Comment démarrer votre entreprise en Thaïlande.

            La Thaïlande est un bon endroit pour faire des affaires dans une économie de marché équitable, ouvert, et assez flexible. Si vous avez de réelles intentions de faire des affaires légitimes en Thaïlande, de créer une Entreprise, ce n’est pas très compliqué, surtout par rapport à de nombreux autres pays.

            En Thaïlande, la Constitution est la loi suprême ; ensuite viennent les codes de droits, puis les lois spécifiques, l’ensemble permettant de contrôler le fonctionnement de tout. Alors, avant de vous décider à faire des affaires en Thaïlande, vous devez vous référer à la législation pertinente de l’entreprise qui vous intéresse et la comprendre d’abord, et il est important de garder des preuves de tout ce que vous faites.

           Cette fois-ci, je vous suggère de comprendre le processus de création d’une entreprise, comment obtenir un permis de travail et un visa d’un an. Ce n’est pas un ensemble complet d’exigences, mais c’est un guide général pour que vous compreniez ce que vous devez faire.

1- Créer une Entreprise : 

 Remarques :
       a)- Il doit y avoir au moins 3 actionnaires :
            Soit un investisseur étranger avec 39% du capital
            Et deux investisseurs thaïlandais avec 61% du capital
            Dans le cas où l’investissement étranger est de 40%, mais n’excédant pas 50% du capital, l’investisseur étranger est signataire autorisé.
           Tous les actionnaires thaïlandais doivent présenter la preuve de l’origine des fonds du montant payé pour les actions ; ils doivent le justifier par :

• Une copie du livret de banque ou une copie des relevés bancaires des 6 derniers mois, ou
• Un certificat da la banque attestant du montant financé par l’actionnaire, ou
• Une copie des justificatifs indiquant l’origine des fonds pour payer la valeur des actions.

       b)- Après l’enregistrement de l’Entreprise, nous pouvons changer les proportions de l’investissement (investissement étranger 49% du capital et investissement thaïlandais 51% du capital) et l’étranger peut être signataire autorisé.

       c)- Avant de prendre la décision de choisir un Avocat pour créer votre Entreprise, vous devez savoir si le prix qu’il demande inclut ou non, tous les frais : ses honoraires, les frais du Service du Développement des Entreprises (DBD), la traduction des documents, la certification des actions de l’Entreprise, et en fait, un dossier complet certifié.

2- Obtenir un visa non-immigrant B : 

         Après avoir configuré votre Entreprise, nous devons préparer les documents pour demander votre Visa non-immigrant-B.

Il est possible de le demander dans votre pays d’origine ou à un consulat thaïlandais dans un pays voisin, à savoir, Kuala Lumpur (Visa pour 3 mois) ou Singapour (pour 1 an mais demandant d’avantage de documents et plus coûteux), ou Hong-Kong, etc…

3-Enregistrement au siège de la Sécurité Sociale : 

         Nous devons préparer les documents et faire une demande à la Caisse de Sécurité Sociale, car nous avons besoin de ces documents pour demander ensuite votre permis de travail.
         Dans le cas d’étrangers actionnaires, un agent de la Sécurité Sociale doit visiter les locaux de votre Entreprise, ce qui peut demander un mois ou plus. Mais les Avocats disposent d’un moyen légal pour échapper à ce délai.

4- Permis de travail : 

         Après avoir configuré votre Entreprise, obtenu votre visa non-immigrant B, nous devons demander votre permis de travail. Ensuite vous pourrez travailler légalement et votre Entreprise pourra vous rémunérer.  
         Nous devons préparer les documents pour demander un permis de travail au Département du Travail où vous irez ensuite le récupérer en personne car vous aurez à signer le livre, sous votre photo qui sera ensuite stratifiée avec votre signature.
         Obtenir le permis de travail et régler les questions de Visa, c’est la partie technique et juridique.

5- Extension du Visa en Thaïlande : 

         Une fois que vous aurez votre permis de travail, nous devrons préparer les documents pour demander, le cas échéant, une extension à un an de votre Visa et vous pourrez enfin exploiter votre Entreprise tranquillement.

Lawyer House Map

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Enforcement and Punishment Measures in Land Holding as an Agent for an Alien.

          If it appears the fact last that there is the treat of land holding as an agent for an alien, the measures to the land disposal and the offender punishment shall be enforced as follows;

 1)  Measures on land by enforcement to dispose of the land in accordance with legal procedures.

