Looking at starting a website for international sales from Thailand

[Shaunkuntep]

22 hours ago, JayClay said:

Unless he is selling things that can't be easily sourced elsewhere, I think he'll have issues successfully selling internationally unfortunately. Other countries have far cheaper shipping costs than Thailand.

Luckily he is a very positive person just like me so when he fails it will be experience for trying another product.
 

just need to find items that are not available in other countries.

 

 

[Shaunkuntep]

 Just found out you need to be twenty years old for a sole proprietorship.

Must be another way to do this if under twenty

[SuperSaiyan]

On 9/10/2023 at 1:31 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

I know almost nothing about that.

 

But as far as I know professionals do this in a way that they have storage locations i.e. in Europe and the USA. If anybody in France or Germany orders, you ship from Europe. You ship i.e. 100 items one time to Europ and then distribute it over there.

 

In this case, don't forget to register for EU VAT / OSS  otherwise it's illegal.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

Just now, SuperSaiyan said:

In this case, don't forget to register for EU VAT / OSS  otherwise it's illegal.

 

It's always a good idea to work within the legal system. ???? 

[TravelerEastWest]

17 hours ago, Shaunkuntep said:

 Just found out you need to be twenty years old for a sole proprietorship.

Must be another way to do this if under twenty

Sorry to hear that.

 

Are you 100% certain? Who told you?

 

If so this may be the time to consult an experienced CPA - not expensive at all - maybe free for a quick question?

[Shaunkuntep]

46 minutes ago, TravelerEastWest said:

Sorry to hear that.

 

Are you 100% certain? Who told you?

 

If so this may be the time to consult an experienced CPA - not expensive at all - maybe free for a quick question?

Hi we went to open a bank yesterday and they said you have to be Twenty .
Checked on Google and it also shows this but you are correct i will give a random CPA a phone call today 
 

[oxo1947]

images of Buddha is out as far as exports , I had a friend in Pattaya some years back who started doing Buddha heads , he had molds & made them in fiberglass----really looked good after he had them painted with cracks & chips etc put in them, & light to ship, although they looked just like they were made of stone. In 6 weeks after his web page went up he had orders he could not keep up with---so he opened a small shop in 3rd road--near the buffalo bar, that was about the time they shut him down, as far as the exports side went.  Maybe better for son to start Cambodia----

 

** people may write that they see Buddha stuff advertised --yes it either doesn't come from "direct" from Thailand...--or-- somethings changed ...or .. their just taking a chance.

 

.

[TravelerEastWest]

9 hours ago, Shaunkuntep said:

Hi we went to open a bank yesterday and they said you have to be Twenty .
Checked on Google and it also shows this but you are correct i will give a random CPA a phone call today 
 

I am confused you said you couldn't open up a sole proprietorship which is not connected to the requirements to open a banking account - did I miss something?

 

I just checked with my Thai wife and she did not need a bank account to register a sole proprietorship. And it took only a few minutes and very little money but she was an adult over 20...

 

Anyway this is all paperwork you can work around it. Your son should perhaps do some research own? 

[Shaunkuntep]

1 hour ago, TravelerEastWest said:

I am confused you said you couldn't open up a sole proprietorship which is not connected to the requirements to open a banking account - did I miss something?

 

I just checked with my Thai wife and she did not need a bank account to register a sole proprietorship. And it took only a few minutes and very little money but she was an adult over 20...

 

Anyway this is all paperwork you can work around it. Your son should perhaps do some research own? 

Hi sorry yes he said the bank asked what he was opening the bank for and he wanted to set up for Stripe payments which was not a problem but they said that to apply for sole proprietorship you needed to be over 20.

Seems like it might have to go in my Thai wife's name for a couple of years.
Interested that you say it only took a few minutes as he has done lots of searching and is going to see what he needs to get this sorted out tomorrow but his friend said he needed to register first the name of the business and then come back later.
Will have to see tomorrow what he finds out but he did phone a few places and nobody wanted to give any free advice apart from the last one that said he has to be 20. 

[still kicking]

On 9/10/2023 at 7:47 PM, Shaunkuntep said:

In Bangkok .
 

My niece does sell online small items most of it goes to Singapore, but I don't know the details she is 19 years old.

[Shaunkuntep]

10 hours ago, still kicking said:

My niece does sell online small items most of it goes to Singapore, but I don't know the details she is 19 years old.

I am guessing that would be Lazada/shopee 
i wonder how she did this but probably you do not need to go along the sole proprietorship.

As long as you pay the income tax ?

