Professional Services vs Administrative Support: Margin 2026
In short
Professional, scientific and technical services posts a 13.64 percent net margin, more than three times the 4.33 percent margin of administrative and support, as of 17 July 2026. The two sectors report almost identical total revenue, 1.08 trillion baht against 1.11 trillion baht. Professional services runs on 138,962 companies against 100,691 for administrative and support. Return on equity shows the same gap, 10.74 percent against 4.86 percent.
Which sector keeps more of its revenue?
Professional, scientific and technical services, TSIC section M, turns 13.64 percent of every baht of revenue into net profit, as of 17 July 2026 (DBD, 2026). Administrative and support, TSIC section N, turns only 4.33 percent. The net margin in professional services runs more than three times higher than the net margin in administrative and support. The two sectors sit close in scale. Professional services reported total revenue of 1.08 trillion baht. Administrative and support reported 1.11 trillion baht, just 2.3 percent more. Professional services counts 138,962 companies. Administrative and support counts 100,691 companies, about 38 percent fewer. Despite running fewer companies on almost the same revenue, professional services earned 147.73 billion baht in net profit. Administrative and support earned 47.99 billion baht, a gap of nearly 100 billion baht.
Profitability side by side: professional services versus administrative support
- Professional services net margin14
- Administrative support net margin4
- Professional services return on equity11
- Administrative support return on equity5
- Professional services return on assets5
- Administrative support return on assets2
Figures in percent.
Every profitability measure favors professional services by at least double, and by more than triple on net margin.
Professional services versus administrative support, side by side
| Metric | Professional and technical services, M | Administrative and support, N |
|---|---|---|
| Companies | 138,962 | 100,691 |
| Total revenue | 1.08 trillion baht | 1.11 trillion baht |
| Total net profit | 147.73 billion baht | 47.99 billion baht |
| Net margin | 13.64% | 4.33% |
| Return on equity | 10.74% | 4.86% |
| Return on assets | 5.30% | 1.93% |
| Top company by revenue | Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited | True Move H Universal Communication Co.,Ltd. |
TSIC sections M and N compared on scale and profitability, as of 17 Jul 2026.
Same revenue, different companies
The similarity in total revenue hides a different story at the company level. Professional services generates about 7.79 million baht of revenue per company on average. Administrative and support generates about 11.00 million baht per company, roughly 41 percent more. Yet the average professional services company still nets about 1.06 million baht in profit. The average administrative and support company nets about 0.48 million baht, less than half as much. A bigger average job in administrative and support does not translate into a bigger average profit. Together the two sectors hold 12.04 percent of all registered companies in Thailand. They generate just 2.73 percent of national revenue. They still capture 5.95 percent of national net profit, well above their revenue weight, and professional services alone accounts for most of that outperformance.
Why the gap matters
Both sectors sell expertise rather than goods, yet the market prices the two very differently. Professional services covers law firms, engineering consultancies, accounting practices and architecture, work billed on the complexity of a client problem, not the hours worked. Administrative and support covers office support, security, cleaning, staffing agencies and travel services, work billed on a flatter, more commoditized rate card. That difference in pricing power shows up directly in the aggregate books, not just in a handful of standout firms. A founder weighing the two sectors as an entry point should compare a smaller company count and a higher margin in professional services against a larger customer base and a thinner margin in administrative and support. The wider lesson is that a sector size, measured by revenue or by how many firms compete in it, says nothing on its own about the profit that comes back to owners.
Definitions
- Net margin
- Net profit as a share of revenue. A margin of ten percent means ten satang of profit for every baht of revenue.
- Return on equity, ROE
- Net profit as a share of shareholder equity, an aggregate across every reporting company in the section.
- Return on assets, ROA
- Net profit as a share of total assets, an aggregate across every reporting company in the section.
- Aggregate margin
- Total sector net profit divided by total sector revenue, rather than the average of each individual company margin.
- TSIC section
- The letter level industry classification the Department of Business Development uses, running from A to U, one step above the five digit industry code.
Assumptions
- Revenue, profit, net margin, ROE and ROA figures include only companies that filed a financial statement, while company counts include every registered company assigned to the section.
- Revenue and profit per company are computed by dividing the sector aggregate by the sector company count, not by averaging each individual company ratio.
- The national anchors used for the combined share figures come from market_national_insight and may differ slightly from the section totals if the registry refreshed between queries.
Methodology
Net margin, return on equity and return on assets are aggregate ratios. Each divides total sector net profit by total sector revenue, equity or assets for every company in TSIC sections M, professional, scientific and technical services, and N, administrative and support, that filed a financial statement with the Department of Business Development registry, as of 17 July 2026. Figures are section wide aggregates, not an average of each individual company ratio. Revenue and profit per company are computed by dividing the sector total by the sector company count. Company counts include every registered company assigned to the section, whether or not it filed a statement.
How we verified this
- Margin multiple recomputed as 13.64189 percent divided by 4.33169 percent equals 3.15, confirming the professional services margin runs more than three times the administrative and support margin.
- Revenue gap recomputed as 1,107,917,775,917.57 minus 1,082,948,857,507.43 equals 24,968,918,410.14 baht, which is 2.3 percent of professional services total revenue.
- Company count gap recomputed as 138,962 minus 100,691 equals 38,271, which is 38.0 percent of the administrative and support company count.
- Revenue per company recomputed by dividing each sector total revenue by its company count, giving 7,793,129 baht for professional services and 11,003,146 baht for administrative and support.
- Profit per company recomputed the same way, giving 1,063,130 baht for professional services and 476,623 baht for administrative and support, a ratio of 2.23.
- National share recomputed against the whole economy anchors of 1,989,709 companies, 80,148,033,688,000 baht of revenue and 3,288,219,434,948 baht of net profit, giving the two sectors combined 12.04 percent of companies, 2.73 percent of revenue and 5.95 percent of net profit.
References
- Department of Business Development. (2026). Registered juristic persons and financial statement aggregates. Ministry of Commerce, Thailand. https://www.dbd.go.th/
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2025). Strengthening productivity analysis for policymaking in Thailand. https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/support-materials/2025/06/strengthening-productivity-analysis-for-policymaking-in-thailand_98f85a89/Thailand-Exec-Sum-brochure.pdf
Frequently asked questions
Is professional services more profitable than administrative and support in Thailand?
Yes. Professional, scientific and technical services posts a 13.64 percent net margin against 4.33 percent for administrative and support, as of 17 July 2026.
Are the two sectors similar in size?
By revenue, yes. Professional services reported 1.08 trillion baht and administrative and support reported 1.11 trillion baht. By company count they differ more. Professional services runs 138,962 companies against 100,691 for administrative and support.
Which sector has the higher return on equity?
Professional services, at 10.74 percent against 4.86 percent for administrative and support, as of 17 July 2026.
Which company leads each sector by revenue?
Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited leads professional services. True Move H Universal Communication Co.,Ltd. leads administrative and support.
Cite this page
Chatpong L. (2026). Professional Services vs Administrative Support: Margin 2026. Max Data Insights. https://maxdatathailand.com/insights/professional-services-vs-administrative-support-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.