Myth Busted – Owning 100% of a landed house in Thailand is possible

6 Jan 2020 Immigration Information ,


This is a common question. Can a foreigner legally purchase and own 100% of a landed house in Thailand?

The answer is, it is possible.

All you need to ask is HOW.

Too many naysayers out there saying that this is impossible. Truth is, they don’t know how. But lucky for you, we do.

Before we dive in, let’s just review some facts and legal terms:



FACT #1 – Foreigners cannot own a landed house


Under Thailand’s law, foreigners CANNOT own a landed house. The only property a foreigner can fully own is a condo, providing that 51% of the entire condo is owned by Thai nationals.



FACT #2 – Foreigners can start a business in Thailand and purchase a landed house under the business’ name


This is a common method for foreigners to purchase a landed house in Thailand. However, Thailand’s law also restrict foreigner ownership of a Thai business to 49%.

This means that 51% of your business assets belong to your business partners.



FACT #3 – Foreigner can lease land in Thailand and build a house on the land


Some foreigners come to an agreement with land owner to lease their land for a period of time, usually 30 years, and build their house on the land. Using this method, only the title of the house belongs to the foreigner, but not the land. 

Foreigners need to be aware that once the 30 years is over, the land owner has absolute control on the house. If they choose not to renew the lease, you are basically giving the house away.



But Wait…


Now you are probably thinking we are just bluffing in the beginning.

Looking at all these facts, there are no evidence that a foreigner can own 100% of a landed house in Thailand, under their own name.

While this is true, if we change our direction a little, and make the foreigner a Thai citizen, he/she will then be able to legally own a landed house in Thailand.

For those who has direct Thai family members, they can obtain their Thai citizenship through family migration, or marriage migration.

As for those who do not, obtaining Thai citizenship through business stream is another way:



Step #1: Open a Thai business


First off, acquire your landed house using your Thai business. Obviously, you will need another Thai national to act as a director or a shareholder of your business, holding 51% of share.

We highly recommend to contact an experienced lawyer to assist with setting up the correct business structure and get some agreement in place to protect yourself.



Step #2: Turn your Thai business into a corporation


For a business to be categorised as a corporation, the business will need to:

  • Have a registered capital of 40,000,000 baht (Don’t worry, you don’t need to have this much money in the bank)
  • Contribute to the country by fulfilling social responsibilities as the owner of the corporation, such as –
  • Employing numbers of Thai nationals
  • Paying business tax
  • Paying personal income tax

The whole process takes approximately 3 to 5 years. During this time, the foreigner will be residing in Thailand under a business visa.



Step #3: Register to become a Thai citizen


Once eligible, you will be invited for a Thai citizenship interview. If you pass, you will be granted a Thai ID card and you are officially a Thai citizen.

Don’t panic if you failed. You can line up for the interview again.



Step #4: Transfer all assets from your business back to your personal name


Final steps.

All your hard work finally pays off. Once you have obtained your Thai citizenship, you basically has all the benefits as a Thai national. Not only do you have legal rights to:

(i) stay in Thailand permanently,
(ii) own landed house 100% under your name, but also;
(iii) life-time free/close to free medical.


The entire process seems like a lot of works, and it is. However, the benefits definitely outranked the trouble. The best thing is, you don’t have to do this on your own. Finding someone with the right expertise and experience can make this stress-free. You can focus on your life, and let the experts focus on the troubles.

Remember, owning your own home in paradise is certainly possible.






If you are serious about your future, willing to spend the time to understand what it takes, and allow us to help fulfil your dream, contact us TODAY.

Work Visa Thailand

3 Jan 2020 Immigration Information

Similar to other countries, Thailand offers opportunities for professionals and workers to live in Thailand for employment purpose. One of the popular visa option is work visa.

To be eligible for work visa in Thailand, applicants need to –

1) Be sponsored by a Thai registered company
2) Be issued a work permit by the Thai registered company
3) An employer guarantor proof, such as letter of offer, invitation letter, etc.
4) A bank statement of adequate funds (approx. 1,000AUD)
5) A copy of an airline ticket indicating the date of arrival to and departure from Thailand OR a letter stating the itinerary/travel plan of the applicant.

Something worth noting is that a work visa do not grant you the right to work in Thailand. A work permit is required for any foreigners to legally work in Thailand.

Get in touch with us today to find out more.

