Professional and Technical Services in Thailand: Size, Margin 2026
In short
Thailand counts 138,962 registered professional, scientific and technical services companies as of 2 July 2026. That is 7.0 percent of all classified firms, the fifth largest sector by count. Together they reported about 1.05 trillion baht in revenue. The net profit margin is 12.68 percent, the fourth highest of any sector. Only finance, mining and education keep more of each baht. This is where the knowledge economy earns its keep.
How big is professional and technical services in Thailand?
Professional, scientific and technical services covers the firms that sell brains rather than goods: engineering and architecture practices, law and accounting offices, consultancies, research houses and technical testing labs. Thailand has 138,962 of them on the registry as of 2 July 2026 (DBD, 2026). That is 7.0 percent of the 1,986,489 firms with a classified activity, which makes it the fifth largest sector in the country by company count. Size is only half the story here. The sector reported about 1.05 trillion baht of revenue, and it kept 12.68 percent of that as net profit. Very few sectors do better. Only financial and insurance at 26.90 percent, mining at 13.49 percent and education at 13.12 percent post a fatter margin. Everything else in the economy earns less on the baht than the people who sell expertise.
Net profit margin, the four most profitable sectors
- Financial and insurance27
- Mining and quarrying13
- Education13
- Professional, scientific and technical13
Figures in percent net margin.
Professional services ranks fourth. It sits just behind education and far ahead of the volume sectors that move goods at thin markup.
Professional and technical services at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Registered companies | 138,962 |
| Share of classified firms | 7.0% |
| Rank by company count | 5th |
| Reported revenue | 1.05 trillion baht |
| Net profit margin | 12.68% |
| Margin rank | 4th of all sectors |
| Return on equity | 9.76% |
| Survival rate | 58.5% |
| Leading firm by revenue | Advanced Info Service |
Scale and returns for section M, as of 2 Jul 2026.
Why this matters
A country's mix of companies tells you what it sells to the world. Thailand still registers most of its firms in trade, construction and manufacturing, the sectors that move volume at slim margins. Professional and technical services is the quiet exception. It is large, at 138,962 firms, and it is one of the most profitable sectors outside the financial system, at a 12.68 percent net margin. It also holds up better than most: 58.5 percent of these firms survive, against a national rate of 50.0 percent. Read together, those three numbers describe a knowledge economy that is already paying its own way rather than a policy aspiration. For anyone weighing where Thai growth compounds next, the sector that sells expertise is a more durable bet than the sectors that resell goods.
Definitions
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- TSIC section M. Firms that sell specialised knowledge and technical work, such as legal and accounting offices, engineering and architecture practices, consultancies, research and development, advertising, and testing labs.
- Net profit margin
- Total net profit divided by total revenue. A 12.68 percent margin means about 13 satang of profit for every baht of revenue.
- Return on equity
- Net profit as a share of shareholder equity. It measures how much profit the sector generates on the capital its owners have put in.
- Survival rate
- The share of registered firms in the sector that remain active rather than dissolved or dormant.
- Classified firms
- Registered companies that have been assigned a TSIC activity code. Firms with no classified activity are excluded from the sector shares.
Assumptions
- Revenue, margin and return figures reflect only the companies in the section that filed a financial statement, not all 138,962 registered firms.
- Company counts and shares use firms with a classified TSIC activity, so the denominator is 1,986,489 rather than every registered entity.
- Section aggregates are computed on the registry snapshot dated 2 July 2026 and will shift as later filings arrive.
Methodology
Figures are drawn from the Department of Business Development registry as of 2 July 2026, grouped by TSIC section M, professional, scientific and technical services. Company count includes registered juristic persons classified to the section. Revenue, net margin and return on equity are section-wide aggregates computed from the companies in the section that filed a financial statement, so the ratios describe reporting firms rather than every registered entity. Net margin is total net profit divided by total revenue. Survival rate is the share of registered firms still active. Ranks compare section M against the other TSIC sections on the same date.
How we verified this
- Count share recomputed from raw registry values: 138,962 divided by 1,986,489 classified firms equals 0.0700, which rounds to 7.0 percent.
- Margin rank confirmed by ordering sections on net margin: financial and insurance 26.90 percent, mining 13.49 percent, education 13.12 percent, then professional services 12.68 percent, so section M ranks fourth.
- Reported revenue cross-checked against the section aggregate of about 1,049.1 billion baht, consistent with the stated 1.05 trillion baht.
- Survival rate of 58.5 percent confirmed above the national rate of 50.0 percent on the same date.
References
- Department of Business Development. (2026). Registered juristic persons and financial statement aggregates. Ministry of Commerce, Thailand. https://www.dbd.go.th/
- Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council. (2025). National accounts of Thailand: Gross domestic product by economic activity. NESDC, Thailand. https://www.nesdc.go.th/nesdb_en/main.php?filename=national_account
Frequently asked questions
How many professional and technical services companies are there in Thailand?
There are 138,962 registered professional, scientific and technical services companies as of 2 July 2026, which is 7.0 percent of all classified firms and the fifth largest sector by count.
Is professional and technical services a profitable sector?
Yes. Its net profit margin is 12.68 percent, the fourth highest of any sector, behind only financial and insurance, mining, and education.
What counts as professional, scientific and technical services?
It is TSIC section M, covering legal and accounting firms, engineering and architecture practices, management consultancies, research and development, advertising, and technical testing and analysis.
How many of these firms survive?
The survival rate is 58.5 percent, above the national rate of 50.0 percent, so these firms are more likely than average to stay active.
Cite this page
Chatpong L. (2026). Professional and Technical Services in Thailand: Size, Margin 2026. Max Data Insights. https://maxdatathailand.com/insights/professional-and-technical-services-in-thailand-2026
Data & corrections
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Written by
Chatpong L.Founder, Max Data, Max Solutions Co., Ltd.
Chatpong L. leads Max Data, a company-intelligence platform built on Thailand's official business registry. He writes about the structure of the Thai economy using primary registry data. His work covers company formation, industry concentration, and regional business activity.
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This page reports company-level and aggregate statistics only. It names no individuals and makes no claims about any person. Figures are provided for information and may be revised as source data updates.