Is there any step by step guide to start a small business in Thailand?

[eeyang wah]

14 hours ago, tryasimight said:

Hardly borderline.It's a full on abusive racist comment and totally unnecessary. I hope the mods see it.

Actually now that I think about it, this has nothing at all to do with race. I would have made the exact same comment in reference to any country that makes you employ 4 useless locals just to satisfy their absurd and xenophobic bureaucracy. 

The only racism here is committed by the people who make these rules and the people reading who make the connection between "monkeys" and Thai people. 

I'm claiming not guilty. 

[jenifer d]

1 hour ago, eeyang wah said:

I'm claiming borderline.

I meant that you have to employ 4 locals whether you need them or not, so half the time they are about as useful as monkeys scratching their asses.

although that was what you claim to have meant, that certainly wasn't what you wrote, was it? 

[eeyang wah]

19 minutes ago, jenifer d said:

although that was what you claim to have meant, that certainly wasn't what you wrote, was it? 

Wasn't it? 

[hiigara]

On 8/13/2017 at 11:31 PM, jenifer d said:

yes, but YOU didn't buy the land- not legally, anyways, not more than 49%...

OP asked about hostels and restaurants, wholly different than villas, and 2 businesses that are COMPLETELY oversaturated in any area in which there is sufficient traffic/demand/type of clientele to spur success...

and if he doesn't KNOW anything about the businesses (which he seems not to), that is a prescription for disaster...

I don't see a structural difference between a Village and a Hostel. You can turn a Villa into a hostel, and Vice versa.

[hiigara]

Thank you for all the responses, even the patronizing ones.

I have never lived in Thailand.

I was not asking for a guide on how to operate my business rather the legal step by step burocracies:

getting an accountant

going to the bank

registering the business

getting licenses

 

If i were to open a hostel i would definitely avoid the big city or the over saturated touristy areas. In such an outdoors country like Thailand there is market for rural hostels.

A restaurant on the other hand needs some population, it would be risky i admit.

Not being able to own more than 49% is a bit of a turn off.

Maybe I will try farming.

Edited August 21, 2017 by hiigara

[hiigara]

On 8/14/2017 at 0:28 AM, bontang said:

Re investment here in Thailand yeah it's a rough ride however I would stay clear of the Bar, Food entertainment  type of business, 

However depending on the amount of funds you wish to invest with  & how long you want to wait returns,

 

People coming here to Thailand tend to think ahh I can make a lot of money operating from the City no way,

 

My advise if you would like to live here & relax set up a  Thai Company purchase 10/ 20 Rai (Land) &  be patient for a few years you will make money,

 

You can build a House on the Property & live like a King as low cost to live here as the Cost of Living in Australia is going beyond reach,

 

I have done as per above & after 17 Yrs I can get a good return however I will leave all of my Property's to my Daughter to give her a good start in life,

 

Good Luck Mate

I thought farangs could not purchase land.

[hiigara]

On 8/14/2017 at 2:50 AM, khunPer said:

»Is there any step by step guide to start a small business in Thailand?«

 

If OP mean starting a business in general, I believe an education is the answer – there might be online options available – however, if OP mean how to establish a limited company in Thailand, there are many treads recently about this subject, with numerous good advises (I posted myself in some of them).

 

Consulting an experienced Thai business lawyer will often result in a step-by-step plan to establish a "small" 2 million baht Thai company limited with one foreign Work Permit as option. First informative meeting with a law firm is often free-of-charge; so that may bee an excellent place to begin, after reading some of the advises in previous Thai Visa Forum-threads.

 

Just searched the threads I've been posting in recently:

"Setup Thai company for property purchase, and ongoing annul costs"

"starting a new business in thailand" (My post here, about opening a restaurant)

–there are many more, if you use the Thai Visa search-function....

 

Wish OP good luck with the project...

thanks

[Moo du]

17 hours ago, hiigara said:

Thank you for all the responses, even the patronizing ones.

