Visa strategies

[Expat2B]

I guess in some ways I am in a lucky situation, but this seems to give me lots of possible Visa choices for my planned long stay in LOS.

My situation is as follows: -

I fully own and operate a UK Ltd Company which provides general management consulting services.  My main contract will expire at some point in the next 2-6 months and at this time I want to relocate to Bangkok, to spend time with my GF to see how things develop and explore work and business opportunities.

My plan is to study Thai for 6-12 months in BKK, then re-assess the situation, in the meantime looking out for work or investment opportunities.

As I see it I can:

Apply for a multiple entry tourist visa (requiring visa runs)

Apply for an Ed Visa (not requiring visa runs)

Apply for a non imm B (whilst I investigate work/investment opportunites)

Establish a ROH for my UK company and obtain work permit etc.

Establish a 2M Bht Thai company to get work permit etc

Establish a 10M Bht Thai Company to get BOI approval, work permit etc.

The last option is possible, but would take out almost all of my available funding and I assume that I would then be taxed on the salary I paid myself from the monies I originally invested.

I would prefer things to be as straightforward and "above board" as possible, but do not want to spend large amounts unnecessarily, especially since the cash I have available is going to need to support me until I am in a position to be earning again.  I would also like to be able to ship items from home without paying import duty and as I understand it a work permit is required to do this (and many other things in Thailand it seems).

Faced with these choices what would you recommend, assuming that I haven't misunderstood the options available to me?  Any help or advice would be appreciated.

[Indo-Siam]

Hi Expat2B -

In terms of entering Thailand, your third approach (non-immigrant B visa) gives you the most flexibility to start with.  It gives yoiu longer stays than tourist visa, and it does not restrict you from employment, as does the ED visa.

If you intend to seek to stay longer than 90 days at a time "normally" (without frequent short-termentry permit extensions) some sort of employment is necessary, in order to qualify you for a work permit - a work permit being necessary in order to obtain a long-term entry permit extension.

One thing to realize:  If you plan to fully comply with rules, the Regional Heaquarters is the more expenisve way - you must obtain an Alien Business License (42,000 baht plus processing fees), and you must remit two million baht during first year, plus one million baht each of the following three years - from outside the country.  And your entity in Thailand cannot earn income or issue invoices.  Other downsides:  You need copious documentation detailing structure, activities, and ownership of your overseas firm - all translated into Thai, and certfied by local Thai embassy  at that end.  Upsides:  It is not taxed; you can get a work permit with minimal Thai employees.

Tha Private Co. Ltd. -  Requires seven shareholders, with Thais holding (on paper) majority shares.  Work permit requires four Thai employees, and registering capitalization at two million baht.   Upsides:  Can earn income locally; you can sell this company to someone else.

My suggestion - Come in on a Class B visa (one year, multiple-entry, issued in UK), do a visa run (border crossing run) at 90 day point, and make up your mind on follow-on course of action after you've been in-country 4-5 months.

My company would welcome the chance to make your "short list" of firms to provide incorporation and related services (see www.thaistartup.com).

Good luck!

Steve Sykes

Managing Director

Indo-Siam Group

Bangkok

[email protected]