Hello all,

I am currently living and working in Cambodia with my Thai girlfriend of one year but we are both missing Thailand and wish to return soon. I had some questions about starting a business in Thailand to provide an income for us both and her family. I have read through the useful threads on this forum but had some specific questions I hoped some knowledgable folks on this board could assist me with.

So, we want to start a business. We want to do everything legally and above board. I understand what I need to get a work permit and non-immigrant B visa but my queries are related to how I can do this if I did not actually work for the business, just provided the capital (via my girlfriend). My questions:

1. If I provide capital and have no direct hand in the day-to-day running of the business is a tourist visa sufficient?

2. Can my Thai girlfriend, who will be the "owner" and "manager" of the business, transfer money to me on a tourist visa? Might this be construed as business income (which obviously it is) and I would therefore need a business visa and work permit? We were thinking of a joint account in Thailand that I could use for personal spending and transfer funds in bulk if needed elsewhere.

Thanks in advance if you can offer any advice on this.

Nomadd.

You can not easily live long term in Thailand on a tourist visa (as you are obviously not a tourist and Consulates will be hesitant to provide at some point). Your source of income would also be suspect as well as tax status. You said you wanted to be legal and that would require valid visa/tax status/work permit if more than investor. Believe most would be employed by business and obtain visa status/work permit/income on that basis even if only signing the paychecks in day to day operations to keep everything legal.

If you plan to do everything legally and above board you cannot "transfer" business income to anyone without good reason - it's not your personal Piggy Bank and the Annual Accounts must be Audited - so you must show evidence for all expenditure.

The only proper way you could draw money from the Company would be in the form of a salary - for which you would need a Work Permit.

Patrick

Thank you both very much. You have confirmed what I suspected. My girlfriend was of the opinion that there would be no problem and that she, "knew many farang who had made busniesses without obtaining B visas and work permits". I could see difficulties with it and I do not want to put myself or my girlfriend in a difficult position with the authorities. I will now look towards obtaining the necessary status to run the business myself.

I should piont out that once a portion of the business income (my girlfriend's salary) had been moved to my girlfriend's account it would then be personal funds and only then moved on to me, if needed. That was a solution discussed but holds too many possibilities for negative conotations.

Many thanks again