Thai Citizenship

30 Dec 2019 Immigration Information , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Being a Thai national can have certain benefits. Obviously you get to stay in Thailand for as long as you want without any worries for visa renewal and visa runs, and you also get to save on your visa application fees and all the hassle involved in the visa application process. But the biggest gains for being a Thai citizen are that you get to have free education, extremely low cost medical, work rights, house and land ownership rights and business ownership rights. This can be especially important and beneficial for people who wants to do business and settle down in Thailand.

Unlike Australia where a foreigner can own 100% of a business’ share, Thailand has a rule where foreigner can only own 49% of a Thai company. Foreigners are also not allowed to own any house or land in Thailand, only condo. More reasons to consider becoming a Thai citizen.

There are 4 main ways we recommend to obtain Thai citizenship. Applicants will need to be aware however, that there are very limited number of spots available for foreigners to become a Thai citizen through business stream. Thai government only looks at Thai citizenship request on a case by case manner. Generally speaking, only approximately 100 applicants will be accepted per country per year.

1) Invest and participate in the Board of Investment (BOI) with the Thai government. Investment amount varies depending on the type of projects, but generally are upwards of 20,000,000 THB.

2) Thai citizenship through business stream. Applicants will demonstrate that they have operated a corporation in Thailand for a set amount of years, and that they have contributed to the Thai government in varies ways, i.e. business tax, personal tax, generated employment opportunities for locals, etc.

3) Through marriage to a Thai national. This option is relatively straight forward. If you are married to a Thai national, you are eligible to be a Thai citizen.

4) Family migration. All direct family members, i.e. parents, children and grand children are eligible to be a Thai citizen.

The time required to obtain Thai citizenship through option 1 & 3 fluctuate. Option 2 as mentioned above, was only allowed for a very limited application every year. Typical waiting time can varies from 3.5 years to 5 years.

What’s next?

If you are interested in becoming a Thai citizen, get in touch with us today.

Thai Immigration Service Ltd.
Ph: 1300 988 520
facebook.com/ThaiImmigrationLtd

Business Visa Thailand

30 Dec 2019 Immigration Information , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Business visa allows foreigners to work (either for their own company, or someone else’s) and live in Thailand. This visa type is proven to be one of the best and available visa options to migrate to Thailand.

Most people are overwhelmed by the name of the visa and are often frightened by the requirement of Business Visa as it involves setting up and running a business. However, with the right expert on your side, business visa can be as easy as any other types of Thai visa. Here are some basic requirement:

Applicants need to –
1) Open a business in Thailand
2) Has a business address in Thailand
3) The business will need to have 2,000,000 THB of registered capital
4) Open a business bank account in Thailand

Thai Immigration Service Ltd. has helped hundreds of clients realise their dream to move to Thailand using business visa. Get in touch with us today.

Retirement Visa Thailand

29 Dec 2019 Immigration Information , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

One of the easiest, most cost effective, most popular visa option for people to move and retire in Thailand, is the retirement visa. If you are wishing for the perfect retirement, look no further but here.

How to be eligible for the retirement visa in Thailand? The applicant will need to:

1) Be over 50 years old
2) Has 800,000 THB (approx. 40,000AUD) of savings in a Thai bank account, certified by the Embassy of Australia in Thailand
3) Has a Thailand residential address
4) Purchased a health insurance to cover any health related expenses in Thailand
5) A satisfactory police check
6) A satisfactory medical check

One of the good thing for this visa is that applicants can choose to apply for this visa in their home country’s Thai consulate general or in Thailand, but keep in mind that retirement visa holders will need to renew their retirement visa annually, and they are prohibited to have any income in Thailand whatsoever. If you break the law, you may never be able to go back to the paradise again.

Talk to us if you need help with any visa application!

5 Thai Visa Options For Foreigners (That Are Proven To Work)

29 Dec 2019 Immigration Information , , ,



Have you considered moving to Thailand for good?

Stay close to sunshine and sandy beaches?

Enjoy life at a fraction of the cost?


I am going to share with you the proven ways to do just that.

5 migration options to move to Thailand TODAY.


1) Retirement Visa

The retirement visa is one of the Most Popular and Cost Effective Ways to migrate to Thailand.

Hundreds and thousands of foreigners worked tirelessly their whole life only to realise their savings aren’t enough for them to live a comfortable life in their home country.

In Australia for example, you will need approximately $545,000 AUD in retirement savings in order to have a comfortable retirement, according to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia’s Retirement Standard. This is one of the reason why foreigners are fleeing the country.

