Thailand Business & Thailand Property Info Blog
February 1 2010 Categories: Thailand Taxes No comments yet
Price Waterhouse recently published its 2010 “Paying Taxes 2010 the Global Picture” which consist of a comparative survey of how easy/difficult is it for an average company to pay tax in 183 countries. So how did Thailand do in this comparative survey?
Originally posted 2009-12-14 07:15:20.
February 1 2010 Categories: Understanding Thailand No comments yet
In Thailand, there is a “little something” in the air, I can’t point exactly what it is maybe too much somtam (local spicy papaya salad) or Singha (local beer) but from time to time an ordinary person will lose all focus and reason and over a few years will go from the status of a respected professional to a pitied fool.
Originally posted 2009-11-22 05:10:08.
February 1 2010 Categories: Thailand Business, Thailand Company Registration, Thailand Foreign Business Act No comments yet
One thing I find interesting when blogging is that Google and Wordpress have tools that permit me not only to check what articles are the most successful but also the search queries of my blog readers. Now when looking at the queries I notice that there is still a lot of confusion among readers as to definition of legal concepts such as Thai or Foreign Private Limited Company and nominees. I tried hereinafter to clarify those concepts.
Originally posted 2009-10-07 04:38:15.
February 1 2010 Categories: Condominium Ownership, Thailand Property No comments yet
This post is part of a series of posts that include my post dated of 26 August 2009 called “Bangkok What and Where to Buy?” and my post dated of 28 August 2009 “Bangkok more reasons to buy”. Two new surveys published recently by CB Richard Ellis (Thailand) and Jones Lang LaSalle (Thailand) have draw my attention.
Originally posted 2009-09-17 03:57:10.
February 1 2010 Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Understanding Thailand No comments yet
Yes. Thailand has low violent crime statistics compared to other countries such as France or the US. Of course, violence does exist but is not often directed at foreigners. While there are from time to time crimes against foreigners, they are still rarer than in your homeland and when foreigners do get into trouble, they, often bring it upon themselves.
Originally posted 2009-07-23 13:06:14.
February 1 2010 Categories: Understanding Thailand No comments yet
You cannot read Thai news and not know about the issue of the two brokers that have been recently arrested for spreading rumors about His Majesty the King health that affected the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). The Authorities are visibly at a loss on what to do. They seem to believe that they have to do something about it but limit for the time being their answer to punishing the allegedly guilty parties involved and if possible to prevent such a thing of ever happening again.
Originally posted 2009-11-04 03:36:50.
February 1 2010 Categories: Thailand Business, Thailand Company Registration No comments yet
The private limited company is the legal vehicle that is the most commonly used by foreign investors in Thailand that is why we will review hereinafter the formalities of registration of a private limited company.
Originally posted 2009-07-24 11:17:21.
February 1 2010 Categories: Opening Bank Account, Thailand Banking No comments yet
The answer is of course yes, or more accurately yes, but…
As a matter of fact the issue of the opening of a bank account by a foreign non-resident is one of the most confusing issues for foreigners in Thailand because there is a huge discreptancy between the theory and the practice.
Originally posted 2009-08-02 05:24:27.
February 1 2010 Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Thailand Business No comments yet
Never underestimates the locals, Thai businessmen are competitive and good especially at running service businesses. Read more…
Originally posted 2009-07-24 05:05:40.
February 1 2010 Categories: Thailand Visas & Work Permit, Thailand Work Permit No comments yet
Contrary to a common belief there are no minimum wages applicable to foreign workers. But because there is always a but in Thailand the Immigration Department has developed a minimum wage schedule applicable to foreign workers who benefit of a work permit and wants to apply and obtain a one year B visa extension.
Originally posted 2010-01-16 07:20:22.
February 1 2010 Categories: Thailand Business one comment
One the Real Estate front the question that got everyone agitated is whether the Government will extend the privilege of discounted taxes and government fees on property transactions as the deadline for the end of this privilege (28 March 2010) is coming closer.
