What are the benefits and requirements for working with Iglu in Thailand as a digital entrepreneur?

Dec 7, 2017
7 years ago
Santtu *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Digital entrepreneurs, freelancers and employees – Would you like to stay and work longer term in Thailand? Or are you looking for developers and designers to work on your projects?

We can help you at Iglu! Iglu is a digital subcontracting/outsourcing company that has grown rapidly in the past years and already employs over 140 digital specialists from 26 different nationalities. We currently have offices in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket. I’m the office manager for our Bangkok branch and want to show you how we can make working from Thailand as smooth as possible!

WORK FROM THAILAND

You can simply relocate yourself to Thailand and do your business through Iglu. Iglu invoices your clients, company or employer and pays your or your team’s salaries (including all taxes and social benefits). We employ you or your team and take care of all the documentation while you can concentrate on your business and enjoy life.

Through this arrangement you will be an employee at Iglu and since we take care of all expenses and handle your accounting, it will be very easy for you to monitor your net income with no surprises at the end of the month. Iglu keeps 30% of the invoice amount and pays the remaining 70% as a net salary to your local account. With the 30% we give you a cool office space to work in with a monitor, 200Mbps fibre optic broadband and a meeting room perfect for Skype calls with a big TV for presentations.

We also take care of your health insurance, pay all relevant taxes included in the 30% and provide all required documentation for you to get a business visa and work permit. We will support you through every step of the process, leaving you stress free and fully legal to work in and enjoy Thailand.

WE WORK FOR YOU

You can recruit an entire team or just a single employee to cater for your needs, whether it’s for a developing a full application, building a small web team or just finding a designer for your new logo. No project is too big or too small. We are able to provide developers and designers with great expertise from across the globe for very competitive prices.

All our employees get the following benefits:

-Non-Immigrant B visa (12 months)

-Work permit

-All local taxes are taken care by us (Including income tax)

-Government health insurance

-Office space from our cool offices, with a monitor, 200Mbps fibre optic broadband and meeting rooms perfect for skype calls and presentations.

In order to be able to work for us, you must

-Work in something tech/IT-related

-Have at least 2-5 years of relevant work experience

-Earn a minimum of $2500 per month

*Please note that each application is individually processed, subject to approval by Iglu and the relevant authorities.

CONTACT

For more information, you can email me to santtu@iglu.net, add me on Skype (Santtu115) or send me PM on Facebook.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
Iglu is a digital subcontracting company based in Thailand that offers assistance to digital entrepreneurs, freelancers, and employees seeking to work legally in the country. They handle invoicing, salaries, health insurance, office space, and necessary documentation for obtaining a non-immigrant B visa and work permit. Employees at Iglu benefit from a 30% service fee which covers taxes and other expenses. To qualify, applicants must have tech/IT-related work experience, a minimum salary of $2500, and Iglu processes all applications individually with government approval.
Jen ********
30% is way too much fee. Definitely for a starting digital nomad.
Terary **********
CM is nice -- good luck to you :)
Terary **********
I live Pinklao
Terary **********
Only curious. I too digital nomad - I do web development. Good to know others :)
Terary **********
@jen what profession are you in as a digital nomad
Jen ********
Ok. Fair enough. That wasn’t clear on your posting.
Santtu *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Iglu Relocate is not designed for starting digital nomads, as we have strict requirements in terms of work experience from the government, as well as minimum income. Please note also, that the 30% includes you income tax.
Terary **********
I think it's cheaper to buy the elite visa. Also, you have to bring your own clients- - and turn them over to them. Hence, it's not just pay these guys its also about given them your business.
Santtu *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
For a real digital nomad I doubt there will be trouble if working remotely for foreign clients. With a 'real digital nomad' I mean someone who actually travels around the world and doesn't stay in one place for more than a few months at a time. Iglu Relocate is designed for those who wish to stay here longer term (at least 1 year).

The problems start when someone is staying in Thailand longer without an appropriate visa. Another thing is that if you ever want to work for local clients, this would be 100% illegal without a work permit and no longer within the "grey area" of remote work to outside Thailand.

Now the Elite Visa has been mentioned as a solution for someone residing in Thailand whilst working for foreign clients only. But it does not give you tax residency. Unless one is completely avoiding/evading taxes, I highly doubt that it works out cheaper to buy the Elite Visa and pay taxes back to ones home country, compared to paying 30% from $2,500 in Thailand. In many cases, Western countries ask for proof of tax residency if you live in Thailand and don't pay taxes back home - especially with the new Information Exchange Agreements.

