What visa should a Canadian consider for opening a coffee shop in Thailand?

When a person starts a Thai Registered Company, with proper documents submitted the Company becomes Certified with a Company Certificate issued. This Certificate often / usually lists multiple types of businesses designated in the Certificate that the Company may engage in. The Business Founders make this list. Next the Foreign owner gets designated as Director. The Director has an option (if they want to do hands on work and / or supervise workers then a Work Permit is applied for along with B Visa. With the Work Permit and B Visa the Foreigner as Company Director can perform any and all work and tasks needed to operate the business. i.e., two of my 20 or so authorized business categories are Renting of Cars (including all support work). Another is Buying and Selling of Land and Villas (on the list but I do not engage in it).

I can add or change Business Categories with an edit and resubmission of the Company Certificate.

I'd suggest some kind of gimmick if you do open it... there's 3 or 4 in all the malls and a goodly number of coffee shops around the towns... Maybe a drive up window????? Good luck..

You can work as Director or Manager Director, but not allowed to actually work as making coffee and helping clients. If you like to do it you need to set up a company in Thailand, your Thai partners apply for the Work Permit and with those and company papers you can apply for the Non Immigrant B visa.

Do it as a lifestyle choice, but be prepared to lose money.

There are a million coffee shops here, might be tough to make a profit

And what do you like to do in the coffee shop?