Harris Voices Outrage in Interview with Howard Stern

[webfact]

Government Plans to Promote Ease of Doing Business in Thailand

The government is planning to make it easier to do business in Thailand after the country's ranking has been demoted from 16th to 19th by the World Bank.

The Finance and Commerce Ministries have been ordered by the Economic Cabinet to ease doing business in the country.

The move came after Thailand's ranking on the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index was demoted from16th to 19th place from the total of 183 economies.

Thailand is now ranked the 5th easiest country to do business in Asia only after Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and South Korea.

The government has asked the related agencies to develop effective electronic systems to increase the ease of staring up businesses, to offer real estate tax incentives to stimulate the economy, to increase the country's ranking in terms of the credit data on retailers and utility providers, and to make it more convenient for businesses to pay taxes.

-- Tan Network 2010-12-21

[givenall]

All talk and no action. First and most productive way would be to make it easier to get work permit and visa, may be for 2 years instead of one year. But again is about money, and all under table fees that they make

[asiawatcher]

Agree - just spent all day at Immigration for renewal of my Non Imm B and after 10 years it still takes time and only a 3 week extension. They were given every possible document, pictures of the office, house, tax file details, marriage cert, the kids, verified bank papers and so on and they even asked me to go downstairs and transfer 100 Baht and update the passbook to show the account book was real after the transfer? Never had that one before. I even took the billy-lids to annoy them. Flawless presentation and still 3 week stamp, 1900 Baht and come back again after we check you out! Oh well, doing business here is never going to be easy even if we do employ many Thai's, contribute millions of USD a year to the Thai economy and they still make you go thru all this crap. Cambodia is far easier. Singapore very easy and well developed but a bit over-governed so I guess it's the LOS still. But is tests you - every year!!!

[Tatsujin]

LMAO . . . same old full of hot air stories . . . all talk, no action unfortunately 99 times out of 100. I swear they just love to hear themselves talk. I would love for the Thai Government to make it easier to do business here, to live here and work here more easily and legally so fingers crossed, but I won't be expecting much to change. The hoops I have to jump through to remain legal and aboveboard in terms of running a company here and getting visa's and work permits are simply ridiculous

[kennalder]

Surely there is a typo there. 19th? I would have guessed 119th.

Every time I see one of these rankings I scratch my head for days. Well maybe not days anymore, after all I have come to expect garbage.

[Tatsujin]

For those that are interested, this is Thailand's actual ranking:

Ease of Doing Business Rank:

Starting a Business = 19

Dealing with Construction Permits = 95

Registering Property = 12

Getting Credit = 72

Protecting Investors = 12

Paying Taxes = 91

Trading Across Borders = 12

Enforcing Contracts = 25

Closing a Business = 46

Full listing found here

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I believe the point of the index (and the government's response) has to do with the ability of Thais to do business in Thailand.

I don't think anyone outside of these forums is interpreting them as having anything to do with making it easier for us foreigners to do business here.

And at least the government appears concerned, it would be worse if they just ignored the issue.

[midas]

Agree - just spent all day at Immigration for renewal of my Non Imm B and after 10 years it still takes time and only a 3 week extension. They were given every possible document, pictures of the office, house, tax file details, marriage cert, the kids, verified bank papers and so on and they even asked me to go downstairs and transfer 100 Baht and update the passbook to show the account book was real after the transfer? Never had that one before. I even took the billy-lids to annoy them. Flawless presentation and still 3 week stamp, 1900 Baht and come back again after we check you out! Oh well, doing business here is never going to be easy even if we do employ many Thai's, contribute millions of USD a year to the Thai economy and they still make you go thru all this crap. Cambodia is far easier. Singapore very easy and well developed but a bit over-governed so I guess it's the LOS still. But is tests you - every year!!!

So why do you think foreigners are still willing to put themselves through all this ?

I would never believe them on this issue- it is no different to their wishful

thinking about being the " hub " of this and the " hub " of that !

You mention Cambodia as an example of less hassle. But you didnt mention

the other " little things " like language and enthusiasm for work ....

During my visits to Cambodia I have found young people there

are far more willing to try to learn English and generally they just seem more enthusiastic

to learn in general.

Two weeks ago I was in Shanghai ( i was last there 17 years ago ) and that place blew me away.

It feels just like a European city and not once did i have any problems with language

- not once. And what a dynamic country China is..

I came away thinking why on earth would any foreigner want to stuff around in this

country if they are serious about doing business when to me it just seems all the Thai's are looking

to do in every way possible is to handicap the foreigner ?

