KhunChay Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 What to deal with when starting a shop in Chiang Mai city, that is not a building but a booth without wheels, a cart, a VW Bus or anything that's more or less movable, especially a booth without wheels ? How to find a good 'fixed' location with electric and if possible also water and what's next ? What are the rules and laws and what are the best ways to go ? Are there restrictions regarding food products ? Many thanks for good information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sansai Sam Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I think you will find there are wheels under that canvas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sticklee Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 If it's a business in your own name you'll be subject to the rules for foreign owned business. 2 million Baht investment and jobs for 4 Thais, I think that's right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 The only way to know for sure is to set it up somewhere and see who comes out of the woodwork. Be prepared to apologise/beg for merccy and retreat quickly when someone does. I'm sure your local constabulary will take your protection money, or at least refer you to someone who will. Make sure it is staffed by Thais and try not to make it obvious that a foreigner owns the operation, or it will cost more. Use common sense of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raindancer Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 If it's a business in your own name you'll be subject to the rules for foreign owned business. 2 million Baht investment and jobs for 4 Thais, I think that's right. Correct. And you will need a business visa and work permit. However there appears to be a relaxation of some of the 4 thai staff if you have a marriage visa as opposed to a business visa. Immigration told me that if you have a marriage visa, you can work in Thailand. Still checking that one out. Finally you will have to pay the Government Office on the Mae Rim road, an annual fee , for any advertising English signs on the business as well as any signs in Thai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sansai Sam Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 You will pay a fee for an english sign and I GUARANTEE you that a marriage visa DOES NOT allow you to work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raindancer Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 You will pay a fee for an english sign and I GUARANTEE you that a marriage visa DOES NOT allow you to work! Thank you Sansai Sam. What I was alluding to but did not clarify was, that in conjunction with a work permit, a marriage visa would not necessitate the requirement of a business visa. Grateful for any experience you may have on this. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman34014 Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 So all those small stalls I see with the odd English sign are paying fees? And who exactly is collecting these fees and what are they doing with them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sansai Sam Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 If you have an ENGLISH ONLY sign (as in the photo) you pay high tax to the tax department. If you also have the name in Thai on the same sign you pay less. If you have the sign in Thai only you are safe. What do they do with it? What do they do with the rest of the money collected by the tax department? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzo the Face Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 (edited) I have gone back and re-read the OP. I do see 4 question marks, but I am trying very hard to understand exactly what you are asking. People on this forum have tried to give you information that would be helpful, but you reject it caustically. You are asking the questions so you know what you want, but let me suggest that if you are in someway connected with this business, as you apparently are by doing the asking, that you consider some other venture whereby you would not deal with the customers or public. For a member of a period of 2 mos, you have managed to irritate quite a few posters in just one thread, and you are the one asking for help. Not good for someone involved in a service oriented busisness , even behind and out of sight. I hope you can take this for what it is intended to be ..... constructive. Good luck to you and hope ther are to be some positive posts in the your future. g Edited April 19, 2011 by Gonzo the Face Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie001 Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I GUARANTEE you that a marriage visa DOES NOT allow you to work! Are you on CRACK? Yes people can work on a Non O marriage visa with a work permit. Unless you meant only that you need a work permit but that applies to all visas. The Non O and NOn B allow people to have a work permit. As for the shop. You find the location that you like. You ask the owner how much rent is, you make a lease agreement, you need all the other requirements of a business. If you just own it but do not work in it, then no problems. Do not sell things yourself though. I would only do a business like that if I had a Thai partner to handle the paperwork things and then hire 1-2 workers for Vendors. Do the management stuff off site and you won't have any problems. As stated above the less people know that it is foreign owned the better for retail shops. I really don't see much profit though in the small vendor shops. You really need to have a good location to get enough foot traffic. