Bar Ownership, What Type Visa?

[jacaranda]

suppose one is interested to buy an operating bar in a busy tourist area of pattaya, what type visa he must have in order to stay and run the business ?

or how should he go about it if he is on a tourist visa for now?

[Mario2008]

To own the bar, no special visa is required. To work in the bar you will need a non-B visa and a work permit. Only a work permit allows you to work. For extensions of stay from immigration you will need to have an income of at least 50,000 baht a month.

if you want to buy a bar, seek legal advice first. They should also be able to help you with the work permit and visa requirements.

[PoorSucker]

Extension of Thai Business Visa
The Thai "B" or Business Visa can be extended to a one year visa in country as follows.
The extension of the visa is normally based on employment and as such there are certain regulations governing the company who is employing you.

These are the regulations for the extension of the "B" Business Visa:
1. The business must be registered in Thailand.
2. The company must be capitalized to at least Baht 2 Million while operating fund must be at least Baht 1 Million.
3. The company must have a ration of at least 4 : 1 - Four Thais for every foreigner.
4. You must earn at least in accordance with the level specified for each nationality by the Labour Department.

Duration of the Extension
- One year at a time.

Documents required for the extension:
1. Application form (T.M. 7 )
2. Passport or document used in lien of passport and its copies .
3. The applicants 4 x 6 cm. photograph .
4. Extension fee Baht 1,900.-
5. The company letters certifying as follows ;
- Nature of business
- Reason or necessity in employing the applicant his / her position, salary and education background.
- Number of Thai and foreign employees.
6. Copies of work permit or receipt of work permit application.
7. Company's annual balance sheets.
8. The juristic persons Annual Income Tax Declaration Form (Form No.50) of the latest year and its receipt of payment.
9. Thai employees Monthly Income Tax Declaration Form (Form No.1 ) of the latest month and its receipt of payment.
10. The applicants Annual Income Tax Declaration Form (Form No.91) of the latest year and its receipt of payment.
11. The official letter that certify the registration of such juristic person.
12. Business Registration or Business License.
13. Value Added Tax Registration and list of share holders.
14. A map that indicate location of the Company.
15. For those who operate export business, the documentary evidence clarifying its export activities is needed.
16. For those who operate tourism business, the documentary evidence clarifying its total number of tourist that brought in by the company is needed.

Some Immigrations offices.
17. Picture of all the company's employees at work
18. Picture of all company's employees in front of the office with clear name of the company showing

N.B. In case of necessity , documents No.7 , 8 , 9 , and 10 can be substituted by the company letters stating its reason.

[arthurwait]

And soon to be 5 Thais apparently.

[arthurwait]

Can you get a work permit for a bar ?

[jbrain]

So you can get a work permit for a beer bar these days?

[Sophon]

Some would say that you should be on a medical extension, because anyone thinking about buying a bar should have their head examined

Sophon

[lemoncake]

Can you get a work permit for a bar ?

I am pretty sure can, in the capacity of a manager. But not certain

[Basil B]

2,000,000 for a Bear Bar? [refer to post #7]

4 employees that pay tax. [do bar girls pay tax?]

Pictures of employees at work, [around the silver pole in working clobber clothes optional]

Edited April 14, 2013 by Basil B

[mahjongguy]

OP, don't be put off by the humorous replies, they're a form of very good advice. Do you know a foreigner in Pattaya who owns a bar (that he's not trying to sell you) and who actually makes a worthwhile profit? There are so many obstacles, and getting a proper visa and work permit are just the beginning. You'll need to form a Thai company, and unless you are American you'll need to be a minority owner. That's a huge hazard right there, and you'll need a manager you can trust too. You'll have to partner with the police as well. After all that, you'll need to compete somehow in a difficult and over-saturated market. There are so few successes and so very many failures that most posters here aren't bothering to give you a serious answer. Take good heed of that.

[Satcommlee]

90% fail, don't come with high expectations of making any real money.. Unless you have money to wash burn.

Don't believe a word the current owner says and if the bar is to be successful don't expect a high standard of living out of it.

You playing an active role in the day to day running will be more of a hindrance and not a help, not many bar owners have correct Visa's and work permits.

High chance your staff will steal from you also.

Edited April 14, 2013 by Satcommlee

[wayned]

I owned a bar in Samui for 8+ years. It was just a hole that I threw money into, similar to ex wives and boats that I used to own. But, I guess that I never learned! IMHO, you will be very happy the day that you buy/open it and the happiest day of your life will be the day that you get rid of it! At lest it was for me in all of the above "transactions".

