How To Open A Business And Stay Away From Corruption?

[Abrak]

Thank you for your answers.

If I summarize everything we:

1- Have to do everything perfectly legal (which I intended),

2- Don't give in on corruption,

3- Have a good lawyer,

4- Don't be shy and accept to go into a legal fight.

Anything else I forgot?

I totally disagree with everyone of your principles in terms of efficient business in Thailand.

Obviously they are good honest principles but I do not believe they are practical.

The reality is that most 'tea money' is about improving the efficiency of your operation. Often you need to expedite various legal processes or minimise tax payments that are inherently flexible. 3 months of administrative process can often happen in a day.

I also think you should respect the fact that much of the corruption is based on a mutually beneficial agreement. You have no need to participate if you are happy to be at the back of the queue. In my view a farang should not get involved in a legal process that involves an integral part of Thai business culture.

[raro]

Thank you for your answers.

If I summarize everything we:

1- Have to do everything perfectly legal (which I intended),

2- Don't give in on corruption,

3- Have a good lawyer,

4- Don't be shy and accept to go into a legal fight.

Anything else I forgot?

I totally disagree with everyone of your principles in terms of efficient business in Thailand.

Obviously they are good honest principles but I do not believe they are practical.

The reality is that most 'tea money' is about improving the efficiency of your operation. Often you need to expedite various legal processes or minimise tax payments that are inherently flexible. 3 months of administrative process can often happen in a day.

I also think you should respect the fact that much of the corruption is based on a mutually beneficial agreement. You have no need to participate if you are happy to be at the back of the queue. In my view a farang should not get involved in a legal process that involves an integral part of Thai business culture.

..and I totally disagree with you. I live here for 13 years, run my own business for 12 and have NEVER EVER paid one Baht under the table. Never had any problems running my business legally. Never have been hassled by anyone. Ok, they tried, but once they realized that my papers are all in order, the software is legal and nowhere any rope they could hang me with, they went home.

It is possible!

[mrdeedee]

Just pay 3,000 baht for a real copy of windows for each computer. assuming you want games like most other internet cafes have, instead of buying a copy game for 100 baht and putting it on each computer simply purchase original games for each computer, shouldn't run you more than 10-15,000 baht per computer. also, make sure that nobody is downloading music or videos, visiting pornographic sites or using proxies. also, make sure you aren't violating any other laws like allowing children to use your business during school hours, allowing children to use your computers to view inappropriate materials or allowing children in your business at inappropriate hours. that is all i can think of at the moment. just follow the law and you should be OK.

Yes,and for this service you will be able to charge 20 baht per hour per machine, you do the maths.

how does one make money charging 20 baht an hour? its not like all machines are being used 24/7. are most cafes being financed by silly farang money?

even the big boy cafes dont seem to have an overabundance of paying customers

[bbradsby]

Geez, what forum is your wife using that is scaring her so badly? I'd love to review it to see if there are issues we expats, and locals, need to be aware of? Please share this info to the group.

Thanks!

[innerspace]

If you run abide by the laws then simply refuse to pay police from day one.

If you pay once they will be back again and again, causing trouble if you stop paying.

If you show them clear knowledge of the law, such as the fact that police are only allowed to issue fines for minor motoring offences, you should be fine.

If they complain, agree to go to court and let a magistrate decide.

Paperwork, time away form quick bribes and no chance of a backhander will make almost all police decide against this. Especially if you both know that you will win.

The downside of an internet cafe is the sheer cost of doing it legally makes in uneconomical.

An interesting law I turned up when looking into the same is that as an internet cafe you are supposed to keep records of passport/id card numbers for ALL customers.

This is so that if one of your customers breaks the law on your computers, the IP address and time can identity the culprit. Failure to do so puts the blame on you.

Thankfully this big brother law is never really imposed, but 18 months ago at least it was in place.

IMHO internet cafes are not a viable business if you run them right, hence all of the low quality places around.

[roadrunner300]

Me and my gf run a business in U-thong and never have any problem with the police so far.

Whe make little money so far, maybe this is the reason.

[RRobert]

This thread is interesting to me. Ive had a plan about starting up a Internet Cafe for years, Since there seems to be a few people in this thread thats into this line of buisness allready i want to take the opportunity to ask some questions.

- Hourly Rate 20 baht? Where does that figure come from? all the places ive used personally charges something like 2 bath/minute.

- Can i run/manage a Internet Cafe and have a Computer Repair shop simultainusly and still have the same work permit working for both lines of work?

Since i worked within IT-Support for 13 years my plan was to do Computer Troubleshooting/Repairs and run a Internet/Gaming Cafe simultainiously. Is this possible for me as a farang?