Originally posted 2010-01-11 03:45:58.
February 1 2010 Categories: Thailand Business, Understanding Thailand No comments yet
It is definitively a strange start of the year in Thailand. During the past week there has been very few legal or economical news worth to report which explain my silence. As to the political scene there have been no major developments yet but this did not keep many commentators and journalists to entertain themselves by calling out “Wolf!”or in this particular case commenting on a possible Coup and even worth “Civil War” in Thailand.
Originally posted 2010-01-07 08:18:32.
February 1 2010 Categories: Understanding Thailand No comments yet
Absolutely, however, as with everything there are always exceptions but if, you treat your Thai employees well and with respect, you will notice that they will give you the loyalty that you do not expect to find anymore.They will be hard working and, committed; they will protect your interests and the interests of your company as if it were theirs. Over time the company will become a second family for them up to the point where you will see an employee in tears informing you that she is leaving your company for a new job. Such moments, are a real reward.
Originally posted 2009-07-23 06:05:50.
February 1 2010 Categories: Thailand Visas & Work Permit, Thailand Work Permit 2 comments
The new working of Aliens act dated of February 2008 has repealed the former Work of Aliens Act of 1978 and the Working of Aliens Act of 1981. Note that at the time this book was last updated all the regulations of application of the new act had yet to be issued. As long as those regulations have not been issued the Labor will continue to issue work permit under the Working of Aliens Act of 1981.
Originally posted 2009-07-23 04:46:59.
February 1 2010 Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Thailand Business No comments yet
Thai journalists are so bored by this surprisingly politically “quite” beginning of the year that they have decided to entertain themselves by calling out “Coup”. And for the past week there has not been one newspaper that does not have at least one article per day on the subject of a possible coup.
Originally posted 2010-01-26 23:24:06.
February 1 2010 Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Thailand Business No comments yet
Absolutely, many foreigners are exempted from visas requirements and as you will see foreigners are welcome to invest in nearly all sectors of activities in Thailand without needing any prior authorization providing that they do a minority investment (less that 49% of a business shares in a few cases less than 25%).
Originally posted 2009-07-24 07:41:19.
February 1 2010 Categories: Thailand Business, Thailand Company Registration No comments yet
In a previous post I explained step by step the formalities to incorporate a Thai Limited Company. Many readers have contacted me to request whether I could also post the english translation of Thai Limited Company most important documents for information. After the Memorandum of Association (please see previous post) please see below a translation of the Minutes of the Statutory Meeting. Please note that this is an unofficial translation only.
Originally posted 2009-09-04 07:35:27.
February 1 2010 Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Thailand Business No comments yet
Note: This post is not entirely new. This subject was first posted as a Page called “Thailand Ratings”. I’m about to modify the look of the blog and decided that some of the subjects discussed in pages would now be treated as a post. Of course I updated the content of this post to reflect the current situation.
As we all know, Thailand was one of the victims hit hardest by the 1997 crisis, and many of Thailand’s top developers and financial institutions were bankrupted by the crisis. Earlier in 2009 I was asking whether the 2008 financial crisis would see Thailand revisiting the troubles of 1997.
Originally posted 2009-10-10 07:20:10.
February 1 2010 Categories: Property General Issues, Thailand Property No comments yet
Most buyers purchasing real estate in Thailand will do so buy purchasing through the services of an agent.
The first difficulty buyers will encounter is that Thailand does not have for the time being (if there are, they aren’t enforced) a regulation that would obligate professional real estate agents to formally notify the buyer that they’re acting as the seller’s agent.
Originally posted 2009-07-26 03:27:37.
February 1 2010 Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Thailand Company Registration No comments yet
The Business Development Department (BDB) which is the unit of the Ministry of Commerce that is handling new companies registration just issued the updated figures of new companies registration at end of October 2009. Overall 2009 was even worth than 2008 but there are reasons to expect better results next year
Originally posted 2009-12-05 01:48:19.
