Hi, I have an inquiry and I do need a confimed answer...

I am planning to come to Pattaya to start a small business (cafe & resturant) thro rent. It will be a self financed project, well I need clarification for the following questions:

- Do I have to form a company (legal entity) just to rent a restuarant?!

- Do I have to get a work permit for such business considering that; I will just manage the business and all the work to be done thro hired workers?

- My finance will company me to Pattaya and we will get married there, what is the best way to allow her stay with me more than three months.. I mean, I will be having business visa which would allow me to stay one year and to be renewed.. what about my wife?

Thanks for anyone who can help with solid answers.

For being only the owner and not working, you don't need a work permit as long as you don't sign any papers.

You will not get an extension of stay for the first 2 years, as you will need tax papers over the last 2 years for that. So the first 2 years you will be on a multiple non-B visa, meaning you will have to leave the country every 90 days and can come back the same day. After 2 uears you can get an extension of stay for 1 year in Thailand itself.

As for your fiance, she can not get an extension of stay based as your dependen until you are married and you are on an extension of stay (thus after 2 years having the company). For now she will need either tourist visas, or perhaps go and study Thai at a language school for 4 hours a week and get an educational visa. (Course costs around 29,000 a year).