What is the Education Visa?
The education visa is the visa granted to foreign citizens who want to pursue studies in Thailand.
This type of visa covers the cases of enrollment in a government educational institution or in a private educational institution (High School or University) and is also available to foreign citizen that whishes to conduct training or research into a university or research institute.
Work Permits Requirements - Update
In France we have this joke of a Prime Minister giving a speech to restore confidence and saying:
" Last year we were on the brink of a cliff but I'm proud to tell you all that we have made a big step forward ".
What is the Visa Exemption?
Pursuant to Thai Immigration Law; any foreign citizen who wishes to enter the Kingdom of Thailand is in principle required to obtain a Visa from a Royal Thai Embassy or a Royal Thai Consulate-General prior to entering Thailand.
The infamous blacklist
There are a lot of lists most of us dreamt to be on (fortune list, most influent people, most eligible bachelor and so on….) but there is one you definitively don’t want to be on, Thailand immigration blacklist.
Note: I would be unfair to Thailand if I did not state that Thailand is not the only country with an immigration blacklist. All countries have one.
Extending a Non Immigrant Visa B for one year
A foreign investor conducting a business in Thailand or working for a Thai company may if all conditions and documentary requirements are fulfilled file an application and obtain a one year visa.
February 1 2010
Categories: Thailand Business
One question that many investors are asking is whether it is expensive to do business in Thailand? The answer is mixed. On the positive side, Bangkok is according to a CB Richard Elis survey ranking 151st out of 179 markets in terms of office rental costs. Average rental costs in Bangkok for prime grade office are around 694 THB per square meter/per month (or 21 USD).
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-12-11 06:52:35.
February 1 2010
Categories: Thailand Visas, Thailand Visas & Work Permit
On the 11 September 2009, Thai news reported a new crackdown on back-to-back Tourist visa applications under the form of an extended screening of visa applicants. Unfortunately I must say that this latest measure does not surprise me and is only one side of a new policy started by the immigration department around two years ago as part of a “spring house cleaning”.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-09-12 06:32:32.
February 1 2010
Categories: Thailand Foreign Business Act
What is the Foreign Business Act?
The Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (A.D.1999) (“FBA”) was enacted on March 4, 2000 to replace the Alien Business Act of 1971. The FBA does not regulate the entire matter of foreign investment in Thailand. The FBA purposes are:
- to define businesses activities, which exercise by foreigners, is prohibited or controlled and
- to define what a foreigner is.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-07-21 08:54:44.
February 1 2010
Categories: Thailand Banking
One criteria you will have to consider when investing into Thailand will be the long term volatility of the currency of your home country against the THB because the evolution of the exchange rates will be one of the element that will affect on the long term your return on your investment. Being no financial wizard I cannot tell you how currencies will evolute against each others in the future. What I can show you is how some of the main world currencies have evolved against the THB during the past four years.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-10-14 02:03:45.
February 1 2010
Categories: Thailand Visas & Work Permit, Thailand Work Permit
If you are working without a work permit the first thing you must understand is that you are at risk of a control either from the Labor Officer or the Immigration Officer.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-11-25 04:22:54.
February 1 2010
Categories: Thailand Business, What's Up at DBT
For those who did not have a chance to read it an excellent article by Martin Petty (Reuters 1 February 2010) discussed the dangers ahead of us in Thailand, that is to say political instability and the threat of a coup.
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February 1 2010
Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Thailand Business
Note: This post is not entirely new. This subject was first posted as a Page called “Nominee Issue”. 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 posts. Of course I updated the content of this post to reflect the current situation.
The “Thai Nominee” issue is the more acute problem of foreign investment in Thailand and we will discuss here the many aspects of this problem.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-10-12 01:18:43.
February 1 2010
Categories: Understanding Thailand
What is “Thainess”
In a nutshell “Thainess” is a concept that provides the foundation for social harmony and the respect of order in a patriarchal, hierarchical society where people display cool heads, warm hearts, gratitude and public deference.
“Thainess” has a lot of by-products that we will discuss from time to time in this blog.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-08-11 12:47:19.
February 1 2010
Categories: Thailand Visas & Work Permit, Thailand Work Permit
Once again the foreign community is busing with rumors of a next hike of work permit fees that would soon increase up to 7,000 THB. Of course as a foreign investor I regret any increase of fees or anything which will make the situation more difficult for foreign investors in Thailand. Read more…
Originally posted 2009-09-01 10:50:05.
February 1 2010
Categories: Thailand Taxes
In this post I will try to give readers a few tips on how to manage Tax Audits. I guess that readers would prefer tips on “how to avoid a tax audit”. Unfortunately, in Thailand, you cannot avoid tax audit. To the contrary, you may expect regular mandatory visits from the Tax Administration.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-10-08 05:12:15.
February 1 2010
Categories: Thailand Visas, Thailand Work Permit
Introduction to the Visa B
What is a Non Immigrant Visa B
Foreign investors who wish to come into Thailand to conduct a business or to work must first obtain a Non Immigrant Visa B with a Royal Thai Embassy.
The Non Immigrant Visa B will allow you to stay in Thailand for a period of not more than 90 days at a time. This visa may be granted for a single entry or multi entries.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-07-29 08:45:28.
February 1 2010
Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Thailand Business
A reader told me the other day that my series of “starting business in Thailand” was a bit skeptical as if I was marked by doubt that it was possible to do business successfully in Thailand.
Not at all, Thailand is as good a place to do business as any other. What I’m trying to convey in this series of articles is that investors should not expect miracles because they will be confronted to 3 problems.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-11-12 02:41:19.
February 1 2010
Categories: Thailand Business, Thailand Company Registration
In this post we will discuss the voting rights of shareholders at the shareholder meeting of a Thai limited company depending of the amount of their shareholding.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-11-23 04:47:10.