[jack1964]

All of the above posts make absolute sense, buying a bar in Thailand is insanity. If you have enough spare cash to open a bar, and lose money hand over fist with all the worries in the world, just get a retirement visa, and spend your hard earned in someone elses bar. At least you are getting a beer in return for your outlay. Why do people who have never run a succesful business in their own country think they can come in and cash in in a city like Pattaya. Even those who have run good businesses in their own country find Thailand a daunting market to succeed in. If you upset the BB's, your in trouble, if you get under the skin of a Thai owner, with or without influence, your in trouble, work permits, etc etc. the list goes on. If for some reason you want to be in business in Thailand, and have sufficant capital to swim through it and support it, look for something that is no way connected to the bar scene. If you werent looking for trouble before you came to Thailand, you may well be finding it in the form of a bar.

[BrianCR]

Can you get a work permit for a bar ?

The truth is no you can't unless you completely "disguise" your operation and turn it into something a Thai can not do properly - testing and training the "staff" for example. By the way your Thai staff do not have to "pay" tax but they have to be registered with the tax department and have a tax code. To actually pay tax they need to earn (ha-ha)over 300,000 baht per year!

Something of help for our would be bar owner: how do you make a small fortune in Thailand? Come here with a large one!

Edited April 15, 2013 by BrianCR

[xen]

Back in '86 on my first visit to Patts i thought about buying a bar. I thought it would be paradise, beer at wholesale prices, surrounded by hot and not so hot women, sleeping- in every morning . Yes i was naive and by the very fact i am still here testifies i I didn't buy a bar.

[WhizBang]

How to make a small fortune in Thailand.

a: Start with a large fortune.

b: Buy a bar.

c: Now you have a small fortune, soon to be no fortune.

In all seriousness... rethink this.

[keestha]

And soon to be 5 Thais apparently.

To be employed in order to get a work permit, instead of just 4......

Please explain what this information is based on. Thanks in advance.

Edited April 15, 2013 by keestha

[arthurwait]

And soon to be 5 Thais apparently.

To be employed in order to get a work permit, instead of just 4......

Please explain what this information is based on. Thanks in advance.

Told this when handing the visa extension application in the other week.

[ubonjoe]

That is immigration and they do not issue work permits.

[arthurwait]

I know of one bar I'm told is losing 1000 Euros a month run by the farangs now ex-girlfriend. It's amongst 200 other empty tourist bars.

[arthurwait]

That is immigration and they do not issue work permits.

Yep immigration, but still the rules.

Think there may have been a reason for this information.

[Ragzilb]

If you have the money rent a hotel with a good location,very hard... you and your wife can then try to see if the service business is something you like. but I tell you its hard in todays Thailand

[manarak]

visa and work permit are 2 separate things.

I was wondering if a person holding a work permit was allowed to work regardless of visa status, i.e. someone with a tourist visa and work permit?

[Mario2008]

visa and work permit are 2 separate things.

I was wondering if a person holding a work permit was allowed to work regardless of visa status, i.e. someone with a tourist visa and work permit?

No, the work permit is only issued if you have the right visa entry and is only valid in combination with the right kind of visa/permission to stay.

On a tourist visa no WP will be issued (but you can apply for one) and if you already have a WP it will not be valid in combination with a tourist visa, as on that visa you are not allowed to work.

[manarak]

visa and work permit are 2 separate things.

I was wondering if a person holding a work permit was allowed to work regardless of visa status, i.e. someone with a tourist visa and work permit?

No, the work permit is only issued if you have the right visa entry and is only valid in combination with the right kind of visa/permission to stay.

On a tourist visa no WP will be issued (but you can apply for one) and if you already have a WP it will not be valid in combination with a tourist visa, as on that visa you are not allowed to work.

that makes sense. so if immigration does not renew the B visa, the work permit holder effectively cannot work inspite of holding a valid work permit.

that explains why immigration has a set of rules for companies.

Edited April 15, 2013 by manarak

[lopburi3]

He would have to exit country to obtain a new non immigrant B visa entry to continue work if unable to extend stay at immigration.

[Wat dee]

Living the dream!!(DONT DO IT)

[rubberduck]

More important then the visa stuff is some simple marketing, which most of the barowners forget as they are in a pink cloud of 'being a successful businessman in Thailand'. Most locations and all the 'keymoney' bullshit are just a quick loss of investment and foreigners come and go leaving their sweet illusions behind and understanding when it's too late.

[beautifulthailand99]

Mug Visa - Thailand issues loads of these - no visa runs required.

[sniffdog]

And if you still want to do it, be aware that the Men in Brown like to observe bar owners and catch them in the act of working (which can be as little as bringing a beer to a customer) and haress them.