Thailand aiming to be "Start-Up hub of SE Asia - visas made easy for tech entrepreneurs

[Kieran00001]

51 minutes ago, AntDee said:

Name 10 globally successful tech companies who are started by Thai entrepreneurs. Actually, name 2.

 

The point is not the number but the ratio of Thais to others and the appalling education system here which produces barely functioning workers. 

 

There are some very good schools in Thailand, and a few good universities, not everyone goes to a state school in the country and a technical college that has been renamed as a university.  But I cant name 2 Thai tech startups, I cant name two Thai startups full stop, in fact not even one, has there ever been a successful Thai startup?  But coming up with a new business model would be the job of the foreigner who is being encouraged to do then conduct their business here, the Thai staff don't have to be capable of that bit, and in some sectors there are excellent employees available, for example in life science and pharmaceutical engineering.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Hi y'all

 

I think this digital nomads visa good for my situations how to apply?

[seancbk]

1 hour ago, AntDee said:

Name 10 globally successful tech companies who are started by Thai entrepreneurs. Actually, name 2.

 

The point is not the number but the ratio of Thais to others and the appalling education system here which produces barely functioning workers. 

 

https://www.startupranking.com/top/thailand  

Shows the top Thai Startups and if you click on their name you can see details of funding etc 

No.4 Omise is the payment gateway that started OmiseGo, the crypto currency with a market cap of $1,651,272,981 USD


 

[seancbk]

Another successful Thai startup is https://flowaccount.com/en/about-us  

 

[manarak]

2 hours ago, CLW said:

Another question, can you utilise this bandwidth?
I don't know any application for a normal user at home that requires such a high speed.

back in the days where I battled with IT-departments this was the favorite statement of competent but visionless IT-managers.

first let's notice that this bandwidth in most cases only applies to the network in the ISP's close vicinity, for us for example it would be bandwidth for connection within Thailand.

international high bandwidth remains a rarity and expensive.

 

bandwidth is useful for applications running on a server instead of your local computer, e-learning/teaching, etc. also for example application served from a server, such as office live, etc. this brings back the previously relatively silly concept of "thin clients" where the full system would be downloaded every day to the client prior to being used.

 

another obvious bandwidth-hungry application is video.

 

full HD (1920 x 1080) at 60 fps without compression will need a bandwidth of 2.98 Gbit per second. This is gigabits, not megabits. 2.98 Gbit = 2980 Mbit

now we have also 4k streaming at 120 fps, which needs roughly 8 times more bandwidth than full HD. at those bandwidth requirements, there is already a limitation on CABLES, since only few all cables are capable of transmitting the signal.

 

these are gigantic figures but fortunately there is compression.

Netflix has some 4k material available for streaming. they are far away from full 4k @ 120 fps, but Netflix recommends 25 Mbit bandwidth.

 

the other big application is teleconferencing or HD streaming in the role of emitter. Obviously, in that case, the bandwidth is also needed upstream, which is still very rare today except when using professional (carrier) services for big $$$.

 

third big and rapidly growing application is off-site storage for files and backups. dropbox, onedrive, mega, etc. these services can increasingly be used as an off-site harddrive. of course they are more useful and less a PITA to use if your bandwidth is high.

Edited May 1, 2018 by manarak

[DrTuner]

3 hours ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

As I already posted, in a study of 103 startups, only 3 had less than 5 employees, it is certainly very unusual for a startup to start with only a couple people, only 1 in that group of 103 did, and anyway, you failed to address the point I made, which is what would be the advantage to Thailand to encourage tiny startups without employees?  As for your billionaire mate, sure you have one, we all believe you.

I don't know about your study but I've funded several startups, had half a dozen myself and made a couple of successful exits. All were 2-3 founders and yes all grew to more than 10 employees in first year. It's the founders who name the initial game, VC capital and their decisions come to play only after the seed round.

 

Greetings from the front lines.

[DrTuner]

39 minutes ago, seancbk said:

 

https://www.startupranking.com/top/thailand  

Shows the top Thai Startups and if you click on their name you can see details of funding etc 

No.4 Omise is the payment gateway that started OmiseGo, the crypto currency with a market cap of $1,651,272,981 USD

And OmiseGo has their operations is Singapore. 

