/http://www.mict.go.th/download/law/2008-07-16-1216189831.pdf |date=2011-11-30 }}" www.mict.go.th</ref> laid down the rules for Thailand's telecommunications industry by requiring telecoms operators to obtain a license from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). The Act classifies telecommunication licenses into three categories. 
* Type-one telecom license is for an operator without its own network. 
* Type-two telecom license is for an operator with or without its own network but provides services targeting a segment or even several segments of the public. 
* Type-three telecom license is for an operator with a network that provides services to the general public. 
The 2001 Act was amended in 2006 under the supervision of Prime Minister [[Thaksin Shinawatra]] to allow foreigners to own a larger holding in a Thai telecommunications business.

In 2001, foreigners were not permitted to apply for type-two or type-three licenses under Thailand's Foreign Business Act (FBA).<ref>"[http://www.boi.go.th/index.php?page=legal_issues_for_investors_01_foreign_business_act Foreign Business Act of 1999]". Thailand Board of Investment (BOI)</ref>

The applicant applying for type two and type three licenses must be organizations where Thai nationals hold at least 75% shares and at least three quarters of the applicant's firm directors and the person authorized to sign any binding commitments as a representation of the applicant firm must be Thai nationals.

The 2006 amendments repealed all the additional requirements of an applicant of type-two and type-three licenses, stating foreigners can now hold up to 49% in a telecommunications operator of type-two or type-three; no restrictions on the number of their foreign directors’ representation; and the authorized person signing binding commitments as a representation of the applicant firm can be a foreigner.

The telecoms license fee is composed of three types of fees - permission for license, renewal and an annual fee.

As of June 2013 the NBTC has granted 186 telecoms licensees, listed as follows: 
* 144 type-one licensees 
* 7 type-two licenses without own network 
* 10 type-two licenses with own network 
* 25 type-three licenses

As of December 2018 the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) had issued 58 MVNO licenses,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.yozzo.com/news/thai-telecom/mvno-license-number-58-in-thailand/|title=MVNO license number 58 in Thailand|website=www.yozzo.com|date=24 September 2018|language=en|access-date=2018-12-27}}</ref> however only 9 had launched.