February 1 2010
Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Thailand Business
Note: This post is not entirely new. This subject was first posted as a Page called “Nominee Issue”. 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 posts. Of course I updated the content of this post to reflect the current situation.
This post is a continuation of my previous post on the nominees issue and i will try here to explain how does one make the distinction between a real shareholder on a nominee.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-10-13 03:15:26.
February 1 2010
Categories: Doing Business In Thailand
Any employees between 15 to 60 years old and their employers must make monthly contribution to the social security. Now what are the exact costs of social security in Thailand?
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-12-13 09:45:23.
February 1 2010
Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Thailand Business, Thailand Foreign Business Act
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Gen3:6).
This extract of the genesis sum up the story of foreign investment in Thailand.
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Originally posted 2009-08-17 06:51:07.
February 1 2010
Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Thailand Foreign Business Act
Many countries are currently negotiating Free Trade Agreements with Thailand and the citizens of those countries are waiting impatiently for the benefits they will get out of these free trade agreements. Hopefully, they will finally be able to invest in Thailand without having to make allegiance to “You-Know-Who” “He/She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” that is to say the Thai Wife, Boyfriend or the Thai shareholder that may be deemed a nominee.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-11-09 05:26:48.
February 1 2010
Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Understanding Thailand
The key to success when doing business in Thailand will be “understanding”, and you cannot arrive in Thailand and immediately jump into the fray because you will inevitably fail.
Read more…
January 30 2010
Categories: Doing Business In Thailand
I wish you all a Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for 2010 and I hope that we will see many of you in Thailand next year. Now if Somchai (Santa) Claus was Thai what would be the wish list of the Foreign Community in Thailand?
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-12-24 07:15:15.
January 30 2010
Categories: Thailand Business, Thailand Company Registration
The Private Limited Company is the most common legal vehicle used by foreign investors in Thailand, it is therefore useful to review its main characteristics. Note that this post do not deal in an exhaustive manner with the matter of the characteristic of a Private Limited Company. There is a lot more to say. In this post we limited ourselves to the characteristics which are a matter of concern for foreign investors.
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Originally posted 2009-10-19 02:22:16.
January 30 2010
Categories: Thailand Business, US Thai Amity Treaty
What is the Thai-US Treaty of Amity?
A little bit of background. The Thai-US Treaty of Amity between the US and Thailand is actually the second amity treaty between the US and Thailand. It was executed in 1966 and ratified in 1968. Originally the treaty was for a period of 10 years. At the end of the ten years period the parties had the option to terminate it. None of them did and the Amity was in effect until 2005 when it finally expired.
Why then bother to discuss a treaty that expired a few years ago? Because we are in Thailand and things are not always what they seem to be. So bear with me.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-08-09 04:35:41.
January 30 2010
Categories: Thailand Taxes
What should you know about Thai Corporate Income Tax?
Taxes are not really my favorite cup of tea and I guess most of you think the same; the problem is that you cannot invest successfully in Thailand without having a minimum understanding of those issues. Of course there is more to taxation that I will explain herein, those are only the basics
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-07-25 11:44:07.
January 30 2010
Categories: Understanding Thailand
I have been following Thai politics for a few years and I learnt not to be surprised anymore by the antic of Thai politicians reported daily by Thai press.
Read more…
January 27 2010
Categories: Thailand Taxes
So, how much personal income tax will you pay this year? To help you to determine your tax liability for the year 2009 we have prepared a simulation table and pre-calculated the amount of tax due for the year 2009.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-12-18 05:07:27.
January 27 2010
Categories: Understanding Thailand
Two weeks ago I was wondering why we were not hearing a word from General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh one of the pillars of old Thai politics. It seems I was too quick to worry because he is back as a member of Pheu Thai party and possibly as the new anointed leader of the Pheu Thai.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-10-04 05:22:44.
January 27 2010
Categories: Condominium Ownership, Thailand Property
The most easier and secure way for a foreign investor to purchase real estate property in Thailand is to purchase a condominium unit freehold because the legal requirements are as we will see below minimal.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-08-18 11:35:39.
January 27 2010
Categories: Doing Business In Thailand, Thailand Business
This post is the second post of a series dedicated to the issues to take into consideration when buying a business. Today we will discuss the matter of due diligence.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-09-09 04:26:16.
January 27 2010
Categories: Thailand Business
I have the pleasure to inform you that the second edition of my book “How to Safely Buy Real Estate in Thailand” shall be available in Thailand Bookstores starting from the 10th of February 2010 at a price of 625 THB. Later this month it shall also become available on Amazon.com, Nobles and Barnes and Theebooksale.com websites among others. It contains 54 chapters and 342 pages of useful information for anyone interested to buy real estate in Thailand. Read more…
January 27 2010
Categories: Thailand Visas, Thailand Visas & Work Permit
Introduction to the Non Immigrant Visa O Family
What is the Family Visa?
The family Non Immigrant Visa O is for foreigners who have Thai family in Thailand and who wish to stay in Thailand to take care of their family. Family means a Thai relative whether a parent, spouse, children, adopted children or spouse children.
Read more…
Originally posted 2009-07-30 12:06:22.
January 27 2010
Categories: Condominium Ownership, Property General Issues, Thailand Property
I was not satisfied with the content of Friday’s post and I redrafted it
To help you to better understand the difference between a condominium and an apartment building I need first to clarify the definition of the term of “condominium”. For example, most people in Thailand commonly associate the term “condominium” with the concept of an “individual unit” into a “multiple unit building” generally a high rise that may only be sold freehold but condominium ownership is actually far more than this.
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Originally posted 2009-09-27 07:36:30.