I have never lived in Thailand.

I was not asking for a guide on how to operate my business rather the legal step by step burocracies:

getting an accountant

going to the bank

registering the business

getting licenses

 

If i were to open a hostel i would definitely avoid the big city or the over saturated touristy areas. In such an outdoors country like Thailand there is market for rural hostels.

A restaurant on the other hand needs some population, it would be risky i admit.

Not being able to own more than 49% is a bit of a turn off.

Maybe I will try farming.

If you start a business alone in Thailand,it will quikly be obvious to anyone around you(farang and Thais)

that you are alone,with no people to back you up.And they will,take advantage of you.(your customers,your

employees,police,and even your accountant.).How are going to manage Thai competitive buissines if they

get aggressive on you?

With no experience on how things work-for strangers-in Thailand,and no solid experience on a bussines you 

want to operate,this a no go.And the no go also applies to a Thai girlfriend.You will have to back her up,not

the opposite.

Farming is not realistic as you have no clue about spesifics of the soil,the wheather,water etc.Farming is an

art,performed by people who have gained hundreds of years of experience through their famillys,in

specific lands.Can you imagine yourself digging soil in 37c tropical climate?

In order to live humalny in Thailand you will need exceptional skills in 'making friends and allies'both Thai and 

farang.Obviously your Thai friends are crusialy important if,you are going to live in Thailand.(maintaing healthy

relashionships with locals,and local power is a preresquisite.Understanding local culture and speak some of

the language is also a prerequisite)

I recomend you take a 6 month holiday in Thailand (that is with a 6 month money to spend) and enroll in a

language school to learn -only speak,it s easy- basic Thai.This way you will be on the right track for all the 

things I metioned above.Thats the only,right way to procced.

 

 

 

 

[badischer Barde]

Interesting read... one thing... If you asked about a step by step guide how to replace your phones USB-port and someone told you to just get an engineering degree he wouldn't be very helpful. Or right, because it helps, but you still need the step by step. Or.. well.. a bunch of expensive tools and a lot of time.

 

@ hiigara

 

If you are a multinational corporate group that might be a brilliant idea. Those make a lot of money buying km² of farmland in Africa.

If your one person and plan to do the actual work by yourself keep in mind that the guys with a lot more experience in farming Thai soil are making around 100.000 Baht - a year.

[Moo du]

 

Unable to process data = data unacceptable.

Processing : usb-port/engineering degree/live in Thailand :

 

Error 505 : no connection found

 

9 posts, 0 likes , message not received. Error 404.

[badischer Barde]

Aloha Moo du,

 

somehow this cryptic message concerns me, right?

[Moo du]

Aloha my friend.

Just my weird sense of humor.Ignore it.

What I wrote above, is the advice I should have received 20 years ago..

 

[MrJerome]

Some advice gained through 11 years experience...Did livestock, rice farming , rice trading, house construction, landtrading and owned a restaurant......no guarantee this is what will happen haha, but reading your story you don't bring any specific knowledge that will make you a lot of money here. So you'll have to learn.

 

Bring enough money, to start properly, into the game yourself. You're not gonna get it here. 

 

Start a business and fail 4 times due to lack of experience, lack of knowledge , wrong choice in type of business and the fact that you always need to involve a Thai, and it will take you a while to find that one can trust enough.

Don't worrie just start over or adjust. 

I do believe there are ways to earn yourself a good life in Thailand...

 

Best advice i ever got was: ONLY invest in things you completely understand, or at least understand it better than the people next to you . you will get screwed if the people  working with and competing with you  know more about your business than you do...... Seems like a normal, obvious thing right.?

Wrong...half the world is investing in stock, bonds, bitcoins, real estate, currency etc etc whithout having any clue how the markets is controlled...many people start a company without any knowledge beforehand and assume they will learn as they go ahead....many people trust business partners for no other reason than dumb faith and the fact that they need them and/or they want it so bad....And you do need a Thai business partner.

so know the laws, know the business and know the THAI before you invest in anything....

