Thais warned not to act as nominees of alien businessmen

[webfact]

Thais warned not to act as nominees of alien businessmen



BANGKOK: -- Thai nationals have been warned not to act as nominees of alien businessmen operating in tourism and real estate businesses or they may face a maximum three-year imprisonment and a fine of between 100,000 and one million baht, said Ms Pongphan Jianviriyaphan, director-general of Business Development Department, on Monday.

She disclosed that officials from the department conducted a field inspection of tourism business and other businesses susceptible to alien control via the use of Thai nominees in Phuket and Koh Samui last year.

Two cases of alien business with Thai nationals acting as their nominees were found –one involving car rental service and another in retailing business – and the cases were under intensive investigation, she said.

As for this year, Ms Pongphan said the Department of Special Investigation, the Immigration Bureau and the Department of Tourism had joined the Business Development Department to investigate this illegal business in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai as the two priority targets.

Out of 44 business operators examined, two were found to have breached the law regarding alien business – one engaged in tourism business and the other in real estate business.

She warned Thais not to act as alien businessmen’s nominees in setting up businesses in Thailand or they may face heavy fines and imprisonment.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/151873


-- Thai PBS 2016-02-23

[Thechook]

So they are concerned about aliens investing in Thailand. What's the exchange rate for Ork currency?

[JHolmesJr]

Wow the bingo players who own bars might be getting worried.

[MaiChai]

Its those nasty horrible foreigners again!

[JLCrab]

So much for my new business plan:

NOMINEES US

Edited February 22, 2016 by JLCrab

[halloween]

"...operating in tourism and real estate businesses ......"

If this includes a company owning house/land for a farang, it could have a widespread effect.

[Jessi]

This is the reason that the Tourism and Real estate business is on a down hill run.

These falangs are the cause of all the problems in Thailand.

[shirtless]

western countries should reciprocate Thailand rules on Thais doing business , see how they like being Alienated.

[BaldPlumber]

western countries should reciprocate Thailand rules on Thais doing business , see how they like being Alienated.

Maybe the reciprocation should also be extended to land ownership, ninety day reporting, access to passports etc etc

[rkidlad]

But isn't there a way for Thais and foreigners to do something like this where they're not actually breaking the law. It's a loophole?

Doesn't really matter anyway. Laws are just made up and changed as they go along.

[craigt3365]

Thais being nominees for other Thais in dodgy businesses is a huge problem. Much more so than those fronting for foreigners.

[NongKhaiKid]

Hypocrisy but hardly surprising.

Wasn't it last summer Thai businessmen were advised to invest in Europe as companies etc there need money so Fill Your Boots !

[halloween]

But isn't there a way for Thais and foreigners to do something like this where they're not actually breaking the law. It's a loophole?

Doesn't really matter anyway. Laws are just made up and changed as they go along.

Loopholes are ways to frustrate the intent of a law. When closed they can turn into a snare.

[yellowboat]

So much for attracting companies that produce entertainment venues. Thailand just makes their neighbors look better and better.

[Deli]

Let's go Cambodia or Vietnam; western money welcome very much

[realenglish1]

This is why investors are going to Myanmar , Vietnam and China At least there you can own a business without threat of prosecution

[sz1a]

First they came for student visa holders, then they came for the back-to-back visa tourists, then they came for over-stayers, then they came for the elderly bridge players, then they came for the marriage visa holders, then they came for the business owners, and then they came for me, but there was no farrang left in Thailand to speak for me.

Edited February 23, 2016 by sz1a

[Britannia]

They really know how to kill things off. Just look at Pattaya so many businesses set up and operated by Farang, just sold off to Thais, Mostly because the Thai Landlord put rents up to an untradeable level, No head whatsoever for economics.

They are just not aware that the money that was around 7-8 years ago is just not there anymore, so instead of generating business, they just sit and twiddle their thumbs until it's time to pack up and go.

Who are these people at the top, running the country? Do they honestly believe that an Issan can serve and operate a business for Westerners better than a farang and that, that is better for Thailand.

The Old man that robed the country so much and inflicted atrocities really knew how to progress business and develop tourism. Now it is just sick

[Norvid 1950]

This will spell and of any new business venture in Thailand , unless the Thai partner(s) could really come with his own money/share(s).

[clockman]

Chinese are buying big time in Chiang Mai!

[trogers]

western countries should reciprocate Thailand rules on Thais doing business , see how they like being Alienated.

No need for reciprocating. Foreign businesses just need invest here.

Asean is much larger than Thailand.

Edited February 23, 2016 by trogers

[Terryjc55]

I am a little confused. When i started a company I HAD to have at least two thai people as nominees. They, on paper owned 51% of the business. So now, my understanding of this article is. I cannot open a business in a tourist area. This is where I had my restuarant. So confusing these people.

[wabothai]

Now let's see how the big guys are doing it.

[gandalf12]

western countries should reciprocate Thailand rules on Thais doing business , see how they like being Alienated.

Maybe the reciprocation should also be extended to land ownership, ninety day reporting, access to passports etc etc

Should be 100% reciprocal. Thai restaurants should require a national of the country owning 51%. No property can be bought by a Thai. Just the same as we have in Thailand. If it is good for us then it must be good for Thai's in our countries.

[Sydebolle]

Anyone remember Thaksin's maid. The media had a frigging field day after "Big T" moved some shares around and the almost analphabetic illiterate child of the Northeast was short breathed in explaining the 11 billion Baht or something.

On a more serious note; once the Thais know the difference between "foreign" and "alien" they will be taken more serious. The "Alien Business Law" has prevented many investors, including me, to set-up anything here and this for good reason.
Thailand is second to only Indonesia (where they call us "Bule") and Malaysia with their domestic super race fart, the Bumiputra, who need to be in majority everywhere as far as SEA is concerned.

One begins to understand the whole rannygazoo if you replace Thais with "Thais with Chinese immigration background"; those fellows came into the Land just after WWII (the great March etc.). Seeing the virgin set-up here they surely blocked everything off to avoid that anyone else could help themselves with a slice of that Siamese cake.

Most "local" wrong-doers, literally all politicians and most oligarch business empires are ethnic Chinese from the (today's) Red North. The ethnic Thai buffalo-plows the Northeast on his debt-ridden land almost unable to service the loan sharks de facto highway robbery business practices and gets furthermore screwed by all those dodgy middlemen - the real problem here is not the "alien" load but rather their latest avalanche of migrants some +/- 60 years ago.

[wabothai]

I just can't believe these people, foreigners bringing in buckets of cash, paying taxes and employing Thai. They must really hate us, or is it envy?

[Peter Strand]

I live on Phuket and must say its a wonderful place. The only thing what goes on my bullocks is that its full of Thai people. This is really annoying.

[greenchair]

western countries should reciprocate Thailand rules on Thais doing business , see how they like being Alienated.

Maybe the reciprocation should also be extended to land ownership, ninety day reporting, access to passports etc etc

Imagine the Asian tantrum, if we started not allowing Asians to have special jobs. And what about if we made a new law that says,

1.if you are Asian you will get paid less than the locals.

2.an Asian person cannot own a business fully.

3.an Asian person cannot buy a house for their family.

4.an Asian person cannot work in a supermarket, as a tour guide, as a taxi driver as a. ..... even if they are married to a national and have a family.

5.an Asian person cannot be a hooked, lest they take business away from the local girls or boys as the case may be.

It's time we changed our laws.

Edited February 23, 2016 by greenchair

[wabothai]

Says the director of BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, I would say un-development.

[Mot Dang]

I wouldn't do business with little green men either. Damn unreliable sods.