Do I Realy Have To Get A Company Registered?

[BattyBatty]

Hi

I have a slight problem to fix next week regarding my stay here. Once this is completed, I have another issue that I need to address; some feedback would be appreciated;

I am about to start a full time job with my old U.K based employer. The job is nearly all email based with a little time on the phone, and I can pretty much work anywhere in the world I wish.

I will need an office, and have found one to rent. I know that I do of course need a work permit.

But do I really have to register a company, and pay taxes? This is possibly a naive question, but can’t I simply just have a work permit?

The reason I say this, is that my job has nothing to do with Thailand. My clients are all from the U.K, payment for services rendered is through my employer (U.K clients paying my U.K employer for services), and I will have no Thai clients, staff.... No money will be changing hands with anyone in Thailand, no services rendered in Thailand. This is a U.K job that I just happen to do in Thailand, sitting behind a PC all day. Just my salary paid each month into my Thai bank account, sent from the U.K.

So why do I need a company?

Can I not just obtain a business visa?

And if I had to make a company, I would be paying tax twice (England and Thailand)

I am aware that sometimes, people come from overseas to engage in research or whatever through there overseas employer for a month or two…. Do they have to register a company? Surely not?

Any suggestions welcomed.

Cheers

[Crossy]

Batty.

The usual reply to those like you who are lucky enough to have jobs they can do from anywhere is to just keep quiet about it and operate under the radar, usually using tourist visas.

Why do you need an office (other than a place to work from), something like that could get you noticed, probably better to work from home.

Unfortunately, in order to get a work permit you need an employer, which means a company of some sort, and it needs to be 100% kosher to give you the WP.

[BattyBatty]

Hi Crossy

I did consider that. Truth be told i have been 'playing around' with the job for a few months now, just a few hours here and there to get my feet back in the door, hence the full time offer now i have proved worthy to them again. The emplyer wants me to get an office for various reasons...

The thing is, i do have an employer, and they of course have a company, albeit U.K based and registered. Can i not obtain some kind of notice from them that i will be here on research?

Am i on to a complete non starter with this?

Edited July 7, 2006 by BattyBatty

[laxman1960]

You don't need to set up a company here, you could go the Branch Office or Rep Office Route as well. Sunbelt will chime in for sure or Steve from Indo-Siam. I know there are also several staffing firms in Thailand that your UK company could hire to pay you, this way you get a work permit, someone to handle all the taxes and the like, all you need to do is do the work and it will all be legal.

If you want to work here legally you need the WP as you know, and to get a WP you need an employer. To ensure you can have the extension of stay you need to declare a certain minimum salary and pay taxes on it, (for Americans it is 65,000 Baht a month, think might be the same for UK citizens) and then you don't need to leave every three months and don't have to renew your work permit every three months as well.

From a tax perspective if the UK has provisions like the US, you would get credit for Thai taxes paid or an exemption on a certain amount of income to eliminate the double tax issue. I would get your company to take care of that for you if you could. The other alternative is for them to split pay you, thailand salary at the minimum for "thailand" work, the rest of your salary into the UK bank account. The real question is what benefits you most from a tax, retirement, health care, etc perspective.

Dan

Hi Crossy

I did consider that. Truth be told i have been 'playing around' with the job for a few months now, just a few hours here and there to get my feet back in the door, hence the full time offer now i have proved worthy to them again. The emplyer wants me to get an office for various reasons...

The thing is, i do have an employer, and they of course have a company, albeit U.K based and registered. Can i not obtain some kind of notice from them that i will be here on research?

Am i on to a complete non starter with this?

[hoonji]

You don't need to set up a company here, you could go the Branch Office or Rep Office Route as well. Sunbelt will chime in for sure or Steve from Indo-Siam. I know there are also several staffing firms in Thailand that your UK company could hire to pay you, this way you get a work permit, someone to handle all the taxes and the like, all you need to do is do the work and it will all be legal.

If you want to work here legally you need the WP as you know, and to get a WP you need an employer. To ensure you can have the extension of stay you need to declare a certain minimum salary and pay taxes on it, (for Americans it is 65,000 Baht a month, think might be the same for UK citizens) and then you don't need to leave every three months and don't have to renew your work permit every three months as well.

From a tax perspective if the UK has provisions like the US, you would get credit for Thai taxes paid or an exemption on a certain amount of income to eliminate the double tax issue. I would get your company to take care of that for you if you could. The other alternative is for them to split pay you, thailand salary at the minimum for "thailand" work, the rest of your salary into the UK bank account. The real question is what benefits you most from a tax, retirement, health care, etc perspective.

Dan

Hi Crossy

I did consider that. Truth be told i have been 'playing around' with the job for a few months now, just a few hours here and there to get my feet back in the door, hence the full time offer now i have proved worthy to them again. The emplyer wants me to get an office for various reasons...

The thing is, i do have an employer, and they of course have a company, albeit U.K based and registered. Can i not obtain some kind of notice from them that i will be here on research?

Am i on to a complete non starter with this?

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can you sned me some details of staffing firms in Thailand

[Chuckler]

You don't need to set up a company here, you could go the Branch Office or Rep Office Route as well. Sunbelt will chime in for sure or Steve from Indo-Siam. I know there are also several staffing firms in Thailand that your UK company could hire to pay you, this way you get a work permit, someone to handle all the taxes and the like, all you need to do is do the work and it will all be legal.

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can you sned me some details of staffing firms in Thailand

I am also interested in these staffing firms.