             Under Section 94 and 96 of the Land Code, stipulate the regulation when it appears that person who obtained the land as an agent for an alien or alien entity or alien who obtained the land illegitimately, he/she shall dispose of such land in the portion of his/her possession within the period of time specified by the Director-General of the Department of Lands which shall be not less than one hundred eighty days and not more than one year. The Director-General shall have the power to dispose of such land if time limit elapses.

2) Measures on individuals with criminal offense and to be punished in accordance with laws.

In the case of applying for land registration as an agent for an alien, there will be a criminal offense as follows;

2.1 Offenses against the Criminal Code Section 267 due to information the competent official to recode false statement in the official documents shall be subject to punishment with an imprisonment of not exceeding three years or a fine of not exceeding 6,000 Baht or both.

2.2   Offenses against the Land Code. The alien who commits the offenses under the Land Code Section 111, due to the acquisition of land illegitimately; shall be subject to punishment with a fine of not exceeding 20,000 Baht or an imprisonment of not exceeding two years or both. Juristic person who commits the offense under the Land Code Section 112, or Section 113  in case of Thai people; due to the acquisition of land as the agent for an alien or alien entity shall be subject to punishment with a fine of not exceeding 20,000 Baht or imprisonment of not exceeding two years or both.

ผลงานนี้ ใช้สัญญาอนุญาตของครีเอทีฟคอมมอนส์แบบ แสดงที่มา 3.0 ประเทศไทย.

Application for Acquisition of Land or Condominium Unit by Aliens and Persons Connected with Aliens.

           1. Application by Aliens for Acquisition of Land Nowadays, an alien may apply for acquisition of land in Thailand in three cases as follows:

1.1 Receiving inheritance as a statutory heir under section 93 of the Land Code, in this instance, the total area including the land which has already been acquired (or has not yet been acquired) shall not exceed that specified in section 87 of the Land Code, i.e. not more than 1 rai   for a residential purpose;

1.2  Bringing the money into the Kingdom for investment to the amount as prescribed in the Ministerial Regulation, which shall be not less than Baht forty million.  In this instance, the land to be acquired must be for a residential purpose and must be of not more than 1 rai  in area, provided also that permission must be obtained from the Minister.  Under section 96 bis of the Land Code, the application for such acquisition of land shall be in accordance with rules, procedures and conditions prescribed in the Ministerial Regulation.

1.3  Applying for acquisition of land under other laws such as the Promotion of Investment Act, B.E. 2520 (1977), the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand Act, B.E. 2522 (1979), the Petroleum Act, B.E. 2514 (1971).  Detailed Information regarding the Promotion of Investment Act and the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand Act can be obtained from the Board of Investment (BOI) at tel.   + 66-2537-8111 and from the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand at tel.   +66-2253-0561 respectively.

             2. Application by Aliens for Ownership in a Condominium Unit

                 An alien or a juristic person deemed by law as an alien may have ownership in a condominium unit in Thailand when 2 following conditions are satisfied.  In the absence of either condition, the alien is not permitted to have ownership in a condominium unit.

                 2.1 Being an alien or juristic person deemed by law to be an alien under section 19 of the Condominium Act in any of the following prescribed categories viz:

                        (1)  Being an alien permitted to have a residence in the Kingdom under the law on immigration, in this instance, the evidence required to be produced shall be a passport indicating the nationality of the alien, and the certificate of residence (either TM. 11, TM. 15 or TM. 17 Form, as the case may be) issued by the Immigration Division, National Bureau of the Royal Thai Police Force.  In the case of an alien who possesses an alien identification card issued by the Police Station in whose jurisdiction the alien is domiciled, such card can be used as evidence for the purpose of applying for acquisition of ownership in a condominium unit in this case without production of a passport;

                        (2)  Being an alien granted permission to enter into the Kingdom under the law on promotion of investment, in this instance, the evidence required to be produced shall be a passport indicating the nationality of the alien, and a letter of the Office of the Board of Investment certifying that the person is an alien granted permission to stay in Thailand under the law on promotion of investment;

                        (3)  Being a juristic person deemed by law to be an alien under section  97 and 98 of the Land Code and has been registered as a juristic person under the laws of Thailand, in this instance, the evidence required to be produced shall be the evidence indicating the registration as a juristic person under the laws of Thailand, i.e. a certificate issued by the corporate Registrar of Department of Commercial Registration, Ministry of Commerce must be produced in the case of a limited company, a public limited company, a limited partnership or a registered ordinary partnership;