[seancbk]

1 minute ago, DrTuner said:

And OmiseGo has their operations is Singapore. 

 

For tax reasons probably.  Still founded here and still considered a Thai startup.
 

[DrTuner]

1 minute ago, seancbk said:

 

For tax reasons probably.  Still founded here and still considered a Thai startup.
 

I'd venture to guess it's for tax reasons, availability of EPs for foreigners, 100% foreign ownership, stable government, excellent banking system, good infrastructure, good location and connections to SEA, access to excellent education for employees with kids and so on. So why would anybody do it in Thailand unless they need cheap labor or are Thais that can't cope outside?

[seancbk]

1 minute ago, DrTuner said:

And OmiseGo has their operations is Singapore. 

 

For tax reasons probably.  Still founded here and still considered a Thai startup.
 

[seancbk]

2 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

8 minutes ago, seancbk said:

 

For tax reasons probably.  Still founded here and still considered a Thai startup.
 

I'd venture to guess it's for tax reasons, availability of EPs for foreigners, 100% foreign ownership, stable government, excellent banking system, good infrastructure, good location and connections to SEA, access to excellent education for employees with kids and so on. So why would anybody do it in Thailand unless they need cheap labor or are Thais that can't cope outside?

 

Sure, all valid reasons.   Still doesn't preclude that they were a Thai startup.  

And what about Thai startups with products specifically for the Thai market?   
 

 

[Speedo1968]

Shouldn't this astounding announcement have appeared in the newspaper on April 1st ?

Edited May 1, 2018 by Speedo1968
spelling

[DrTuner]

1 minute ago, seancbk said:

And what about Thai startups with products specifically for the Thai market?   

In your list HotelQuickly is sort of in that business, last minute hotel deals. Thailand being a tourism hub is good for that. 

 

BTW I noticed while browsing Omise's about page that some of the C's seem to have been studying in BKK. That seems to be one fairly common reason to start here, perhaps they already have PR or nationality and have settled down. They didn't come here specifically to start up, which is what BOI/Immigration is trying to lure entrepreneurs into doing.

[NutsMango]

On 30/04/2018 at 12:53 PM, Kieran00001 said:

 

The term startup doesn't normally refer to models that need only a couple staff, and why on earth would a government encourage foreigners to come to start businesses that do not employ people, what would be the advantage?

You obviously have no idea.

 

Pretty much every start-up STARTED with just couple of people (often in a garage). For example such lousy companies as Apple, Google, Microsoft.

 

According to you they should start with 300 employees and 1500sq meters offices, right? 

[shady86]

Another question, can you utilise this bandwidth?
I don't know any application for a normal user at home that requires such a high speed.

Oh yes, I only watch 4k contents. Having good speed is one thing. Reliability is another question.

[NutsMango]

3 hours ago, seancbk said:

Another successful Thai startup is https://flowaccount.com/en/about-us  

 

All of these copied websites/systems already invented in the West and translated it into Thai.

[NutsMango]

2 hours ago, DrTuner said:

In your list HotelQuickly is sort of in that business, last minute hotel deals. Thailand being a tourism hub is good for that.

HotelQuickly was founded in December 2012 by Tomas Laboutka (CEO), Christian Mischler (COO & CMO), Michal Juhas (CTO), Mario Peng (CFO), and Raphael Cohen

 

Hmm, very Thai sounding names 

[Kieran00001]

29 minutes ago, NutsMango said:

You obviously have no idea.

 

Pretty much every start-up STARTED with just couple of people (often in a garage). For example such lousy companies as Apple, Google, Microsoft.

 

According to you they should start with 300 employees and 1500sq meters offices, right? 

 

No, according to me by the time a startup is considering moving to a third world country they should be at the stage where they can meet that countries minimum requirements and thus for Thailand be able to employ 4 people on at least minimum wage, is that simple enough for you?

[Kieran00001]

32 minutes ago, NutsMango said:

You obviously have no idea.

 

Pretty much every start-up STARTED with just couple of people (often in a garage). For example such lousy companies as Apple, Google, Microsoft.

 

According to you they should start with 300 employees and 1500sq meters offices, right? 

 

What sort of startups do you think Thailand wants to attract, those who couldn't meet their requirement of a minimum outlay in wages of 1200 baht a day?

