Why Would One Want To Invest In Thailand?

[Dutchy]

When investing in Thailand is no option anymore, try Panama:

Tax Incentives for Projects in Special Tourism Zones

o Property taxes exemption including land

o Income tax exemption for a period of 15 years

o 20 years exemption from Import taxes including the Sales tax ( 5%)

o 20 Years Income Tax Exemption originated by the interests charged by creditors in the tourism activity investment

o Exemption from liens due to the use of docks or airports built by the company

Who can give me some good reasons for investing in Thailand?

Cheers,

Dutchy

[El_D]

Thailand is "Drug Free"

There is NO "Police Corruption" here.

Traffic police enforce the traffic laws here.

Bars now close at midnight, and that will end the problem of underage drinking and drugs---(oops! I forgot that there are no more drugs here.)

Bird flu has only another 21 days left to thrive here.

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Good question Dutchy..........

I've a friend who is currently sending me live reports of how fun Cartegena, Columbia is, right next door to Panama & he USED to be a die-hard LOS fan. He hasn't been here in over two years, and with the new Draconian rules issued by the Thai "Governing Council" I doubt he'll be back anytime soon.

Can somebody please explain to me why, oh why did anybody ever bother to establish provinces and city limits in Thailand if they have no say over when their own bars will close?

Will Thakin's "cabinet" next determine how many babies a woman is allowed to have? Where will the dictatorship end?

I seldom if ever stay out past 11:00 PM & the bar closing time means little to me in and of itself, but the way this bar-closing rule has come into being worries the shit out of me as a potential investor here.

The local mafia is scary enough, and now I have to fear arbitrary changes from the cabinet that the Parliament has no say over?

BTW--- I've never had nor will ever have anything to do with the nightlife industry, but Thaksin's Cabinet does precious little to instill confidence on my part.

The police here can't even enforce motorcycle helmet laws, and their solution to their problems is more laws????????

[happy harry]

el_d

i agree the police have to learn to enforce excisting laws b4 they even try the new ones.

crash helmet law was brought out in 1974 i believe.now that was a few years ago.and they still cant enforce it.

[KevinN]

I think that you are wrong about no tax breaks,,Toxin is starting up an airline and granted himself a few years tax break so you see, tax breaks for new businesses is possible.

[pnustedt]

Who can give me some good reasons for investing in Thailand?

I can - high rate of return

[marquess]

Investing money here, would be like dropping a gold coin, into the desert sand. The more you tried to retrieve it, the further it would sink.

I do believe that we are in for a harder time, with dictorial toxin and friends. Nothing they do can suprise me. In fact both Purchai and Toxin, have PHd, makes you wonder! I always thought that people had to be clever to get such a thing?

[Thetyim]

Taksin is a very clever man.

He has devised a very cunning plan to resolve the problems down in the south.

By making the chicken flu spread he can cull all the chickens without a voice raised against him.

All the muslims will then have to leave.

[kwiz117]

This is my 4th year in Thailand (Bangkok). I had this question always in my mind and still can not understand why a Company have to invest here?

Forget about Tax benefits etc.. Proper Feasibility Study will not work here. Also if your mind is Structured, then it will not work here. You need, unstructured mind, unstructured way of doing thing here.

These are some of the possibilities that I can think of;

1. CEO or whoever decide on the project is addicted to Bar Girls and use the project as a mean to re-locate and fulfill his fantasies in Thailand. Don't ask how I know this?

2. If it is a sales company, may be due to the size of Thai Market and the spending habits of Thai people.

3. It is easy to fool innocent Thai Girls and make them buy Company products. I have seen many cosmetic, beautician and other ladies related product companies do this. Some stupid promo to wards the end of the month can easily empty their hard earned monthly Salary.

4. Easy to bribe the officers and sell some stupid concept to them. For example, all you need is a Farang with a Notebook, and a high-tech concept collected from various parts of management books, put together to a power-point presentation and present it. Like the way they suddenly read a book when they travel and get amazed and implement very next day. I feel sorry for them. Good example is, CEO Concept. He simply got that idea from the book "How to become a CEO", one of Toxin's recommended books now.

If it is from a western country and highlight some High Tech or a new thing, that is all you need.

5. Some invest here in Language Schools. Again, same Native Speaking Concept will apply to them.

6. Some Invest simply to play out BOI. They do not get any Tax Benefit. But will somehow go for a BOI Company and then sell in Thai Market by using the same BOI Formula. This is a widely known practice in Thailand.

Many of the above things will not work in other countries like Singapore, India in this region. You need this type of people here to accept them.

Also if you start doing a feasibility study and see the feasibility, then forget it. You are not the one needed for Thailand.

7. Finally, you get the normal MNC's who come here for Strategic Corporate reasons.

[davidm]

Basically, there are two kinds of foreign investor in Thailand. First, we have the individual. This type of investor often struggles because when (not if) locals try to cheat him in some way, he has very little leverage with which to defend himself and obtain justice. Some individuals thrive, others don't. Success depends on a combination of right ideas, good connections, timing, effort and luck. I would guess (without access to any relaible figures at all) that a majority fail sooner or later.

Second, we have the corporate investors. These investors usually have connections with authorities from their own country plus sufficient funds to bribe the right people. Multinationals have the added advantage of leverage when dealing with Thais. For example, if Microsoft were really unhappy with something in Thailand, Bill Gates could call Thaksin and ask him to sort it out. Or else.

Multinationals often thrive in Thailand. They can use the kingdom as an assembly base in order to get import duty privileges in developed markets. If they control materials supplies, they can adjust prices of semi-finished parts to ensure they remain tax exempt for ever. Japanese companies have turned this into an art.

Thailand is also used as a dumping ground for inferior and unsafe products by multinationals. For example, if a product has failed a safety test in the EU, sell it in Thailand where standards enforcements are lax and officials easily bribed.

In short, Thailand can be an excellent place to invest if you have the clout to protect your project and the right ideas and management. But there is no safety net for individuals who don't have a ###### of a lot of money at their disposal.

[Sunbelt Asia]

My Thai wife and I have been to Panama on vacation. In her and my opinion, many similarities between the two countries....

Climate, plantations, cheap taxis, cheap movie tickets, more woman than men.

They sell lots of Rolexes In Panama thought they are real :-)

On the other hand, lots of differences as well…

Very expensive medicine, groceries, telephone service, car rentals

Food is far superior in Thailand. They love salt in Panama. The Chicken soup with plantains isn't bad though.

High crime rate…unfortunately it’s common to be mugged.

Much higher violence. Higher drug trade.

Thailand beaches are much more beautiful.

Panama night life is not in the same league.

Land and houses are VERY expensive compared to Thailand.

You think the people in Thailand have bad motives, you haven’t seen anything yet Gringo! :-)