Integrity Legal

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the Thai government has halted all incoming flights from overseas to Thailand. To quote directly from a recent article in Thai PBS World:

“[T]he prime minister wants to see stringent measures imposed on overseas arrivals for the period between April 2-15.  The Foreign Ministry has been tasked to find out ways to implement the directive from the prime minister.”

Further, in another article from The Nation, the following was noted:

“Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has told the Foreign Ministry to issue a new directive prohibiting new arrivals.”For the immediately foreseeable future, it appears that it will not be possible for anyone to enter Thailand by air.

Clearly, the Thai government has deemed the COVID-19 issues of a seriousness that it warrants across the board restriction of incoming flights. That stated, there appears to be a end date for these restrictions on the horizon. In a further article from the Bangkok Post:

“All passenger flights have been banned from landing in the country to curb the outbreak of the new coronavirus, the aviation agency said on Friday. The ban came into effect on Saturday morning and will run until the end of Monday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand said in an order published late on Friday.”

Whether the government decides to extend this restriction on in-bound flights due to Coronavirus concerns remains to be seen. However, it seems logical to infer that if the restriction is lifted and in-bound flights are allowed to come to Thailand, the previously enacted restrictions on foreigners traveling to Thailand is likely to remain in effect over the medium term. To quote directly from the aforementioned Civil Aviation authority of Thailand:

With reference to the declaration of state of emergency in Thailand on 25 March 2020, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand hereby issues travel advisory to passengers planning to enter Thailand as follows:

1. Passengers or persons shall be permitted to enter, Transit or Transfer Thailand through international airport only if they fall under one of the following categories:

(a) Being in the situation or a person exempted by the Prime Minister or Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under certain conditions and prescribed time period

(b) Carriers of necessary cargoes, but required prompt exit after the mission is completed

(c) Pilot-in-command, and crew members of the flight entering Thailand with clear schedule to depart

(d) Persons on diplomatic or consular mission, or under International Organizations, representatives of the government performing their duties in Thailand or other persons or international agencies that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives permission, and their families. In this case, certificate of entry to the Kingdom issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs is required.

(e) Non-Thai nationals with work permit or who have been granted permission from Thai government agencies to work in Thailand (Smart Visa only)

(f) Thai nationals with certificate of entry to the Kingdom issued by Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate in their country of residence certifying that they are Thais returning to Thailand, and a Fit to Fly Health Certificate.
2. The persons in (d) (e) and (f) must have Fit to Fly Health Certificate issued no more than 72 hours before traveling.
3. Passengers or persons permitted to enter Thailand shall strictly comply with disease prevention measures imposed by the government.
4. The immigration officers have the power to deny the entry of Non-Thai nationals who have been tested positive for COVID- 19, or under the suspicion of being infected or who refuse to undergo such test.
5. All previous Notifications of CAAT become ineffective.

With limited exception, the vast majority of foreigners are not going to be permitted to enter Thailand in the upcoming weeks. The vast majority of those who are permitted to enter the Kingdom are likely to be Thai Work Permit holders. Bearing that in mind, it is notable that foreign nationals in Thailand maintaining work permit as well as Thai business visa status are likely to find unforeseen issues in renewing their work permits in coming months. This will likely be due to the unintended consequences of all of the lay-offs, furloughs, terminations, and voluntary reductions of work hours for Thai employees working in the Thai business sector.

In order to maintain a Thai work permit and business visa it is required that a Thai company maintain a 4-to-1 ratio of Thai employees to foreign employees. For those foreigners using a Thai marriage visa as a platform for maintaining lawful status in Thailand as well as employment authorization the ratio of Thai employees to foreign employees is 2:1. With this in mind, the small business sector of Thailand is likely to see a significant contraction of its workforce in the second and third quarter of 2020. As Thai employees are furloughed, terminated, or resign (sometimes in order to be eligible for newly created Thai unemployment benefits) it is likely that this will have a direct impact upon the Thai/Foreign employee ratio. If the ratio of Thai to Foreign employees is not maintained within a Thai business organization, then an application for a Thai business visa extension or Thai work permit renewal may prove impossible. Therefore, those businesses, small and large, employing foreigners in Thailand should keep a sharp eye on their labor force if they wish to maintain their foreign employees’ lawful status. This can be an especially acute issue for self-employed foreign nationals in Thailand who are using their Thai limited company as a platform to maintain their status. Those in the precarious position are strongly encouraged to seek the advice and counsel of legal professionals experiences in Thai corporate compliance, accounting, staffing, immigration, and labor issues

