Owning An Offshore Travel Guide Website On Thailand

[BangrakBob]

I'm currently looking at fulfilling my life long dream of finally settling in Thailand. I am looking at launching a website travel guide with full booking services promoting a particular region in Thailand. I will be living in the region, actively seeking local advertising and generally submersing myself in the local community and business.

The website will be hosted offshore and quite possibly my business account for business transactions, invoicing etc. The business initially will be a small self-run business and in the interim will not require staff, nor an office or major commercial capital.

Having looked a Thai business laws, there isn't much regarding this type of business and work permit requirements. I will only start a PLC as a last resort and wondered if I did, would the nature and size of the business be taken in to account with achieving legal requirements?

Another option i am looking at is BIO, as the website is aimed at attracting visitors to the region and local businesses can use the site to promote their product. This maybe not be possible but it would seem the best way to gain a customised solution to suit my business needs.

Are there other legal options?

I do not want to do this any other way than legally, particularly as this business is reliant on exposure while working closely with the local community and business owners.

Any helpful advice is much appreciated, thank you all in advance!

Edited March 15, 2010 by nige

[robblok]

If your not working at all and your not trying to deduct the costs and so on. If you get all the money on a bank in your home country and pay taxes there there is no problem. But the moment you start working here your in trouble and then you need a Ltd and 5 thai employees to get a workpermit.

[BangrakBob]

If your not working at all and your not trying to deduct the costs and so on. If you get all the money on a bank in your home country and pay taxes there there is no problem. But the moment you start working here your in trouble and then you need a Ltd and 5 thai employees to get a workpermit.

Thanks Robblok

I guess actively seeking people to pay for advertising space is working, not matter how you look at it

[soundman]

Moved to SME forum.

[raro]

If your not working at all and your not trying to deduct the costs and so on. If you get all the money on a bank in your home country and pay taxes there there is no problem. But the moment you start working here your in trouble and then you need a Ltd and 5 thai employees to get a workpermit.

Thanks Robblok

I guess actively seeking people to pay for advertising space is working, not matter how you look at it

nope. That is working and requires a work permit.

[Cuban]

....attracting visitors to the region and local businesses can use the site to promote their product.

What is your business plan?

What is the path that the money follows?

Many internet aware people see the ease at which a website can be built and even maintained to provide SEO content that keeps it fresh and up in the top 10 Google results (who wants to be anywhere else for your top three keywords?), but will local Thai businesses actually give you hard currency for advertising or even product sales?

If there are farang run businesses in your catchment area you stand a chance but there are few Thai business men that understand the bigger picture.

This is why when a farang customer is physically in the shop they will treat him/her as a dumb tourist as get as much money as possible as they will not be seen again - a one time chance to make profit. There is zero concept of; if they rip off that person they could report the matter on a web site (like this) which would have long term negative impact to the business - "The Internet is only something that children use to play Hi5 and download ring tones."

Look at the threads on here reporting rip off experiences and shops dotted around the country. Many of the regional Thai travel web site I have visited are promoting a small band of businesses within a town/island, apart from local barter in kind and exchanging links. Unless you have high volume of visits you will not be profiting from adverting.

Technically if you are updating a web site (hosted anywhere in the world) from your domestic house in Thailand you are working. Another example that the average Thai in government does not understand global Internet use for business in documenting labor laws applying to WP4 - The work permit.

Unless the law has changed since my working days here you need 4 real people (with Thai ID cards) to be employees, you will need to pay tax based on your salary (the minimum salary depends on the country of your Passport) and as you a farang business you can be sure that they will seek to ensure you have all the relevant licenses and taxes that are due in connection with the business.

Working under the radar is common - but it would be wise not to discuss your work with people (Thai or farang) that might choose to report you to immigration out of spite.

A business acquaintance of mine in Pattaya was turned in to immigration by his Thai lawyer after a discussion about why his WP4 was taking so long to process for the money he was paying for it. We assume that the lawyer got her pay off from the police rather than her fee. He was fined 150,000 Baht and never got his WP4, the business closed down before it was opened.

Most good ideas focus on the easy bits - normally what you are good at.

In business in Thailand understand the path the money takes.

HTH.

[monty]

If your not working at all and your not trying to deduct the costs and so on. If you get all the money on a bank in your home country and pay taxes there there is no problem. But the moment you start working here your in trouble and then you need a Ltd and 5 thai employees to get a workpermit.

Incorrect, your employer needs 4 Thai employees to get yourself a work permit, and some labor offices are known to be a bit lenient on that requirement in the first year of a start up company.

It is actually an immigration rule, but normally closely followed by labopr department...