Export Biz

[joinme2leave]

intend to establish export business thailand-europe (middle, northern and eastern europe; not u.k!)

anybody here having experiences about?

(company requirements, thai paperwork, reference addresses and so on)

ps/regarding company requirements: got a thai partner already to have registered company (if necessary) but do not need further (thai) employees. Possible?

[Indo-Siam]

Any seven individuals may start a Thai PrivateCo. Ltd. They can be any nationality, and none of them need ever have set foot in Thailand.

Practically, to function and obtain licenses and so on, you are best advised to ensure that company shares are majority Thai-owned, so as not to run afoul of the Foreign Business Act - see http://www.thailawforum.com/database1/foreign.html

Technically, export of goods that you manufacture is not against the Foreign Business Act - but you will spend your life arguing this with misinformed Thai officials, so this is not worth pursuing.

Once established, company does not need any employees - a non-employee director can sign off on everything.

What you may be asking is " "Can I get a work permit"? The answer is "Yes", as long as company is capitalized at at least 2,000,000 baht (or after your company has exported at least so many million baht worth of exports in one year - regardless of capitalization). Other exceptions exist if you are married to a Thai, or if you have paid Thai personal income taxes in previous year.

What you may be asking is "Can I get a long-term entry permit based on employment, without having Thai employees"? The answer is "No" - in most cases, your employer needs four Thai employees and 2,000,0000 baht in PAID-IN capitalization, in order to sponsor one long-term entry permit.

There are odd exceptions under certain situations - but the 4 Thais and 2 Million baht paid-in rules apply to your average Joe who is starting with just a simple 90 day non-immigrant entry permit, obtained off a Class B visa.

If you form a Thai Rep Office for an overseas firm,you can get a work permit and extended entry permit - and no Thai employees are needed, but this is a slow and expensive process - several times more expensive than forming a Thai Pricate Co. Ltd. (especially if overseas parent company has high registered capitalization)

Good luck!

Steve Sykes

Managing Director

Indo-Siam Group

Bangkok

[email protected]

www.thaistartup.com