Me and my Thai girlfriend are thinking of opening a shop on Koh Phangan. I of course would be illegaly working. If i put everything in her name but was working and hanging out in the shop would i still get in trouble. If there is no proof that its part my business and my visa is OK would i get away with it? Is it too much of a risk? has anyone got any experience doing this?

Yes !! put it all in her name

You would be in big trouble if you where caught working (without work permit)

at the very least it would be a big contribution to the police charity

At worst locked up for a while then deported and declared person non grata never to return to Thailand again

Think about it are you willing to take that risk ? if you are be very very carefull and watch your back at all times.

Maybe it's just best to let her do all the work an for you to

Yes !! put it all in her name

You would be in big trouble if you where caught working (without work permit)

at the very least it would be a big contribution to the police charity 

At worst locked up for a while then deported and declared person non grata never to return to Thailand again    

Think about it are you willing to take that risk ?  if you are be very very carefull and watch your back at all times.

Maybe it's just best to let her do all the work  an for you to   

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Even more dangerous on Panghan... with the local mafia....

Be careful man you might be in trouble. lots of foreigner doing the same some are very fortunate but some got court.

Most thai shops are also the home, so you could legitimately hang about if this was the case. Why would you want to work and take any risks when labour is so cheap? As johng suggested just chill out.

Most thai shops are also the home, so you could legitimately hang about if this was the case. Why would you want to work and take any risks when labour is so cheap? As johng suggested just chill out.  

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Hangout, and don't ever say it is your shop and you are workin'. Do your usual visa run

Me and my Thai girlfriend are thinking of opening a shop on Koh Phangan. I of course would be illegaly working. If i put everything in her name but was working and hanging out in the shop would i still get in trouble. If there is no proof that its part my business and my visa is OK would i get away with it? Is it too much of a risk? has anyone got any experience doing this?

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I would put it all in my name save you and your girlfriend worrying about it.

No seriously, if you are working on a budget then the income on the business will assist you with the day to day expenses, but do not expect to make a fortune. There is nothing wrong in you renting the property in your name, which will give you some security if you and your girlfriend split up. If you also live in the same premises, that gives you a legitimate right to be there; so when asked what you are doing there all the time you reply, I live there. With regard to the business let the girlfriend take care of that you can’t

I of course would be illegaly working.

You of course would not sleep very well at night.

You of course would not sleep very well at night

The beds in the IDC are not at all comfortable I believe.

The words "If i put everything in her name... " are a quick route to destitution.

Would you put everything in someone elses name in your home country? I think not. Why do it here in a land where you know nothing in comparison.

Read the above and follow them. There are good ideas there. Ill be following them myself.

You of course would not sleep very well at night

The beds in the IDC are not at all comfortable I believe.

Have spent a night in IDC. There are NO beds. It's the floor I'm afraid, with complete strangers sleeping either side of you. No air-con, lights and TV on 24/7.

A place you really, really want to avoid.

Edited May 25, 200521 yr by Sir Burr

Sir Burr. Hey I should be OK. Sounds like a night at my In Laws.

Sir Burr. Hey I should be OK. Sounds like a night at my In Laws.

Maybe, but, only if your in-laws are Nigerians, Iraqis, Iranians and very suspect Europeans (mainly broke English teachers that thought they would economize further by avoiding visa runs).

Why would you be working illegally?

There are some work descriptions that you can legally work that may be applied to the work in the shop - not the actual selling, ringing up the jacks, making change, but you could start teaching English in one corner (for instance).

If you form a company, use the capital (minimum 2 million) to purchase a shop-house, rent the upper part(30-year registered lease) from the company, then you are showinng an income for the company, rent the shop premises to your wife / girl-friend for her business.

Then all you will have are the hassles on income tax, company tax, work permit, visa runs and so on.

I have over-simplified the procedure, but it is possible to work things out so that you are legal and working. just so long as you are not taking the bread (sorry, rice) out of the mouth of a Thai

I am very, very, glad that all property in Thailand and land is in my wifes name, " what has happened to me in the last few weeks" cannot go into it at the moment but it is not good.

Would you put everything in someone elses name in your home country? I think not. Why do it here in a land where you know nothing in comparison.

It's not a problem at all as long as you have a spouse that you can trust. If you don't have trust within your own household, one probably won't prosper here anyway.