Dane closes business in Thailand over visa issue

[webfact]

Dane closes business in Thailand over visa issue
by Frederik Guy Hoff Sonne

BANGKOK: -- Danish expat businessman Preben Pretzmann, has been living in Thailand for 16 years. He established FBI Real Estate in Udon Thani when he came to Thailand in 2000 and has been directing it since. Now issues related to his visa is forcing him to close the business, he claims. According to Preben Pretzmann, the Immigration Offices has given no explanation to the problem.

According to Preben Pretzmann he has been battling to get a new business visa in place for one and a half year and every month they provided him with a visa only lasting for a few months or refused him.

Contacted by ScandAsia, the Immigration Offices in Udon Thani says they do not comment on individual cases, furthermore they asked ScandAsia to encourage Preben Pretzmann to “come by tomorrow with passport, papers and work permit.”

“But that’s what I’ve done the latest 14-15 months,” Preben Pretzmann comments.

The challenges started with a strange inquiry by a Detective from the Immigration Office, Preben Pretzmann says when he lays out his view on the case:

“He asked me to change my company sign which I have had for 16 years since the company opened. I found the request odd but followed it anyway. When he returned he wasn’t happy with the new sign either, so he asked me to changes it once again. So I did. Once again he came back to register the changes but still he wasn’t satisfied. Now he suggested me to change the orange signature colour for FBI to blue, but I told him no”.

The strange situations continues, Preben Pretzmann says. When opening FBI 16 years ago, Preben Pretzmann did so with his back then Thai wife, which meant they could start up the company with only 1 million baht, according to Thai law. But this year the authorities were suspicious about it.

“Most companies start up with 2 million baht or so, so suddenly I had to do the same. Which meant I had to raise 1 million extra really quick, which I did,” Preben Pretzmann recalls.

Since then, the latest 14-15 months, Immigration and Labour Offices have kept Preben Pretzmann on hold with unclear bureaucratic, he says, demanding submissions and reports which he has never been ask for before. He delivers the papers, pays for 1 years business visa but only gets 1 months. At other times he gets a rejection from the office in Bangkok and must leave for Laos to get a new business visa lasting maximum 3 months, Preben Pretzmann recalls.

“This is not a sustainable way to run a company. When a customer asks to visit an estate in two weeks, I’ll have to say “yes okay, but I’m not sure, if I have a visa at that point” and that is not long lasting in the end”, he says. Finally he gave up. On the 29th February his business visa expired. He has now gotten a 3 month business visa from Vientiane, so he can close the company in a prober way, he says. He’ll stay in Undo Thani on a retirement visa in the future.

Tuesday 8th March Preben Pretzmann shared a statement on the companies website officially announcing that FBI was closed.

Source: http://scandasia.com/dane-closes-business-in-thailand-over-visa-issue/

-- (c) Copyright Scandasia 2016-03-15

[amerasianex]

There will be no more foriegn investment. And no more retirees and the retirees here will leave. Because of assnine immagration laws anb the harassment of foreigners in the kingdom..

[grumpyoldman]

Another example of the direction this country is going which I feel is "Thailand is for Thai people" the rest of you can bugger off.

Spend your tourist dollars, spend your retirement money but don't think we're going to make it easy for you as a foreigner to do business here, no, no, make sure you spend a lot of money with your Thai lawyers and accountants, be sure to pay all the social taxes for your workers and then o.k., maybe, you can try and make some money.

Try.

[steven100]

Strange ...... there are always two sides to every story, I would like to know the other sides reason word for word before I believe this.

[Just1Voice]

They just keep tightening the screws.

[NickJ]

This is a ploy, one of many in the playbook to get more money. Been doing it for decades. One friend of mine was told, after years that his company stamp/chop was invalid.....I was given a tourist visa in LA When applying for my one year while in the states I had a work permit and 8 employees. Paid taxes and kept everything above board. It is a never ending struggle.

[jpinx]

There has to be considerably more to this story than is reported here, but the message is clear -- don't try to do business in Thailand

[Hawk]

Obviously a bribe was required, a few hundred thousand.

A business sign has nothing to do with the immigration, its a shakedown but as he wont pay so the immigration decided to play a game with him.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Hawk

[Bobotie]

There will be no more foriegn investment. And no more retirees and the retirees here will leave. Because of assnine immagration laws anb the harassment of foreigners in the kingdom..

While Thailand has an active "sex industry" and ladys who are not that choosy, the retirees will keep coming, will build their mac mansions and buy trucks for their "teeraks"

Your comments may become valid the day Thailand decides to crack down on the "sex industry"

[lonewolf99]

Don't do business here even if you are an ASEAN member.....

Just the other week, round the corner from where I stay a Burmese man set up a food stall in a large market area. He was physically assaulted by the locals and told to get out and go back to Burma ...

