Acting As An Agent For A Foreign Company

[daveh]

Yesterday, I was asking for advice from a co-worker that has set up a Thai corporation in the past. I was telling him that I may have an opportunity to work for a foriegn company in Thailand and was hoping to set up a corporation here. He told me that it is possible to work and live in Thailand legally acting as an agent for a foreign company. "All you need is a contract from the foreign copmany" is what he said.

I've searched ThaiVisa and Google for information on doing this, but so far have come up short on finding any information. Is any of this true? Is it possible to stay in Thailand while working for a foreign company without having a company in Thailand sponsoring you?

How would a company in the States send someone to Thailand long-term for the purposes of researching business and later acting as a representative here? In my case, the job would not just be for Thailand, but to act as a representative of the company in the States for all of SEA.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Sunbelt Asia and Indo Siam ( links on here ) do this sort of organization for clients. Ask for them for advice. Do it right.

[daveh]

Sunbelt Asia and Indo Siam ( links on here ) do this sort of organization for clients. Ask for them for advice. Do it right.

Yes, I agree 100% about doing everything right. I would never willingly do something the wrong way.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Sunbelt Asia and Indo Siam ( links on here ) do this sort of organization for clients. Ask for them for advice. Do it right.

Yes, I agree 100% about doing everything right. I would never willingly do something the wrong way.

Go for it Dave. It won't take long to do professionally, and you'll be bringing in the baht

[daveh]

Sunbelt Asia and Indo Siam ( links on here ) do this sort of organization for clients. Ask for them for advice. Do it right.

Yes, I agree 100% about doing everything right. I would never willingly do something the wrong way.

Go for it Dave. It won't take long to do professionally, and you'll be bringing in the baht

I'd love nothing more than to stay here and bring baht into Thailand. I did sent out a private message and am waiting for a response. I am worried that it may not be possible these days. We know how the rules for mulitple entry non-imm B visas change with the wind and when my co-worker was looking into it, it was a couple of years ago.

So I am interested in knowing if anyone else has done this recently. When I did a search on "agent" I got lots of real estate agent posts. And when I searched for foreign company, I got a lot of irrelevant posts as well.

It would be nice if the search engine for ThaiVisa had keyword/phrase search along with "and" and "or" operators. For example, it would be nice to do a search 'agent && "foreign company"' that would look for all posts with the word "agent" and the phrase "foreign company" in the same message.

[Sunbelt Asia]

If you're going to get a work permit then you can get a multi entry visa in Singapore (Does not require 4 Thais) Otherwise if you are only checking out the idea, it would be best to go to Perth and get a one year multi- entry at first or in the USA. We STRONGLY advocate you to have a work permit... so if you're working without a workpermit. Be warned! The requirement to get a work permit does NOT require hiring 4 Thais. A one year visa for business does require 4 Thais but NOT the one year multi entry visa.

"Yesterday, a friend of mine told me it is possible to live and work in Thailand acting as an agent of a US corporation. That is, get a visa to work here for a foreign company with a contract from that country. Is this true?"

Sorry to say your friend is sadly misinformed. Just to make sure, one of our lawyers called the Labor department to give them a chuckle. A laugh and a stern "Mai Dei" was all they got on your friends viewpoint.

www.sunbeltasia.com

[dr_Pat_Pong]

If you're going to get a work permit then you can get a multi entry visa in Singapore (Does not require 4 Thais) Otherwise if you are only checking out the idea, it would be best to go to Perth and get a one year multi- entry at first or in the USA. We STRONGLY advocate you to have a work permit... so if you're working without a workpermit. Be warned! The requirement to get a work permit does NOT require hiring 4 Thais. A one year visa for business does require 4 Thais but NOT the one year multi entry visa.

"Yesterday, a friend of mine told me it is possible to live and work in Thailand acting as an agent of a US corporation. That is, get a visa to work here for a foreign company with a contract from that country. Is this true?"

Sorry to say your friend is sadly misinformed. Just to make sure, one of our lawyers called the Labor department to give them a chuckle. A laugh and a stern "Mai Dei" was all they got on your friends viewpoint.

www.sunbeltasia.com

Perth Thai Consulate does visa's in 3 days, Brisbane Thai Consulate does them while you wait.

[daveh]

If you're going to get a work permit then you can get a multi entry visa in Singapore (Does not require 4 Thais)...

This looks like my best option. It is my intent to get a work permit and be above board and pay taxes. How do I convince the authorities in Singapore of this? I am wondering if they require that I first get a single entry, then the work permit, then return for a multi-entry.

Sorry to say your friend is sadly misinformed. Just to make sure, one of our lawyers called the Labor department to give them a chuckle. A laugh and a stern "Mai Dei" was all they got on your friends viewpoint.

Thanks. I'll tell him he is full of it.

[Sunbelt Asia]

This looks like my best option. It is my intent to get a work permit and be above board and pay taxes. How do I convince the authorities in Singapore of this? I am wondering if they require that I first get a single entry, then the work permit, then return for a multi-entry.

Bingo :-)

Dr. Patpong, I understand Perth takes 20 minutes as well, as long as the Thai Consulate is in the office.

www.sunbeltasia.com

[Indo-Siam]

I arrived into Bangkok to live here in April 2000. I'm an American and I was working for a US company as "Asian Technical Manager." I was paid to a US bank, and I lived off ATM withdrawals. Monthly, I sent travel expense receipts back to USA, and reimbursememnt was also deposited toi my US bank account, along with my payroll.

I was married to a Thai, and I did come here on a non-Immigrant O visa - one-year, multiple entry.

I never obtained a work permit, or a long-term entry permit extension. I rarely remained in Thailand for longer than 10 days without traveling to some other Asian country. I eventually let the Class O visa expire, and I just came and went on "entry permits on arrival".

Thailand could absolutely have cared less. As long as you travel a lot, and you are paid to an account outside Thailand, they do not even take notice of you. I obtained drivers license, got stopped by traffic police for shakedowns half a dozen times, and I also filed charges once at Lumpini Police Station. My passport was always examined - and I was asked if I had a work permit on several occasions - I said no, and that was it. The minute they saw my frequent travel (and perhaps my Class O status), they lost interest in my immigration and employment status.

If you will be paid to an account in Thailand, or if you will persist here and only depart on 90 day visa runs, you are probably at much greater risk.

What your overseas employer may do is open a Thai Rep Office here - and have that Office employ you. A Thai rep Office does not need any Thai employees - it can be a one-man operation. But - the process of setting up a rep office has become very onerous in recent times. It is expensive, and takes quite a while.

In the case of most Thai Rep Offices that I have helped set up, the guy who eventually ends up heading the office has already been living here as a defacto resident for a year or more - but paid overseas, as I was - prior to the Rep Office application being submitted. Effectively, the Rep Office application is submitted to formalize an arrangement that has already been in operation - but with manager commuting in and out - for some time. None of these clients has ever had any problems with authorities.

If you receive salary payment inside Thailand, then they want you to have a local employer, and pay Thai taxes. If you answer to an overseaes boss, and get paid overseas, then they have no interest in you.

Good luck!

Steve

Indo-Siam