jimmiejackson

Although I don't use EMS regularly, I haven't had any problems with outgoing packages.

But incoming is another issue. I have a guy that regularly holds my packages hostage until I pay off his wife and then he releases the package tax and duty free. This is the branch in Chinatown. It doesn't matter if I'm out of Bangkok, he wants me to travel to Bangkok to pay him off.

Got to love Thailand! I hope the "pay off" is less than the tax and duty would be at least!

If you only ship through EMS now and again then why bother declaring it?

Why do you need to visit the customs clearing center? I have sent numerous packages via EMS at the normal PO

If you do want to do everything in the correct manner then you will probably need to visit Thai Post HQ and speak to someone there, the office is at Lak Si, I have been there before on a different matter and they were very helpful, I would imagine they will give you some kind of export number/account

Thanks for the advice and you are right, if it was now and then I wouldn't worry about it but we are expanding into a new market which will mean sending a lot of packages through EMS etc and I don't want to get stung for the 7% VAT at the end of the year because I can't prove I exported these goods.

I guess I will have to try Lak Si and see what they say.

I have an export company and as such charge my clients 0% VAT, as they are all outside of Thailand.

In order to get through the audit I have to prove that I have exported my goods in every case.

When I ship through DHL etc that is fine but sometimes I just need to send 1 or 2 items to a customer and using DHL is FAR too expensive.

When I ship through EMS or Thai Post Office (International service) I only get the copy of the small pro forma invoice I write and a receipt, my accountant tells me this isn't enough.

Does anyone know how I can get the correct customs formality in this case? I am a little confused by the E-Customs system and whether I can use that. I am in Sukhumvit and driving all the way to Chaengwattana where the post office has the customs clearing center just isn't viable for a few hundred Baht's worth of profit.

Thanks.

I have a 1 year temporary Thai driving license far a car which expired in September 2012. I believe you can renew it (i.e. get the 5 year license) within 12 months of it's expiry? Will be going to the place around Sukhumvit 99

I would also like to get a bike license which I haven't had before.

As I will likely have to go without the wife as she is busy can someone please help with the following?:

• What do I need to do to renew my car license and also apply for a bike license at the same time?
• What paperwork do I need (I hear that a WP means I don't need address proof from the embassy?)
• What time should I arrive there?

Thanks a lot!

I went in for my marriage extension yesterday. Had all my paperwork in order, took about 35 minutes. the officer sorted, shuffled and stacked papers while I read a book and my wife just sat (it's a Thai thing). I did NOT need the new KR2 in Phitsanulok. They did not ask for it and I did not produce it.

Just to highlight what can be different between offices I'll contrast some points with Jody:

1 - Real photos needed to be pasted onto A4 paper not printed on.

For several years, I preprinted my photo on the form and it was fine. Last year and this year, they wanted a separate photo which I had and handed over. It was exactly the same as the one on the form, but he pasted over the top. Go figure.

2 - Tabien Baan: since I live with my wife's family the Tabien Baan needs to be signed by the owner the house plus photocopies of his/her ID signed as well, plus you need to get a letter which needs to be filled out by the owner of the house stating he/she is really the owner, signed as well

My father-in-law owns the house I live in, as shown in the tabien bann. He has never participated in my visa in any shape form or fashion -- only my wife and I have participated in my extension.

3 - Witness: your neighbor needs to come with you on your first time applying. Your neighbor also needs to bring with him/her their ID AND TABIEN BAAN.

I have NEVER produced such a witness and would refuse if asked. It is not required by law and I would not think of inconveniencing my neighbor in such a manner.

4 - Photos - I had to take from inside the bedroom, house number, in the lounge and also the whole house...you and your partner present in every picture.

I have only produced photos of the outside of the house with house number and my wife and I in the picture. Last year, an officer said we needed pictures of the bedroom. I politely told her that the inside of the house was private, pictures of it were not required by law and I would not be producing them. I told her that if she could show me the written requirement, I would be more than happy to comply. Never heard any more about it.

5 - New passport - if you have a new passport, you will need to make photocopies of your old passport like of your visa and stamp corresponding to the date you legally got married.