Even the Singaporeans won't bother to come here coz of the corruption, scams, local mafia and B.S. that goes with visas/WP etc. etc.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/903084-thai-police-general-is-among-the-list-of-mafia-bosses-handed-over-to-police-by-army/

Up until a few weeks ago there were a fair few Filipinos here but I dont seem to run into or hear them around....have they got the "hint" and gone home also ?

[watcharacters]

Very easy to do business here. I would bet this gentleman has shown no or little profit for the past 16 years and got away with it. Guy sounds like a giant pussy.

A foreign owned business in Thailand with no profit after 2 years will not get their work permit and extension of stay renewed for 1 year. 1st it's 6 months, then 3.

Big cry baby.

I can't disagree with you about the ease of doing business in Thailand as I've not had a business here. I can only wonder about how you make this claim while in the post following yours by NickJ we read the diametrically opposite from a person who states he has a business.

I read the article with the link and saw this "“Most companies start up with 2 million baht or so, so suddenly I had to do the same. Which meant I had to raise 1 million extra really quick, which I did,” Preben Pretzmann recalls.

Where did you read about the profit this man made? He states he raised the extra one million THB quickly but I'm not clear as to what he needed to do with it.

I personally hate to see any honest business close as it, by definition, reduces competition. I see no reason to harbor any ill thoughts or feelings about this man based on what I read on the OP or in the linked article.

Edited March 15, 2016 by watcharacters

[chrisinth]

Considering all the difficulties he has been having with immigration, he doesn't appear to have sought legal help in this matter over the time period.

As he is still unclear why the holdups were happening, i find that very strange.

Even if it is a shakedown, they are generally based on something; people on the take always have a 'wriggle' zone.

[tomacht8]

That's hard to must give up a business after 16 years because of bureaucratic games.
And he runs the business along with his Thai wife.
I find it especially pity, that it is here a small family business, of a longtime married foreigner / Thai couple.
There are certainly hundreds of thousands of similar small family businesses, where foreigners married with Thais,
which feeds the entire thai family with there enterprises.
Not a good advertisement for Thailand as investment location at all.

Edited March 15, 2016 by tomacht8

[Mango Bob]

If he was Chinese I bet he wouldn't have had a problem.

[tomacht8]

Just a speculation.
Maybe it's just the naming: FBI,
what now, after 16 years, a particular bureaucrat do not like.
That Immigration officers are now stirring in naming rights for companies, CI´s and logos are really bad news.

[mok199]

the bubble is about to burst...sad this is my home...

[mok199]

Another example of the direction this country is going which I feel is "Thailand is for Thai people" the rest of you can bugger off.

Spend your tourist dollars, spend your retirement money but don't think we're going to make it easy for you as a foreigner to do business here, no, no, make sure you spend a lot of money with your Thai lawyers and accountants, be sure to pay all the social taxes for your workers and then o.k., maybe, you can try and make some money.

Try.

Thailand seems to love the Chinese and Korean tour groups,who display little to no respect for the kingdom...yet they continue to arrive with the cheap cheap tour packages..

[TacoHell]

since his business is closed, Im sure there's no reason he can't post his financial audits for the past 2 years and make a good case for Thailand screwing him.

Oh, and also show he has 4 legit Thai employees. (he has no wife in the company anymore)

He can really make a case here.

We should all take this matter seriously

Complaining to scandasia? Does he not have an accountant and a lawyer?

A request to change your sign is a polite way of telling someone to F%$k off in Thailand, especially when your business name is FBI.

poor fella

[ratcatcher]

From the net.

http://www.udonrealestate.com/

http://www.htspweb.co.uk/cia/2009/cc/5304fb.htm

[sn1per]

The lower end price for a villa in Chiang Mai is about 2-3 m baht rising to 30 m for a luxury villa, with commision at 5% this gives a figure of anything between 100,000B and 1.5 m baht for 1 sale.......... I feel so sorry for these poor estate agents

[TacoHell]

From the net.

http://www.udonrealestate.com/

http://www.htspweb.co.uk/cia/2009/cc/5304fb.htm

PREBENPRETZMANN2-400x300.jpg

And there you have it lol. Great loss to the community

Thanks Mr. Preben Pretzmann

Manager, FBI Investigation Office, Isaan Thailand.

N.G Department of State

Bureau of Consular Affairs

Greeting from Thailand Embassy,

[leeneeds]

Failed to follow the chain of command , clearly , the foot soldier came and looked ,

Not being on the ball he let that foot soldier go back to his boss with no cream,

was sent back , still no cream , so the boss saw the big boss and sent the foot solider back again,

still no cream was offered, so the foot soldier returned to the boss , he told the big boss , and he told

the big banana ,

now clearly a large vat would have been needed to salivate all the people involved,

so now still not grasping what was fundementally possible at the first visit

He folds,

no lesson learnt on his time spent in LOS

[Confuscious]

There are always 2 sides to a a case like this and as Immigration "refuse to give details on a particular case" I guess we will never know the truth.
As such, I will not comment to this particular case.