Thanks might be something to look in to

[TravelerEastWest]

13 hours ago, Shaunkuntep said:

Hi sorry yes he said the bank asked what he was opening the bank for and he wanted to set up for Stripe payments which was not a problem but they said that to apply for sole proprietorship you needed to be over 20.

Seems like it might have to go in my Thai wife's name for a couple of years.
Interested that you say it only took a few minutes as he has done lots of searching and is going to see what he needs to get this sorted out tomorrow but his friend said he needed to register first the name of the business and then come back later.
Will have to see tomorrow what he finds out but he did phone a few places and nobody wanted to give any free advice apart from the last one that said he has to be 20. 

It truly is easy - at least if he is an adult.

 

Please go visit a local CPA (or just have mom do the paperwork) with a small office calling around is not a good idea - the first meeting will have only a small charge or be free normally...

 

I an American and I can form a Thai sole proprietorship if I wanted to but there would be more paperwork and costs - for a Thai person it is so easy literally a few minutes and maybe 300 baht? This is done at a local government office not the revenue department.

 

Again as I said it is only paperwork if he needs to be 20 have his mother do it today and be finished and move on to the fun stuff - marketing!

 

The bank is not where you ask tax and similar questions

 

Good luck.

[Shaunkuntep]

5 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

It truly is easy - at least if he is an adult.

 

Please go visit a local CPA (or just have mom do the paperwork) with a small office calling around is not a good idea - the first meeting will have only a small charge or be free normally...

 

I an American and I can form a Thai sole proprietorship if I wanted to but there would be more paperwork and costs - for a Thai person it is so easy literally a few minutes and maybe 300 baht? This is done at a local government office not the revenue department.

 

Again as I said it is only paperwork if he needs to be 20 have his mother do it today and be finished and move on to the fun stuff - marketing!

 

The bank is not where you ask tax and similar questions

 

Good luck.

Many thanks he is going to check on Monday

Hopefully he get get it all sorted out then and had a message from another person saying he will need an e-commerce license for the business 

Will have to see Monday how he gets on

 

[TravelerEastWest]

5 hours ago, Shaunkuntep said:

Many thanks he is going to check on Monday

Hopefully he get get it all sorted out then and had a message from another person saying he will need an e-commerce license for the business 

Will have to see Monday how he gets on

 

If he has his own website up and running he probably will need an e-commerce license.

 

If he using Ebay Amazon etc why would he need a license?

[rattlesnake]

On 9/10/2023 at 3:27 PM, Shaunkuntep said:

Hi yes my son was born in Thailand with a Thai Mother and i am from the U.K

 

Probably the best advice is to see how it goes he has already opened a Ebay account and managed to get registered with Payoneer after a few attempts.

He registered on Shopify or wix not sure which one but has problems with getting a thai credit card registered.

I was told if you sell lots of items to other countries you will need to pay tax also but maybe that's only if the bank is in the UK

He has managed to open a UK account when we were there at the start of this year which i was surprised with but probably not a good idea to have money going into a UK bank and then sent to his Kasikorn bank ?

 

 

I would open a Wise account.

[Shaunkuntep]

10 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

If he has his own website up and running he probably will need an e-commerce license.

 

If he using Ebay Amazon etc why would he need a license?

He has opened Ebay but been told he cannot register sole proprietorship until he is 20

He is wanting to also open a website 
Looks like it will be in his mothers name until he is 20

[Shaunkuntep]

8 hours ago, rattlesnake said:

I would open a Wise account.

Yes but Wise might ask where the money is coming from?

 

[rattlesnake]

4 hours ago, Shaunkuntep said:

Yes but Wise might ask where the money is coming from?

 

Yes they will, and ask for documentary proof as well.

[Shaunkuntep]

1 hour ago, rattlesnake said:

Yes they will, and ask for documentary proof as well.

Not a good idea to do that then .
Will have to be registered with a Thai bank 

[Mediappy]

Shipping from Thailand to the U.S. or Europe can get expensive, especially for small items like trading cards. Things like tracking and customs fees can add up and turn buyers off if the costs get too high.
Taxes are another thing to keep in mind. It’s good you’ve talked to a tax advisor, but cross-border stuff can be tricky. Setting aside some money for taxes while starting small could make things easier.
If it grows beyond trading cards, something like refinedcommerce.com might help with setting up a proper website, but I’d test the waters on eBay first to see if it’s worth scaling up.

 

[KhunHeineken]

On 9/11/2023 at 8:00 AM, JayClay said:

Unless he is selling things that can't be easily sourced elsewhere, I think he'll have issues successfully selling internationally unfortunately. Other countries have far cheaper shipping costs than Thailand.

I agree, and less stringent foreign labor laws.