Owning A Bar/restaurant

[MatthewJ]

My name is Matthew and I am returning to Thailand in a week for the 4th time. I love it. It is the greatest country on earth.

I have plans to buy a restaurant/bar in Chiangmai. The deal is, I'm buying the lease which is presently owned buy an Englishman and his Thai wife.

I have read all the info on this site: Thaivisa.com and I am still unsure about pretty much everything. I have a Thai girlfriend who doesn't want me to put the bar in her name because she doesn't want to be stigmatised. However, I am unsure whether there is anyway around this.

Please advise: What do I need? What Capital do I need? What Visa do I need? Can I own the lease outright? What legal costs should I expect? What about health and Safety laws? What about hiring staff?

That's enough for now.

Thanks

MatthewJ

[Sunbelt Asia]

WARNING: INVESTING in A BAR COULD be DANGEROUS TO your WALLET.

Many forum members feel you should not invest in a bar. Many also feel you should NOT invest in Thailand. They may or may not be right.

But its your money. Just like me, you have that right. I don't like losing money. I haven't and keep expanding. Yes my investments are making money and we have tons of referrals from both buyers and sellers. Tons of happy people at the restaurants too. Paying full share of taxes too. I've seen a number of bars that make money but perhaps they were the exceptions?

If you still want to invest then you may want to check out our web site. www.sunbeltasia.com One thing is for sure, I will tell you the truth.

At Sunbelt Asia, we recommend to do your due diligence very carefully. Think once, think twice, think three times. Have your lawyers and accountants look at everything.

What do I need? What Capital do I need? What Visa do I need? Can I own the lease outright? What legal costs should I expect? What about health and Safety laws? What about hiring staff?

If you want the answers to these, feel free to e-mail me... We have five licensed lawyers and will be happy for them to answer your initial questions free of charge. Promise me though you think three days before emailing me if you want to invest. Then we'll talk and give you the best solution to protecting you.

[johnnyk]

I am still unsure about pretty much everything....

If you are unsure about "pretty much everything" then you are getting into a danger zone. Go slowly, live there, soak up as much info as you can. Why is the Brit selling? etc etc