Edited May 1, 2018 by Kieran00001

[Kieran00001]

11 minutes ago, NutsMango said:

All of these copied websites/systems already invented in the West and translated it into Thai.

 

Yeah, they're not exactly what I would call startups, they are ripoffs of successful startups.

[Puwa]

We just located the regional hq of our fintech startup in KL. We didn't seriously consider Thailand, owing to visa and WP hassles, talent pool, red tape high rents and political instability. 

[Megasin1]

LOL...you gotta admire their blind enthusiasm and their natural assumption that all other Asian countries are in the stone age too!!

Science and Tech Talent - South Korea or Taiwan, already there

Next generation automotive - Japan, Germany, Tesla - miles ahead (pun intended)

Affluent tourism - I think they kinda like to visit places with stable politics and honest police.

Food for the future - they will be a rice field for China, so they almost have that right, but not with any great financial reward

Robotics - Come on, be serious they still have sick buffalos, but once again - Japan

Aviation and logistics - LOL - built for them by the Chinese

Biofuels and biochemical - Well, once again here comes the farming....so they will supply

Digital - <deleted>

Medical hub - really <deleted>

 

I'm not bashing them really but its the equivalent of joining a 100m sprint in a sack when the rest of the competitors are 90m down the track.

What sort of incentives will they offer that young talented people cant get better elsewhere? LOL

and their major issue - absolute political instability, ongoing, never-ending and never emerging democracy.

They are farmers and factory workers at best with a military ruling junta, they have nothing to offer the rest of the world other than tourism and they are even screwing that up...god bless them

 

Edited May 1, 2018 by metisdead
Profane acronym removed.

[DrTuner]

1 hour ago, NutsMango said:

HotelQuickly was founded in December 2012 by Tomas Laboutka (CEO), Christian Mischler (COO & CMO), Michal Juhas (CTO), Mario Peng (CFO), and Raphael Cohen

 

Hmm, very Thai sounding names 

Tomas and Michal are Czech AFAIK. They are the sort of startup founders BOI is trying to target. A rarity here. Then there might be some Luek Kruengs or overseas educated Thais who could have what it takes, but they won't be needing visas as the are Thai. 

[Kieran00001]

12 hours ago, Megasin1 said:

LOL...you gotta admire their blind enthusiasm and their natural assumption that all other Asian countries are in the stone age too!!

Science and Tech Talent - South Korea or Taiwan, already there

Next generation automotive - Japan, Germany, Tesla - miles ahead (pun intended)

Affluent tourism - I think they kinda like to visit places with stable politics and honest police.

Food for the future - they will be a rice field for China, so they almost have that right, but not with any great financial reward

Robotics - Come on, be serious they still have sick buffalos, but once again - Japan

Aviation and logistics - LOL - built for them by the Chinese

Biofuels and biochemical - Well, once again here comes the farming....so they will supply

Digital - <deleted>

Medical hub - really <deleted>

 

I'm not bashing them really but its the equivalent of joining a 100m sprint in a sack when the rest of the competitors are 90m down the track.

What sort of incentives will they offer that young talented people cant get better elsewhere? LOL

and their major issue - absolute political instability, ongoing, never-ending and never emerging democracy.

They are farmers and factory workers at best with a military ruling junta, they have nothing to offer the rest of the world other than tourism and they are even screwing that up...god bless them

 

 

Glaxo Smith Klein has been engineering pioneering drugs here since the 1960's, Thailand has the means to increase this sector.

 

The Japanese auto manufacturers make cars here, Thailand can bid for next generation contracts.

 

European tourists spend an average of $120 per day, Americans $141, Chinese $178, it is no wonder they are targeting the affluent Chinese.

 

20 years ago Thailand was heavily dependent on two agricultural products, rice and rubber.  Now they have diversified into 12 main products, all making over $1 billion in exports, rubber, rice, sugar, fish, chicken, compound rubber, fresh shrimps, prepared shrimps and octopus, frozen shrimps, cassava chips, animal feeds and tapioca starch and have another 13 agro-food products exporting over $100 million each.  Thailand is the 6th biggest agro-food exporter in the world, the highest, most diversified and producing the highest export price per hectare in S.E.Asia.