Tags: 2 thai employees, 4 thai employees, 8 thai employees, accounting, Business in Thailand, Business Visa Thailand, company in Thailand, Company Thailand, coronaviurs, corporate compliance thailand, COVID, covid-19, covid19, covid19 thailand, employees thailand, immigration, labor, Marriage Visa Thailand, staffing, Thai Business Visa, Thai Company, Thai corporate compliance, thai employee, thai employees, Thai Marriage Visa, Thai Work Permit, Thailand Business, Thailand Business Visa, Thailand company, thailand employee, thailand employees, Thailand Marriage Visa, Thailand Work Permit, Work Permit, work permit extension, work permit renewal, work permit Thailand
Posted in Thailand Business | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that there are new penalties associated with violation of the laws and rules regarding foreign nationals working in Thailand as set forth by the Thai Ministry of Labor. Specifically on June 22 of 2017 an Emergency Decree was promulgated stipulating some new rules and new penalties associated with both new and old regulations. Please see below for a distilled translated summary of the important points noted in this recent decree:

1. Should an employer employ a foreign national to work in a position specifically restricted to Thai nationals, such employer shall be fined between 400,000 and 800,000 Baht per employed foreign national.
2. Should an employer allow a foreign national to work outside the scope of the employment specifically noted in the work permit they shall be fined no more than 400,000 Baht for each employed foreign national.
3. Should a foreign national work without first obtaining a work permit or work in a position specifically restricted to Thai nationals, they may be subject to imprisonment of no more than five years and/or fined between 2,000-100,000 Baht, or both.
4. Should a foreign national work on a matter which is deemed immediate and important and do so without acknowledgment of a Labour Ministry officer by receiving form WP-10, they may be fined not more than 100,000 Baht.
5. Should a foreign national work outside the scope of the job description set forth in the work permit, they may imprisoned not more than 6 months and/or fined not more than 100,000 Baht, or both.
6. If an individual, through deceptive means, explicitly or implicitly advertises that they are able to bring a foreign national to work in Thailand in a dmestic capacity without a work permit, they may be imprisoned 3-10 years and/or fined 600,000-1,000,000 Baht, or both.
7. Anyone found operating as a foreign job placement agency without a proper license shall be subject to possible imprisonment for 1-3 years and/or fines ebtween 200,000-600,000 Baht, or both.
8. There appears to be a deposit/pre-authorization requirement being imposed by this decree, but the implications of this section are somewhat unclear. We will update this posting or post again to provide clarification on this point if necessary.

It should be noted that the above summary and translation is for informational purposes only and should be viewed as neither exhaustive nor as a substitute for fully analyzed legal research and translation. Those interested in delving further into this topic are urged to view the full decree in its entirety by following this link provided by the official wesbite of the Royal Thai Gazette.

As has been noted, in recent weeks and months there has been increased scrutiny from the Royal Thai Immigration Police with respect to Thai business visa applicants in the form of surprise inspections. This recent announcement regarding heightened penalties associated with imporperly obtained Thai work permits leads this blogger to infer that heightened scrutiny and possible inspections could be imposed upon foreign nationals working in Thailand in the relatively near future.

Tags: Corporate Services, Thai Business, Thai Company, Thai Visa, Thai Work Permit, Thailand Business, Thailand Business Registration, Thailand company, Thailand company registration, Thailand Work Permit, Work Permit, Working in Thailand, WP1, WP10, WP3
Posted in Thailand Work Permit | No Comments »

In a recent article in the Bangkok Post it was reported that the current government in Thailand is taking measures to foster growth for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand. It would appear that the present government is eager to provide encouragement for small and medium sized businesses in Thailand. Furthermore it seems as though Thai officials are attempting to position the country as a location of choice for small business start-ups within the greater framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). However, of particular interest to this blogger was the mention of possible rule changes with regard to Thai corporate regulations pertaining to Thai Company registration and the shareholdings thereof. To quote the aforementioned article directly:

Mr Pongpun said the authorities were improving regulations on the incorporation of private companies to allow the incorporation of a juristic person registered by only one person.

At present, corporations (also referred to as juristic persons) in Thailand must have a minimum of three (3) shareholders in order to incorporate under Thai law. It should be noted that prior to an amendment to Thai corporate law at approximately the turn of the century it was required that all companies registered in Thailand have a minimum of 7 shareholders in order to incorporate pursuant to Thai law. Many at the time felt that the 7 shareholders requirement was too cumbersome and for that reason the statutorily required number of shareholders was reduced to 3. Since then, there have been those who have noted their belief that allowing Thai corporate structures with only one shareholder would bring Thai corporate law more in line with similar bodies of law globally. For example, in many American jurisdictions Limited Liability Companies or LLCs are only required to have one member/shareholder, while similar Limited Company (Ltd.) structures are allowed in Britain and the Commonwealth nations and many European jurisdictions allow for similar corporate structures as well.