                        (4)  Being a juristic person that is an alien under the Alien Business  Operation Act B.E. 2542 (1999) and that is granted a certificate of promotion of investment under the law on promotion of investment, in this instance, the evidence required to be produced shall be a letter of the Office of the Board of Investment certifying that the person is granted promotion of investment under the law on promotion of investment;

                        (5)  Being an alien or a juristic person deemed by law to be an alien, who brings a foreign currency into the Kingdom or withdraws the money from a non-resident Baht account or from a foreign currency account, the following evidence must be produced;

                 2.2  The ownership in condominium units by the alien and juristic person in 2.1 shall not be in a higher proportion than forty nine percent of the total space of all units in that condominium at the time of the application for condominium registration under section 6 with the exceptions that:    

                        a. A condominium in which the condominium units are to be owned by the alien and/or the juristic person specified in 2.1 in a higher proportion than forty nine percent must be located in the area of Bangkok Metropolis, municipality or the City of Pattaya and the land on which the condominium is situated shall not, when combined with the land provided for common use or benefit of all co-owners, be more than five rai in area.  Also, the condominium units in such condominium shall not be less than forty units and the condominium shall already be registered not less than one year prior to the date of application for the alien to own the condominium units in the proportion higher than forty nine percent, and such condominium shall not be situated in the area of military safety zone under the law on military safety zone.

                       b. It is provided in section 9 of  the Condominium Act (No. 3), B.E.2542 that at the expiration of five years as from the date of the entry into force of the Condominium Act (No. 3), B.E. 2542 (28th April 1999) the provisions as set forth in a. shall be repealed and the alien or juristic person having obtained the condominium units under a. or the alien or juristic person specified in 2.1 to whom the condominium units are transferred from the aforesaid alien or juristic person may continue to have ownership in such condominium units although in the higher proportion than forty nine percent of the total space of all units in that condominium.

            3.  Application for ownership in land by a Thai national who has an alien spouse or ex- spouse or by a Thai national who is a minor child of an alien

                   3.1  In the case where a Thai national who has an alien legitimate spouse applies for permission to purchase land or accept a transfer of land in a similar case during marriage or cohabitation as husband and wife with an alien, as the case may be, if after the inquiry the applicant and the alien spouse have given a joint written confirmation that the money which that Thai national will expend on the purchase of the land is wholly the separate property of that Thai national and not the community property or the jointly acquired property, the competent official will proceed with the registration of rights and juristic act.

                          In the case where a Thai national whose spouse is an alien intends to purchase land or condominium unit but fail to give a joint written confirmation to the competent official as the alien spouse is being abroad, in this instance, an alien spouse shall make the statement declaring in written at the Royal Thai Embassy, Royal Thai Consulate or Notary Public that the money which that Thai national will expend on the purchase of the land or condominium unit is wholly the separate property of that Thai national and not the community property or property which an alien spouse has co-ownership in it.  The competent official shall declare that the alien is an actual spouse of the Thai national and then submit to the competent land official who will proceed with the registration of rights and juristic act.

                          In the case where a Thai national whose spouse is an alien, after marriage, has already purchased or possessed the land and informed or submitted a false document declaring the married status of a Thai national as single or had not been married to an alien to the official prior to the date the letter of Ministry of Interior, most urgent no. MOI 0710/wor 792 dated 23 March 1999 was issued, or has already purchased or possessed the condominium unit after marriage and informed or submitted a false document declaring the married status of a Thai national as single or had not been married to an alien prior to the date the letter of the Department of Lands no.  MOI 0710/wor 34167 dated 6 October 2000 was issued, such alien spouse, whether legitimate or illegitimate, and a Thai national shall together give a joint written confirmation, which later to be filed in the case-list (or dealing package), to the competent official that the money which that Thai national will expend on the purchase of the land or the condominium unit is wholly the separate property of that Thai national and not the community property or jointly acquired property.  If an alien spouse is being abroad and not be able to come to give a joint written confirmation to the competent official, in this instance, the application shall be considered in accordance with the case that a spouse of a Thai national who intends to purchase land or a condominium unit is being aboard, then an applicant shall consign the statement, after completion, to the competent land official for filing in the case-list.