Thailand has double taxation treaties with most countries, meaning that if you pay tax here you won't be taxed again in your home country. I belive US (and Canada?) are the main exceptions where you still have to pay tax back home from earnings over $100k a year. "Even if you invoice the minimum through Igluu you still have to pay taxes in your own country."
@Jon *******
can you give some examples? I'm interested to read more.
Terary **********
I call it an investment.. I can assure you I do next to nothing.
Robert *******
According to the Thai Labor Act from 2008: "Section 5. In this Act:

"Alien" means a natural person who is not of Thai nationality;

"Work" means engaging in work by exerting energy or using

knowledge whether or not in consideration of wages or other benefits;"
****************************************************************************************
I know it is difficult, but it seems to me that using the computer is exerting energy and U use your knowledge to type the instructions to your company abroad.
Terary **********
What is 'work in thailand' If I am logged in remotely and the work is being done in some far-off land - is that "working in Thailand"? Before you answer --- do you really know?
Robert *******
That is correct, there is no problem living in Thailand while having a business abroad. There is a problem when working in Thailand and this company offers a good solution to avoid that problems.
Jon ********
Pun space has been raided a few times everyone free to go . There is no problem having a business abroad and living in Thailand. The chief of immigration is the one who said there is no concern about 'digital nomads" so that has come straight from the top
Robert *******
"Thai imigration have already stated that you can run a business from overseas in Thailand. It is not a concern to them". It should not be a concern for them because the are employed to control your stay in Thailand with correct visa or Extension of Stay, not to check the labor laws, therefore is the Ministry of Labor. It is like: The Fishery Department does not concern you drive a motorbike without helmet or license. Or the Ministry of Transport does not concern if you have the correct Visa.
Terary **********
If you take on a Thai partner - you can have a Thai business -- And then you have a partner with matching resources.
Jon ********
David Broadfoot The only reason why anyone would do this is for the visa / work permit. There is absolutely no benefit business wise to move a western business to Thailand and then give away 30% for the 'privilege' . Even if you invoice the minimum through Igluu you still have to pay taxes in your own country. I like the idea in principle, but having looked into it there are much more cost effective ways of staying long term in Thailand legally
Jon ********
Elite visa is much better option. I am going for that. Thai imigration have already stated that you can run a business from overseas in Thailand. It is not a concern to them
Santtu *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bar****
this is not possible, I believe you need citizenship to be able to buy land in your name as a foreigner.
Bing *******
@Santtu ********
, can one buy landed property in Thailand with the visa you offer?
Santtu *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
If you are only counting the cost of visa, the Elite Visa is no doubt cheaper. However, it doesn't allow you to work and does not give you tax residency. With Iglu you become a tax resident of Thailand and unless you are not paying taxes anywhere, it works out cheaper in most cases.

Any intellectual property remains yours, we will simply invoice your clients and not interfere with your business if you don't want us to. If you prefer for us to not invoice your clients directly, it's not necessary if you have a registered company abroad.
Enrico *******
I try to solve the following case:

On a private journey I like to work for a foreign company. In that company I am an employee.

We have tried the technical and organizing basic some months ago, all fine.

On the next step to make it official:

How are the rules with the social insurance?

Is a work permit necessary because I make the work just in my original employee company.

Why? I have friends in Phuket and try to work for weeks from here for my german company.

Thank you for ideas.
Enrico *******
@Santtu ********
Thanks! Yes, it is IT by otto.de
Santtu *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
If you work in tech/IT, we can most likely help you. Technically a work permit is necessary for any type of work done from Thailand. This may be relevant to you in particular if you are planning to stay here longer term. I will send you more info by PM.
Michiko **********
Employment visas for full commission agents would not fly in another country, but it is extremely interesting to know that it seems to be fine by Thai immigrations. It would work great for digital nomads.
Michiko **********
Sounds reasonable. Clever business.
Santtu *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
In order to be eligible, our employees must be consistently earning at least USD 2,500 per month.
Michiko **********
@Santtu ********
Got it. Do you have a threshold for how much a digital nomad has earned during the last year for you to take them on?
Santtu *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
We are a Board of Investment-promoted company, so we don't have the the same ratio of a regular Thai company and are able to hire larger numbers of foreigners.
Michiko **********
@Santtu ********
How do you ensure the employee ratio of Thai vs Foreiners if you "hire" so many foreigners?
Santtu *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
We are not a "visa agent", but a digital subcontracting/outsourcing company. We work on projects for foreign and Thai clients, including local banks and hospitals. Our community of employees can collaborate and share resources between their projects and may also add themselves as available to work on additional projects that we receive.
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