It remains to be seen whether Thai corporate law will be amended to allow for single shareholder corporations in Thailand. It is a good sign that such structures are being considered by Thai officials especially since such structures would be especially beneficial to small business owners in Thailand. Of special note to American readers, pursuant to the provisions of the US-Thai Treaty of Amity it is possible for American Citizens to own 100% of an Amity company registered in Thailand. Should the aforementioned changes take place it could result in Americans being able to own their small business singularly without any Thai shareholders.

Tags: Amity Company, Amity Treaty Company, Business Registration Thailand, Company Registration Thailand, juristic person Thailand, Limited Company Thailand, Limited Liability Company Thailand, LLC Thailand, Ltd., Small Medium Sized Business, SME, Thai Business Registration, Thai Company, Thai Company Registration, Thai Corporate Law, Thai juristic person, Thai Limited Company, Thai Limited Liability Company, Thai LLC, Thai SMEs, Thailand Amity Company, Thailand Business Registration, Thailand company, Thailand company registration, Thailand Corporate Law, Thailand juristic person, Thailand limited company, Thailand SMEs, Treaty of Amity, US-Thai Treaty of Amity
Posted in Amity Treaty, Thailand Business, Thailand company, Thailand Legal News | No Comments »

For many the idea of setting up a business in Thailand is desirable if for no other reason than the thought of waking up and going to work every morning in one of the most idyllic countries in the world. In the past, many foreign owned businesses in Thailand were structured in such a way that they avoided some of the more stringent provisions of the Thai Foreign Business Act. In most cases Thai nominee shareholders were used to own the majority of a Thai company thereby ensuring that the company was considered “Thai” for purposes of the Act. However, this practice became illegal pursuant to section 36 of the currently enforced version of the Foreign Business Act as quoted below:

“A Thai national or a juristic person, not being a foreigner under this Act, who assists in or aids and abets or participates in the operation of a foreigner’s business specified in the Lists annexed hereto where such foreigner is not permitted to operate that business or who operates the business jointly with a foreigner in the manner holding it out as the former’s sole business or who acts as a foreigner’s nominee in holding shares in a partnership or a limited company or any juristic person with a view to enabling the foreigner to operate the business in circumvention or violation of the provisions of this Act, or a foreigner who allows such act to be committed by a Thai national or a juristic person that is not a foreigner under this Act, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to a fine of one hundred thousand Baht to one million Baht or to both, and the Court shall order the cessation of the assistance or the aiding and abetting or order the cessation of the joint operation of the business or order the cessation of shareholding or partnership, as the case maybe. In the case of violation of the order of the Court, the violator shall be liable to a fine at the daily rate of ten thousand Baht to fifty thousand Baht throughout the period of the violation.”

Notwithstanding the fact that the use of Thai nominees is illegal, the practice persists. This fact was recently noted in a Bangkok Post article on the topic. However, in some cases discerning whether a company is utilizing nominees or simply structuring itself in such a way so as to provide security to foreign shareholders can be difficult. Therefore, when structuring a company in Thailand it is often prudent to seek the advice of competent legal advisers to in order to ensure that one’s business practices comport with relevant laws and regulations.

Tags: Company Nominees Thailand, Foreign Business Act Thailand, Nominees in Thailand, Thai Company, Thai FBA, Thai Nominee, Thai Nominee Shareholders, Thai Nominees, Thailand company, Thailand Nominee Shareholders
Posted in Thailand Business | 1 Comment »

Many people living in Thailand establish corporate entities in order to conduct business in the Kingdom. This is no different for foreign nationals wishing to do business in Thailand. In the past, it was relatively easy for foreign nationals to set-up a Thai company. However, over the years the rules regarding corporate formation have grown increasingly complex as the business environment has evolved. At the same time, Thai officials have implemented policies which foster foreign investment (most notably recent regulations which have decreased the Thai corporate tax rate from 23% to 20%). All of these issues gain a new complexion when one considers the fact that as Thai laws regarding corporations have developed so too have the agreements creating the infrastructure which underlies the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In the past, Thai authorities did not, in general, heavily scrutinize Thai companies with all Thai shareholders, even such entities having a foreign director. In fact, there was a time when simply maintaining a majority of Thai shareholders provided a degree of protection against substantial official examination. Thai partnerships (both limited and ordinary) were also somewhat immune from significant governmental oversight even where a foreign partner controlled a stake the firm. However, it should be noted that pursuant to the provisions of the Thai Foreign Business Act virtually all Thai business entities with a foreign majority ownership structure have been required to obtain either a Foreign Business License, a Treaty Certificate pursuant to the provisions of the US-Thai Treaty of Amity, or some other form of documentation showing either licensure from the Ministry of Commerce pursuant to Thai law or exemption based upon a Free Trade Agreement.

