Hiya folks, I want to hear what are the criterias to start a business in CM.

I heard ppl saying needing to hire 4 staff, shareholder etc, but also type of business must be approved by the thai government?

Some also says regsiter with Thai person, but he must be like a manager of a store right?

So for average, have to pay like 20K+ right...?

What if he quits or threats the owner in some way or another or causes some troubles like stealing etc...

Im also aware that getting knocked up with thai wife is the best but im too shy... Ahhhh

or affair matters etc ya feel me?

Anyways any info would be helpful.... thanx

Best Wishes,

Coco

Forget what people say!

Try going to a professional like Sunbelt Asia or Siam Legal and talk directly with the attorneys.

What kind of business are you planning to open? How much can you invest in the business? Can you afford to lose it if the business isn't successful? Do you have a trusted Thai partner? Is the objective to provide enough money for you to live a comfortable life here, provide for an uneducated bar girl in order to keep her busy and away from her sponsors in the false hope she will view you romantically and become a trusted life partner, provide a non-immigrant visa and work permit for yourself?

There isn't one answer that fits all.

Edited November 23, 201114 yr by Loaded

Tell us a bit more. I wouldn't first run to lawyers; lawyers are for stuffs that takes place in a court of law. If it's a serious business my first stop would be the BOI office. Even if you don't proceed with applying for BOI sponsoring, you will still learn a lot.

There is a book available called How to Establish a Successful Business in Thailand by Phillip Wylie which is a good start to get useful information.

There is another one, Working With The Thais by Henry Holmes and Suchada Tangtongtavy with Roy Tomizawa which has good info on the cultural side of doing business here.

Sorry but I can't recall where i picked them up. The first one has pretty much all the information that the other posters have given and I think will answer most of your questions.

The steps to open a business are pretty much the same everywhere, certainly different offices and officers may have some different requirements (don't we all know how that works with Immigration) but in general the laws about setting up a business are quite clear. If you are interested in the specifics of those laws then I can move this thread to the business forum where you will get more precise and helpful answers.

If you are interested in what business would work in Chiang Mai then it can stay here. Let me know

And troll comments deleted,lets do try to drop the trollish responses, not everyone speaks English as a first language and its really very poor netiquette to pick on such a petty issue

Coco. Not meaning to be unkind but you clearly have a lot of reading to do (to ramp up your general knowledge) before you should sit yourself in front of a lawyer or business broker.

Google on 'Thailand Board of Investment' and download one or more of the free reports in their web site. The Philip Wylie book mentioned by another is readily available in many bookstores.

Find out about the different types of business structures available in Thailand, about work permits, and prohibited professions, etc ... then you can start to dig deeper into areas most relevant to you.

I would also suggest you google on 'preparing a business plan' to get an idea about some of the more universal things you need to consider before starting a business anywhere

Another good book to check out before you go too far:

http://www.burning-bison.com/

Just further to my last post, here are some links:

The Wylie book

http://www.dcothai.com/product_info.php?products_id=748

Reports by the Thai BOI

http://www.boi.go.th/index.php?page=guides

Department of Business Development

http://www.dbd.go.th/mainsite/index.php?id=1&L=1