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raindancer Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 (edited) Wow you really do not know when to stop digging your own grave. Your post is insulting and from reading your initial post requesting information and your recent reply, it suggests to me that you do not have a command of the English language. Loosers is not correct english. Perhaps you mean "losers" And you may be right in your own little world of condemning ex pats. But I think you are out of order in making a Generic statement of quote: " totally bored and frustrated, brain-dead beer drinking pensioners who have really nothing useful to say anymore for some reason especially the chiang mai forum is full of this type loosers. many expats dislike your type. Yes I agree there are those who offer cynical and sarcastic replies, but you do not have to respond to these. If you wish to ask questions of the many experiences of members of this forum and ask for advice....at least post your question with the information you already possess regarding your situation and do not condemn those who take the time to offer you their own personal experiences. Your arrogance appears to stem from your own country ..wherever that is and you do seem to have a personal issue regarding ex-pats which obvious you are now one of them...DONT Bite the Hand That feeds you. We are all here to learn from each other.!! Edited April 19, 2011 by Raindancer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tywais Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Several off topic + argumentative + flames have been removed. Play nice, and that includes the OP of this topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semper Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 To the OP. If you want to work,start a business, why don't you do this in your home country? You will probably make 10 times the money than here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjhbigv Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 To the OP. If you want to work,start a business, why don't you do this in your home country? You will probably make 10 times the money than here. Have to agree, unless your target market is ex-pats.....I don't see how you would be able to compete with the 1000's of Thai street vendors in CM? If you are targeting Thai's, I think you would be p**ssing in the wind being honest and how much would you make? If you are targeting ex-pats, I dunno...top of my head....a fast-food, kebab, burger stall outside say somewhere around Zoe at Yellow area, I reckon you could make money BUT I reckon you could get a fair bit of grief, especially if you start making money, reckon you would get a lot of 'interest'! Also, as others have mentioned, you can't work or be seen in the 'shop front' etc etc....good luck and if you get it off the ground, come back and let us know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccw Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I reckon u could make more and got less to loose by operating off the street. Less overheads the better. See so many places opening and closing all the time with different owners because the rents destroy most profit and after staff costs they make a loss. Plus so much competition means can't charge much Mark up so really need massive volume to make it work, which is not easy to achieve. People who get "taxed" by the police most will be the fat old falangs with many staff. I know of people paying 5-10k per month or more. Where as I as a young man with respectable well spoken wife (also on the way with child) and no other staff payed just 500bht pm for open late, after a few months they just stopped coming after tiring of the no enough money stories. I was the main server and they knew this but never had a problem but admit that the potential risk from immigration is serious and if u can afford it best to not take that chance. In the end I packed it in because not compatible life style with family and only making 10-20k pm when my missus could make the same from her freelance web designe. If I did something again it would be like what your thinking, only aimed at Thais. Much safer and more reliable Market. Sell nice moo ping kowniow moo tord or sum such. If it's tasty and word gets around then huge potential Market, much greater than expats. Or drive a truck load of veg over the mountains once a week, can make a few grand a go apparrently. Sell them off the back your pick up next from the street almost anyplace u chose so long as no in the way traffic too much. Good luck. Basically what ever u chose to do, just do it and see what happens. Asking authorities is just asking for trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccw Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Thought I might of got a rinsing for my last post given the difference of opinions. Would of liked to hear anothers reasonings behind falling side over thai side prospects. But OP ........ What u saying? Any further thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccw Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Falling = falang ,,,,,, on my phone predictive text Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soboringtochooseaname Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Many places opening and closing ? Of course they are managed by Thai... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccw Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Many thai places and many fallang places. Basically people opening up with an idea with out doing any costings or projections. Garrenteed it's the overheads that kill em. I also reckon alot of Falang places operate at a loss or marginally break even but are just kept going as a pet hobby for the retired. Also many thai owned places are just fronts to launder I'll gotten gains. This distorts the Market and makes operating out of rented premises all the more challenging Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.png.3b3332cc2256ad0edbc2fe9404feeef0.png)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now