Thinking Of Starting A Small Business Up In Thailand

[zanzibard]

hi guys

ive currently just come back from staying in a small english owned hotel in the udon thani area with my thai girlfriend and while staying there got to know the owner really well and was telling him how much i would like to be able to work and stay out there permanently but had no idea of what i could do or how to go about it.

i was made redundant 18 months ago in the uk,the first time since i left school and since only been able to find 2 lots of temp work.the last ending 10 weeks ago now.in my eyes the situation in the uk is getting worse not better and im still unemployed.ive been a cabinet maker/bench hand joiner for 20 years but i just cant find any jobs out there or the ones that are are 50+ miles from my home.

anyway,the owner of this hotel had run a hotel in pattaya before and while there learnt how to clean and maintain swimming pools and he said people were finding it hard in his area now to get there pools cleaned at a reasonable price and he said he thinks it would be a good oppurtunity with minimum outlay to myself to give this a go and get something started and he would be more than willing to teach me everything he knows about the cleaning and maintenanace of swimming pools if i was to go back out there.

i basically have no idea where to start in respect to what visa i would need and would be more than gratefull for any other advice anyone could offer me on starting up a small business like this in thailand.

Thanks.

[Semper]

My guess is that pool cleaning is one of the trades that Thai people can do, so I think it will be difficult for a farang to get a work permit for this.

[zanzibard]

ok.thanks for the reply.i didn't know that.he just told me no-one seemed to be doing it but didn't mention anything about work permit problems for a uk citizen.

[CharlieH]

To start a company you will also need 2 million baht and employ a minimum of 4 Thais. then you can apply for your work permit.

[zanzibard]

To start a company you will also need 2 million baht and employ a minimum of 4 Thais. then you can apply for your work permit.

ok.thanks.

i think thats put an end to that then

is there anyway my girlfriend could help me with this?

[Semper]

To start a company you will also need 2 million baht and employ a minimum of 4 Thais. then you can apply for your work permit.

ok.thanks.

i think thats put an end to that then

is there anyway my girlfriend could help me with this?

Let her start the company and do the work. Maybe she can employ you to be her technical instructor?

[CharlieH]

To start a company you will also need 2 million baht and employ a minimum of 4 Thais. then you can apply for your work permit.

ok.thanks.

i think thats put an end to that then

is there anyway my girlfriend could help me with this?

If your gf became your wife and was the majority shareholder it would only be 1 million and 2 Thais for the 1st year as start -up but 4 Thais in second year.

[zanzibard]

To start a company you will also need 2 million baht and employ a minimum of 4 Thais. then you can apply for your work permit.

ok.thanks.

i think thats put an end to that then

is there anyway my girlfriend could help me with this?

If your gf became your wife and was the majority shareholder it would only be 1 million and 2 Thais for the 1st year as start -up but 4 Thais in second year.

so is it possible to go out there on a 6 month tourist visa/marriage visa,get married then learn to do the job,get everything sorted out,customers etc, then apply for a work permit or would i need to be getting a work permit straight away?

[Soutpeel]

To start a company you will also need 2 million baht and employ a minimum of 4 Thais. then you can apply for your work permit.

ok.thanks.

i think thats put an end to that then

is there anyway my girlfriend could help me with this?

If your gf became your wife and was the majority shareholder it would only be 1 million and 2 Thais for the 1st year as start -up but 4 Thais in second year.

so is it possible to go out there on a 6 month tourist visa/marriage visa,get married then learn to do the job,get everything sorted out,customers etc, then apply for a work permit or would i need to be getting a work permit straight away?

If you are working you would need the WP straight away

[lopburi3]

You must have a work permit to work (regardless of being paid or not). To get a work permit you must be working for a Thai company that qualifies and perform work that qualifies. Most people married to a Thai are likely working as English teachers because it is one of the few occupations open to them with the employment restrictions. A few people do make it in other fields but normally they will have experience - very few startup operations are successful anywhere and suspect even a lower percentage for foreigners in Thailand. Remember, as bleak as it may seem in the UK at least you have some safety nets available. They are unlikely to be available here.

[digitalchromakey]

My guess is that pool cleaning is one of the trades that Thai people can do, so I think it will be difficult for a farang to get a work permit for this.

Here is a link to the list of restricted occupations Thai Restricted Occupations

Pool Maintenance is not on the list; you certainly can get a Work Permit to run a pool maintenance company, but you would almost certainly need to employ a Thai to cover the Manual Labour elements.

Carpentry is on the list, but I know of a few Europeans who run carpentry companies offering custom western style furniture/services - such companies mainly employ Thais/Burmese.

[digitalchromakey]

To start a company you will also need 2 million baht and employ a minimum of 4 Thais. then you can apply for your work permit.

ok.thanks.

i think thats put an end to that then

is there anyway my girlfriend could help me with this?

You don't need 2 Million Baht, you only need 2 Million Baht Capitalisation which initially costs only a few thousand Baht on start up.

You girl friend could set up a Thai Limited Partnership which can have fewer paperwork/Thai Employee requirements, she would have to be the Managing Partner with full signing rights and liabilty; you could be a partner and apply for a Work Permit, the capitalisation rules are the same.

[zanzibard]

thankyou for all your replies.there very much appreciated.unfortunately my girlfriend is commited to looking after her very sick mother for the forseeable future and i just wanted to be out there with her and trying to help.the guy who suggested this venture didnt mention anything about what you guys have told me today so i suspect he thought i would just go out there and work illegally which i'll never do.i dont know,i'm just waiting for an e-mail back from him.

i know this is the place to come for proper and accurate information for anything related to thailand and i once again thank you all.

i'm just going to have to keep looking for employment in the uk now and hopefully something will come up eventually.

[Tatsujin]

If I understand the Thai "law" with regards to what constitutes "work" in Thailand correctly . . . the mere fact that you are "thinking" about doing it actually constitutes "work" in and of itself and therefore you would require a WP for that, so technically you are already breaking the law . . .