Why do so many Americans believe they can open and run any business they want in Thailand and own it 100%?

That is based upon the Treaty of Amity between Thailand and the US.

See: http://www.thailawonline.com/en/business/treaty-of-amity-thai-usa.html

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That is based upon the Treaty of Amity between Thailand and the US.

See: http://www.thailawonline.com/en/business/treaty-of-amity-thai-usa.html

I'm really asking about the guys who say that they 'own' a small bar or restaurant that gets 10/20 expat customers a day etc.

No different to the Poms 

Why do people complain about tiny issues instead of just letting them go and getting on with their lives? 

 

*sarcasm, level 8*

Likely they’ve put up 100% of the money and their partner is their Thai wife or girlfriend, so think they own it until they find out they don’t. 

(From my observation) Not any different than other nationalities from Western countries. Some have this dream they can open a small bar or restaurant (with part Thai ownership) and only have vacationed in Thailand without doing any research on the volume of customers or cost. Little do they realize one cannot go out golfing and leave their small business in the hands of a staff member. Reality is that you spend more time running a business in Thailand than back in your home country (if you want it to succeed).

 

1 hour ago, RobFord said:

Likely they’ve put up 100% of the money and their partner is their Thai wife or girlfriend, so think they own it until they find out they don’t. 

Not necessarily... American are allowed to own 100%... spousal or other names are not needed for us

I 'own' a bar is a figure of speech, I imagine, as explained quite succinctly above.  But really, who cares?  In any case, it's unlikely the majority will 'own' it for long, so let them live in cloud cuckoo land, if it makes them happy. 

Americans from what country - - there are many countries in the Americas? It sounds like you are talking about a very few people. 

17 hours ago, BEVUP said:

No different to the Poms 

spot on !

18 hours ago, overherebc said:

Why do so many Americans believe they can open and run any business they want in Thailand and own it 100%?

Because they are Americans and think they can do anything they want

but they soon learn otherwise!

Maybe because Thais (or pretty much anyone) can do so in the States. I lived in China 4 years and 10 times worse there. Non citizens can do almost nothing business wise without Chinese participation but in the States, Chinese can buy companies, start businesses, whatever. My Aussie friends tell me they've pretty much bought all of Australia.

10 minutes ago, DavidAlexander said:

My Aussie friends tell me they've pretty much bought all of Australia.

Which is, of course, the usual wild exaggeration perpetrated by the sad 'n failed.

36 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Which is, of course, the usual wild exaggeration perpetrated by the sad 'n failed.

Agree exaggeration however a lot of fairly large contracts have been subcontracted to the Chinese for manpower and materials and having seen some of the prefab' stuff that comes out of China I wouldn't like to estimate the lifetime of it.

It all arrives pre-inspected and signed off by QC. Stainless steel pieces that are rusty when unpacked etc. Siezed and leaking valves that were passed by QC a few weeks earlier and the only response by Chinese QC is 'you repair, if not we charge for new ones' so job stop not our problem.

ItAmerican Citizens and corporations wishing to do business in Thailand there is another strategy for conducting business legally notwithstanding the provisions of the Foreign Business Act: The Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations between the United States and Thailand. Promulgated in May 1966 the provisions of the Treaty stipulate that American Citizens (or incorporated entities) may incorporate and/or maintain a majority share in a company in Thailand. The basis for this privilege lies in the provisions of the Treaty which allow those companies incorporated in Thailand with majority American shareholders to be granted “National Treatment”. This provision allows these entities to be treated, from a legal perspective, as though they were Thai companies.

 

I own a trucking company in Thailand 100 %. No need for Thai partners and 100% my money. It is run by the wife's family. That is to protect myself from lawsuits and such. Plus it would be hard for me to hire anyone.

 

 

 

 I also own one in the U.S. 

1 hour ago, mfd101 said:

Which is, of course, the usual wild exaggeration perpetrated by the sad 'n failed.

not true another bar stool story

2 hours ago, stropper said:

spot on !