But I know Thailand, live already 16 years LEGALLY in Thailand, and never had a problem with Immigration before.
Until last year.
Since last year, getting an extension of my Retirement Visa has become a hell.
And I am not the only one, judging the many posts in other forums.

Thai Immigration has no real written specifications on how to obtain a Visa.
Thai Immigration Officers have the right to ask "additional documents" or deny a Visa without the need to give any explanation.
Add to this the corruption which has increased with this government, and you have everything you need to know why so many people have troubles with Immigration.

It's time for Thailand to specify the rules to get a Visa and STICK to these rules.
No personal interpretation of the law allowed.

[terryp]

it is painfully clear only Chinese are welcome here..and until all you with rose tints wake up YOU too will loose it all..... after decades here I liquidated all my assets , I dont even own a house or car anymore (I rent by the month)...In 24 hours a I can be gone

[terryp]

There will be no more foriegn investment. And no more retirees and the retirees here will leave. Because of assnine immagration laws anb the harassment of foreigners in the kingdom..

While Thailand has an active "sex industry" and ladys who are not that choosy, the retirees will keep coming, will build their mac mansions and buy trucks for their "teeraks"

Your comments may become valid the day Thailand decides to crack down on the "sex industry"

Next month is what I hear

[chrisinth]

That's hard to must give up a business after 16 years because of bureaucratic games.

And he runs the business along with his Thai wife.

I find it especially pity, that it is here a small family business, of a longtime married foreigner / Thai couple.

There are certainly hundreds of thousands of similar small family businesses, where foreigners married with Thais,

which feeds the entire thai family with there enterprises.

Not a good advertisement for Thailand as investment location at all.

I think that might be part of the problem as according to the OP he is no longer with his wife.

I believe it would change the dynamics slightly for reasons of extension of stay.

[leeneeds]

it is painfully clear only Chinese are welcome here..and until all you with rose tints wake up YOU too will loose it all..... after decades here I liquidated all my assets , I dont even own a house or car anymore (I rent by the month)...In 24 hours a I can be gone

lg.jpg

I clearly disagree , with your pessimism, After all the time you have spent here with liquid assets why have you not moved to some where better?

CLEARLY you can be gone in 24hrs to what ?

My glass is always half full,

[Don Mega]

So he was having issues renewing his permission to stay extension. Why not leave the country and get a new visa instead ?..... closing the business is a bit extreme.

[pedro01]

Don't do business here even if you are an ASEAN member.....

Just the other week, round the corner from where I stay a Burmese man set up a food stall in a large market area. He was physically assaulted by the locals and told to get out and go back to Burma ...

Even the Singaporeans won't bother to come here coz of the corruption, scams, local mafia and B.S. that goes with visas/WP etc. etc.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/903084-thai-police-general-is-among-the-list-of-mafia-bosses-handed-over-to-police-by-army/

Up until a few weeks ago there were a fair few Filipinos here but I dont seem to run into or hear them around....have they got the "hint" and gone home also ?

Yet Thailand is chock full of Japanese factories. I worked with a number of Singaporean manyfacturers here too.

In fact with BOi it is really easy to set up here.

Of course, i am talking about large businesses, not market stalls or bars.

[ratcatcher]

There are always 2 sides to a a case like this and as Immigration "refuse to give details on a particular case" I guess we will never know the truth.

As such, I will not comment to this particular case.

But I know Thailand, live already 16 years LEGALLY in Thailand, and never had a problem with Immigration before.

Until last year.

Since last year, getting an extension of my Retirement Visa has become a hell.

And I am not the only one, judging the many posts in other forums.

Thai Immigration has no real written specifications on how to obtain a Visa.

Thai Immigration Officers have the right to ask "additional documents" or deny a Visa without the need to give any explanation.

Add to this the corruption which has increased with this government, and you have everything you need to know why so many people have troubles with Immigration.

It's time for Thailand to specify the rules to get a Visa and STICK to these rules.

No personal interpretation of the law allowed.

Thai Immigration has no real written specifications on how to obtain a Visa.

But I am sure embassies and consulates that issue visas in the first place have the required "specifications"

Thai Immigration Officers have the right to ask "additional documents" or deny a Visa without the need to give any explanation.

Once in the country, immigration officers do have the right to request 'additional documents' if those provided by the applicant are deemed insufficient or incorrect.

I don't believe they deny visas, they can merely deny the requested permission to stay in the country if the required documents are not in order..

I believe there are specific rules in obtaining a visa outside of Thailand. .Immigration officers have nothing to do with that.

95% of people extend their permission to stay in the country without hassles or intimidation.