                  3.2  In the case where a Thai national who has an alien spouse, whether  legitimate or illegitimate, applies for permission to accept a gift of land during marriage or cohabitation as husband and wife.  If the inquiry reveals that the acceptance of the gift is made with the intention that the land will become the separate property or personal property of the donee without resulting in the alien having co-ownership in the land, the competent official will proceed with the registration of rights and juristic act.

                 3.3  In the case where a Thai national with an alien ex-spouse who is divorced or has ceased to cohabit or a Thai national who is a minor child of an alien applies for entering into a juristic act for the purpose of acquiring land, if an inquiry reveals no circumvention of law, the competent official will proceed with the registration of rights and juristic act.

            4.  Application for ownership in a condominium unit by a Thai national whose spouse or ex-spouse is an alien or by a Thai national who is a minor child of an alien

                4.1  In the case where a Thai national who has an alien spouse, whether legitimate or illegitimate, applies for permission to purchase or accept a transfer of ownership in a condominium unit with the intention that the property will become the separate property or personal property of the former, (for this purpose, it is deemed that a condominium unit is owned by a Thai national) or in the case where a Thai national with an alien ex-spouse who is divorced or has ceased to cohabit or where a Thai national who is a minor child of an  alien applies for the acquisition of ownership in a condominium unit, the application shall be considered in accordance with 3.1 to 3.3 mutatis mutandis.

                4.2  In the case where a Thai national who has an alien spouse, whether legitimate or illegitimate, expends money which forms the community property or the jointly acquired property, as the case may be, for the purpose of purchasing a condominium unit, whether the purchase is made in the name of that Thai national alone or jointly in the name of the alien spouse as well, consideration shall principally be made of the alien. In this instance, the alien must be an alien within the meaning of section 19 (1), (2) or ( 5), as the case may be.  The Thai national spouse is therefore entitled to purchase a condominium unit in accordance with the entitlement of the alien spouse and it shall be deemed that such condominium unit is wholly owned by that alien because the ownership in a condominium unit is indivisible and governed by section 19 bis.

               4.3  In the case where a Thai national who has an alien spouse, whether legitimate or illegitimate, applies for permission to accept a gift of a condominium unit, such gift being made with the intention that the property will become the community property or such gift resulting in the alien having co-ownership therein, the alien spouse of that Thai national must be an alien within the meaning of section 19 (1) or (2) and it shall be deemed that the condominium unit is wholly owned by the alien and governed by section 19 bis. In contrast, a Thai national who has an alien spouse under section 19 (5) is not allowed to accept a transfer of a gift which is made with the intention that the property will become the community property because the case under section 19 (5) is one involving the application by an alien for permission to acquire ownership in a condominium unit in a manner of sale, in respect of which payment there for must be made. 

ผลงานนี้ ใช้สัญญาอนุญาตของครีเอทีฟคอมมอนส์แบบ แสดงที่มา 3.0 ประเทศไทย.

90 Days Report.

1.  Question :  Do the alien granted one year extension of stay permit have to notify his/her address every 90 day?
Answer :  He/She has to notify his/her address every 90 days by the Form of TM 47.

                 
2.  Question : What is procedure ?

Answer :   -   The foreigner makes the notification in person, or
                    -   The foreigner authorises another person to make the notification, or
                    -   The foreigner makes the notification by registered mail.
                    -   The notification must be made within 15 days before or after 7 days the period of 90 days expires.

                    -   The first application for extension of stay by the foreigner is equivalent to the notification of staying in the    Kingdom over 90 days.    

3.   Question  :  What are documents required for 90 days notification of residence ?

Answer :        In case of notifying in person or made by agent, documents required are as follows;

-                                             The alien’s passport ( original )

-                                            Completed form of notification (TM.47) signed by the owner of passport

-                                             The latest receipt of notification ( if any)

4.     Question : What is the punishment in case of late/not notifying of residence every 90 days ?

Answer :  - In case notifying in person, the alien will be punished with a fine of 2,000 Bath.

               -   In case of  being arrested for not notifying on the due date, the fine not exceeding 5,000 Baht and with an additional fine of 200 Bath for each day which passes until the law is complied with.
                        

.     5. Question :  Where is the place to make 90 days notification?
Answer :  In case of notifying in person or by agent, it must be made at the Provincial Immigration office located in the same area of the alien’s residence.

6.     Question : When is the right time that the alien      (granted one-year extension of stay permit) has to make 90 days notification of address if he/she has left the kingdom and re-entered with re-entry permit?

