Start Restaurant Business And Wp

[bangmatt]

I have been living in thailand fully now for 2 years. I am married to a thai and we have just started considering opening a restaurant in a reasonably busy tourist spot. With the intention of running a Sandwich/pizza bar using home baked goods and a thai menu.

She would be the sole proprietor. But we both want to be running the restaurant on a daily basis. If it makes any difference I currently have a 1 yr visa ext on type O visa and i am a Uk national. So just a few questions.

Is it possible for me to work in the restaurant legally, not having to hide away out the back somewhere?

Is it possible to run this business with just the 2 of us involved? or do we need a minimum number of staff?

Is it necessary to register the business in any way? if it is just a sole proprietorship?

The idea is that she would be responsible for the thai menu of the restaurant and i want be involved in preparing the international food, and be involved out front.

I have know many farang own bars but arent seen working in them. Usually just working secretly behind the scenes. I know of 1 farang openly working in his restaurant but i dont know if he is doing this legally nor do I want to ask him directly what he is up to.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and I thank you in advance for your replies. Also if there is anything else that you feel I should take into consideration please share it with me. Thanx

[keestha]

There have been several threads about the subject of obtaining a work permit based on working in the wives business. I remember it is possible. If you cant find the answer using the search function, just go back in time page by page in the visa&work permit subforum and maybe this subforum. In less than two hours you'll know all you need to know.

Good luck.

[SaenYim]

Legally, you will need a work permit if you are going to do any work at all. The law is very specific. And that means even something as trivial as sitting with a customer and asking a waitress to bring some more water. I have known farangs who have been arrested and deported for playing music for free at a friends bar's jam sessions.

Yes there are many farangs who get away with doing much more but you have to ask yourself if the risk is worth the savings. Most times the police show up after a tip from a disgruntled customer, staff member or neighbor, and from my knowledge the tipster is more often than not a farang.

Along another tack, the restaurant business is the most difficult business in the world, with the highest failure rate of all industries. It is not a matter of having grandma's great recipes or the perfect location. When I was consulting in L.A. I had a client who had that perfect location on Santa Monica Pier. There were three restaurants in a row and the other two had lines of people waiting for seating. The lines went right past my client's door yet he was going out of business. Yes, the restaurant was saved and is still successful 12 years later but he had the idea that all it took was good food and the right spot so he got into deep trouble.

Look at the Business for Sale listings on this forum, Baht & Sold, Phuket Gazette, Phuket Post and othes. There are usually thirty to forty low priced restaurants, bars and small guesthouses for sale by farangs who thought it was an easy wasy to live in paradise. I am not saying don't do it but that you should go in with your eyes open, counting every satang, keeping detailed records so you can review costs and expenditures, working every hour that you are open and doing everything legally.