The Ball tamperers have arrived !  

23 hours ago, overherebc said:

I'm really asking about the guys who say that they 'own' a small bar or restaurant that gets 10/20 expat customers a day etc.

Why do you think they are Americans?  From my experience it the majority of the business seem to be Brits, Europeans and now Indians?

6 hours ago, toenail said:

(From my observation) Not any different than other nationalities from Western countries. Some have this dream they can open a small bar or restaurant (with part Thai ownership) and only have vacationed in Thailand without doing any research on the volume of customers or cost. Little do they realize one cannot go out golfing and leave their small business in the hands of a staff member. Reality is that you spend more time running a business in Thailand than back in your home country (if you want it to succeed).

 

I have for many years observed the acts of not doing any research before starting any  buisness here a major fault of most of the Thais.They see a Family Mart of Seven Eleven doing a fair amount of buisness and think that another store next door to one of those places will do just as well.The same goes for massage parlors and pubs.They never stop and count the number of coustomers going to those places per day or how many such customers are availible in the area.Of course some will have a buisness degree from one of the universities here.

Because they can.Sorry Pom.

It is because of the American culture that expects others to treat them as they treat others. Most Americans see plenty of foreigners owning all sorts of business in the USA and expect other countries to treat them (Americans) the same. 

It's our mental conditioning... with so many freedoms in America, we naturally assume it's the same everywhere and are shocked, shocked that there are restrictions elsewhere... yes, privilege has a downside ....

7 hours ago, thesetat2013 said:

Not necessarily... American are allowed to own 100%... spousal or other names are not needed for us

 

Interesting and great news if you want to own a bar. 

 

Under the treaty, Thailand restricts American investment from the following fields of business:^[2]

1. Communications
2. Transportation
3. Fiduciary functions
4. Banking involving depository functions
5. Exploitation of land and natural resources
6. Owning land; and
7. Domestic trade in agriculturalproducts.

4 hours ago, AsiaHand said:

Because they can.Sorry Pom.

So you can buy and own a bar or small shop or small one man business as an American under the Amity Treaty?

Have read it?

8 hours ago, PhonThong said:

ItAmerican Citizens and corporations wishing to do business in Thailand there is another strategy for conducting business legally notwithstanding the provisions of the Foreign Business Act: The Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations between the United States and Thailand. Promulgated in May 1966 the provisions of the Treaty stipulate that American Citizens (or incorporated entities) may incorporate and/or maintain a majority share in a company in Thailand. The basis for this privilege lies in the provisions of the Treaty which allow those companies incorporated in Thailand with majority American shareholders to be granted “National Treatment”. This provision allows these entities to be treated, from a legal perspective, as though they were Thai companies.

 

I own a trucking company in Thailand 100 %. No need for Thai partners and 100% my money. It is run by the wife's family. That is to protect myself from lawsuits and such. Plus it would be hard for me to hire anyone.

 

 

 

 I also own one in the U.S. 

No one would dispute your case. Nor should they.

Unfortunately a few of your countrymen take great pride in informing everyone that if they wanted they could open a bar or small restaurant using the treaty. 

 

As already indicated by Ubon Joe, it's down to the Treaty of Amity, although there are still restrictions on the types of business. 

Most bars, restaurants, etc are on leases - same as back home, wherever that may be.

 

Anyone can lease a building and employ whoever they want to do whatever they want in that building.

 

It's quite simple really.

 

Take the UK for example, I know a couple of people who run multiple bars and restaurants, none of them own the buildings or land which the buildings are located on. It's all about leases.

On 2018. 04. 15. at 7:37 AM, kenk24 said:

Americans from what country - - there are many countries in the Americas? It sounds like you are talking about a very few people. 

It's sound like you don't know what you talk about. There are many countries in America? No. America =country. And got states.

6 hours ago, Cohen said:

It's sound like you don't know what you talk about. There are many countries in America? No. America =country. And got states.

really? there is north america, south america and central america...