[12DrinkMore]

So why do you think foreigners are still willing to put themselves through all this ?

I would never believe them on this issue- it is no different to their wishful

thinking about being the " hub " of this and the " hub " of that !

You mention Cambodia as an example of less hassle. But you didnt mention

the other " little things " like language and enthusiasm for work ....

During my visits to Cambodia I have found young people there

are far more willing to try to learn English and generally they just seem more enthusiastic

to learn in general.

Two weeks ago I was in Shanghai ( i was last there 17 years ago ) and that place blew me away.

It feels just like a European city and not once did i have any problems with language

- not once. And what a dynamic country China is..

I came away thinking why on earth would any foreigner want to stuff around in this

country if they are serious about doing business when to me it just seems all the Thai's are looking

to do in every way possible is to handicap the foreigner ?

Agreed.

And the only reason I can think of is the physical attraction of the females and the ease of getting your hands on them. If Thailand was populated by a race of repulsive fuglies, I am fairly sure that there would not be the same number of foreigners willing to jump backwards through the hoops just to stay here.

[Tatsujin]

Agreed.

And the only reason I can think of is the physical attraction of the females and the ease of getting your hands on them. If Thailand was populated by a race of repulsive fuglies, I am fairly sure that there would not be the same number of foreigners willing to jump backwards through the hoops just to stay here.

I don't agree. Those of us here that have made the effort to start and run a business as opposed to teaching or some other profession are NOT here for the girls I think. I rarely go out to the foreigner areas anymore (you know the ones I mean) unless I'm with someone who likes to go there, more often it's Thai-style when and if I go out now. We've made a commitment to live and work here and start a new life I would think. For me personally, the things that keep me here are the weather, the food, the great people (out of Bangkok lol), the beaches/mountains, the slightly more relaxed way of life and mostly I REALLY HATE THE UK NOW!

Yes, it's a pain in the backside jumping through all the hoops we have to as foreigners to start a business, maintain it, pay taxes and VAT, social security, finding and maintaining good staff, getting Work Permits etc etc . . . BUT . . . for me, as long as the good outweighs the bad, then I'll be here for a long while. If the bad starts to outweigh the good or I get too cynical (like most of you that post on here - check the handles and you'll get an inkling of the intellectual level of people and why they are here lol) then I'll be off to some other lovely undeveloped country .

Edited December 30, 2010 by Tatsujin

[midas]

Agreed.

And the only reason I can think of is the physical attraction of the females and the ease of getting your hands on them. If Thailand was populated by a race of repulsive fuglies, I am fairly sure that there would not be the same number of foreigners willing to jump backwards through the hoops just to stay here.

I don't agree. Those of us here that have made the effort to start and run a business as opposed to teaching or some other profession are NOT here for the girls I think. I rarely go out to the foreigner areas anymore (you know the ones I mean) unless I'm with someone who likes to go there, more often it's Thai-style when and if I go out now. We've made a commitment to live and work here and start a new life I would think. For me personally, the things that keep me here are the weather, the food, the great people (out of Bangkok lol), the beaches/mountains, the slightly more relaxed way of life and mostly I REALLY HATE THE UK NOW!

Yes, it's a pain in the backside jumping through all the hoops we have to as foreigners to start a business, maintain it, pay taxes and VAT, social security, finding and maintaining good staff, getting Work Permits etc etc . . . BUT . . . for me, as long as the good outweighs the bad, then I'll be here for a long while. If the bad starts to outweigh the good or I get too cynical (like most of you that post on here - check the handles and you'll get an inkling of the intellectual level of people and why they are here lol) then I'll be off to some other lovely undeveloped country .

But these same things are available in neighbouring countries ?

Another place i didnt mention before was Vietnam -even though

it is a communist country, their attitude to doing business and

their efficiency is miles ahead of Thailand.

I don't do business here but if i was chosing to do so, Thailand would

be way down on my list.

And when you say " the great people " comparing countries like

the ones I have mentioned ( and in particular China ) i dont think I have seen

the people of any other country in this region that ultimately look upon the " farang "

as a permanent " outsider " to the same degree they do in Thailand. So the people may

seem great, but the topic of this thread is about how level is the playing field

regarding doing business here and you cannot tell me they won't screw

you at every opportunity.

Can i ask you when was the last time you visited places like Hanoi,

Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Beijing, Shanghai and please tell

me what Thailand has to offer that is so special compared to these other

places ?

I think 12D is spot on as to why people torture themselves here

Edited December 31, 2010 by midas