Hi, I am a 30 year old canadian, wondering about opening a business in Thailand and maybe looking at owning a peace of land if you can that is. I am not to knowledgable in what I need to do get started or even if you can being a foriegner. If anyone can give me any type of information of any sort that would be extremely helpful.

A foreigner cannot buy land.

Another question to add to the first, my brother lhas been living in thailand and is married to a Thaigirl, what if we put things under her name, is that ok, is that a good idea?

No and no.

Any land in the name of Thai will be there property only (as a wife of a foreigner it will be so stated in land ownership documents). Marriages do fail (often - just like anyplace else).

Urge you to do your homework very carefully. What will your life be like 20 years down the road? Without specific business plans that have been well researched how would you compete? What does your bother have to say about your plans? There is much more to a move here than warm weather.

The business idea I will make sure in sound before I ever decide to make a move. I have a couple companies here and deal with china quite often. But I am not sure of the processes to get started inregards to Thai law, governments and such, I have just started researching and looking for any helpful information.

Obtain competent legal consul. Setting up company and visa concerns are not do it yourself activities; unless you have a lot of free time (which is not likely if you are planning to set up viable company). And what works this week may not work next month. This is not the playing field you are used to using.

Bad things happen but I seriously doubt that it is any greater here than elsewhere. People are not routinely being knocked over. But on the other hand a lot of people do not think very long before making lifetime decisions and that can be disastrous here, or there, or anywhere.

Bad things happen but I seriously doubt that it is any greater here than elsewhere. People are not routinely being knocked over. But on the other hand a lot of people do not think very long before making lifetime decisions and that can be disastrous here, or there, or anywhere.

Lop, you do a great service to this forum.. But I find it hard to believe you can really mean that ??

Maybe its because I live in a tourist region and hence see soo many new arrivals get taken to the cleaners by their new tilaak.. But I personally have seen a few people lose houses.. Just this week we have another story of a wife having her husband shot.. There is not a doubt in my mind that this issue happens many many multiples more than it does anywhere else I have lived.

Bad things happen but I seriously doubt that it is any greater here than elsewhere. People are not routinely being knocked over. But on the other hand a lot of people do not think very long before making lifetime decisions and that can be disastrous here, or there, or anywhere.

Lop, you do a great service to this forum.. But I find it hard to believe you can really mean that ??

Maybe its because I live in a tourist region and hence see soo many new arrivals get taken to the cleaners by their new tilaak.. But I personally have seen a few people lose houses.. Just this week we have another story of a wife having her husband shot.. There is not a doubt in my mind that this issue happens many many multiples more than it does anywhere else I have lived.

Even more reason to think before making lifetime decisions.

And that is two such wife stories in the last five years? The Dixie Chicks sang it; "Goodbye Earl", and it wasn't about Thailand. How many folks here lost there homes before moving here?

I can agree with you that there are probably more people making the wrong decision here than would be the case in there hometowns. But that is the nature of greener grass. And the beauty here can really put the blinders on many people.

I living here for 14 years now and i would not recommend anyone to doing business overhere. I my self have a lot expirience, but there is almost no way that you can make any money here, maybe just survive. I only saw foreigners came with cash, but i never saw a foreigner who goes with cash. Connections with China: I would never deal with China. The same thing i saw big investers who lost all their money in such kind of "China Deals". Business in Thai Lady Name? No way!!! Thats the way i lost my business 2 years ago (a couple million Bath and 12 year of my life)! I lost everything and all. Even my private stuff, absolutely everything exept my passport, wich was with me at that time. Even i had company and WP. It doesn't help, because one day you will sign the wrong paper and a smart lawyer know how to write things that your GF could get advantage.

Forget it. The grass is alllways greener at the other side. If i could turn the time back, i would only consider to go to a country where you can get citizenship, like Paraguay for example. If you are Citizen,you have rights and you can own your business, Land, etc.

Forget it. The grass is alllways greener at the other side. If i could turn the time back, i would only consider to go to a country where you can get citizenship, like Paraguay for example. If you are Citizen,you have rights and you can own your business, Land, etc.

In the US you can own your business and land without having to be a citizen.

And that is two such wife stories in the last five years? The Dixie Chicks sang it; "Goodbye Earl", and it wasn't about Thailand. How many folks here lost there homes before moving here?

I can agree with you that there are probably more people making the wrong decision here than would be the case in there hometowns. But that is the nature of greener grass. And the beauty here can really put the blinders on many people.

Thats 2 such murder stories in the last couple of years..

As to losing the house I know of 10's personally.. One went offshore and came home 30 days later to find the locks changed and a new owner living there !!

Anyway its OT to the forum, but I can in no way say that the complete lack of legal rights is anything like normal western practices.

Forget it. The grass is alllways greener at the other side. If i could turn the time back, i would only consider to go to a country where you can get citizenship, like Paraguay for example. If you are Citizen,you have rights and you can own your business, Land, etc.

In the US you can own your business and land without having to be a citizen.

Yes it's right, in US you have the possibility to get Green Card and Citizenship later. But i think you need a much higher investment overthere to set up things. I guess, peaple who have a lot of money would anyway not invest in some kind of Micky Mouse business overhere.

Bad things happen but I seriously doubt that it is any greater here than elsewhere. People are not routinely being knocked over. But on the other hand a lot of people do not think very long before making lifetime decisions and that can be disastrous here, or there, or anywhere.

Lop, you do a great service to this forum.. But I find it hard to believe you can really mean that ??

Maybe its because I live in a tourist region and hence see soo many new arrivals get taken to the cleaners by their new tilaak.. But I personally have seen a few people lose houses.. Just this week we have another story of a wife having her husband shot.. There is not a doubt in my mind that this issue happens many many multiples more than it does anywhere else I have lived.

O he means it alright.

Let me guess. You live in Pattaya Beach right? Where the scammers & the marks meet up. That would be like saying "I went to Vegas with $1,000.00 & I lost it all." Well DUH!!! Yeah you are supposed to lose it all.

Don't judge Thailand by what happens in the cesspool.

No I dont.. I live on Phuket island.

And if we look at where the murders of husbands happen most often it would appear to be in the rural regions, that 'heartland of Thailand' were it seems acceptable (or at least not unheard of) to kill your farang hubby, cut him in bits and roast the parts then throw them into the jungle. The shooting last week was up in Ranong, hardly the bastion of P4P and nightlife your baseless assumption would claim.

If you guys want to pretend that guys dont get taken to the cleaners with the full assistance and compliance of the society at large, the legal system, etc than they do back in the west then up to you. I would only ask who do you think has paid for all those big overdone houses in the issan ?? And where are the initial tennants now ?