Is There An Easy Way...

[Weho]

I've read a lot of posts on this website which are incredibly helpful, but I can't figure out if it's easy or difficult to pick up and move to Thailand. We are two Americans that want to move to Thailand. Is this an administrative nightmare or not? We're thinking of coming over as tourists, renting an apartment somewhere, doing the 90 day "visa runs" until we figure out where we want to be... BUT... is it unrealistic to try to start a small retail business?

If I have about $50,000 to invest to start a small retail store business, what do I need to do? Can this be done after we arrive in Thailand, or do I have to arrange visas before going to Thailand? I've read about the Thai BOI (Board of Investment)... they have an office in New York... can they help me, or are they only interested in billion dollar companies wanting to invest?

In addition to $50,000 I have about $200,000 cash in bank accounts, which is to live on. Is that a reasonable amount to try to get started with? I've read some horror stories about businesses failing, not being able to compete along with the Thais, etc., and it's quite scary...

Also, I've been many times as a tourist. Do farangs ever get used to the heat? Do you miss not feeling a cold breeze once in a while?

Also, I would like to pay something like $500 per month rent for an apartment in a decent building somewhere. On the internet, I've seen rentals that are often much, much higher than that.

Am I unrealistic? Is it too much to thing a foreigner can simply pick up and go to Thailand, and start a life and business there?

Any help, however help, is greatly appreciated!

Weho

[email protected]

[Indo-Siam]

Hi -

Your are funded sufficiently to get yourself started up comfortably in Thailand. Send me a mnessage from an e-mail address toi which I can reply with attachments, and I will send you documents that help you chart the correct path.

It is a moderate pain in the neck to get started here - but once you get up and running, it is pretty easy to continue operating.

The Commerce Ministry's Department of Foreign Business is extremely unsupportive of majority foreign-owned companies running retail stores here - this is one of the only categories that routinely gets disapproved for an Alien Business License.

Think through your business plan before actually launching a company - it is best if you have several customers pre-sold before you even pull the trigger. Thailand is not too hard a place to survive, but it is a hard place to build wealth.

Your idea about coming in on 90 day status first is a good one. Apply for a one-year, multiple-entry Class B non-immigrant visa, based on intention to invest in Thailand (available from Thai Embassy, by mail).

As recently as 18 months ago, it was easy to get a decent furnished apartment in lower Sukhumvit for under 20,000 baht per month - I live in a two-bedroom on Sukhumvit Soi 8, and pay 18,000 baht per month. But - rents have gone up sharply in past year - my neighbors are now paying 40,000 baht per month (but after rennovation).

Watch who you trust - Bangkok is full of bums and scam artists.

Good luck!

Steve Sykes

Managing Director

Indo-Siam Group

Bangkok

[email protected]

www.thaistartup.com