We are planning to open a small startup in Thailand. TV.com has a lot of useful information, but it's all cluttered in threads and replies.

Thus my question:

There is a lot of literature on almost every topic regarding Thailand - language, culture, history, tourism, etc. Are there also good books on how to open a SME in Thailand? I am aware that it won't save us the need to consult a good lawyer/law firm, accounting/tax professionals, etc. at a certain point, and we would have the resources to do that. We are more looking for a comprehensive overview what things we have to consider, at which we have to consult other professionals, where to find the relevant law texts, etc. Basically some kind of 1 on 1 how to open a company in Thailand, explaining things from A to Z, so we have the broad overview and can dig deeper then with professionals.

Does there exist something like that? I already had a look at AsiaBooks and Kinokuniya, but didn't find much.

I know there are books for starting up a small business, all though they do only contain general info, but I have actually never seen one that is country-specific.

You might be better off looking for books specific to your niche, since every niche has different requirements and stuff to consider.

Opening an SME is the same as opening a Thai private limited company.

There is a simple checklist here and if you do an Internet search on 'thai business license' you will find more detailed information. All the info is available online and is likely to be more up-to-date than books. Government websites are a good source of the latest information.

Michael Doyle

Practical Guide to Thailand Business Law 3rd Edition

Practical Guide to Business Law in Emerging Countries in Asia

www.asiabooks.com or amazon.com

Good guy if you want your company setup right. Partner at Seri Manop & Doyle Ltd.

Forget about books. They are outdated by the time they have been printed.

In today's day and age, it is appropriate to search for information on the internet, which you have access to, as you posted your query. My suggestion is to not believe any commercial websites but go right to the government pages. A quick search found this result: http://www.boi.go.th/english/how/setting_up_a_business.asp

In my previous answer, I forgot to reply about language, culture, history, tourism. You can complete a Master's degree in any of these fields, but I suggest you come and live here first. It sounds like you have never been to Thailand?

For businesses, the CIA Factbook is the first stop for a PEST Analysis. But it won't teach you about culture... Difficult to explain if you don't live here. Many books if you do.

History can be looked up, I am sure you know how to use Google and Wikipedia.

If you want to learn the language, I know a good teacher.

Forget about books. They are outdated by the time they have been printed.

In today's day and age, it is appropriate to search for information on the internet, which you have access to, as you posted your query. My suggestion is to not believe any commercial websites but go right to the government pages. A quick search found this result: http://www.boi.go.th..._a_business.asp

That link is a 404 not found . I too would like to find governmental info thoug I guess so much wiggling goes on depending on the lawyer.

Michael Doyle

Practical Guide to Thailand Business Law 3rd Edition

Practical Guide to Business Law in Emerging Countries in Asia

www.asiabooks.com or amazon.com

Good guy if you want your company setup right. Partner at Seri Manop & Doyle Ltd.

OP, this (quoted above) is very good information. It is also good to supplement your knowledge with information found online. Generally, even in developed economies, there is still often no better substitute for well written books. Online resources are often not vetted and contain information that is sloppy, poorly written and/or lacks cohesiveness. This is true even more so here in Thailand where you will be very hard pressed indeed to find very good information online and especially if you need that information to be in English. Internet resources that cover business in Thailand (written in English and which are written in a trustworthy manner) are nearly impossible to find, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

Best wishes,