Sources: https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/blog/the-hidden-costs-of-retirement.html

ELIGIBILITY FOR RETIREMENT VISA






2) Business Visa

Business visa in Thailand is suitable for people who love the Thai lifestyle but are not planning on retiring yet. The holder of business visa will have work rights in Thailand, so they can either run their own business or get a job in Thailand.

Never ran a business in Thailand before? Try the business visa service.

ELIGIBILITY FOR BUSINESS VISA





3) Work Visa

Thailand work visa is usually for people who have been sponsored by a Thai company to work and live in Thailand. People who hold this visa usually doesn’t need to worry about applying for the visa themselves because it would have been taken care of by the sponsoring company.

However, you do need to be mindful that having a work visa doesn’t necessarily grant you the work rights in Thailand. The work permit is the legal document that actually grant you the right to work in Thailand.

ELIGIBILITY FOR WORK VISA





4) Education Visa

Education visa is another popular one, where foreigners may want to spend a few years in Thailand to enjoy life and get to experience tropical living. Common courses are Thai language. This could be a good idea if you are considering moving to Thailand for good so you can communicate with the locals.

ELIGIBILITY FOR EDUCATION VISA





5) Thai Citizenship

Becoming a Thai citizen has its own benefits. In Thailand, foreigners are not allowed to 100% own their house, land or business. Foreigners who have a vision to build a business, live a very comfortable life with house and land usually goes with this option. Besides, being a Thai citizen will grant you free/close to free medical benefits. This is especially important as people are getting older.

However, unlike Australia or other western countries, Thailand is not an immigrant country, meaning that they do not have a set system to attract high volume immigrants. Thailand also put on a limit to restrict the number of citizenship application. Typically, they only allow certain numbers of application (i.e. 100 application per country per year).

ELIGIBILITY FOR THAI CITIZENSHIP





Contact us today to discuss your circumstances.

5 reasons to migrate to Thailand

18 Dec 2019 Immigration Information

Migrating to another country is a big decision and require many considerations. Aside from a lifestyle choice of living near a beach with sunshine all year round, there are more things to be considered – the realistic considerations. Unfortunately we live in an era where money is in control of everything. To get a life, you need to make money, or at least have a decent savings to support your day-to-day life. In Thailand, it is possible. Here are the 5 practical reasons to move to Thailand:



1. Reasonable and affordable living

In Thailand, standard of living and rental cost have always been maintained at a reasonable and affordable level. In Australia however, the cost of living in capital cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are on an upward trend with no signs of slowing down. Australians are struggling to make ends meet.

This is the most obvious reason for the move. The living cost in Thailand can be as low as 1/4 of the cost when pared to Australia. Here we show you a few examples of the differences:

Cost of living in Thailand can be as low as 1/4 of the cost when compared to Australia



2. Work and business opportunities

One of the reason why Thailand has attracted a lot of immigrants is that it has offered diverse and exciting work and business opportunities. Thailand is viewed as one of the highest potential countries for business development. The Thai government already has plan for infrastructure expansion nationwide. With this plan in place, it would create large number of job opportunities. In particular, “Eastern Economic Corridor” and “Thailand 4.0”, both are Thailand’s economic models that they are focussing on. These projects will no doubt create work and business opportunities in Thailand.

Eastern Economic Corridor
Thailand 4.0



3. Hospitable living environment

Thailand is well known for their hospitable culture. It was reflected by Thai locals on their friendliness and accommodating attitude towards foreign immigrants. Needless to say, in terms of food and cuisines, not only does Thailand offers authentic Thai food, but also well adapted with diversity such as western cuisines. In major cities like Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Pattaya, food options are countless.

From tourists’ standpoint, Bangkok is a shopper’s paradise. Float markets, Platinum Mall, Siam Paragon shopping centre are just some of the iconic places to visit. If you have been to Thailand before, you would agree that Thais are some of the best service providing nations in the world.

3. Hospitable living environment

Thailand is well known for their hospitable culture. It was reflected by Thai locals on their friendliness and accommodating attitude towards foreign immigrants. Needless to say, in terms of food and cuisines, not only does Thailand offers authentic Thai food, but also well adapted with diversity such as western cuisines. In major cities like Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Pattaya, food options are countless.

From tourists’ standpoint, Bangkok is a shopper’s paradise. Float markets, Platinum Mall, Siam Paragon shopping centre are just some of the iconic places to visit. If you have been to Thailand before, you would agree that Thais are some of the best service providing nations in the world.