N/A.

6 - TM.7 form - I printed it out by myself and filled it out but what I did wrong was print it out on 2 pages instead of back and front in 1 piece of paper.

I always provide it on two pages, never front and back on one piece of paper. They have never complained about this.

7 - N/A

Well, all's well that ends well.

Do you have a link to the Thai/English Law, so I can do the same thing if necessary?

Think I will have a "binder" too!

Bump! Has anybody extended in CW recently that can help us out with what they, specifically, required from you?

With regards to renting, last year at cw they wanted from me:

Up to date contract(mine had expired like yours)

Copy of owners id

Copy of owners tabian Baan

Letter from owner saying u could stay

Photo of u and mrs outside front of condo with condo sign in back ground

Thanks for the info, wonder if I can get a letter from the condo office instead?

Hi all,

There are a lot of reports about extensions of stay on a Non Imm O (marriage to a Thai) but most seem to be for Pattaya and/or are out of date.

I was wondering if anyone has up to date info about what paperwork is needed at CW in Bangkok?

I live in a rented Condo (contract is well out of date having signed for a year and stayed for three although I can probably get a new one no problem, owner isn't in the country but I rented from the "Juristic office" of the condo directly), was married in Thailand and will use 400K in a Thai bank for over 2 months.

Any advice appreciated! Would rather not have to drag my wife down to CW more than once if I can avoid it.

Removed duplicate post.

Try http://www.thailandchiropractor.com/ (Dr Mark Leoni)

Works for me.

Located in Ekamai. Practice is closed for annual holidays but will re-open in a week or two.

Do you have any idea of Dr Mark's prices? Seems worth a try price depending.

FYI dr don is very good, price is 1800 baht first time and 1500 each time after that.

Hi,

Just a quick technical question.

If a company is "Capitalised" with 4 Million Baht when opened (let's suppose it was a "paper only" capitalisation and no funds were really transferred) and that company needs Director's Loans to cover operating costs (Salaries etc) which are made in cash from the Director to the company - can the company repay those loans to the Director as part of it's expenses (i.e. the money paid back would be an expense and therefore that amount does not count towards profits).

Thanks.

I have had some great information from another member here about shipping which helps me a lot.

When we export goods we need to also have a ใบขนสินค้าขอออก (Bai Khon Sinkhaa Khaa oak) for our accounts so that we can prove the goods have been exported.

Through DHL etc this is fine but does anyone have any up to date information on how to get this paperwork when shipping Internationally by EMS? An old post says something about an online system but wasn't too clear.

Thanks a lot.

Thanks again for your time, you have really helped me out and I really appreciate that. Might get some sleep tonight now!

Hopefully we can find a way to resolve this with the accountant.

In case you have it in you to give me one last reply... Suppose my client wants to me under declare values on the pro forma invoice which I give to DHL along with the shipment (in theory only of course), would that make any difference (as the amount billed for the goods on the tax receipt given to the client and the amount declared on the pro forma that goes with the shipments for the goods doesn't match)? The number of goods is correct though (ie they buy 10 of product A, over x number of shipments 10 of product A will be shipped).

As you can tell I am quite new to exporting! Right now the customer sends me a PO, I send them a tax invoice/receipt, they send the money, we produce, goods are shipped by DHL with a pro forma for customs. That's how I was told to do it. From what you said maybe I need to provide the client with a receipt each time I ship (with whatever is in that box) instead of when they send me the PO (which is when I provide the receipt now).

The issue with you is that, you need to do the customs export formality on all your DHL shipments, which at the moment you aren't doing, AWB is not considered a proof of an export shipment unless you have right documentation obtained from customs department for each shipment. They will issue you a shipping document which is called ใบขนสินค้าขอออก or Bai Khon Sinkhaa Khaa oak. If you want to export at 0 % VAT rate, you must have to get this document, and once you have this document, you can also claim back your purchase Vat. But that's another story and a long tedious process .

By the way, DHL will do the above said customs export formality for you for free, if you are their account holder. So you don't increase any costs, just do your documentation properly and you are set.