As of January 2013, a new policy regarding newly established Thai companies came into effect. Thai companies with any foreign directors must now prove that the registered capital has been paid into the company by the relevant shareholders. This is even the case where the company is wholly owned by Thai nationals. Furthermore, where a foreign national maintains 50% (or more) interest in a Thai partnership evidence must be provided showing paid up capital in the enterprise. Registered capital has always been an issue for Thai authorities, but it would now appear that the rules regarding registered capital will be applied more stringently especially where there is a foreign director or partner involved in the Thai company or partnership.

As the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is set to come into existence in 2015 and based upon the fact that Thailand has signed various international agreements pertaining to international trade and foreign direct investment there are some who argue that the time is quickly coming when Thai regulation of foreign run businesses will be liberalized. Until that time comes, the rules imposed upon foreigners setting up businesses in Thailand are likely to be more strictly enforced compared to times past.

For related information please see: Thailand Business Registration.

Tags: Amity Treaty, Amity Treaty Company, ASEAN, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Business Registration Thailand, Registered Capital, Thai Business Incorporation, Thai Company, Thai Limited Partnership, Thai Partnerhip, Thailand Business, Thailand Business Incorporation, Thailand Business Registration, Thailand company, Thailand company registration, Thailand Limited Partnership, Thailand Partnership, Treaty of Amity, US-Thai Treaty of Amity
Posted in Amity Treaty, ASEAN Business, Thailand Business, Thailand company | No Comments »

In the Kingdom of Thailand there are many different types of business structures which can be utilized in order to legally operate pursuant to Thai law. In previous postings on this blog Thai limited partnerships as well as Thai ordinary partnerships and registered ordinary partnerships were discussed. Another type of business structure which is similar to a Thai partnership is known as a Joint Venture.

In the eyes of Thai jurisprudence the term “joint venture” has two meanings. The first definition of a joint venture is similar to an ordinary  partnership (also sometimes referred to as an unregistered ordinary partnership). However, a joint venture of this type must include at least one juristic person although the type of juristic person included in a joint venture may differ depending upon the unique circumstances of a given situation. Therefore, a joint venture could be the combination of a limited company and a natural person, a natural person and a limited partnership, two limited companies, or a limited partnership and a limited company. However, the aforementioned combinations are not an exhaustive list of all the combinations which could be devised to create a joint venture. Aside from requiring that this type of joint venture include a juristic person, the joint venture should also keep joint accounts and share profits (the division of profits is generally dictated in the terms of the jont venture agreement). Management responsibilities within a Thai joint venture are generally dictated by the terms of the joint venture agreement. The type of joint venture described above is taxed at the same rate as a juristic person, meaning that as of 2013 a Thai joint venture would be taxed at a rate of 20%. However, the profits gained from a joint venture by a juristic person domiciled in Thailand are not subject to further taxation. Those participants in a joint venture which are not domiciled in Thailand and therefore receive their profits outside of the country are subject to a 10% witholding tax on their portion of the profits.

The other type of joint venture which may be utilized by those wishing to jointly undertake business in the Kingdom of Thailand looks more like a Thai Limited Company. Essentially, this type of joint venture is created when two (or more) companies decide to create a third Thai company which would act as the vehicle for the joint venture in Thailand. These types of structures may vary widely in terms of management, percentage of ownership, and taxation depending upon the unique circumstances of the parties involved and the agreements made with regard to the aforementioned issues. Therefore, those seeking further information on this type of structure are well advised to contact a legal professional in Thailand in order to ascertain details about a prospective joint venture.

For related information please see: Tax Registration Thailand.

Tags: Domicile Thailand, Joint Venture, Joint Venture Thailand, juristic person, juristic person Thailand, JV, Limited Partnership Thailand, Ordinary Partnership, Registered Ordinary Partnership, registered ordinary partnerships, Tax Registration, Thai Company, Thai Domicile, Thai Joint Venture, Thai juristic person, Thai JV, Thai Limited Company, Thai Limited Partnership, Thai Limited Partnerships, Thai Ordinary Partnership, Thai Registered Ordinary Partnership, Thai Registered Ordinary Partnerships, Thai Tax, Thai Taxes, Thai unregistered ordinary partnership, Thai unregistered partnership, Thailand company, Thailand Domicile, Thailand Joint Venture, Thailand juristic person, Thailand JV, Thailand Limited Partnerships, Thailand Registered Ordinary Partnership, Thailand registered ordinary partnerships, Thailand Tax, Thailand taxes, Thailand unregistered ordinary partnership, Thailand unregistered partnership, unregistered ordinary partnership
Posted in Thailand Business | No Comments »

