What are the requirements for sharing office space?

[Nille]

I am setting up my company at my home address. However, I its not the best solution for me - at least not long-term.

I have talked with some friends to share a small office but have been told its not that straight forward? Each company need its unique space and address - is that true? If so, what are the regulations in this area?

Sharing ideas with people even outside my field of profession is really giving and something I would like to do more of. Off course i am also looking at sharing some quality resources (meeting rooms, office equipments, etc,.)

Anyone here who can enlighten me?

[mat]

Correct. I share an ofice space with my business partner and we both have our own company. It was a lot of hassle before we could actually have this done. The same address was not the biggest problem, but the separated workspace. So if you do share an office with another company, there must be something like walls dividing the space.
Later on we wanted to set up a third company in the same office space, but that was impossible. Because of the workpermits we needed to employ 12 staff and the available room was not sufficient. Probably your lawyer/accountant can tell you exactly how the regulations are.

[Nille]

Thanks! Would the situation be different if the company was owned by a thai?

[mat]

Sorry, no idea (aren't they all??).

[Super Joe]

I had my 'office' as just one room in our house, and fairly small at 4m x 4m. We didn't have an inspection at all, assume they do random checks rather than checking everyone. Had to provide half a dozen photos of the room, plus a photo of company 'name plate' details above front door. There was no issue about staff space as we stated that their work was out of the office. So what I'm trying to say is that it can be very basic, depending on the business/staff roles.

But then know a couple of people who have had proper office accomodation, had the inspection, and had a lot more scrutiny, about exactly where the four Thai staff would be sitting, where the females washroom facilities were, fire exits/equipment blah blah. No major issues but had to get more desks and bits like that.

Also one of them was sharing an office with another, un-related business, and despite having plenty of space, a nice functioning office set-up etc, they had to put a dividing partition in to separate the two, just as Mat has said. This had to be a permanently fixed full-height partition, rather than one you can move about, but it only required an cheap, aluminium half-panel, half-glass type with a sliding door. So nothing fancy, messy or a major cost. This can be a problem air-con wise though, may need another unit.

I always think the best policy with these government departments is to actually speak to an official when you have found what you want, and see what they require before you commit to it. They're usually very accomodating at this stage if you can build up a rapport with them shall we say. They can be more flexible like that, whereas when you dump a fait-accompli on them and there's nothing in it for them, they can be totally inflexible and official-like.

Good luck,

SJ

[bapak]

I may be wrong but I do not believe that the OP raised the Work Permit problem.. only about companies sharing offices.
Have never heard that this is a problem. We have 2 locations where both have 3 different companies (ours) located. There was never a question raised by any official body.

However, if Work Permit is involved, situation is altered. Never had an inspection but you do have to provide location map, photos, etc.

[dozer]

I was a “victim” of a random check a few years ago.
My wife’s families company offices are downtown in Hua Hin and around five years ago I had went to pick my wife up, but she had pop out, so I sat myself down at her desk and waited on her return.
About ten minutes later two guys burst into the office like the SAS, they had ID badges around their necks indicating that they were immigration officers and they demanded that I show them my passport and work permit.
I explain to them that I was not working and that I did not have my passport with me, but they were not having it.
So they proceeded to scoop all the documents up from the desk and escorted me to the police station.
I called my wife and told her to bring my passport, about twenty minutes later my wife arrived, accompanied by my Sister in Law.
My SiL was on her mobile when she came in the room and after a minute or so she handed it over to the immigration cop.
Who in turned listened to whoever was on the other end, as he did not seem to be able to get a word in edge ways and then he handed the phone back to her and after a few heated words I was told I could go.
Now I am quite sure if I had not been fortunate to have a family with some influence here, I would have been stiffed for quite few Baht.