Don't be yet another sucker.

 

Thailand is a low income country with many many many lowlevel players..they are very skilled in extracting money and the are willing to work for a lot less than we usually are willing to..In any lowlevel business you are competing in a very overcrowded , low margin market .Hard to get satisfaction and a descent living..

 

Do not invest in a restaurant, unless you can have a great high quality place in a very hot location in Bangkok or sum.  Seen m fail everywhere cross country...too much competition. Too low margins.

 

Do it if you like to sit in the same crappy place 12 hours a day or more, for less than 30 K THB a months. ( 90 % of the places). Starting a nice restaurant with nice interior etc in any other place than a vibrant city centre is a complete waste of money.....

 

Same goes basically for a guest house...

Only if you can afford that number one spot, and are yourself a great entrepeneur. Just waiting for customers to come in or book online...oh boy...competition is horrible...You invest long term, since it is not a small investment, in a highly competitive, overflowing market . High risk, low margin. And this is assuming you NOT own the building or property....

If you do , investment will increase 10 fold and will not reasonable anymore and fair return on your investment is nearly impossible....

There's alway people who succeed. but in my opinion that's only the experienced ones that can afford the right strategy, to do this. The rest are all strugling and fighting over crums.

 

GL

 

 

 

[Danny1967]

Some advice gained through 11 years experience...Did livestock, rice farming , rice trading, house construction, landtrading and owned a restaurant......no guarantee this is what will happen haha, but reading your story you don't bring any specific knowledge that will make you a lot of money here. So you'll have to learn.
 
Bring enough money, to start properly, into the game yourself. You're not gonna get it here. 
 
Start a business and fail 4 times due to lack of experience, lack of knowledge , wrong choice in type of business and the fact that you always need to involve a Thai, and it will take you a while to find that one can trust enough.
Don't worrie just start over or adjust. 
I do believe there are ways to earn yourself a good life in Thailand...
 
Best advice i ever got was: ONLY invest in things you completely understand, or at least understand it better than the people next to you . you will get screwed if the people  working with and competing with you  know more about your business than you do...... Seems like a normal, obvious thing right.?
Wrong...half the world is investing in stock, bonds, bitcoins, real estate, currency etc etc whithout having any clue how the markets is controlled...many people start a company without any knowledge beforehand and assume they will learn as they go ahead....many people trust business partners for no other reason than dumb faith and the fact that they need them and/or they want it so bad....And you do need a Thai business partner.
so know the laws, know the business and know the THAI before you invest in anything....
Don't be yet another sucker.
 
Thailand is a low income country with many many many lowlevel players..they are very skilled in extracting money and the are willing to work for a lot less than we usually are willing to..In any lowlevel business you are competing in a very overcrowded , low margin market .Hard to get satisfaction and a descent living..
 
Do not invest in a restaurant, unless you can have a great high quality place in a very hot location in Bangkok or sum.  Seen m fail everywhere cross country...too much competition. Too low margins.
 
Do it if you like to sit in the same crappy place 12 hours a day or more, for less than 30 K THB a months. ( 90 % of the places). Starting a nice restaurant with nice interior etc in any other place than a vibrant city centre is a complete waste of money.....
 
Same goes basically for a guest house...
Only if you can afford that number one spot, and are yourself a great entrepeneur. Just waiting for customers to come in or book online...oh boy...competition is horrible...You invest long term, since it is not a small investment, in a highly competitive, overflowing market . High risk, low margin. And this is assuming you NOT own the building or property....
If you do , investment will increase 10 fold and will not reasonable anymore and fair return on your investment is nearly impossible....
There's alway people who succeed. but in my opinion that's only the experienced ones that can afford the right strategy, to do this. The rest are all strugling and fighting over crums.
 
GL
 
 
 

Very good n sound advice

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