Hi all, I am 30 yr old English Guy and planning on buying/leasing a small business in Pattaya. I am doing this with my mate, a 37 year old Englishman. To start, I do not expect to get rich with this venture, merely survive and I am prepared for hard work.

My main question is about Visas and work permits. What course of action should I take?

We are going over in three weeks to look at a few options and plan on moving there in September this year.

Any advice will be gratefully received.

CLASS QUESTION????????????????

TAKE A FEW MINTUES & READ THE FOURM NOT TAKE LONG.

One scenario:

Initial trip, for less than 30 days on the ground in Bangkok: simply get a 30 day entry permit upon arrival- no visa needed. While here, launch a Thai Private Co. Ltd. - which will become the vehicle for purchasing the assets that you will later want to acquire.

If you want guidance concerning company incorporation - send me a conventional e-mail messge to which I can reply with attachments. make sure that you are working with a company that can handle incorporation within 2-3 weeks (not 10-12 weeks as is common at several well-known "busness start up" companies).

Prior to departure from Thailand on initial trip, obtain employment letters from newly launched company, requesting that Thai embassy in your home country issue one-year, multiple-entry, non-immigrant Class B visas to you two - one to be hired as Managing Director, the other as International Marketing Manager. Take copies of all incorporation documents with you. Using employment letter and company documents, apply for one-year, multiple-entry, non-immigrant Class B visas in home country.

When you then come back to Thailand in September, you will receive 90 day entry permits upon arrival. Provided that you capitalized company at at least 2,000,000 baht, the one of you listed as Managing Director can get a work permit for that position immediately upon arrival. Possibly aslo the other individual.

You then use your new company to conclude an asset purchase agreement, to take on just the listed assets (but not the unknown hidden liabilities) of the company that presently owns the property.

Long-term, your main challenge will be to obtain long-term entry permits, to allow you to obtain corresponding long-term work permits, which allow you to remain in Thailand for longer than 90 days at a time, without making "visa runs." To do this, you will need to:

1. Be able to document 2,000,0000 baht paid-in capital for EACH foreigner employed.

2. Be able to document four Thai employees per EACH foreigner employed

3. Be able to document that you are each being paid a minimum qualifying salary - 50,0000 baht per month for Europeans.

Good luck!

Best regards,

Steve Sykes

Managing Director

Indo-Siam Group

Bangkok

[email protected]

www.thaistartup.com

Thanks very much Steve...Your time and effort are very much appreciated

Andy

You will most likely be able to live longer off the money it will take you to get started than what you will earn off the business itself the first few years. You should have your first 12 to 18 months living expenses besides your business expenses banked. Why not start the business at home much more money to be made.

Ideally I would like to buy a small guesthouse with an internet cafe attached, obviously not something we can start in the uk. We are both currently completing TEFL qualifications as back up as we know the business will probably not generate a disposable income. There are also other ways of making pocket money including the widely debated selling on ebay etc... We're both just sick of life in the uk and want to give something a good go over in Thailand.