Urgent advice needed for sorting out a work permit ...

[roydude]

Hi all,

I'm arriving in Thailand next week (then plan is: a few days in Bangkok, then down to the islands to look for work) and I need to sort out a work permit asap (I know it's late but there's a long boring reason behind that )

I really need some advice about the logistics of all this:

1. How exactly do I go about setting up a private company? I've read that some people sell theirs on when they leave, is that an option?
2. (very importantly) Can anyone recommend a legal company / person who I could rely on to help me sort all this out?
3. Is my understanding correct here: setup company -> apply for visa B 'through' my company (how?) -> return and get a work permit through my company (again, how?)

Any advice appreciated!

 

[FanariKL]

Have you try asking this in www.thaivisa.com? There's a bunch of people there who can help you on this topic.

Welcome to Thailand!

 

[limbo]

Hi all,

I'm arriving in Thailand next week (then plan is: a few days in Bangkok, then down to the islands to look for work) and I need to sort out a work permit asap (I know it's late but there's a long boring reason behind that )

I really need some advice about the logistics of all this:

1. How exactly do I go about setting up a private company? I've read that some people sell theirs on when they leave, is that an option?

That will be indeed an option but you may have to wait a bit before you find somebody in the area that you work at that is about to leave and has a company for sale. Be advised that work permits are restricted to provinces and are not valid nation wide or in various provinces.

1. (very importantly) Can anyone recommend a legal company / person who I could rely on to help me sort all this out?

That will depend on what area you will end up working, if on Koh Samui, I'm more than happy to get you in touch with my accountant who deals with all my work related part of the business. If you end up in another are, you may need to ask people in that specific area for advice., see my explanation under your question # 1

1. Is my understanding correct here: setup company -> apply for visa B 'through' my company (how?) -> return and get a work permit through my company (again, how?)

You future accountant can help you with this or as already mentioned, have a look at Thaivisa dot com

Any advice appreciated!

Hope this helped for now.

 

[stevenl]

See Limbo's answer.

Your order is not correct by the way, would be 1. setup company, 2. apply for workpermit, 3. get non-immigrant B-visa from Thai embassy-consul4ate, 4. collect workpermit.

 

[roydude]

Hey thanks for all the answers I really appreciate all the help here!
I didn't realize I needed to specify the region for the work permit. Is it possible to change the region, or is it a one-time-shot sort of thing.
I'm thinking I'd like Koh Tao for example, but if I find no work there then I'd be pretty stuck. How long does it take to sort out the work permit parts of the process? Is it possible to find a job based on the fact that you can get a work permit in a few days?

 

[stevenl]

On Koh Tao the managers of the DC's will have workpermits, but everybody else will not.

WP takes about 3-4 weeks here, sometimes even longer.

Forget about changing the region. In theory that may be possible, but in real life that is not a realistic option.

 

[Quero]

You won't get a work permit in a few days, but you'll probably be okay anyway given your travel schedule, if I recall it correctly. When you are here next week, work to get your company set up and do the paperwork--that can be started here in person and then completed while you're out of the country back home visiting family. You might need to leave a POA for your accountant/paralegal to be able to sign documents for you, or your accountant/paralegal can be named as a company director, and therefore s/he will be able to sign documents. Your other Thai company directors can be your family members--wife, in-laws, etc., though they may need to provide some documents/sign other documents. Then before you come back, you can go to the Thai consulate in your home country and do the B-visa (make sure to pay the fee for a multiple entry stamp at the same time). When you get back here, you pick up your WP. You need to decide where you want to be based and set your company up in that province.

 

[roydude]

(thought I'd posted this already, but it's vanished!)

Quero - did get in touch with your contact in Bangkok, but since I finished work here yesterday we've decided to take a wee break to relax before sorting things out (9 straight months of 50 hour weeks has left me a bit ... 'pooped', frankly! ).
Our current itinerary takes is 4 days in Bangkok, travel to the islands and after 2 months jump out to Kuala Lumpur for our renewal visa. But we're changing it to 4 days in Bangkok followed by a trip up to Chang Mai for a few days, then back to the islands etc...
A friend of mine just sent me the contact details of the legal firm on Koh Samui that sorted out her permit when she was working here, so I've emailed him to arrange an appointment in a couple of weeks (simpler than needing to return to Bangkok).

My understanding is that the Gulf islands are off-season until about November in any case, so it looks like I have a few weeks to chill out before the sorting out needs to be completed.

 

[Quero]

If you're going to work in the Gulf, you do need to have somebody there do the paperwork for you. The contact you asked me for via PM is a paralegal located on Phuket (not Bangkok), so really only good for Phuket WPs. Best of luck to you!

 

[roydude]

Oh haha - oops, that would've been weird!!

Thanks for your help all the same Quero - people like you make forums like this an invaluable resource!