As the world economy continues to re-stratify in ways that have not been predictable, it recently came to this blogger’s attention that recent shareholder voting activity at a local Thai bottling company may have placed the soft drink giant Pepsi upon something of a “back foot”. To quote directly from the official website of Reuters, Reuters.com:

BANGKOK, April 29 (Reuters) – Shareholders in PepsiCo Inc’s Thai bottler, Serm Suk Pcl , voted on Friday to terminate its contracts with the U.S. soft drink maker after more than half a century in business together.

The move means the U.S. giant will have to find other partners to tap growth in the Southeast Asian country of 67 million people. It had no immediate comment.

From an American’s perspective as an observer in the Kingdom of Thailand the re-stratification mentioned above can be best observed by the increasing importance of regional organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Concurrently, American companies doing business in Thailand and Greater Asia are finding that some jurisdictions have different rules regarding corporate governance when compared to the United States. To continue quoting further from the aforementioned article:

About 99.41 percent of shareholders voted to end the business with PepsiCo. PepsiCo, maker of Pepsi-Cola, Sierra Mist and Tropicana juice, owns 41.54 percent of Serm Suk through Pepsi-Cola (Thai)Trading and Seven-Up Nederland BV. It remains unclear what it will do with this stake.

The administration of this web log recommends readers click upon the hyperlinks above to read further about this story in detail.

It is interesting to note that shareholder voting rights can have a tremendous impact upon the governance of a corporation in Thailand as a Thai Company may be governed by Thai corporate law which can be substantially different in many ways to U.S. law on the same subject matter. For American readers, it should be noted that there may be benefits to be had for US companies in Thailand pursuant to the provisions of the US-Thai Treaty of Amity. That stated, although Amity Treaty Companies may be of benefit to some endeavors not all business activity can be undertaken pursuant to this Treaty. Therefore, those interested in further information on this subject may be best informed by contacting a Thai lawyer.

The ramifications of the shareholder vote noted above may be felt not only by Pepsi, but by others in the soft drink business in the Kingdom of Thailand and Greater Southeast Asia. To quote directly from a recent article entitled SSC Seals Pepsi Divorce from the Business section of the Bangkok Post‘s official website BangkokPost.com:

The transition period could create opportunities for rival Coke and new players such as the fast-rising Peruvian brand Big Cola to steal market share from Pepsi. Thailand has long been one of only a handful of cola markets in the world where Pepsi outsells Coke.

The administration of this web log strongly recommends that readers interested in these topics click upon the hyperlinks above to read further from this insightful article in order to gain insight and perspective on this story and the possible ramifications thereof.

Clearly the reverberations of the recent corporate vote could accrue to the benefit of Pepsi’s competitors within the Thai market. This blogger, simply as a consumer, has noticed what appears to be some increasing popularity for Big Cola mentioned above. This recent popularity may not necessarily mean that this soft drink will take Pepsi’s place as the number one soft drink in Thailand, but the whole incident may go to show the way in which the local Thai soft drink market is beginning to show an increasing taste for novelty. This trend toward novelty is increasingly palpable across much of the Thai economy as consumers are presented with increasing purchasing choices in the Kingdom. Meanwhile, it could be argued that the biggest beneficiary of the recent vote is Pepsi’s major international rival Coca-Cola which might pick up further market share as a result of a possible Pepsi decline.

For related information please see: business in China or US Company Registration.

Tags: ASEAN, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Big Cola, Business in Thailand, Coca-Cola, Limited Company Thailand, Pepsi-Cola, PepsiCo Inc, Serm Suk Pcl, Seven-Up, Thai Company, Thai Lawyer, Thai Shareholder Voting Rights, Thailand company, Thailand Corporate Law, US Company Registration, US-Thai Treaty of Amity
Posted in American Business, ASEAN Business, Editorial, Opinion, Thailand Business | No Comments »