Your accountant is correct about the 7 % VAT charge, since in the past you didn't do the above process, you didn't qualify for a 0 % sale. Now let your accountant talk to customs and inquire about ใบขนสินค้าขาออก, and you are set.

That is very helpful thank you. I don't want to impose but I am quite worried about this and you are clearly knowledgeable. If you could help with the below I would really appreciate it!

1. So once we get DHL to do this for us we will be ok from now on, that great. The issue is that when we bill the customer and what we ship won't exactly be the same, as for example they buy 100 products a week but as they are all individually made, sometimes we ship 30 products, 40 products - some from the old bill and some from the new bill (production times vary). Can we still charge them 0% vat on the invoice?

2. Is there no way with creative accounting we can get away with not being liable for the 7% on invoices already sent?

Thanks a lot

Hi all,

I have a question regarding exported goods.

Basically, we issue tax receipts/invoice to our customers when they order goods from us (ordered from a client abroad with "ship to" address also abroad, money remitted to business bank account from abroad) with 0% vat, as it is an export.

We are an import/export company (100% foreign owned, due to the export exception).

We ship all goods through DHL. We receive an airway bill from them (well we fill it in, they sign it when they collect and we get a copy) as well as of course a bill to the company detailing boxes shipped, price etc.

My accountant has today said we are meant to be charging our clients VAT, after months of doing it this way.

There is no way I can charge clients VAT so I would have to cover the cost, issue being our gross margin is under 7% so would result in a loss!

Any suggestions? Is the accountant correct or is the airway bill sufficient proof of export (that and the fact we are an export only company and legally not allowed to sell within Thailand anyway) and can I continue to bill 0% Vat to my foreign customers.

To note - we have not and will not reclaim any VAT so that isn't an issue for us.

Hi all,

Just thought I would share this. I emailed the Consulate to ask what the requirements are for a multiple entry Non Imm O visa based on marriage to a Thai. I just received this response:

Married with Thai people

1. married certificate (Thai or English language) copy and original
   
2. copy house book of Thai wife/ husband (tha bien ban)
   
3. copy ID card of Thai wife/husband
   
4. statement bank 6 month back (money in the bank account), (if have)
   
5. copy passport Thai wife/ husband
   
6. take 2 photos
   
7. copy passport
   
8. fee 2,000฿ for single entry (3 months) and 5,000฿ for multiple entries(1 year)
   
9. Application (you can get in our office)
   

On number 4 it appears to be a "loose" requirement...as others have found recently.

I am also looking into this as I need to do it in the next 3 months.

According to Savan Vegas in an email I have just received - they now require a Thai bank book showing 300,000 Baht in funds (no seasoning mentioned) at Savannaket.

So for now, 100,000 in available funds in KL looks to be the cheapest option - money in the bank wise.

Would be interested to hear if anyone recently got a Multiple entry non Imm O at KL, especially after the tightening of Multiple entry Non Imm B in December.

Hi all,

I have spent weeks looking through Thaivisa and although there are answers to all the questions, some are out of date and as we know, things change daily when it comes to visas here.

My question is:

Where is my best bet in the region to apply for a multiple entry non o based on marriage to a Thai, and what is the requirement for the financials (if any)?

And for the WP, is it true that the company will only need 2 Thai employees for my work permit when it is first issued and the same for the second WP issued after a year? Some seem to say it is 4, others 2 and the 4 employees if for an extension of stay on a non imm B only (immigration requirement, not labor department requirement).

I am confused by the last point on this link: http://www.thaivisa.com/how-to-get-thai-workpermit.html - "married the cohabiting with a Thai national and has an honest employment." which means that none of the Registered Capital and minimum employees apply at all if you are married?

Also the line - "The employer has engaged in export which has brought into Thailand revenue of 3 million Baht in the previous fiscal year. The employer can hire one foreigner for every additional 3 million Baht up to a maximum of 3 people".- there are two of us needing a WP, which means that if we make 6 million Baht of revenue in exports out of Thailand we don't need any Thai employees or minimum registered capital.

