Can You Clear A Few Things Up For Me?

[Dawn]

Okay, I think I'm with it......almost......

We can set up a limited company in The Land of Smiles and know the rules about registered capital, working capital and paid up capital per Director for the purposes of having a good chance of being granted a work permit each.

We also know that we'll have to do this in order to get a one year visa that we can extend and that if we can't meet the capital per Director then we can apply for one year multi entry visas instead (and still have a good chance of being granted a work permit).

Am I right in thinking that in order to get a one year visa we will have to employ 8 Thai workers (as there will be two Directors and we're both expats) and that if we can't do this then we will have to get multi entry visas? Can we can employ Thai people, through our limited company, as cleaners and to do general work around the house for us and will that count towards the 4 Thai workers per foreigner rule? Is there a minimum wage requirement when hiring and paying Thai workers (in the Krabi area)?

Now onto the new minimum monthly wage for expats If we have our own limited company do we still have to make 50,000 baht each per month to qualify for a one year visa? (we're from the UK). Does this have to be from work done inside Thailand only through the limited company? Am I right in thinking that we don't have to meet this minimum monthly wage requirement if we have a multi entry visa?

I'm asking this as we'll have a montly income coming in from renting property in Europe and planned on withdrawing this cash from an ATM. Am I right in thinking this won't count towards our monthly income? Will it count towards it if we have this money paid into a Thai bank account or is this not a good thing to do - is it best to keep it off shore?

I know we stand a very good chance of getting work permits if we're both Directors of our own limited company but if we have multi entry visas, don't employ Thai workers and only have a small amount of income per month from work done through our limited company, will this mean we might not get our work permits? Do we have to have a certain amount of income per month to get our work permits even if we have the multi entry visa? Will our income from renting our property in Europe help?

Sorry for all these questions but it's taking a while to get my head around all these rules/laws Seems a lot of hard work for a one year visa - think we might be best to go with the multi entry visa, do the runs every 90 days (it's a look out if anything) and then wait 3 years and hope for residency.

Good gawd

[qwertyuiop]

There are more knowledgeable and informed posters on this board who hopefully will see your post and reply to all its many questions but if I could make one comment on one aspect that might be missed.

At the very end of your post you mention 'hoping for residency after 3 years'

Well as far as I am aware it is not so easy to obtain in any circumstances. There are quotas per country and the government is not obliged to grant any request. I certainly know of those who have their application rejected but more importantly in my understanding of the issue you will not obtain residency on the back of 90 day visa runs.

The 1 year multi entry non B may allow you entry to Thailand but you will need to apply and obtain 3 annual extensions of stay on said visa in order to even apply.

3 separate 1 year multi entry non imm b visas do not count.

BUT I COULD BE WRONG.

In my understanding of your situation you and your partner appear to be on the verge of a life changing experience and have every intention of spending the rest of your days in Thailand. I strongly suggest that you sit down with an immigration lawyer and discuss your situation in detail and make sure that you do it right

[dr_Pat_Pong]

There are more knowledgeable and informed posters on this board who hopefully will see your post and reply to all its many questions but if I could make one comment on one aspect that might be missed.

At the very end of your post you mention 'hoping for residency after 3 years'

Well as far as I am aware it is not so easy to obtain in any circumstances. There are quotas per country and the government is not obliged to grant any request. I certainly know of those who have their application rejected but more importantly in my understanding of the issue you will not obtain residency on the back of 90 day visa runs.

The 1 year multi entry non B may allow you entry to Thailand but you will need to apply and obtain 3 annual extensions of stay on said visa in order to even apply.

3 separate 1 year multi entry non imm b visas do not count.

BUT I COULD BE WRONG.

In my understanding of your situation you and your partner appear to be on the verge of a life changing experience and have every intention of spending the rest of your days in Thailand. I strongly suggest that you sit down with an immigration lawyer and discuss your situation in detail and make sure that you do it right

You are not wrong

[qwertyuiop]

Dr. Many thanks for your confirmation.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Dr. Many thanks for your confirmation.

You are welcome Qwert. We need people with useful visa advice to share.

[Up2U]

According to Price Waterhouse, UK pasport holders need to show a minimu income of 45,000 baht per month to qualify for a work permit.

Citizens of USA, Canada and Japan - minimum 60,000 baht per month

Citizens of EU (except UK) and Australia - minimum of 50,000 baht per month.

Korea, Taiwan, HK, Malaysia and Singapore join UK on 45,000

Others vary.

[Dawn]

Thanks for all this info folks.

I've sent an email to Sunbelt Asia and they've got back to me - I'll take up my very specific detailed questions with them!

We'll be sitting down and talking all this through with a lawyer and advisor in Krabi in February but I'm just trying to get my head around if it's all possible at the minute.

Thanks for the advice on the residency/multi entry visa issue.

Dawn