run online business offshore

[Raphius]

Hi, i am planning to open an online service aim for Thai people (and foreigners staying in Thailand as well) but to begin with my company will run offshore Thailand for a certain period of months, the time for the business to grow customers database.

I would like to know if it's perfectly legal or not ?

[onetime]

Nothing is perfectly legal here... Do your off-shore in Honk Kong. I think it costs a dollar, plus the CPA fees to incorporate. No taxes on money made outside of HK.

[Srikcir]

Thailand can be difficult with expat online businesses.

Look at this link on a similar discussion.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/714853-offshore-business-in-thailand/

[LukKrueng]

If you live in Thailand you still need a work permit

[thailanddogerator]

As nobody will know what you are doing on your computer, do what you want !

[Shiver]

I have a small HK based online business, though I am completely passive so don't need a WP. If you're working I guess you should have one to be legal proper and correct (and the requisite number of Thais employed to do what you can do yourself, though just to show you're not taking jobs from Thai people).

As Onetime above states, I only pay taxes on any business with people in HK, which is insignificant in my case. It works well and HK has their sh1t together in this area.

[nemrut]

I have a small HK based online business, though I am completely passive so don't need a WP. If you're working I guess you should have one to be legal proper and correct (and the requisite number of Thais employed to do what you can do yourself, though just to show you're not taking jobs from Thai people).

As Onetime above states, I only pay taxes on any business with people in HK, which is insignificant in my case. It works well and HK has their sh1t together in this area.

How much did it cost to setup and what do you pay yearly to maintain it?

[Raphius]

HI that's very kind all of you. I don't mean to be illegal and the business I plan isn't, but i can't think how difficult is it to launch a company in Thailand and get customers as fast as possible to be viable. I just want for a period of time "test" the business and get customer database before moving everything to Thailand if possible.

I am reading about the HK thread and it seems interesting. However, I am curious how to collect fees from Thai customers to bank account ( collecting hundreds of fees per day). Paypal ?

[Shiver]

@Nemrut and Raphius:

HK company setup I can't remember the cost, but it was minor, and the biggest issue was that although you can setup a company online, the bank account (HSBC in my case) requires a physical presence for at least one Director, so the flight cost is more the main issue. Tried to open another account for a 'sister company' earlier this year, and the banks are getting a lot tougher now, wanting all kinds of odd stuff, like "what publications or white papers have you written recently?" - what that has to do with just depositing money with them I can't imagine. In my mind the banks are the bad guys for possible fraud, and not on my side of the deal.

Before this I had a Thai company for just a couple of weeks and before it became operational, but quickly shut it down due to the frustration of extensive paper work and extremely long duration of getting approval to sell/license each product (I mean years, not moments). One more loss for this little green isle where they could have collected tax from me but paper shuffling got in the way.

[Raphius]

@shiver thanks for your interesting experience !

[ThaiKneeTim]

I met a guy a few years ago who runs his European registered company from Bangkok, no need to bother the Thai authorities whatsoever! Online, or PC based businesses can operate from almost anywhere, but can be registered in your home country, or any country where trading laws are more relaxed.

I already have a UK limited company so I'm hoping that I can use that as my base for selling Thai made goods to UK buyers via mail order. In Thailand I will appear to be just a buyer, or if necessary, completely invisible to the Thai authorities altogether.

[buythisdashcam]

It's working in Thailand anyway. And I find quite useless (Stupid?) to declare and pay anything in any country where you would sell... And what if you sell worldwide, open a company in each country where you sell ?

I met a guy a few years ago who runs his European registered company from Bangkok, no need to bother the Thai authorities whatsoever! Online, or PC based businesses can operate from almost anywhere, but can be registered in your home country, or any country where trading laws are more relaxed.

I already have a UK limited company so I'm hoping that I can use that as my base for selling Thai made goods to UK buyers via mail order. In Thailand I will appear to be just a buyer, or if necessary, completely invisible to the Thai authorities altogether.