Business Visas How Do I Get One?

[ajnamoon]

Hi All

I have been living in Chaing Mai for the past 8 months over 60 have a one year non immigrant o visa with multiple entries

thought about retirement visa but not interested in that ,

I am planning to go back to UK for a few months then would return but looking to obtain a Business Visa, i hear that you can get a 3 year one leaving country every 90 days

When i return i am looking to offer treatments and training in complimentary therapies,and possibly doing portrait photography therefore looking to obtain a Business visa so i can get a work permit as want to do this legally

Iam aware that business visas must be obtained outside Thailand and issued by an embassy not consul

however when i check out requirements for visa they ask for letter from Thai company that you will work for ,but no reference for someone who want to work for themselves

So does anyone know how to go about obtaining this visa procedures costs etc

looking forward to your responses Thanks

[Maestro]

The only way to get a work permit is as an employee of a Thai company. This means that you would have to set up a company in Thailand, with everything this involves, and then get a work permit as an employee of your own company. If you want to go this route you can get information about setting up a company in our forum Jobs, economy, banking, business, investments

[SamSipEt]

As mentioned you need to set up a company first which can then offer you a job. Lots and lots of paperwork will get you a B visa (outside Thailand) and then you can get a work permit (inside Thailand) and then and only then can you start work. Bear in mind that you will also have to employee a minimum of 4 Thai staff and that will be checked.

Photography? Lots of competition with studios all over the place.

Therapies? Not sure if there is a market niche for this or not but I guess you have done some research on it.

Not easy but can be done - good luck

[arthurwait]

Never heard of a 3 year non -B

Set up your company with a Thai having the majority share, employ 4 Thais not including your business partner. Their wages are 9k a month minimum. pay taxes on your wages minimum 50 or 65 k wage/month and employees social payments which adds upto just under 10K per month minimum. Get business premises, immigration may choose to inspect these.

Once all that is done your Thai partner will 'send' you correspondence about applying for a job. etc.

Once you have done that you can apply for a 3 month non-b outside the country. Once you have that you can apply for a work permit. once you have that you can apply for a years non-b extension inside the country.

No work permit = no years extension. No tax recepits = no non-b extension the following year.

I'm not sure but I think it maybe difficult to get a work permit and visa for you desired occupations.

There are 2 ways can't remember both but one is the company has to be trading for a year and paying tax before they can employ you. There is another way.Post in the visa section where people with more knowledge post.

The cost is 1900 IRRC and something like 600 for a work permit. been a year since I paid.

The cost is time to get all your documents done, any tea money that's needed and for all your documents to be done and translated.

[ajnamoon]

Hi Again

Many thanks for ur replies and info ,so it would seem thats its either very difficuly or almost impossible to be self employed as a foreigner living in Thailand

I have checked out therapy work i have been teaching Reiki healing for over 10 years and from what i see few pwople offer this treatment here those that do dont seem to have thee knowledge about it and charge alot for a tereatment and very expensive for the trainings so yes i feel that there are openings for Reiki here in Thailand

Anyway back to visa stuff over the months i have b een here have met alot of foreigners both from UK and Aussie all working either teaching English running bars or Massage shops and none have work permits is that the way it goes over here ??????

What would it cost to get assistisance of a lawyer here to help secure Business Visa??????/ I see Siam Legal offer visa service are they reputable

Looking forward to replies and advice thanks

[hellodolly]

Hi Again

Many thanks for ur replies and info ,so it would seem thats its either very difficuly or almost impossible to be self employed as a foreigner living in Thailand

I have checked out therapy work i have been teaching Reiki healing for over 10 years and from what i see few pwople offer this treatment here those that do dont seem to have thee knowledge about it and charge alot for a tereatment and very expensive for the trainings so yes i feel that there are openings for Reiki here in Thailand

Anyway back to visa stuff over the months i have b een here have met alot of foreigners both from UK and Aussie all working either teaching English running bars or Massage shops and none have work permits is that the way it goes over here ??????

What would it cost to get assistisance of a lawyer here to help secure Business Visa??????/ I see Siam Legal offer visa service are they reputable

Looking forward to replies and advice thanks

It was mentioned that you would need 4 Thai employees for every Farong. Is the call that big for Reiki training.

I realize the need may be there but are the existing practitioners that interested. Especially when counting your self you would need to provide work for 5.

As for other Farongs working with out work permits. Well let us say Thailand has many honest expats but it is also a place that attracts the less than legal expats.

Setting up for Portrait Photography sounds to me like you are not to sure off the demand for Reiki training.

[ajnamoon]

Hi Again

Many thanks for ur replies and info ,so it would seem thats its either very difficuly or almost impossible to be self employed as a foreigner living in Thailand

I have checked out therapy work i have been teaching Reiki healing for over 10 years and from what i see few pwople offer this treatment here those that do dont seem to have thee knowledge about it and charge alot for a tereatment and very expensive for the trainings so yes i feel that there are openings for Reiki here in Thailand

Anyway back to visa stuff over the months i have b een here have met alot of foreigners both from UK and Aussie all working either teaching English running bars or Massage shops and none have work permits is that the way it goes over here ??????

What would it cost to get assistisance of a lawyer here to help secure Business Visa??????/ I see Siam Legal offer visa service are they reputable

Looking forward to replies and advice thanks

It was mentioned that you would need 4 Thai employees for every Farong. Is the call that big for Reiki training.

I realize the need may be there but are the existing practitioners that interested. Especially when counting your self you would need to provide work for 5.

