Business Visa / Thai Daughter

[Teak]

My daughter (16 yrs) has a Thai passport and we are considering re entering Thailand (when she is 18) to run a business owned by my daughter and managed by myself. This would be a 'Thailand start up business' directed solely for manufacture and export. This endeavor would not have a history as a working business in Thailand to sponsor a Foreign manager. The business in question has ran for 10 years from China and N. America. Any suggestions on ways to proceed ?

I require a visa that allows me to train and manage daily details with Thai workers.

regards...Ken

[Maestro]

There are two issues involved here and both fall within the scope of this forum:

-- Long-term stay, ie annual extensions of stay

-- Work permit, ie employment with a company

1. Long-term stay. You get a non-immigrant visa category O (non-O visa, for short) from a Thai consulate. Purpose of trip: “visit my Thai daughter”. After arrival in Thailand, you open a savings account in your name alone and put at least 400,000 Baht into it. Then during the last 30 days of your permission to stay, apply for an annual extension of stay for the reason of living with your daughter under paragraph 2.18 of Police Order 777/2551. For subsequent annual extension, when you are already employed and earn a salary of minimu 40k per month, you can use evidence of the salary to meet the financial requirement for the extension, if you prefer.
   
2. Work permit. After your arrival in Thailand, register the company, then have the company apply for your work permit. There is no need for the company to have a history as a working business. Such requirement exists only for the extension of stay for the reason of employment, which you don't have and don't need because yours is for the reason of living with your daughter.
   

I see that your daughter will own the company. If you made that decision in the mistaken belief that a foreigner cannot own a company partly or wholly you may want to start a separate topic about it in the forum "Jobs, economy, banking, business, investments". (It would be off topic here, and that other forum is best for knowledgeable advice on company registration and ownership)

[PoorSucker]

The annual extension of stay for the reason of living with your daughter can only be done until she is 20 years old.

[Maestro]

Correct. Starting the company when the daughter is 18 years old, by the time she will be 20 the company should have the required two-year operating history for the extension based on employment.