Over the years this blogger has seen large numbers of tourists flock to the Kingdom of Thailand as well as the neighboring nations of Laos, the Union of Myanmar (referred to by some as Burma), Malaysia, and the Kingdom of Cambodia. At the same time, this blogger has also witnessed the metamorphosis of some of these tourists into entrepreneurs by remaining in some of these countries (as well as other jurisdictions in Greater Asia such as Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Nepal, Macau, India, and Sri Lanka; to name only a few) in a business context for many years and; for some, even decades or a whole lifetime. Whatever the circumstances of those Americans Resident Abroad remaining in the region of economies increasingly being labeled by both the mainstream and alternative media outlets by their affiliation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) one thing is clear: the economies of Asia are set to expand at an incredible rate by relative historical comparison. Therefore, it stands to reason that there are likely to be more Americans doing business in these jurisdictions. This state of affairs is occurring at a time when the potential of the internet and the World Wide Web first noted little more than a decade ago is beginning to become fully realized by businesses large and small. As e-commerce becomes an evermore ubiquitous facet of virtually every enterprise’s business strategy it is becoming more clear that many business functions are increasingly being performed by businesses of all sizes online and, in some cases, these businesses are even being maintained from an entrepreneur’s home.

This phenomenon is interesting for this blogger to note from the perspective of an American who is resident in Bangkok, Thailand as the Thai shop-house business model of maintaining a residence and business premises within close proximity has lead to a thriving small business community in the vast metropolis that is Greater Bangkok. This thriving business community, coupled with many of the other positive factors associated with doing business in Thailand, has lead to a vibrant economy that remains conducive to further foreign investment by entrepreneurs and businesses seeking to derive economic benefits both in Thailand and throughout the Asian markets. Of possible importance to Americans resident abroad or those thinking of residing abroad are the issues noted above as well as those associated with ownership of Thai property or Thai real estate especially in the form of a Thai Condominium.

In Thailand, as well as throughout many jurisdictions in Asia, there are restrictions placed upon foreign ownership of real estate. Although there are provisions allowing for foreign ownership of Thai property in many cases it is difficult, if not impossible, for a foreign national to secure freehold title (referred to as Chanote title in Thailand) in Thai real property such as land. However, it may be possible for a foreign national in Thailand, such as an American Citizen, to conveniently secure freehold title to a Thai Condo if the provisions of various laws and regulations on this issue, such as the Thai Condominium Act, are adhered to. Meanwhile, a foreign national who owns a Condo in Thailand may be qualified to receive a Foreign House Registration Booklet (referred to as a Tabien Baan for Thais or a Foreign Tabien Baan, or Yellow Tabien Baan for foreign nationals). Taking the aforementioned factors into consideration, in conjunction with the fact that for American Citizens and American Companies in Thailand there may be benefits pursuant to the provisions of various legal instruments such as the US-Thai Treaty of Amity which may provide the privilege of virtually 100% ownership of a Company in Thailand with “National Treatment” for certain business undertakings, one is left with little doubt that there are tangible legal benefits which could be accrued to the favor of Americans resident in Thailand conducting business in the ASEAN region as well as the regions of Greater Asia. Therefore,  investing in what this blogger would refer to as a “Thai Pad” (which non-literally alludes to the IPad-like gadgets allowing for increasingly easy real time access to the internet as well as the exponentially beneficial combination of privileges accruing to owners of Thai property registered on a Yellow Tabien Baan in conjunction with the advantages which may be had for Americans resident abroad utilizing a Thai company certified under the US-Thai Amity Treaty) could prove to have been prudent by future analysts in both tangible as well as intangible terms.

For related information please see: US Company Registration.

Tags: American Resident Abroad, Americans Resident Abroad, Amity Treaty Thailand, ASEAN, ASEAN Business, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Business in ASEAN, company in Thailand, Condo in Thailand, IPad, Thai Company, Thai Condo, Thai Condominium, Thai Pad, Thai Property, Thai Real Estate, Thailand Business, Thailand Business Law, Thailand company, Thailand Condo, Thailand Condo Law, Thailand Condo Lawyer, Thailand Condominium, Thailand Property, Thailand Property Title, Thailand Real Estate, Thailand Real Estate Title, US Citizen Resident Abroad, US-Thai Treaty of Amity
Posted in American Business, Amity Treaty, ASEAN Business, Cambodia Business, China Business, Ecommerce, Laos Business, Myanmar (Burma) Business, Thailand Business, Thailand company, Thailand Condo, Thailand Property, Thailand Real Estate, Thailand Work Permit, US Business, US Company Registration, US LLC, US Taxes | No Comments »

The administration of this blog recently noticed an article from the Reuters news agency in which the Chief Executive Officer of General Electric was commenting upon the economic situation in China and how this impacts the relationship between the United States of America and Peoples’ Republic of China in both the economic and political spheres. To quote directly from the Reuters News Service:

(Reuters) – For Jeff Immelt, the CEO of General Electric (GE.N), the 130 year-old American industrial behemoth, the financial crisis marked the end of the age of America’s economic dominance.