February 1 2010 Categories: Thailand Business No comments yet
The Pattaya Mail reported today that, according to sources from several police divisions a serious crackdown on Bar Businesses would begin next month that would target GoGo bars, Beer Bars, Gay Bars and any other bars which are charging bar fines to the customers to let their employees leave work early. Now according to the Pattaya Mail, the police “suspects that many of these rendezvous are sexually related”.
Originally posted 2010-01-22 14:27:04.
February 1 2010 Categories: Thailand Taxes No comments yet
The Revenue Department is the largest source of income for the Thai Government representing up to 80% of its revenues. Now as a result of the 2008 crisis the Revenue Department underperformed in 2009 (180 Billion Baht below target) while on the other hand the Government committed huge amounts of funds to support the economy increasing the public debt.
Originally posted 2009-12-21 04:53:57.
February 1 2010 Categories: Property General Issues, Thailand Property No comments yet
From experience, we know that most problems occur when buyers purchase property “off plan”. Whether or not the transaction has a favorable outcome will depend solely upon one single factor: Did the buyer purchase from a reliable developer or not? Truth be told, purchasing off plan is no more dangerous when purchasing offshore than in your home country, as long as you are purchasing from a reliable developer who operates in the country where you are purchasing.
Originally posted 2009-08-10 06:01:41.
February 1 2010 Categories: Understanding Thailand No comments yet
So, the mountain labored and brought forth a mouse, and after a lot of declaration of the contrary the NTC will not auction the 3G licenses before the end of the year. History has repeated itself (please see my previous post on the subject “Ridiculous Thailand: The 3G license drama (2)”). The NTC already did it in 2006 announcing that the 3G licenses would be issued within the end of year 2006 and they were not, and they will not be issued by end of 2009. What next then? Will we have to wait another 3 years before something happen again on this front. I mean some countries are already experiencing with 4G now.
Originally posted 2009-11-07 11:40:27.
February 1 2010 Categories: Thailand FAQ No comments yet
Today in the newspaper was an article about the future of Elite Card which future will be decided tomorrow by the government. One of the options to be considered tomorrow by the cabinet would be to completely stop the program. The company has currently 2570 Members but in order to diminish the liability in case of closure there is already talks to disqualify some members that would not fulfill the qualifications to obtain the card.
Originally posted 2009-11-16 03:58:00.
February 1 2010 Categories: Doing Business In Thailand one comment
In this post I tried to make a table that shows for each type of activities the percentage of foreign ownership allowed in Thailand. This kind of exercise is always difficult because there are so many variables applicable that the table format is not always ideal. Anyway this is a work in progress and we will try to improve the presentation over the next weeks.
Originally posted 2009-11-17 04:56:52.
February 1 2010 Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Thailand Business No comments yet
Years after its neighbors (Cambodia has issued 3G licenses years ago) Thailand is finally about to start the 3G auction process .
Originally posted 2009-09-29 04:11:28.
February 1 2010 Categories: Understanding Thailand No comments yet
For service providers that rely on foreign investment like us, 2008 was a bad year and I remembered in October 2008 whishing for the year to end and for a fresh start in 2009. Obviously, the subprime crisis and the seizure of Bangkok airport by the yellow shirts shattered any chances of fresh start. Curiously and despites everything that happened 2009 was not as bad a year as it could have been. Still the year is about to come to an end and it is now time to think about what 2010 may bring us. Unfortunately, prediction are difficult with a political situation at a standstill and the business community holding its breath and waiting to see what will happen next.
Originally posted 2009-11-30 03:53:22.
February 1 2010 Categories: Property General Issues, Thailand Property No comments yet
In yesterday post we discussed Bangkok condominium market. Now what is Bangkok new homes market situation?
Originally posted 2009-08-27 10:40:41.
February 1 2010 Categories: Understanding Thailand No comments yet
I have generated for Readers convenience a TABLE OF CONTENT of all the post I published to date and in which I give my opinion on political or business related news in Thailand.I hope this table will help you to navigate more easily in my blog
Originally posted 2009-11-14 08:06:15.
