How to Verify Architect and Engineer Licences Before Building in Chiang Mai

Verify architect and engineer licences before the project starts

When planning a custom home in Chiang Mai or Lamphun, an owner can verify an architect or engineer licence in Thailand through the relevant professional council’s official service. This check can confirm whether the name or registration information matches the council’s record at the time of the search. It does not guarantee design quality, construction performance, price or delivery.

This distinction is especially useful for expats, retirees and cross-cultural families. The person presenting a concept, the professional signing the drawings and the company named in a service agreement may not be the same legal or professional entity. Each role should be identified in the project documents.

Individual and corporate professional licences are different checks

The Architect Council of Thailand provides services for checking individual and juristic-person architectural licences. Its corporate-licensing page explains that a juristic person needs the appropriate authorisation to contract for controlled architectural professional services in the company’s name.

A homeowner should therefore check more than whether one architect appears on a team page. The useful questions are:

1. Who is personally responsible for the design or supervision?
2. What type of licence does that person hold, and what is its current status?
3. If the professional agreement is with a company, what is the company’s relevant professional status?

The Council of Engineers Thailand states that members of the public can search individual licences by name and juristic-person licences by registration number. Use the spelling and registration details shown on the submitted project documents, and record the date of the search in the project file.

Use an official register, not only a business card or social profile

On 3 August 2026, the Architect Council published a notice about a Bangkok measure intended to prevent falsified or misused names of architects and engineers in building-permit applications. The notice also described publication of names so professionals and members of the public could check them.

That administrative measure is specific to Bangkok and should not be presented as the procedure for Chiang Mai or Lamphun. The broader practical point is that a logo, job title, portfolio image or scanned card is not the same as a current result from the issuing council. If the information does not match, contact the relevant council before signing a professional-service document or relying on the record for a permit application.

Information to request from an architect, engineer or design-build company

Before design work begins, owners can request a project record containing:

• Full names and licence numbers of the responsible architects and engineers
• The company name, corporate-registration information and authorised signatory
• The scope assigned to each professional and the main coordination contact
• The people expected to sign drawings, calculations and supervision documents
• Agreed deliverables, such as concept drawings, permit drawings, construction documents and specifications
• The process to follow if a responsible professional changes during the project

These records do not guarantee a problem-free project, but they make roles and documents easier to trace. Owners can review Greenery’s custom-home designs and project portfolio when preparing questions about the proposed team and scope.

An online permit system does not replace confirmation with the local authority

Thailand’s Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning provides a digital permit-review system under the Building Control Act and links to applicant guidance through Biz Portal. However, the available submission channel, required documents and local use of the system may depend on the responsible municipality or subdistrict administrative organisation and on the project type.

A landowner in Chiang Mai or Lamphun should therefore confirm with the local authority which office receives the application, which form applies and which licensed professionals must sign the documents. A digital system can support administration; it does not mean that a design is automatically approved.

A practical verification checklist

1. Request the full legal name and registration number shown on project documents.
2. Search the individual in the Architect Council or Council of Engineers system.
3. Check the juristic person separately when the professional agreement is with a company.
4. Compare the drawing signatories with the roles agreed for the project.
5. Record the result and search date because registration status can change.
6. Continue due diligence on scope, contract, portfolio and supervision arrangements.
7. Confirm permit requirements with the responsible local authority.

Learn how Greenery Design & Construction approaches custom-home projects, then prepare questions about the responsible professionals, documents and contract before you book an initial architect consultation. The initial consultation is free; it does not include free drawings or free house design.

Frequently asked questions

Does a registry result guarantee quality?

No. A licence check confirms professional registration information at the time of the search. It does not establish workmanship, project experience, insurance, price, programme or construction quality.

Should I check both the architect and engineer?

That depends on the building and scope. Where project documents require more than one regulated profession, check the relevant designer, signatory and supervisor in each discipline.

Is an employee’s individual licence enough for a company contract?

Do not assume so. Identify who is providing the professional service, who signs the drawings and whether the agreement is with an individual or a juristic person. Individual and corporate professional status are separate matters.

What if the online search returns no result?

Check the spelling and registration number, then contact the service provider or the relevant professional council before using the document or paying for the related service.

Sources

• Architect Council of Thailand: member services and licence checks (accessed 24 August 2026; Thai)
• Architect Council of Thailand: juristic-person professional licensing (accessed 24 August 2026; Thai)
• Council of Engineers Thailand: public individual and corporate licence-verification services (accessed 24 August 2026; Thai)
• Architect Council of Thailand: notice on disclosed architect and engineer names, 3 August 2026 (accessed 24 August 2026; Thai)
• Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning: building-permit review system (accessed 24 August 2026; Thai)

Note: This article summarises Thai public sources for general preparation. It is not an official translation or legal advice.