This blogger has noticed that there seems to be a level of pessimism regarding the American economy. Although it is currently going through economic turbulence, and has been for a while, the US economy, in this blogger’s opinion; remains one of best countries in the world for trade and economic activity. Those doing business in the USA may enjoy the benefits that come from the American financial, economic, and physical infrastructure. Hopefully, the optimism for which America has, in the past, been noted for will return once the economy returns to an “even keel”. Reuters continues:

But Mr. Immelt said the future will be different. For the next 25 years, he said, the American consumer “is not going to be the engine of global growth. It is going to be the billion people joining the middle class in Asia, it is going to be what the resource-rich countries do with their newfound wealth of high oil prices. That’s the game.”

A lot of that game will be played in China. At a moment when it is compulsory on the American right to pay homage to the exceptionalism of the United States, Mr. Immelt, a lifelong Republican, is matter-of-fact about China’s inevitable rise.

The interesting piece of information that this blogger noted in the aforementioned article was the fact that the G.E. CEO took notice of the fact that the middle class is growing rapidly in Asia. The thought of an Asian middle class numbering 1 billion or more is truly staggering when one takes into account the economic impact of such growth. As Asians in general become more affluent the side effects will likely be increased trade and economic activity as these newly minted members of the middle class use their new found wealth to make purchases of property, goods, and services (in Asia, the EU, UK, and the United States). The most poignant line of this Reuters article, in this blogger’s opinion was:

“It is going to be the biggest economy in the world,” Mr. Immelt said of China. “The only question is when.”

There is little doubt that China has an incredible capacity for growth and those looking international investment or business opportunities are well advised to research the Chinese market. That said, China does not represent the only country in Asia which has economic opportunities that are becoming more readily available to investors and entrepreneurs due to globalization. The Kingdom of Thailand, a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has investment opportunities in the form of Thai Property, Thai Real Estate, and Thai businesses. Furthermore, for Americans conducting business in Thailand can prove profitable especially since the US-Thai Treaty of Amity allows Americans to own virtually 100% of a Thai Company with Amity Treaty certification (sometimes referred to as an Amity Company).

Meanwhile, the landlocked country of Laos recently opened a Lao Securities Exchange in an effort to raise capital through equity investment. The Kingdom of Cambodia recently announced that a Cambodian Stock Exchange is to be unveiled in mid-2011 while recent reports have noted that Burmese officials hope to be in the process of creating a Myanmar Stock Exchange as well. Such developments remain to be fully realized, but such examples clearly indicate that Mainland China is not the only “game in town” when it comes to investment opportunities and economic growth in Asia.

For related information please see: US Company Registration.

Tags: American Amity Treaty, American Amity Treaty Thailand, Amity Company, Amity Treaty Company, Burma Stock Exchange, Cambodia Business, Cambodia Securities Exchange, Cambodia Stock Exchange, China Business, China Economic Growth, G.E. CEO, General Electric, Jeff Immelt, Lao Securities Exchange, Lao Stock Exchange, Laos Business, Myanmar Securities Exchange, Myanmar Stock Exchange, Thai Company, Thailand Business, Thailand company, US Amity Treaty Thailand, US-Thai Treaty of Amity
Posted in Amity Treaty, Cambodia Business, China Business, Laos Business, Myanmar (Burma) Business, News, Opinion, Thailand Business, Thailand company, Thailand Property, Thailand Real Estate, US Business, US Company Registration | 1 Comment »

เมื่อเร็วๆนี้ผู้เขียนเห็นว่า มีสิ่งที่น่าสนใจอย่างหนึ่งคือ คอมเพล็กซ์การค้าแห่งใหม่ถูกจัดตั้งขึ้นในกรุงเทพฯเพื่อเอื้อต่อการค้าของจีนในประเทศไทยและภูมิภาคเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ อ้างโดยตรงจากเว็บไซต์ของวอยซ์ออฟอเมริกา (Voice of America News)

สื่อของจีนกล่าวว่า การทำงานจะเริ่มต้นในเดือนนี้ในคอมเพล็กซ์ที่กรุงเทพฯซึ่งผู้ผลิตของจีนสามารถที่จะส่งออกสินค้าได้

หนังสือพิมพ์ประจำวันของจีนกล่าวเมื่วันพฤหัสบดีว่า คอมเล็กซ์ซิตี้จีนนี้มีมูลค่า 1.5 พันล้านบาทและมีพื้นที่เกือบจะ สามในสี่ตารางกิโลเมตร ผู้ผลิตจีนสามารถที่จะนำเข้าสินค้ายังประเทศไทย ได้รับผลประโยชน์จากการตกลงการค้าใหม่นี้ และส่งสินค้าไปยังสหรัฐอเมริกาและยุโรปปภายใต้สิทธิประโยชน์ทางโควต้าและภาษี

