Moving To Chiang Mai (visa)

[lekman]

Hi ! Have just bought a guesthouse in Chiang Mai and move there in Aug. I know there are a lot of info about this but i need all help i can get. We are gonna run the guesthouse like a family business and that is ok by the real estate owners since it´s a small place. I think i will start with a 3 months tourist visa ? Then what, i don´t want to pass the border every month, every third sounds better.

Thanks

Lars

[SunbeltAsia]

Hi ! Have just bought a guesthouse in Chiang Mai and move there in Aug. I know there are a lot of info about this but i need all help i can get. We are gonna run the guesthouse like a family business and that is ok by the real estate owners since it´s a small place. I think i will start with a 3 months tourist visa ? Then what, i don´t want to pass the border every month, every third sounds better.

Thanks

Lars

Lars,

Why a tourist visa? You are going to be working in the business, no? You need a non immigrant "B" visa and then apply for the work permit. Have you set up a Thai company to acquire the assets yet in August?

If you are not going to need 4 Thai employees for your Guesthouse. Get a one year multi entry non B visa. You'll do a visa run every 90 days with a valid work permit

If you are going to have more than 4 Thai employees and be paying yourself over 50,000 Baht per month then you can do a extension of stay based on business in Thailand, simply get a 90 day visa. In Thailand the extension will be done and no visa runs are required.

www.lawyer.th.com

[lekman]

Hi ! Have just bought a guesthouse in Chiang Mai and move there in Aug. I know there are a lot of info about this but i need all help i can get. We are gonna run the guesthouse like a family business and that is ok by the real estate owners since it´s a small place. I think i will start with a 3 months tourist visa ? Then what, i don´t want to pass the border every month, every third sounds better.

Thanks

Lars

Lars,

Why a tourist visa? You are going to be working in the business, no? You need a non immigrant "B" visa and then apply for the work permit. Have you set up a Thai company to acquire the assets yet in August?

If you are not going to need 4 Thai employees for your Guesthouse. Get a one year multi entry non B visa. You'll do a visa run every 90 days with a valid work permit

If you are going to have more than 4 Thai employees and be paying yourself over 50,000 Baht per month then you can do a extension of stay based on business in Thailand, simply get a 90 day visa. In Thailand the extension will be done and no visa runs are required.

www.lawyer.th.com

No i have not set up a thai company yet,i have a lease contract for 6 years and i will own 75% of the business and the other will keep 25%

he has a deal with the real estate owner that it will only be run as a small family business so he says we don´t need to set up a company and paying VAT,taxes etc but off course we will keep books, so i guess my only option is to do monthly visaruns ? Maybe it´s better if i set up a small company ? We only have 2 employees

[PeaceBlondie]

As Sunbelt Asia just suggested without saying it, your realtor has probably lied to you in order to get a sale. You would violate Thai law if you participate in running the place without a work permit. You will not be a tourist. You will be performing work that dozens of Thais do in Chiang Mai; operating a guesthouse.

Never invest more than you can afford to leave as they deport you.

[lekman]

As Sunbelt Asia just suggested without saying it, your realtor has probably lied to you in order to get a sale. You would violate Thai law if you participate in running the place without a work permit. You will not be a tourist. You will be performing work that dozens of Thais do in Chiang Mai; operating a guesthouse.

Never invest more than you can afford to leave as they deport you.

Thanks ! Off course i will set up a company, i want to do it the legal way, maybe sunbelt can help me with the company set up.

[rishi]

Hi ! Have just bought a guesthouse in Chiang Mai and move there in Aug. I know there are a lot of info about this but i need all help i can get.

No i have not set up a thai company yet,i have a lease contract for 6 years and i will own 75% of the business and the other will keep 25% he has a deal with the real estate owner ...

Hi Lars,

Your name suggests you're from my homecountry. (Rigtigt gættet, eller hvad? Rødgrød med fløde) ... Well, I and my countrymen have always been easy prey for blackeyed beauties ... All red warning lights are flashing here ... You've bought a guesthouse and now, after the deed is done, you realize there might be things you need to know? ... For one thing, that lease of 6 years will be worth nothing unless it's registered at the landoffice. Is it? (3 years is the max, if not registered) ... For a second thing, to me it sounds like you've merely paid a lot of money to someone who says you thereby owns 75% of HIS business - without having the slightest clue on your legal rights ... Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong - I'm merely guessing.