Answer : As The alien re-enter the kingdom, the notification of residence should be made when it’s due for 90 days from the date of his/her latest arrival.

7.   Question : Is the application Form for extension of temporary stay (TM.7) deemed to be notifying of  the alien’s residence every 90 days?

Answer :  No. Notification of address every 90 days must be made only by the Form TM.47 even The Form for extension of Temporary stay (TM.7) has mentioned the address of the alien

Note The notification of staying in the Kingdom over 90 days is in no way equivalent to a visa extension. If a foreigner staying in the kingdom over 90 days without notifying the Immigration Bureau or notifying the Immigration Bureau later than the set period, a fine of 2,000.- Baht will be collected. If a foreigner who did not make the notification of staying over 90 days is arrested, he will be fined not exceeding 5,000 Baht. If a foreigner leaves the country and re-enters, the day count starts at 1 in every case.

ผลงานนี้ ใช้สัญญาอนุญาตของครีเอทีฟคอมมอนส์แบบ แสดงที่มา 3.0 ประเทศไทย.

Foreigners and Property in Thailand

According to Thai law, foreigners cannot own land in Thailand; however, other alternatives exist for a foreigner is allowed to acquire land.

How can foreigners own land in Thailand?

The safest and easiest methods for circumventing the law prohibiting foreigners to own land include using a leasehold agreement or setting up a Thai limited liability company.

What are the advantages of setting up a Thai company to buy land?

Unlike land leasing, the ownership of such land is permanent as long as the company exists. Using this method is also convenient if you were already planning to set up a business in Thailand. This method is also suitable if you wish to purchase land as part of an investment as it is possible to mortgage or subdivide the land for resale, which is not normally possible with a leasehold.

What are the disadvantages of setting up a Thai company to buy land?

Unless you a foreigner you cannot own more than 49% of the shares in the company. This means that you need Thai shareholders who will sign over control of their shares to you. The minimum number of shareholders is 3, so you can have 1 foreigner and 2 Thai shareholders. However, even though you control these shares, proper legal procedures need to be put in place in order to protect your investment. You also need to make sure that the regulatory compliance of the company is maintained. Inactive companies that are not generating income may be de-listed, so you need to make sure that balance sheets are filed annually and that the company's address is maintained.

Land Leases

Do you have to register the land lease at the Land Department?

Leases up to 3 years don't need to be registered. Leases that are 3 years or longer must be registered at the Land Department.

What is the maximum lease term available?

The maximum lease term is normally 30 years with an option for an extension of 30 years and a further 30 years after that. Each lease renewal must be registered at the local land office. Land for industrial purposes may be leased for up to 50 years by a foreign company under certain circumstances with a possible lease extension of a further 50 years.

What are the disadvantages of leasing a property?

Its possible that the land owner may refuse to sign the registration for the lease extension after 30-years. The lessee can sue for breach of contract, but the entailed legal process is costly and time-consuming. Other disadvantages include the difficulty in obtaining a mortgage for the lease, a lower resale value and potential lawsuits from the land owner for lease violations.

Purchasing Condominiums

How is a condominium defined under Thai law?

A condominium is basically defined as a building with distinct portions that can be sold for personal ownership.

What are the requirements for a foreign individual or organization to purchase a condominium in Thailand?

A foreigner must have permanent residence in Thailand in accordance with Thai Immigration Law. A foreign legal entity is in accordance with the Announcement of the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999) and has been granted an Investment Promotion Certificate in accordance with the Investment Promotion Law. A foreigner or foreign legal entity, who brings foreign currency into Thailand, or brings in Baht currency from the account of a person living abroad, and uses foreign currency from their deposit account. This requirement is normally met by the presentation of a Dor Tor 3 form, which is provided by the bank receiving an incoming remittance from abroad.

Are there restrictions to owning a condominium?

A foreigner or foreign legal entity can acquire up to 49% of the total number of units in a building. However, more than 49% of the ownership may be allowed in certain condominiums in Bangkok and other urban areas.

Are condominium long-term leases available?

Condominiums can be leased for periods of up to 30 years, which can be renewed. Leases of more than three years are required to be registered with the Land Department.

ผลงานนี้ ใช้สัญญาอนุญาตของครีเอทีฟคอมมอนส์แบบ แสดงที่มา 3.0 ประเทศไทย.