Working in Thailand for a UK company

[johnnyk]

BOI companies are not realistically part of the discussion. Its a 40,000,000 baht investment. Leave that to bigger boys like hotels, car companies etc.
You can set up a company easily enough but to gain a WP through it you must employ 4 Thais for every falang, including yourself.

[margaretcarnes]

I certainly used to get spot checks on the number of Thai staff around - even the regular MIB wandering the streets and glancing into the bar with a nod and smile can be noting who is there etc. But that of course is with a business in public view.
So I would never consider even an office set up with 'ghost' Thai staff or without all legal requirements.
But the increasing ability for people to work online - even the EBay type businesses mentioned - are creating a very grey area and I agree, the OP probably wouldn't get a definitive answer whichever lawyer gives it.

Just one point on the internet sales - last year I saw a Thai lady in HH post office with a pile of parcels which were going mainly to Germany and Scandinavian countries - all clearly addressed in a neat Western hand - all the same shape and size. Now that could of course have been a kosher business. It could equally have been an illegally farang run eBay type operation. Point is it was so publicly done and easily spotted by anyone who felt like causing trouble.

[Pleng]

Well luckily this would all be 'behind closed doors'; there would be no public airing of work. The problem I have with doing it on a tourist VISA and just hoping I don't get caught is the possible repercussions. Spending a night in a cell and being deported would be savage enough; but wouldn't that also pretty much prevent me from going back to Thailand for the long term in the long term?

As for the business idea; needing to employ 4 Thais... If it's my girlfriend's company then does she count as 1 Thai? Therefore needing 3 more? I could probably find admin and cleaning work for them to do but, really, I don't think the budget will stretch that far! I guess the other option would be to work from a property 'in town' and run a small bar downstairs; actual work for the Thai people to do, and hopefully bringing some money to offset their salary!

[buksida]

A small 100% Thai company with no farangs on the books (either employed or share holders) needs no staff at all, they pay a basic rate of tax on what has been invoiced and only need to cover monthly accounting and one national insurance payment.

Once you add an 'alien' into the mix and want a work permit the costs skyrocket, four staff (all insured) and official office premises are required, the income tax on the farang is set at a minimum wage of 50k per month (regardless of actual income), the company tax increases as it is employing foreigners, and on top of that the company must show a profit (though I'm not sure of the actual amount).

The bar in town sounds like a good idea until you see the rents and 'key money' they're asking these days!

[Pleng]

Somebody suggested it might be worth seeking advice from UK based charities or other NGOs who have sent people out to Thailand in the past to do relief work. Aside from the issue of money changing hands, they must be pretty much in the same situation - People 'working' in Thailand for a UK organization.

Anybody think this idea has any legs? And can you think of any organizations who might have been involved in such situations?

[bapak]

Hi.. See my PM.

[Big Boy]

Pleng, you'll need to make one further post before you can read bapak's PM. Unfortunately, this is part of the Forum's anti-spam protection that can't be amended easily.

[bapak]

Pleng, you'll need to make one further post before you can read bapak's PM. Unfortunately, this is part of the Forum's anti-spam protection that can't be amended easily.

Yes, I should have noticed that.

Can email me at : don at learningcentre.co.th

[Pleng]

Pleng, you'll need to make one further post before you can read bapak's PM. Unfortunately, this is part of the Forum's anti-spam protection that can't be amended easily.

Done! :p

hmm still doesn't work. Will send email.

[margaretcarnes]

Just a point about having a Thai company in your girlfriends name - as Buksi says once a farang is involved at all the WP regulations etc kick in, so unless your GF could show that she alone (with Thai help maybe) is doing all the actual work it's still a non starter by the sound of it.
And the 'one night' in Immigration cells is unfortunately a very conservative estimate! People are there for as long as it takes to get the legalities done and a flight arranged - at the farang's cost of course. There are ways to get round the passport and returning to Thailand situation, and it has been done, as hopefully one of the pm's will explain, but it takes guts.

[Pleng]

OK guys; thanks for all your help. Looks like I have a lot of decision making to do - gonna be a good few months before I need to take any decisions anyhow.

Incidentally, I'm still not able to read PMs

[TimandT]

Incidentally, I'm still not able to read PMs

New accounts with less than ten posts will be subjected to the following restrictions:

1) PM (private message) function will be disabled.

Have a look at

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=10054

[Pleng]

Ah ok. Somebody said I needed to make one more post, so I kinda assumed the limit was 5. Well I don't have terribly much more to say right now, so if anybody has PMd me then please don't think I'm being rude by not replying!