เป็นเรื่องที่นน่าสนใจว่า จีนนั้นกลายเป็นประเทศที่มีเศรษฐกิจจใหญ่ที่สุดเป็นอันดับสองของโลกในปี 2010 แผนงานนี้มีแนวโน้มที่จะส่งผลที่จะเพิ่มความสัมพันธ์ทางด้านเศรษฐกิจระหว่างจีนและประเทศไทยมากขึ้น วอยซ์ออฟอเมริกาเขียนในเว็บไซต์ดังนี้

จีนกำลังใช้แผนงานการค้าและการพาณิชย์ในการพัฒนาการทูตและยุทธศาสตร์ต่างๆในเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงพาณิชย์ อลงกรณ์ พลบุตร ถูกอ้างในหนังสือพิมพ์ประจำวันของจีนว่า คอมเพล็กซ์ซิตี้จีนนั้นสร้างความสัมพันธ์ทางเศรษฐกิจที่ดีในลักษณะพันธมิตรทางธุรกิจไทยและจีน

สัญญาการค้าเสรีของจีนกับประเทศสมาชิกในประชาคมเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ได้ข้อสรุปแล้วเมื่อปีที่ผ่านมา

นอกจากเรื่องทางการทูตและยุทธศาสตร์แล้ว แผนงานนี้จะช่วยส่งผลต่อสิทธิประโยชน์ทางเศรษฐกิจมากมายแก่ประเทศในกลุ่มอาเซียน (ประชาคมเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้)โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่งประเทศไทย แผนงานด้านการการพาณิชย์ที่ได้นำเสนอไปนั้นมีแนวโน้มที่จะช่วยสร้างโอกาสในการทำงานให้แก่คนไทยในแถบกรุงเทพฯ สร้างโอกาสทางธุรกิจแก่นักลงทุนไทย สร้างโอกาสทางการค้าแก่คนไทย จีน และนักลงทุนชาวต่างชาติและเป็นการเพิ่มการหมุนเวียนสินค้า เงินทุน แรงงานและทรัพยากรแก่ประเทศไทยและภูมิภาคอาเซียน

ในแต่ละปี บริษัทต่างชาติและผู้ที่สนใจเลือกที่จะลงทุนทำธุรกิจในประเทศไทย ในบางกรณี นักลงทุนที่รวมกลุ่มกับบริษัทไทยนั้นเพื่อที่จะจำกัดความรับผิดในการทำธุรกิจ ในบางครั้งหลายๆคนเลือกที่จะทำธุรกิจแบบกิจการเจ้าของคนเดียว ห้างหุ้นส่วนนั้นช่วยเพิ่มระดับของการจำกัดความรับผิดร่วมกันตามจำนวนสมาชิกของห้างหุ้นส่วนจำกัดในประเทศไทย ความเสี่ยงที่มากขึ้นทางธุรกิจในประเทศไทยบางครั้งเลือกที่จะจดทะเบียนเป็นบริษัทมหาชน ในบางกรณีผู้ที่ต้องการจะลงทุน หรือทำธุรกิจในประเทศไทยควรที่จะติดต่อสำนักงานกฎหมายเพื่อที่จะขอคำแนะนำและปรึกษาเกี่ยวกับหลักเกณฑ์ในกฎหมายไทยที่จะเป็นประโยชน์ต่อธุรกิจให้เป็นที่ปรากฏในตลาดประเทศไทย ชาวต่างชาติที่ทำงานในประเทศไทยนั้นต้องคำนึงถึงว่า ประเทศไทยต้องมีใบอนุญาตการทำงานจึงจะถูกต้องตามกฎหมายไทย

ประเด็นที่เกี่ยวข้องกับข้อสงสัยเรื่องทรัพย์สินของไทยหรืออสังหาริมทรัพย์ของไทยภายในบริบทของธุรกรรมทางธุรกิจหลายเขตอำนาจศาลนั้นเป็นเรื่องที่ซับซ้อนและมีหลากหลายแง่มุม ด้วยเหตุผลนี้เอง ชาวต่างชาติหรือบริษัทต่างชาติที่ดำเนินธุรกิจในประเทศไทยควรที่จะใช้บริการของบริษัทที่จะให้ความช่วยเหลือในด้านทรัพย์สินในประเทศไทยในการตัดสินใจรื่องที่เพิกถอนไม่ได้ในประเด็นของอสังหาริมทรัพย์และทรัพย์สินในประเทศไทย

To view this post in English please see: Thai Company.

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