4. Politically Stable

In the past, the political situation in Thailand is unstable. However, ever since the new government has taken control, they have been able to achieve stable development in all aspects of Thailand.

“Thailand now has political stability and has been able to overcome conflicts in the country.” said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Friday 21 June 2019.

For immigrants, this can only means good news. Political stability proves to have an ultimate impact on safety (no riots for wrong doings), more consistent investment (stable and foreseeable growth), and less major reform in tax and governance systems.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha speaks during the Bloomberg Asean Business Summit in Bangkok on Friday. (Bloomberg photo)



5. Robust returns on real estate investment

As mentioned on point #4, a country with good political stability often leads to stable and robust returns on investment activities. In recent years, apartments in Thailand has often made the headlines for investment opportunities.

Real estates are considered one of the best investment vehicle in investors’ eyes. When we talk about investment, it is always a game of supply and demand. Since there will be no more land available in popular cities like Bangkok or Pattaya, the demand for real estates will outperform supply, leading to a robust return on real estates. Many apartments over the years achieved a stable 5% rental return, which mirrors the Australian real estate market, but only more affordable when compared.

Uplift in real estate demand in Thailand

Now there you have it. This is the 5 practical reasons to move to Thailand.

Education in Thailand

16 Dec 2019 Immigration Information

One of the misconception about Thailand is their education standard. Generally the cost of living in Thailand, when compared to western countries, are 2, 3 fold cheaper. As such, a common misconception is that their education standard is nowhere near where the western countries are. However, Thailand’s education standards have been recognised by international examination bodies since over a decade ago.



Higher education in Thailand adopts the European and American models in terms of the curriculum, educational methods and educational system.

In particular, Thailand’s universities specialise in Engineering, Tourism, Industrial and Commercial Administration, Medicine, Media arts, and most university degrees have been recognised by universities in developed countries.

Due to Thailand’s inherit of the Commonwealth education for more than 150 years, the internationalisation of education is quite high. Study environment, education level and quality of education are considered some of the leading level in the world.

“Chinese students in particular, attend undergraduate courses at private universities. Only small number of public students attend public universities”, said Ms. Peng Li of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand.


Thai education advocates innovative thinking, free and open academic atmosphere and the focus of the cultivation of students’ abilities and characters. It is no wonder that even some of the educators from Europe and the United States would consider obtaining a degree in Thailand but returning to their home country to teach instead.



In Thailand, there are 66 private universities. The number has taken over the number of public universities due to the alleviated demand of education, not only from the locals, but also internationally. Chinese students in particular, attend undergraduate courses at private universities. Only small number of public students attend public universities, said Ms. Peng Li of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand. This is partly because public school entrance exams are more rigorous and many Chinese students are struggling to get good enough scores to be eligible for public universities.














In Thailand, where 12 years of compulsory education has been enshrined in the constitution. Education spending in Thailand is 20.3% of GDP (4.3% of China’s education expenditure in 2014), and parents in Thailand do not have to pay any fees to school, tuition, textbooks, stationery, school uniforms and extracurricular activities (including camping, education, military training, computer classes, etc.). The good news is that whether it is public school or private school, all of the above mentioned items are free of charge.


When Thais reach their school age, they can enjoy formal education with regular curriculum. In addition to knowledge, students also learn the basic social skills and higher level social values. As they make their way through schools, they develop their skills and make their due contribution to society.

你有多了解泰國？9個內行人才知道的泰國微知識

How well do you know Thailand? 9 things only the local knows.

11 Dec 2019 Immigration Information, Travel

1 . “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. Eat like the locals.

Well, obviously we are talking about Thailand.

In Thailand, there is an iconic dish called Somtum. It is a Thai salad consisting of mainly green papaya shred, dried shrimp, fish sauce, chilli, peanuts and raw crabs.

The Thais love their raw crabs but if you are only new to Thailand, we don’t recommend you to try this on the street.

The Thais love their raw crabs but if you are only new to Thailand, we don’t recommend you to try this on the street, to avoid gastro diseases. Especially during a hot day when food has been left under the sun for a considerable period of time, it is better to be safe than sorry.

The locals also love to enjoy a glass or two of beverages before their main meals. In restaurants where they serve alcoholic beverages, they usually have a mobile beverage cart that provide table to table services. Consider giving a small tip as good gesture.


