How To Live In Thailand Without Having To Register A Company

[Zen]

I would like to live in Thailand and do some small business here (Eg. internet cafe, book shop etc).

1) Do I really have to register a "Company" in order to do such small businesses?

2) What other options do I have, in order to live in Thailand without having to register a proper company?

PS: I'm not from USA, so I don't have any of those special privilages that Americans can enjoy.

PS2: I'm not married to any Thai person.

[Sunbelt Asia]

I would like to live in Thailand and do some small business here (Eg. internet cafe, book shop etc).

1) Do I really have to register a "Company" in order to do such small businesses?

2) What other options do I have, in order to live in Thailand without having to register a proper company?

PS: I'm not from USA, so I don't have any of those special privilages that Americans can enjoy.

PS2: I'm not married to any Thai person.

If you want to be legal and work in the shop you own. You will need to have a Thai or American partner and obtain a work permit.

If you choose to not have the the hassle of forming a company and obtain a wp. Others have done this as well and some have ended up in jail. It only takes one call to Immigration or the Labor Dept and you are in deep doo doo. This is how most illegal foreigners end up having a problem by someone calling the authorities.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[stingray]

Even if you have a registered Company and WP, you are not 100% Safe. You can only do what is written on your Jop description. I. E. if you are director of your company and you have a bookshop, you can't sale books to your customer by your self. They can look you up for this. You need sales staff to do this work, because you are foeigner and you can't get "Salesman" on your jop description in your WP. You can not work outside your office. For example it is not possibile to talk outside your office with some customers, except if its written in your WP, that you can work inside and outside your office arround Bangkok area, for example.

[Zen]

I would like to live in Thailand and do some small business here (Eg. internet cafe, book shop etc).

1) Do I really have to register a "Company" in order to do such small businesses?

2) What other options do I have, in order to live in Thailand without having to register a proper company?

PS: I'm not from USA, so I don't have any of those special privilages that Americans can enjoy.

PS2: I'm not married to any Thai person.

If you want to be legal and work in the shop you own. You will need to have a Thai or American partner and obtain a work permit.

If you choose to not have the the hassle of forming a company and obtain a wp. Others have done this as well and some have ended up in jail. It only takes one call to Immigration or the Labor Dept and you are in deep doo doo. This is how most illegal foreigners end up having a problem by someone calling the authorities.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

If I manage to get a Thai partner, I will still have to register a "Company" with my Thai partner right? Either that or my Thai partner has to register his own Company and hire me as a staff to obtain the work permit. Is it possible for the Thai person to have a Propritorship and hire me as an empoloyee and get me a Work Permit?

[Sunbelt Asia]

If I manage to get a Thai partner, I will still have to register a "Company" with my Thai partner right?

This is one way, correct.

Either that or my Thai partner has to register his own Company and hire me as a staff to obtain the work permit.

Another way but has more risk for you if you are investing amnd have no shares.

Is it possible for the Thai person to have a Propritorship and hire me as an empoloyee and get me a Work Permit?

Yes

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[Zen]

If I manage to get a Thai partner, I will still have to register a "Company" with my Thai partner right?

This is one way, correct.

Either that or my Thai partner has to register his own Company and hire me as a staff to obtain the work permit.

Another way but has more risk for you if you are investing amnd have no shares.

Is it possible for the Thai person to have a Propritorship and hire me as an empoloyee and get me a Work Permit?

Yes

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Thai sole proprietorship can hire me as an employee and get me a work permit...is there any catch to this? What are the requirements from the sole proprietor and me?

[kelvinj]

As I understand it, any Thai company employing a foreigner has to have at least four Thai employees per work permit issued. This means that you will have six staff in your company before you start doing business, a few too many for an internet cafe or the like.

[Maestro]

...any Thai company employing a foreigner has to have at least four Thai employees per work permit issued.

Wrong.

Only for the annual extension of stay for the reason of employment must the employer have four Thai employees. This is a requirement of the immigration bureau, not the labour department.

--

Maestro

/Edit: See next post, by Sunblet. At some labour offices and for some types of company, Thai employees are need for the work permit, but not for other types of company.

[Sunbelt Asia]

Thai sole proprietorship can hire me as an employee and get me a work permit...is there any catch to this? What are the requirements from the sole proprietor and me?

In BKk,they must meet this criteria...

They must employ either 4 Thai employees or 2 Thai employees if they are married to a Thai. This is with a sole proprietorship. With a Limited Partnership or Ltd Company no Thais are required to be employed to get a work permit.

In other Labor Depts, they may also follow the labor law of 2004 (Bkk does not in regards to the sole proprietorship ) which allows two other options

They paid tax of 50K last year, 25L if you are married to a Thai

They had net revenue of 700,000 Baht. 359K if you are marrired to a Thai, Again Bkk could care less about these two options, they only want to see Thai employees in regards to the sole proprietorship.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[Digitalbanana]

If you want to be legal and work in the shop you own. You will need to have a Thai or American partner and obtain a work permit.

So I can get a work permit without a Thai partner, just an American partner? As an American, one needs any partners?

[Sunbelt Asia]

So I can get a work permit without a Thai partner, just an American partner?

yes under the Amity treaty

As an American, one needs any partners?

no

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com