What is the process to obtain a work permit or work visa to start a business in Thailand?

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it starts with not having a DTV

Nothing to do with DTV

Marry a local otherwise dont do it, the system is built to fail you unless you got a local spouse

You get an employer to sponsor you when you are out of the country. Nothing to do with DTV.

You need an employer..

Either a local company employs you, to do a task they want.. Or you must open your own company, with all that means (offices, staff, corp tax, sales tax, etc) and employ yourself.

Or you can look at umbrella payrolls like sponsoredworkpermit.com or talk to lawyers who often can matchmake between a Thai corp that has the ability to put you on the payroll and a farang who wants a work permit but this is getting into the shady side.

I did it my way, without nicknames or anonymous.

Unless you are an American Passport holder, you find Thai citizens as partners.

Together (American passport holders go alone) you visit a lawyer to open a compnay.

Once the company is fully registered, one of the Thai partners visit the Ministry of Labor to apply for the Work Permit. When application is done, YOU use the receipt to apply while being outside Thailand for the Non Immigrant B visa.

On return with the visa, you visit the Ministry Of Labor to pick up your work permit and you can start to work.

To do business, you must first open a company, then apply for a 3-month Non-B visa based on the company's foundation, then obtain a work permit and a 12-month extension of the Non-B visa. This is the procedure. The company where I work is involved in this type of activity. A lawyer can tell you more about this. I'll tell you right away that opening a company and obtaining a business visa is expensive.