Working Online For Us Companies In Thailand

[fell4thai]

Hi All,

I am a newbie here. Well actually, I knew nothing about Thailand before I spent the last three weeks there on vacation. Just got back 3 days ago and I fell in love with the people and the country. ( To my great ###### )

I live in Canada with a great career and a pleasant lifestyle ( that I realized was falsly based on high ceiling lofts, latest martini style and imported german cars ).

Anyways, all this to say I going back to live in Thailand (planning in the next 6 months) - ditch the clients, sublet the loft, sell the car and shiny shoes and get down to the real thing.

My questions are the following:

1) I am a design consultant working via internet with my US clients, I am planning to keep one account while being in Thailand. I will be a Canadian working for a USA company in Thailand. Meaning all monthly revenues (deposited in my Thai Bank) would be coming from the USA. Would this be considered as 'working' in Thailand and would I need to have a Work Visa and share income taxes to Thailand or I simply pay taxes here in Canada like usual.

2) My monthly revenues would be in the range of 160 000B. I already understand that it is a good salary in Thailand but I am curious to know to what extent and If It would be easy to rent a nice comfortable condo with a good DSL line or any other hi-speed connection close to a beach in Phuket (at least for 1st year).

It's 7am here and I spent the whole night reading the posts. It's incredible.There's enough to write a book in here!

All the best to all of you.

[jayrockwell]

As far as the law goes if your working in Thailand, you need a work permit. Some will argue that you can 'get away with' the type of setup you are talking about. I'm sure many people do it and haven't been caught (yet), all it takes is if for you to upset someone, ex-girlfriend, neighbour, somebody checks your phone bill, knock knock, and your locked up in the immigration detention centre.

It depends what type of person you are, some people can only sleep soundly knowing everything is above board, others like to live dangerously.

Which are you?

Or you could invoice the work through my (or your) Thai Design company, only pay approx. 15% Thai tax and costs, this way you'd also get the proper visas and later residency permit if you wanted it.

J

3iX

Toll free from US/Canada*

Call +1-866-999-4-3IX (349)

Fax +1-866-999-5-3IX

*8PM-10AM EST

Email: [email protected]

Web: http://3ix.org/

[asinah]

Hi fell4thai,

if you keep a low profile it is perfectly ok. Just make sure you get access to a none immigrant b visa AND DO NOT BILL LOCALS OR EXPATS. (As the US company to issue you a letter so you should be fine for your visa runs)

I have done it for a long time (I am too having an online business and by the way I am migrating to Canada this year) and work from home.

A friend of my works at the immigration (inside IDC) and my landlord is a Police Col. and tells me you have a good business model.

Last week I was asked by a government agency (IT) if I would be willing to give a speech next month on e-commerce and tourism and he told me if you are on a none immigrant b visa you are permitted even to give speeches.

Just make sure you never collect one single Baht from a Thai company or Farang because if you do, they can play on you.

Good luck and if you need more tips let me know.

PS: If you don't want to go through the hassle with a company, give 10% to charity of your monthly income. (This way it opens you a lot of doors)

Example: I run an Amazon XML feed for the past 16 months and make an average of 190 USD in commissions. I never touch this money and the cheque goes from Amazon directly for charity and we change it every 6 months to a new charity.

I had once some nasty immigration guy knocking on my door, so when he came in and saw all those picture collections in my livingroom he know from the beginning to better screw with some other farangs.

[fell4thai]

Thanks to both of you!

Asinah -

The immigrant b Visa is a regular tourist visa? The one that needs to do visa runs correct?

Giving to charity sounds good to me, but I guess you need some receipt and papers to proof it correct? We are talking about charity in Thailand right?

What do you mean by picture collections in your living room? You purchased them from local artists for charity causes?

Jayrockwell -

I am planning to stay a year maybe 2, I don't know if setting up a company is absolutely needed for such a short period of time! I intend to travel back home for 2 months a year at least also.

Again thanks for all the help!

[asinah]

fell4thai,

let me try to explain more in details.

*1) It is custom in Thailand if you give the money to charity to meet the executive director or a representative of the committe or board member of the foundation.

(so if you do a good deed they will certainly would like to give you a photo with them together and they keep it also for their own use)

BTW: THE COMPANIES DOING IT ALL DAY AND THE PAPERS ARE FULL WITH GIVING MONEY FOR CHARITY.

