What are the requirements for thai people to start a business and what options are there. For example the woman selling som tam is running her own business but under which category does this fall from a thai legal perspective.

Sole proprietor...Sole proprietorships engaged in a number of activities, including sale of goods, auction sales, transportation, money lending, banking type services, handicraft industries and hotel keeping, must register with the Ministry of Commerce. Most service related occupations are exempt from commercial registration.

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Sole proprietor...Sole proprietorships engaged in a number of activities, including sale of goods, auction sales, transportation, money lending, banking type services, handicraft industries and hotel keeping, must register with the Ministry of Commerce. Most service related occupations are exempt from commercial registration.

www.sunbeltasia.com

Thanks Sunbelt.

Follow-up question would be if a manpower-supply business can be registered as a sole proprietorship and if it can employ foreigners or is the last only possible with limited company?

manpower-supply business can be registered as a sole proprietorship

yes

if it can employ foreigners

I've never seen one case of this happening. A very good question though and will check up on this.

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Since there is a farang WP / thai empl - ratio Sole prop shouldnt be doable.

Right?

Since there is a farang WP / thai empl - ratio

Employing Thais is not required to get a WP. Labor department for the most part could care less unless you state you have 50 Thais per foreigner to meet the qualification of condition #4 on the work permit rules which is. " Working in an establishment, which employs 50 Thai employees. An establishment is allowed to hire 1 expatriate for every 50 Thai employees but not more than 5 expatriates in total. " I've never seen a company apply for a work permit and using they had met #4, so they qualified.

The ratio of 4 /1 is for an extension of visa based on business. Immigration is concerned if you apply for the extension of stay based on business. If you cannot meet this requirement then visa runs every 90 days are legal.

Follow-up question would be if a manpower-supply business can be registered as a sole proprietorship and if it can employ foreigners

Its certainly not common. Most everyone asked at Immigration simply did not know the answer as confusion if a sole proprietor is a legal entity. In our lawyers opinions, it is. Spoke with one of the Senior people at Immigration and said if it was a business helping Thai economy and the WP was rejected by their office. Take it to her and she would look into getting the WP approved.

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