Question About Immigration/tax Consulting, Etc.

[cemenuk]

29/American.

I left the US for the first time in my early 20's to take one of those evil jobs in the outsourced call center industry in India. Turned out really well for me.

I lived in Jaipur, in the middle of the Rajasthani dessert, and after a couple of years was pretty burned out with the camels, heaps of burning rubbish, 1 legged beggar kids, etc., and the 24 year old megolomaniac Indian owner of my company.

So, in an almost noble effort to keep me happy (and to buy some fake handbags to bakshish our potential European customers, they sent me off for a week long vacation in Thailand with a couple grand.

I didn't go back.

I taught most of the time that I was there. For a while, in some place called "Thai business college", but I don't think that's ACTUALLY how the name translates, and then for a while at Nontaburi Huawang, which was much closer to my place.

After I got married, and realized that the 20 or so k baht I was making (because it was really impossible for me to travel far away from Don Mueng) wasn't going to swing it, I started the insane visa process for my wife to come back to the states with me.

So I'm a year out from getting my Juris Doctorate. I'm planning on practicing immigration law.

I originally had a degree in education, but went this direction with the express plan of going back to Thailand, after having been really put through the ringer with the whole visa process.

Not on any kind of humanitarian relief project mind you, but I can smell a market when it presents itself.

So I have some general questions about that, and if it doesn't work out, I'll probably try to start teaching again in the next year or two, with state certification from back here, and hopefully get something in an intl. school or something. Or get raped by an agency. Sera.

But I don't want to stay in the US much longer. The answer that I give to the never-ending question about why, is that it's a WHOLE lot easier to be a foreigner in a foreign country than the one you were born in.

So I was wondering if folks could shoot me some advice?

I'm going to be well in the hole, financiall when I finish my jd, so I'm not going to be coming over with a ton of money.

What I'll probably have is 5-7k maximum.

I already own a condo in Don Mueng. Paid for, and all that. My wife has some land in Roi-Et, also. So accomadations are set.

I'll have the jd, and I'm already (on student status) a member of the federal bar association. So I'll be able to practice immigration law, tax law, intl. trade law, etc.

What I'de like to do is open up a small office on or near wireless road, close to the US embassy. Nothing fancy, and preferably something REALLY cheap, that I can just throw a desk up in.

Do the immigration lawyer thing for about a third of the normal costs. Do consultations to explain the process for maybe 1k baht per pop. I feel really sure that if I can legally pull this off in los, I'll be able to rake in quite a bit of money, and since I have a place there, and would rather be there than here, it makes alot of sense to me.

So that's where my questions come in.

I know that you can open a company and get a visa if you invest 50k US$ or so in Thailand.

There's no way that's going to happen. No way, no how. Even if I had access to that kind of money, which I don't, I wouldn't do it.

And I've heard all the things about getting 49 or 51% of the shares in 49 or 51 different locals names, etc.

I'm not really all that comfortable with it.

Is there an easier way I can do this? Can someone hire me as a consultant? Do I have a small enough niche to get a visa?

My father in law has a construction company, and a bit of money by local standards. My brother is shady and has a warehouse in bkk and one in hokaido where he cuts big trucks and ships them over to Thailand.

So I'm sure if I had to, I could ask them to help me. But they're all insane, and pretty much hate me because I'm not chinese (wife is jin/lao).

I know I'm asking really general questions, but I thought more experienced heads might have the answers for me.

How do I legally establish the office so I won't get in trouble, but can keep the majority of the profits for myself?

Can I get a visa for this sort of thing?

Anyone have a basic idea about the rent for a small 2 room (or 1 that can be divided) office space in the area? No frills, no bells or whistles?

Any market with other westerners for tax law/trade law?

As far as the business end of things, I think between my wife and I we'de manage ok. And I'm pretty confident about my ability to get customers. If I would have been set up when we were trying to get my wifes visa, I could have gotten all the clients I want.

But as far as getting things legally set up, I'm pretty clueless, and need to get some idea of what I'll have to do here pretty soon.

So that's it. If it doesn't pan out, I'll either stay here and work for a while, or come back over and teach. Anything but these winters!

If you all have any advice, general or specific, I would be really greatful.

[surin]

And you say You're a Lawyer

[cemenuk]

And you say You're a Lawyer

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, I said I would have my JD in about a year. Right now, I work for the prosecutors office, and I'm enrolled at the IU school of law.

[RDN]

Interesting name for a septic

[cemenuk]

Well, despite the voluminous and helpful responses, I guess I'll get back to my real point.

Is it possible for my wife or someone else to register the company and hire me as a consultant? Would there even be a need for a different class of visa, or could I just do border runs, which I wouldn't really mind?

I'm not particularly worried about someone cheating me or stealing the company, because I would be the company.

At any rate, I kind of figured that I wouldn't get much help on this issue because of the competitive and clannish nature of the type of business I want to do, but that's fine too.

I'de really appreciate any specific help, if someone already knows the answer I'm looking for. It would save me a bit of internet leg work.

[Indo-Siam]

The key point you need to know is that in order to sponsor you for a work permit, ANY employer (including a sole propritorship or limited partnership) must be able to document at least 1,000,000 baht registered capital per foreign employee married to a Thai.

That's the absolute floor minimum.

Indo-Siam

[cemenuk]

Ok, thanks alot for the info.

If necessary, I can probably swing the 20k or so.

Don't Thai companies ever hire consultants though? I guess that's the specific issue that I'm interested in.

My wife already has a well heeled company in Bangkok that probably grosses 200-300k Baht/month.

We can secure the start up capital against other assets, and the TFB would pretty easily give us a loan for that amount I think.

I'll figure alot of this out when I'm over there I guess. I'm not at all worried about the visa. I can take care of that easily. I just don't want to end up in a lopsided battle with some Farang legal cabal who try to push me out of business.

[Gary A]

I really can't answer your questions but perhaps I can point you in the right direction. I personally know two lawyers from the USA who work here in Thailand. If you click on the site www.bangkokatoz.com you will see that the site is owned and operated by Khun Kurt. An email to him will likely put you in contact with people who are familiar with the lawyer situation here in Thailand.

Ok, thanks alot for the info. 

If necessary, I can probably swing the 20k or so.

Don't Thai companies ever hire consultants though?  I guess that's the specific issue that I'm interested in. 

My wife already has a well heeled company in Bangkok that probably grosses 200-300k Baht/month.

We can secure the start up capital against other assets, and the TFB would pretty easily give us a loan for that amount I think.

I'll figure alot of this out when I'm over there I guess.  I'm not at all worried about the visa.  I can take care of that easily.  I just don't want to end up in a lopsided battle with some Farang legal cabal who try to push me out of business. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[redwood13]

Here's a thread titled Lawyers in Thailand from last June.

http://tinyurl.com/6qqxd

-redwood