As for other Farongs working with out work permits. Well let us say Thailand has many honest expats but it is also a place that attracts the less than legal expats.

Setting up for Portrait Photography sounds to me like you are not to sure off the demand for Reiki training.

Well in fact its been 15 years that iv e been offering Reiki treatments and trainings in UK i feel there is a demand here though even if i did it voluntary i would still need a work permit thats what i wont to do here as i did in UK photography something i did professionally for over 20 years

So i guess i should find a good lawyer here forall the paperworkrequired

[Semper]

thought about retirement visa but not interested in that

Why not, if you're over 60, it's a good time to retire?

[arthurwait]

A lawyer can just help you fill out the forms. I believe foreigners can't actually practice law here so they basically guide you through the process.

If you are on your own without a trust worthy Thai the form filling will be difficult and business extremely difficult.

You can only get a visa and work permit if you meet the criteria and only the immigration head office can decide this. Even the immigration officers in the regional offices can only check you have got the correct forms. A lawyer can't change that.

Setting up the business in the way described is the only way to go about self employment legally. All the people working for themselves on the net are working illegally and all people tutoring english without registering a school and business or working in a school are working illegally. Even those that have a work permit to teach in a school and are doing extra private lessons are working illegally. You can't get a work permit to work in a bar as it counts as labour which amongst many other jobs are protected for the Thais.

If you don't have a very trustworthy Thai to go into business with, forget it.

[hellodolly]

Hi Again

Many thanks for ur replies and info ,so it would seem thats its either very difficuly or almost impossible to be self employed as a foreigner living in Thailand

I have checked out therapy work i have been teaching Reiki healing for over 10 years and from what i see few pwople offer this treatment here those that do dont seem to have thee knowledge about it and charge alot for a tereatment and very expensive for the trainings so yes i feel that there are openings for Reiki here in Thailand

Anyway back to visa stuff over the months i have b een here have met alot of foreigners both from UK and Aussie all working either teaching English running bars or Massage shops and none have work permits is that the way it goes over here ??????

What would it cost to get assistisance of a lawyer here to help secure Business Visa??????/ I see Siam Legal offer visa service are they reputable

Looking forward to replies and advice thanks

It was mentioned that you would need 4 Thai employees for every Farong. Is the call that big for Reiki training.

I realize the need may be there but are the existing practitioners that interested. Especially when counting your self you would need to provide work for 5.

As for other Farongs working with out work permits. Well let us say Thailand has many honest expats but it is also a place that attracts the less than legal expats.

Setting up for Portrait Photography sounds to me like you are not to sure off the demand for Reiki training.

Well in fact its been 15 years that iv e been offering Reiki treatments and trainings in UK i feel there is a demand here though even if i did it voluntary i would still need a work permit thats what i wont to do here as i did in UK photography something i did professionally for over 20 years

So i guess i should find a good lawyer here forall the paperworkrequired

I am not saying the need is not here but I do believe the willingness to say I don't know teach me will be hard to find and as has been pointed out here it is not you alone you need four Thai employes.

Yes get yourself a good lawyer and don't try to save money on him to many people try to be cheap with lawyers and only wind up with nothing.

How ever it turns out good luck.

Not exactly on topic but I believe many of us have an idea of what Reiki is could you give a brief explanation of it?

[ajnamoon]

Well i did think about it mabye in a few years time need to keep
occupied and dont like the thought of spending hours drinking at bars
like i see alot of ex pats doing daily

thought about retirement visa but not interested in that

Why not, if you're over 60, it's a good time to retire?

[ajnamoon]

Hi Again

Many thanks for ur replies and info ,so it would seem thats its either very difficuly or almost impossible to be self employed as a foreigner living in Thailand

I have checked out therapy work i have been teaching Reiki healing for over 10 years and from what i see few pwople offer this treatment here those that do dont seem to have thee knowledge about it and charge alot for a tereatment and very expensive for the trainings so yes i feel that there are openings for Reiki here in Thailand

Anyway back to visa stuff over the months i have b een here have met alot of foreigners both from UK and Aussie all working either teaching English running bars or Massage shops and none have work permits is that the way it goes over here ??????

What would it cost to get assistisance of a lawyer here to help secure Business Visa??????/ I see Siam Legal offer visa service are they reputable

Looking forward to replies and advice thanks

It was mentioned that you would need 4 Thai employees for every Farong. Is the call that big for Reiki training.

I realize the need may be there but are the existing practitioners that interested. Especially when counting your self you would need to provide work for 5.

As for other Farongs working with out work permits. Well let us say Thailand has many honest expats but it is also a place that attracts the less than legal expats.

Setting up for Portrait Photography sounds to me like you are not to sure off the demand for Reiki training.

Well in fact its been 15 years that iv e been offering Reiki treatments and trainings in UK i feel there is a demand here though even if i did it voluntary i would still need a work permit thats what i wont to do here as i did in UK photography something i did professionally for over 20 years

So i guess i should find a good lawyer here forall the paperworkrequired

I am not saying the need is not here but I do believe the willingness to say I don't know teach me will be hard to find and as has been pointed out here it is not you alone you need four Thai employes.

Yes get yourself a good lawyer and don't try to save money on him to many people try to be cheap with lawyers and only wind up with nothing.

How ever it turns out good luck.

Not exactly on topic but I believe many of us have an idea of what Reiki is could you give a brief explanation of it?

Thanks for all the replies and good wishes So Reiki is a hands on healing therapy working with energy fields similar in ways to spritual healing but unlike that not attached to any church or religion used for healing both physical and emotional pains more info can be found at www.reiki.org