My friends wife who is thai has a cousin that lives in Thailand who is looking at setting up a small business in the UK, maybe a small shop. For her cousin to get a work permit for the UK would it be easier for my friends wife to put the business in her name then offer her cousin a job?

I stand under correction but to start a business and get in that way requires an investment of something like 200,000 pounds.

If the business was put in the wifes name, the cousin would still have to qualify under the points system, and the business itself needs to "qualify" as well before they can sponsor the applicant.

Basically correct, Soutpeel.

Klege, I think the answer is 'no chance.'

See Working in the UK and appropriate links from there.

I would have thought the answer as being "virtually impossible" yet I know a Thai couple running a business who came to UK 5 years ago, unfortunately they and their business were the victims of crime recently (thats how I know it was only 5 years ago they came to the UK) and as they are both Thai a spouse's visa would almost certainly not apply here.

I would not wish to identify them as they are both very nice people and I certainly would not want to offend them by asking them what visas they have?

Basil, the rules on non EU citizens coming to the UK, or any other EU state, to work have changed extensively over the last 5 years. It is now a lot more difficult than it was then.