Any and all clarifications are appreciated!

It's fortunate that I read this post just as I was planning my KL visa renewal. I checked with my accountant and he confirmed the story. I called the consulate in Melbourne as I was considering visiting my parents there, and he said they were still issuing 1 year multiple entry visas. Just before I booked I heard from a friend who had obtained a non immigrant B 1 year mult entry from Penang.

So I decided to try Penang. I did my usual research and didn't find the consulate web page very helpful. Maybe I missed something but I didn't see any times for visa application and collection. I found info online suggesting that applications were lodged in the morning...as in KL but that collection was the following day at 12. The only flight from Phuket ( I didn't fancy a multi hour bus ride) was with Firefly and the bottom line is that 2 night stay was the only way. The only flight back was at 2.15 pm but with the information I had was that visa collection was at 12 and with a 30 minute trip to the airport I could make it.

I was of course disappointed but not shocked to find that collection time was at 2 pm which meant I had to forfeit my flight and rebook through KL at significant extra expense. Also I noticed that it could have been much worse since the following day was a Malaysian public holiday, which I also had not managed to find online. Next time I will call the consulate first for sure to check these things.

I assume that the KL decision is a policy decision made at that particular office because of exploitation, ocorruption or whatever but its doesn't seem to have been applied elsewhere.

Oh one more thing...there was a French guy in a tank top refused entry...might be common sense but dress a bit better than beach wear when you go to a Thai govt. office

So in the end you managed to get a multiple entry Non Imm B at Penang?

Hi all,

Thanks for your advice. I realise the visa situation was a little open for abuse (get multiple entry Non Imm B and then don't ever get a work permit etc) but in our case we genuinely can't get the extension of stay so we were feeling a little stuck. Let's see how it goes!

Hi all,

I have read through the posts since December when the news came out regarding KL not issuing Multiple entry Non Imm B visas any more and I am not too clear on the situation.

I have a single entry Non Imm B (from Singapore) with a recently issued WP. Our company is new (registered October 2012) and so has no audited accounts.

Is there any way to get a multiple entry Non Imm B anywhere in the region any more? As I know I won't qualify for an extension of stay for the next 1-2 years?

If not, do I really need to leave every 3 months and get a new non imm B? Is this even possible to get them back to back over and over again?

Your help is appreciated!

Thanks all for your feedback, we will contact some of the companies mentioned and see what they have to say.

The company is a standard Thai Ltd company, we were not eligible for BOI status unfortunately.

Thanks both for your replies.

The issue is that the exact printer we want it not available anywhere in Asia and is only available in the USA and Australia. We will be importing it using our Thai company and the value is quite high ($30,000+).

Nobody in Australia is willing to "export" it to us as such, we need to buy it in Australia at full price (I therefore assume including GST) and arrange for shipping ourselves. We will see if we can convince them to export it directly but it seems unlikely.

At such a high value it is very important for us to avoid being stung by the Customs "lotto" and to try and get it here under the FTA. Do you know of anyone who could legally advise us on what to do? Our "service company" for the company is great but when it comes to complex issues like this we find it hard to get a clear answer.

Thanks!

Hi all,

I need to import a reasonably high value printer from Australia and it appears it is exempt of import duty under the Thai>Australian free trade agreement.

My questions are:

1) if it is also except from import VAT as well as import duty

2) I think the printer is actually made in the USA although it is sold by the manufacturer in Australia, which the supplier is an authorized distributor for. Would this be any issue?

Would appreciate your input, thanks.

Doesn't look like you are getting much in the way of replies, so will give it a shot, but really have little idea.

Have a business here, but no relationship to what you are doing.

Don't think you will be able to insure for machine breakdowns, but the other things, should be under 20,000 Baht a year.

When you rent the place check what coverage the renter has and see his insurers [if he has any] first. Also if you have a vehicle, workers etc the insurers may do a package.

Never understood the ways of insurance companies anywhere in the world, just my thoughts. Jim

I really appreciate you taking the time to reply, even just 20,000 as a rough estimate helps a lot.

Thanks for the input.