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bucksfun
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Following my last visit to LOS I am seriously thinking of trying to relocate myself out there permanently (or as permanently as the thai govt seem to allow). ÝI don't want to rush into this and am considering several options.
I am an MBA graduate and currently have a small consulting company in the UK offering general management consultancy to medium and larger businesses, a particular speciality of mine is understanding cross cultural differences and recommending mitigation and resolution strategies.
My UK business is currently based around a single large client who may or may not wish to dispense with my services at any time, but I am reluctant to consider making a permanent move whilst this contract is in force, since it pays very well.
My thinking is that I could start to try to build up business in thailand gradually whilst based in the UK, by making regular trips, finding a local secretatrial/bureau service, advertising etc. ÝA major advantage of this is that i can then pay for the costs of all my visits to LOS via the company and get significant tax relief on the cost of travel etc. here in the UK.
I also understand that my company can sponsor my visa and work permit application with the thai embassy in London, is this correct?
The management consulting market doesn't seem (from a limited analysis) to be particulalry well developed in thailand, so my assumption is that competition will not be as fierce as perhaps here in the UK, the flip side being, the difficulty in building relationships with potential clients.
I know that many regular contributors here are ex pats and wonder how they came to make the move? ÝI have considered just trying to find a job, but as I understand it pay rates are poor unless you can land an expat package.
I am also toying with the idea of buying a thai business but given that my assets are about to be diluted by my impending divorce could only spend around $100k, can any good sustainable (and ideally lucrative) business be bought for this amount.
All suggestions appreciated.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 2:46 pm on June 16, 2003
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Kryptonite
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My opinion is that you better get the idea of finding something highly lucrative in Thailand out of your mind. If you only got $100K to invest, that's the bare minimum capital needed to get one person a work VISA.
You have no clue on how the business structures work here in Thailand. What would you be able to offer Thai based companies? Can you negotiate bribes and kick backs under the table with the government? Do you speak Thai?
I don't mean to be pissing on your cornflakes, but you will need alot more money than that to make any money in Thailand. Your business would be virtually useless here unless you can speak Thai.
Stay where you are at, save some more money, and retire here early. This will save you alot of grief. 
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 8:06 pm on June 16, 2003
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Wide Spectrum
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I think the best option to start with is finding a foreign company that needs your services in Thailand...ie you will get an expat package.
Building up your own consulting business is at best an endless uphill struggle in Thailand and no Thai company would ever pay you "western rates" for your services - provided they would even consider using your services. In Thai cultures such kind of services are usually done among well trusted friends or between people converting some sort of "I O U" but there will be no payments involved. Even the concept of paying for a project feasibility study before an investment is done is a big no no for most Thai companies. They rather spend that money directly on some higher ranking bank or other officers that will then close their eyes and ears and allow the project to go ahead without a proper study and with allowing an over-invoicing so that some key people involved can get very rich.
They are certainly afraid that a straight forward professional western approach to business will discover things that no one here wants to be discovered and this approach will prevent deals being done the "Thai way".
If the company that hires you is registered in Thailand or is even approved by the BOI then getting your work permit is straightforward. I wouldn't recommend trying to arrange sponsorships from a foreign company applying at the Thai embassy - complicated and very time consuming and frustrating. If you want to work with your own company better start out here on a tourist visa and get used to the monthly or three-monthly "visa run" that is common practice for many expats.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:18 pm on June 16, 2003
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eyeswideopen
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actually
I may be setting up a consulting company here over the next 6 months. ÝFalang (even those who don't speak thai) with some specialized skills are necessary if you want to compete for real western money contracts against Accenture etc. Ý
A thai consulting company with comparable experience and western educations still has issues getting the 100x more compensation that brings it up to real western rates without a wall of falang to give it a patina of serious competence.
Most expats actually have to know how to do stuff tho, build manufacturing/power plants, write complicated software etc. There is
not much use for mamby pamby "consultants" whose expertise is mostly world class ass kissing, trend chasing, and buzzword spouting gladhanding.
PM me if you are in the first group
and if you are in the second - enjoy your parasitic existence as long as you can in the UK before management shifts and they chuck your ass out on the street where it belonged the whole time.
WS
"They are certainly afraid that a straight forward professional western approach to business will discover things that no one here wants to be discovered and this approach will prevent deals being done the "Thai way". "
I've been meeting alot of Thais who are interested in getting stuff done and making money with modern techniques. ÝThe generalizations of back scratching and foot dragging are no doubt based in fact but there are some f_cking smart people running stuff here and if you can demonstrate positive ROI on something they can't do themselves they will pony up the cash. ÝWhy do you think that there are expats over here working for multinational consulting companies? ÝI agree that it's not easy and alot of firms have closed the Bangkok offices.
Yes, if you want an easy life there is no doubt that you should work at the post office and f_ck a fat hag in a cold depressing place for the rest of your life. ÝBut I think the risk is worth it to try something real here. Ý
My thinking may be different in a year when I stagger back to the west a puffy, broken, shell of a man.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 8:40 pm on June 16, 2003
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cmore
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<If you only got $100K to invest, that's the bare minimum capital needed to get one person a work VISA>
Brother Krypto are you possibly thinking 100K in Thai baht because I get the feeling that brother Buck is talking about 100K in pounds. I don't know how much that is in UK money but in USA money that's over 4 million baht. Sounds like a pretty good start to me. Peace
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 8:43 pm on June 16, 2003
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Kryptonite
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I thought he meant 100k USD which is 4 million baht....my mistake, it takes 2 million baht capital for a work VISA. But still, thats not alot of capital to start on.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 10:03 pm on June 16, 2003
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bucksfun
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I was actually thinking about 100k dollars or therabouts if I bought a business. ÝI have had a good look through the sunbelt asia site but can't help wondering why people would sell a good business, also I think it is important to stick to something you know something about if you want to do well, rather than just leap in and buy something for an "apparently" attractive price.
I could spend much more than this (say well over 100k sterling) but would in the process wipe out any contingency budget I would have, I would also consider financing to buy a more expensive business but I guess this could be difficult?
I understand that whatever I do will be nothing like as lucrative as work in the west, I guess my ideal would just to have a comparative standard of living rather than comparative pay per se, and also I have spent the last 10 years just spending ridiculous amounts of money on crap which I have now worked out (at 34 yo) doesnt really make me happy, so the cash side doesnt worry me as much as lifestyle benefits. ÝI kind of thought that if I could earn about 150k baht per month (a big if perhaps) that would equate to a reasonable standard of living and I could get some very valuable experience.
Anyway thanks for the positive responses so far, my initial query may have sounded naive but I am aware of a lot of potential drawbacks to moving, I would be really interested to hear how other brothers have made the move.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 5:27 am on June 17, 2003
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ducksnutz
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<I would be really interested to hear how other brothers have made the move. >
I came on a plane.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 6:07 am on June 17, 2003
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bucksfun
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Ducks
Thanks for your helpful insight. ÝI guess I left myself open to that. Ý
But seriously I am interested in hearing how other brothers have managed to relocate themself, to be more specific I am particularly interested in immigration and employment issues.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:03 am on June 18, 2003
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