Restrictions on foreigners' voting rights relaxed



The Cabinet has relaxed the restrictions on foreigners' voting rights as well as extended the grace period in voting right adjustment.

At the meeting Tuesday, the Cabinet approved the proposed amendments to the Foreign Business Act: foreign voting rights in companies in Annex 3 can exceed 50 per cent while the grace period for voting rights in companies in Annexes 1 and 2 is extended from 2 years to 3 years.

Under the previous draft, any firm in which foreigners held 50 per cent or more of the shares, or 50 per cent or more of shareholders' voting rights, would be considered a foreign company, excluded from business activities reserved for Thais.

The Nation