E-commerce Site

[Bob Chittie]

I've got a US based company and I want to create a website where our goods are availble for purchase via credit card. What is a reasonable expense for this above and beyond the usual website design costs? Does it make any difference price wise that I will be setting up the site from here in Thailand? And is it a relatively straight forward process? Thanks!

[kandt]

I've got a US based company and I want to create a website where our goods are availble for purchase via credit card. What is a reasonable expense for this above and beyond the usual website design costs? Does it make any difference price wise that I will be setting up the site from here in Thailand? And is it a relatively straight forward process? Thanks!

Bob, that’s quite a few questions packed into that little notice. From my experience (not Thailand) but in Asia, it’s quite simple to create a website where your goods can be purchased via credit cards. However, without knowing your business you need to make some planning decisions about your website. Shall it be simple, shall it include shopping carts, languages and how many different credit cards will you accept and so on!! Every time you increase the requirements the price tag goes up.

I do not think it matters if you set up the site from Thailand, but if you do not have a work permit which includes the business you’re planning to do, you will not be able to work or operate through a Thai Bank. One of the international banks operating in Thailand will surely help you but the account (s) will not be in Thailand. However, if you are planning to sell in Thailand it makes sense to have the site designed in Thailand and get it bilingual from the outset (adding to the expense).

Some years back I established a simple web site out of Viet Nam (bilingual) and the expense was less than USD 5,000 establishing the site. We used one of the cheaper safe sites available and we paid USD 50 a month for the service. Verisign and similar well known safe sites are more expensive but your customers may be more comfortable using a brand name of safe sites, compared to a lesser known safe site.

Talk to one of the website designers here in Thailand and I am sure they will be happy to assist and give you a ballpark figure. But as mentioned, you have to have your site pretty much figured out before you start; otherwise you will end up paying for nothing.

Good luck………….kandt