*2) I never asked for a receipt because the charities I give money to are honest -one of them is http://www.doitung.org/indexeng.htm

and they really need it . (Mae Fah Luang)

Other charities that I gave before includes Phyathai Babies Home

http://www.bangkokpost.net/outlookwecare/2...2001_out75.html

( THEY REALLY NEED IT )

INCLUDING THE ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND

3) As longer you stay in Thailand, more people you will meet and their will be times were photo opportunities arise. (Make use of them because they can help you one day when you happened to become in problems)

Just make sure you don't misuse those opportunities for personal or financial gains.

4) None Immigrant B is not a tourist visa. (You are permitted to do business in Thailand, check out the business environment etc BUT YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO WORK IN A COMPANY WITHOUT A COMPANY OR COLLECT MONEY) -

Be very careful in setting up a company in Thailand. Take your time b4 you jump onto it. I had a few companies already in Thailand and it didn't worked out.

So which part are you from Canada?

I bought about 100 acres in SK with a hosue (not finalised as I am still negotiating a deal with the SK Tourism board to get some benefits and my house will not be ready b4 February next year) and my neigbors are the First Nations.

Contact me by email if you want to stay in contact as I am only a few times per week on this forum.

Wolfgang

[celestineyoviana]

To Asinah

I have a question As you're in online business (working from home)..... Im looking for some trusty company for working from home. I found a lot from google but im not sure if its true or not.

Do you have any suggestion?

Thank you

Best Regards

Yoviana

[fell4thai]

celestineyoviana -

I think you mean stuff like: Work home and make $20000 a month doing nothing type of products?

[mouse]

Yes! And if that is what you are looking for, I can show you the way. Just send a deposit to my account in the amount of $10,000 and I will share with you the secrets of a sucessful computer business run form your own home.

[asinah]

To Asinah

I have a question As you're in online business (working from home)..... Im looking for some trusty company for working from home. I found a lot from google but im not sure if its true or not.

Do you have any suggestion?

Thank you

Best Regards

Yoviana

Working from home? I would say most are scam and I wouldn't trust one.

I am just building websites and generate traffic and pass it on to other websites for a commission.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Thanks to both of you!

Asinah -

The immigrant b Visa is a regular tourist visa? The one that needs to do visa runs correct?

Giving to charity sounds good to me, but I guess you need some receipt and papers to proof it correct? We are talking about charity in Thailand right?

What do you mean by picture collections in your living room? You purchased them from local artists for charity causes?

Jayrockwell -

I am planning to stay a year maybe 2, I don't know if setting up a company is absolutely needed for such a short period of time! I intend to travel back home for 2 months a year at least also.

Again thanks for all the help!

A Non-Immigrant B Visa is a Business Visa. Get a multiple entry visa. It is valid for a year, and enables 90 day stays on each entry.

[dirtyrider]

To Asinah

I have a question As you're in online business (working from home)..... Im looking for some trusty company for working from home. I found a lot from google but im not sure if its true or not.

Do you have any suggestion?

Thank you

Best Regards

Yoviana

You could try Ebay??????

[dr_Pat_Pong]

To Asinah

I have a question As you're in online business (working from home)..... Im looking for some trusty company for working from home. I found a lot from google but im not sure if its true or not.

Do you have any suggestion?

Thank you

Best Regards

Yoviana

You could try Ebay??????

Don't all the optomists go to eBay ?

[sting01]

OPTOMIST???????????

what does that mean?

Regards

[dr_Pat_Pong]

OPTOMIST???????????

what does that mean?

Regards

A typo Sting ...velly solly O P T I M I S T

[zigzag]

Hi

I'm new here, but I've been reading all the posts and I'm really excited about moving to Thailand.

I'm currently working with a company based in Europe called Madison Dynamics(MDI). www.madisondynamics.com

They sell communications tools for business, I just send traffic to the site and get a commission for each account sold, I've been with them for 3 months and it's paying approx 48,000 Baht per month.

The tools available from MDI are charged monthly as recurring fees, which pay commissions monthly, also on a recurring basis.

I've decided to relocate to Thailand for winter since the company are about to start paying commissions to a mastercard debit card.

In the past I've marketed various affiliate deals, from Amazon books, hosting, list servers. The best thing to do is to find an in-demand product or service with a recurring fee (and a recurring commission) and buy traffic or advertising.

Providing the service has good customer retention, you'll get paid over and over for every account sold.

Besides.. it just makes sense to sell in the west and live in the east - the money goes a whole lot further.

I just love the idea of sitting on a beach while my business runs it's self.

What's more, it's not rocket science either.

Paul

[dirtyrider]

Sounds great! could you teach me please?????