 

Robotics, Thailand's economy is increasingly manufacturing based, they already have a large automotive and pharmaceuticals industry that is largely dependent on robots, they already make simple robots like 7-axis welders.

 

Bordering Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, Thailand is the logistics hub of S.E.Asia, it would make sense geographically if they were also the main aviation hub of the region, rather than as is, somewhere behind both KL and Singapore.
 

Thailand is the 8th biggest producer of biofuel in the world.  They should diversify and make more bio chemicals.

 

Digital, I have no idea where they are at, nowhere I presume.

 

Medical hub I doubt as well, its already too expensive to compete with nearby more advanced countries, I cant see how they could achieve it.

 

When you said that Thai's are farmers or factory workers had you forgotten that you had just listed a load of industries dependent on workers in the manufacturing and agriculture industries?  Anyway, Thailand has more to offer the world that just tourism, they export medicine, technology, food and fuel, and you were bashing.

[NutsMango]

32 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Tomas and Michal are Czech AFAIK. They are the sort of startup founders BOI is trying to target. A rarity here. Then there might be some Luek Kruengs or overseas educated Thais who could have what it takes, but they won't be needing visas as the are Thai. 

Started by founders from Czech Republic in Hong Kong - https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/hotelquickly

 

So it is Czech/HK startup. They have headquarters in Bangkok. Though the company was sold several years ago.

[Megasin1]

15 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Glaxo Smith Klein has been engineering pioneering drugs here since the 1960's, Thailand has the means to increase this sector.

 

The Japanese auto manufacturers make cars here, Thailand can bid for next generation contracts.

 

European tourists spend an average of $120 per day, Americans $141, Chinese $178, it is no wonder they are targeting the affluent Chinese.

 

20 years ago Thailand was heavily dependent on two agricultural products, rice and rubber.  Now they have diversified into 12 main products, all making over $1 billion in exports, rubber, rice, sugar, fish, chicken, compound rubber, fresh shrimps, prepared shrimps and octopus, frozen shrimps, cassava chips, animal feeds and tapioca starch and have another 13 agro-food products exporting over $100 million each.  Thailand is the 6th biggest agro-food exporter in the world, the highest, most diversified and producing the highest export price per hectare in S.E.Asia.

 

Robotics, Thailand's economy is increasingly manufacturing based, they already have a large automotive and pharmaceuticals industry that is largely dependent on robots, they already make simple robots like 7-axis welders.

 

Bordering Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, Thailand is the logistics hub of S.E.Asia, it would make sense geographically if they were also the main aviation hub of the region, rather than as is, somewhere behind both KL and Singapore.
 

Thailand is the 8th biggest producer of biofuel in the world.  They should diversify and make more bio chemicals.

 

Digital, I have no idea where they are at, nowhere I presume.

 

Medical hub I doubt as well, its already too expensive to compete with nearby more advanced countries, I cant see how they could achieve it.

 

When you said that Thai's are farmers or factory workers had you forgotten that you had just listed a load of industries dependent on workers in the manufacturing and agriculture industries?  Anyway, Thailand has more to offer the world that just tourism, they export medicine, technology, food and fuel, and you were bashing.

nope, you haven't changed my mind, the article is about innovative start-ups...everything you have said just supports that they are factory workers and farmers, reread what you have written and tell me where the innovation is...

as a previous poster said, KL was their choice and I think you will find KL is becoming more company's choice

They export products, your biggest seller, yes products that have been manufactured or grown there, not inventive innovative technology, its not bashing its a matter of ambition v capabilities.

If they want innovative start-ups they would need to make major changes to their laws, business ethics, incentives and rewards (for foreigners). Canada for example will offer companies reduced corporate tax reductions and not ask them to check in with immigration every 90 days...LOL

and you failed to mention the continual political instability. No one in their right mind would start up a company which risked being grabbed as soon as it became successful...

They are so far behind the curve on anything to do with modern business that they should concentrate on becoming the holiday centre of choice for their more advanced neighbours and that starts by getting the right business model, which as any good business brain will tell you does not mean you put all your eggs in one basket, so yes, they may favour the Chinese tourists within the military junta run model, but as soon as they fall foul of Beijing and the buses stop running, you will find a rather poor bedraggled Thailand.

And even if not cast aside by China, go look at the old 'exclusive to Tesco's model' and see how that faired for the suppliers who put all their eggs in one basket.

