Those wishing to conduct business in Thailand are well advised to conduct research and due diligence into Thai business customs, practices, rules, and regulations. As in countries such as the United States of America, in the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Thailand individuals may conduct business as a sole proprietorship. Meanwhile, some individuals or groups may prefer to conduct business as a partnership. In the Kingdom of Thailand, partnerships are authorized in the form of both registered and unregistered partnerships which could or could not be vested with limited liability protection. Limited partnerships are sometimes utilized by two or more foreign nationals doing business in Thailand.

Many of those who ultimately decide to do business in Thailand make the decision to conduct business under the auspices of a Thai Limited Company. A limited company in the Kingdom of Thailand, much like a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in the United States, the European Union, or the United Kingdom; can have limited liability which can be a significant benefit for business operators as costs arising from possible personal legal actions can be, at least somewhat, defrayed. Bearing this in mind, under most circumstances, a foreign national wishing to conduct business in Thailand is well advised to take notice of Thai regulations regarding foreign ownership of Thai corporations (often referred to as juristic persons in Thai jurisprudence).

Although most foreigners can not own more than 49% of a Thai company, there are exceptions to this general rule. The most notable of these exceptions is the US-Thai Treaty of Amity that allows Americans own almost 100% of a Thai limited company provided it receives the Treaty of Amity certified by the Thai government for activities that the company intends to participate in addition, the Council noted that Thai investments, sometimes colloquially known by the abbreviation: BOI. Foreign companies may be able to acquire BOI certification and thereby enjoy many benefits not generally accorded to foreign individuals or entities conducting business in Thailand.

Aside from limited companies, partnerships and sole proprietorships Thai law permits the operation of associations and foundations. However, both of these types of juristic persons have somewhat limited business usage as they are generally only utilized by philanthropic or non-profit organizations. Those who want to conduct business in Thailand should also note that the Thai Labor regulations provide that an alien must be permitted to work in Thailand legally lose their jobs within their jurisdiction. Failure to obtain a work permit could lead to fines or even criminal sanctions.

The use of a Thai Visa application to generally refer to visiting the immigration office or Thai embassy/consulate overseas to obtain, renew or extend an entry permit is a common misnomer among baffled neophyte expats in Thailand. While the difference doesn’t really matter to the common Thai visa applicant whose main concern is to successfully obtain his pass, it certainly helps to be familiar with these different terms especially for future reference in relation to the maintenance of your long term visa in Thailand. Below are the common terminologies that are used in applying for a Thailand Visa:

Thai visa application as the word implies generally refers to obtaining an entry permit from the Thai embassy or consulate abroad. Depending on your circumstances and the type of entry permit being applied for it can also be done inside Thailand. Thai Visa application is the initial procedure prior to Thai visa extension as current entry permits are subject to extensions when needed. For example, the usual retirement visa application procedure starts with a NON O Visa application from the Thai embassy applicant’s home country. This is usually a 90-day pass. The same process goes with the Non B application. An initial 90-day B visa is given to the applicant during the application. These initial visas are then extended into one year retirement or one year or another 90 day B visas as long as the requirements are met.

Thai Visa extension, therefore, is carried out to lengthen or extend current entry permits whose validity is due for extension. The extension is granted as long as requirements are met. Extensions are normally done at any immigration office across the kingdom. A 60-day tourist visa for example can be extended for one month at the at the immigration office for a fee of 1900 Baht.

Thai Visa Conversion refers to the switching from one visa type to another. Say a business to a retirement visa. There are certain travel documents that can be switched without the necessity to leave Thailand. If you have a competent visa agent then you may need to go out of the country anymore when switching the said travel document into another type.

Thai Visa renewal is another term you may need to wont yourself to especially if you are not a Thai PR holder in Thailand. Most long term entry permits are good for one year however they are subject to renewal with the proper requirements. A retirement visa for example is renewed for another year as long as you have the required funds. A marriage visa can be renewed as long as you are still married and you have the required funds. The good thing about this type of renewal is that it’s simple and straightforward as long as you have the requirements.

Thai Visa Validity refers to the entire period the visa is valid. This is normally stamped in your passport when you enter to Thailand so you have to be wary with this date to avoid overstay fine later on. This should not be confused with the validity of the visa (or the grace period) prior to entering Thailand once the visa is obtained from the Thai embassy abroad. This is normally indicated with the phrase “ENTER BEFORE (DATE)” in the visa itself.