2 . Local brekkie

In Thailand, the locals usually treat breakfast as the most important meal of the day.

On the street of Bangkok, just as you would expect in any major metropolitan cities, you will see hundreds and thousands of people rushing for work. In front of each entrances and exits of train stations, you will find many food stalls, ready to feed the hungry workers.

Some of the most popular breakfast options are Thai baked goods, a Crepe-like product with cream and pork minced, and grilled pork skewers with glutinous rice. You could probably get by with 20 – 30 THB.

If you are more keen on the western style breakfast, you could also find sandwiches, bread, or coffee in Thailand. But do expect a higher price tag.

3 . Kingdom of Fruit

Thailand has a lot to offer when it comes to fruits.

Because of the geographical location, Thailand has a lot to offer when it comes to fruits. Bananas, Durian, Longan, Mangosteen, Jackfruit, Lychee, Papaya, Pineapple, Pomelo, Rambutan, etc. are common fruits available in Thailand. Well worth her name the kingdom of fruits.



4 . Discounted restaurant APP “eatigo”

“eatigo” was developed and available on app store in 2016. It provides discount and reservation services for Bangkok, Pattaya and Singapore. Sometimes you could get a 50% off discount for selected restaurants during off-peak hours. For price conscious travellers, this is the must have app for their Thailand trip.



5 . 10% service charge and 7%GST

Some restaurants and SPA shops will charge for service fee and GST. If you see “++” at the end of the price tag, it means that you will be charged a 10% service fee + 7% GST.

Example:

THB 199+ = THB 199 + 10% service fee

THB 199++ = THB 199 + 10% service fee + 7% GST

6 . The only country that has not been colonised in South East Asia

You may notice that there are plenty of western houses in Thailand. The reason would chase back to the 1900s, when the 5th king Somdetch Phra Paramindr Maha Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) push for a more westernised Thailand at the time, by introducing western designed buildings and western systems. Some of these iconic buildings exist in Thailand. Often, you will see buildings that has a hybrid of wooden Thailand style wooden and western Victorian style.

During the reign of King Rama V, he implemented multiple reforms, including westernise medical, University system, and railway infrastructures. Most importantly, he promotes the idea of abolition of slavery, which quickly brings Thailand into a modern and democratic country.

7 . 12% of Chinese population

In 2019, total population of Thai Chinese are approximately 12% of the entire Thailand population.

Many Chinese origin people migrated from China into Thailand and became new residents in the country, between the Ming and Qing Dynasty. Local Thais historically believes in the Buddhist and lives a simple life, for which they are willing to accept new ideas and new people. Thus, there are rarely any racial problems between the Thai locals and Chinese.

In 2019, total population of Thai Chinese are approximately 12% of the entire Thailand population. In the food culture, we often see a lot of fusion between Chinese and Thai cuisine.

8 . Public Holiday



9 . No alcohol days in Thailand

On Royal Birthdays and Buddhist Holidays, there are restriction on alcohol sales in Thailand. Vendors who fail to comply with this law will face fail term of up to 6 months and pay a fine of 10,000 Baht.

This may come as a surprise to some foreigners. On Royal Birthdays and Buddhist Holidays, there are restriction on alcohol sales in Thailand. Vendors who fail to comply with this law will face fail term of up to 6 months and pay a fine of 10,000 Baht.

Even on normal days, Thailand has specific time of the day when alcohol can be purchased. Excluding night clubs and restaurant, the legal time to sell or purchase alcohol is 11:00 – 14:00 and 17:00 – 24:00.

Moving to Thailand

10 Dec 2019 Immigration Information , , , , , , , , , , ,

Moving to a new country for good is exciting. If you are here, it means that you probably have a fair idea where you want to go.

I know, Thailand is a paradise. Low cost of living, friendly neighbourhood, great health care, good food everywhere…the list goes on.

But from a migration perspective, there are multiple visa options, the eligibility criteria is unclear, the application process is lengthy and complicated. And there aren’t many resources out there to answer these questions. Language is one of the obstacle, but the constant changes to immigration law also make the whole process miserable.

We understand your pain – that’s why we are here. We are here to help you fulfil your dream, without the stress.

But first of all, have an understanding on which visa or citizenship you are eligible for. You can use the below diagram to figure out your visa/migration options.

Diagram above: Thai Migration & Visa Decision tree

Interested?


Get in touch with us for an obligation free consultation.

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