Best/safest way for my private online students to pay me

[rachelbirder]

What is the best/safest way to take payments from private online students, customers? I had read that using ThaiPayPal is best, but one website claims that people can gain access to your bank account if you use it.

[khunjamesjohnson]

A bank deposit works. I have done some online retail purchases and the vendor likes a bank deposit I found.

[Gecko123]

Set up on-line internet access to your bank account for yourself. You will also need a mobile phone to receive the SMS security messages which the bank will send to you. After that anyone with a bank account can transfer funds from their account into your account by using the "bill pay" or "transfer funds" feature.

[Beetlejuice]

If you are running an online business in Thailand, having not registered yourself as a company under the imposed terms and conditions for foreign business owners in Thailand, not filing tax returns and do not have permissions and a work permit, than you are breaking the law.

If the above is not the case, than I ask; do you give details of your location and company registration on your website? Otherwise you should state that students who send you money do so at their own risk as your online activities do contravene Thai law and your continuity cannot be guaranteed should you be tumbled or fall into dispute.

[PiPiFFS]

The easiest way is for them to transfer the money via their banks ATM to your account. Its very easy to do and costs very little. They then select to send you an SMS to say the money has been transferred. Job done

[h90]

I use Paypal since years.

I had some troubles with Paypal but never I lost money or someone cheated me of serious money.

[PiPiFFS]

I used to use PayPal till they removed several thousand Dollars from my account for spurious reasons and simply refuse to refund it. Just google paypal sucks and read some of the nightmares people have gone through. Their terms and conditions you need to sign to get an account allows them to do as they please. Just use the ATM transfer. painless and cheap !

[Beetlejuice]

My advice is; never give bank account or credit card details or send money to anyone online or pay upfront into someone`s bank account unless it`s to a well established company, registered with a bona fife authority that can be verified, otherwise the banks and credit card companies will refuse to compensate customers under their terms and conditions should the payments go astray or what is on offer transpires to be a scam.

Also most banks and credit card companies will not compensate customers should there be any problems if the payments made are not using a secured method. Before entering payment details on a website, ensure that the link is secure, There should be a padlock symbol in the browser window frame, which appears when you attempt to log in or register.

Otherwise those who make payments to anyone or so-called unregistered companies upfront or online, do so at their own risk and discretion.

[h90]

I used to use PayPal till they removed several thousand Dollars from my account for spurious reasons and simply refuse to refund it. Just google paypal sucks and read some of the nightmares people have gone through. Their terms and conditions you need to sign to get an account allows them to do as they please. Just use the ATM transfer. painless and cheap !

How did they do that and why?

I never heard that Paypal can take your money for any reason. A customer who complain can get his money refunded. And if you do something fraudulent (like selling products banned in their policy) they block your account and give you the money back after the period no customer can claim any refund anymore (3-6 month of the last received payment).

Both things can be a major headache....but never heard from someone that they steal someones money.

[tubby johnson]

Ask your students to transfer their payments to your Thai bank account. You can verify whether they've transferred the money via online banking (if you've set that up) or an SMS confirmation from your bank. Prompt and convenient.

Ignore Beetlejuice's rants.

[rachelbirder]

Ok, maybe I'd better ask this, then:

Anybody know if it's better to start a small licensing company with a customer base in the USA, in the USA, or can I do it by Skype in Thailand for less money? Also, anyone know how one can have an online, international customer small business from Thailand. If the customers are from other countries, do I have to have a work permit for Thailand? I found conflicting info online

[arthurwait]

There's thousands of threads on it already. Use the search function.

register company, employ 4 Thais 9000 baht minimum , give 51% of the company to Thai shareholders that can't be the same as the employees, you will probably have to register as a school as well, company office/location, pay tax on the minimum income, apply for work permit.

Yes you need a work permit and unless you do the above you won't get one or a visa.

The point of the above is to give you a reason for a visa as otherwise you have no reason to perform the work in Thailand and therefore no reason for a visa and work permit.