[AntDee]

4 hours ago, seancbk said:

 

Sure, all valid reasons.   Still doesn't preclude that they were a Thai startup.  

And what about Thai startups with products specifically for the Thai market?   
 

 

Was started primarily by Jun Hasegawa, a Japanese based in Singapore. Of course, no companies can operate in Thailand without a Thai "partner".  Why it would be based in Bangkok has everything to do with low cost and/or corrupt deals with government here. Nothing to do with Talent in Thailand. 

 

https://www.crunchbase.com/person/jun-hasegawa#section overview 

[Kieran00001]

1 minute ago, Megasin1 said:

nope, you haven't changed my mind, the article is about innovative start-ups...everything you have said just supports that they are factory workers and farmers, reread what you have written and tell me where the innovation is...

as a previous poster said, KL was their choice and I think you will find KL is becoming more company's choice

They export products, your biggest seller, yes products that have been manufactured or grown there, not inventive innovative technology, its not bashing its a matter of ambition v capabilities.

If they want innovative start-ups they would need to make major changes to their laws, business ethics, incentives and rewards (for foreigners). Canada for example will offer companies reduced corporate tax reductions and not ask them to check in with immigration every 90 days...LOL

and you failed to mention the continual political instability. No one in their right mind would start up a company which risked being grabbed as soon as it became successful...

They are so far behind the curve on anything to do with modern business that they should concentrate on becoming the holiday centre of choice for their more advanced neighbours and that starts by getting the right business model, which as any good business brain will tell you does not mean you put all your eggs in one basket, so yes, they may favour the Chinese tourists within the military junta run model, but as soon as they fall foul of Beijing and the buses stop running, you will find a rather poor bedraggled Thailand.

And even if not cast aside by China, go look at the old 'exclusive to Tesco's model' and see how that faired for the suppliers who put all their eggs in one basket.

 

Multinationals boost design and tech wherever they go, the pharmaceuticals companies have resulted in Thai universities producing breakthrough drugs, the automotive companies have resulted in the likes of the 7-axis welding robot manufacturer, the agro-food export industry has expanded into prepared foods, they are all innovations.

 

Investors in Thailand enjoy 8 free years of zero corporation tax, is that sort of incentive you mean?  There isn't a 90 day report, visas can be arranged by post, and investors can even own land.  Before bashing, go read, simple. 

 

No, putting all your eggs in one basket is not a good idea, so why are you suggesting concentrating on tourism?  Surely the answer is diversification, and Thailand is actually seen as a model of diversification by its neighbours, did you read what I wrote about the changes in agriculture in the past 20 years? 

 

 

 

 

 

[AntDee]

12 hours ago, Megasin1 said:

LOL...you gotta admire their blind enthusiasm and their natural assumption that all other Asian countries are in the stone age too!!

Science and Tech Talent - South Korea or Taiwan, already there

Next generation automotive - Japan, Germany, Tesla - miles ahead (pun intended)

Affluent tourism - I think they kinda like to visit places with stable politics and honest police.

Food for the future - they will be a rice field for China, so they almost have that right, but not with any great financial reward

Robotics - Come on, be serious they still have sick buffalos, but once again - Japan

Aviation and logistics - LOL - built for them by the Chinese

Biofuels and biochemical - Well, once again here comes the farming....so they will supply

Digital - <deleted>

Medical hub - really <deleted>

 

I'm not bashing them really but its the equivalent of joining a 100m sprint in a sack when the rest of the competitors are 90m down the track.

What sort of incentives will they offer that young talented people cant get better elsewhere? LOL

and their major issue - absolute political instability, ongoing, never-ending and never emerging democracy.

They are farmers and factory workers at best with a military ruling junta, they have nothing to offer the rest of the world other than tourism and they are even screwing that up...god bless them

 

What they can offer, as ever, is women, food, sun and cheap cost of living. There really is little else competive advantage. 

[DrTuner]

2 hours ago, AntDee said:

What they can offer, as ever, is women, food, sun and cheap cost of living. There really is little else competive advantage. 

That, however, is quite an edge to have. Single mid aged men would be the target group, but in recent times I've noticed IT nerds are quite in demand in the West by the fairer sex (due to high income), so not so many singles left.