Are you looking for a place to invest your money in? If you also like to travel to distant countries with jaw-dropping exotic landscapes, then you’d do well to invest your money in the Kingdom of Thailand. This Southeast Asian country is popular among investors for a variety of reasons.
Here are 10 quick facts about making investments in Thailand that you should know.
10. Thailand has a strategic position next to rapidly developing countries.
If you look at the map, Thailand sits next to the countries of Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. These countries are attractive to investors because of their rapid growth; costs of labor are still relatively low, but these nations are showing signs of good ROI.
9. Thai companies are already global.
Have you, at least once, opened a bottle of Red Bull and used it to energize you for a long day? Well, take a look at the label. Red Bull is a Thai brand that has made it global, and is a major contributor to the Kingdom’s economic performance. Thailand is also home to manufacturers of computer hard disks and memory cards.
8. Foreigners cannot buy land, but can own condominiums.
The Thai Land Code Act explicitly forbids foreigners from buying land. However, you can purchase units of projects built upon that land, especially condominiums. The Thai Condominium Act lets expats purchase up to 49% of the total number of units built in a single project.
7. Large-scale investors can apply for permission to purchase land.
Huge corporations which are capable of infusing large amounts of capital into the Thai economy can enjoy this special privilege. The floor amount is at 30 million Thai baht. However, that is not a guarantee and one has to go through the process of getting approval from the Board of Investments.
6. Foreigners can lease real estate long term.
Foreigners who cannot afford the THB30 million investment but still want to acquire real estate in Thailand for business purposes can go the leasing road. Long-term leases in Thailand require a minimum of 30 years.
5. Thailand is one of those Asian countries that are friendly to foreign investors.
Did you know that you can open a bank account in Thailand in less than an hour? With this step easily set out of the way, you can then focus more on setting up your business in the Kingdom. In fact, Thailand is just a step below Singapore in the list of Asian countries that are relatively easy to do business in.
4. Americans are the only foreigners who can fully own a company in Thailand.
Legally, foreigners can only own 49% of a company. However, under the US-Thailand Amity treaty, Americans enjoy the unique privilege of wholly owning a company incorporated in the Kingdom.
3. Nominee shareholding is illegal in Thailand.
Nominee shareholders are frequently used by foreigners in many countries to easily start up companies. However, this system is illegal in Thailand and is currently being cracked down on by the government.
2. You can get a one-year investment visa just by infusing money into the economy.
If you have the resources to invest at least THB10 million in Thailand, you can get a special visa that lets you stay in Thailand for a year without having to exit within 60-90 days at a time.
1. Various sectors in Thailand are rapidly growing, and make attractive investment opportunities
With the ASEAN Economic Community in full swing, Thailand expects to see a lot of growth in various sectors with the elimination of tariffs as ASEAN tries to foster free flow of resources and labor among member nations and partner states.
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