Contents:
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- The risks of careless sales activities in Thailand
- Short-term work permits for fixed term project management
- Expert health tips for managers in transit
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Representative Office as a sales office?
The risks of careless sales operations in Thailand
“So what? No one will notice!“ is something often heard from foreign businesses who sell and advertise their products in Thailand aggressively from Representative Offices. Be forewarned, however: it only takes one laid-off employee, jealous competitor or broken-hearted girlfriend deciding to notify the authorities, and then you have a real problem on your hands.
Anyone marketing products, offering prices, or conducting negotiations through a rep office without permission is subject to severe legal consequences. Such practices are in violation of the Foreign Business Act and can lead to deportation, office closure or punishment in the form of fees or jailtime. These consequences – including any effects of taxation – may also affect the management of the parent company.
In truth, it is not that difficult to find legally viable alternatives. Sanet Legal Ltd., a German-Thai legal office with associates in industrial consulting, can help you to decide which is right for you.
Click here to read a Case Study showing how Sanet helped a European company to legalize its sales activities in Thailand in a sustainable way.
Many foreign companies simply close their eyes and hope for the best when it comes to the legality of their sales rep office’s activity in Thailand. This then puts them at risk of facing heavy legal consequences from the Thai authorities, which often apply to the parent company as well.
Work Permit for fixed term-project engagement
The German-Thai lawyers of Sanet Legal Ltd. informs
The Thai government has revised their regulations for work permits issued to foreigners. Foreign business people attending meetings or exhibitions in Thailand are no longer required to obtain a work permit. Despite the law’s loose enforcement by the Thai authorities in the past, foreign visitors to exhibitions constantly ran the risk of being charged with “working without a work permit”. Thus, this is excellent news for exhibition-goers.
Be forewarned, however, that the situation is quite different when it comes to fixed-term technical labor. For example, any experts flown into Thailand short-term to install machinery or solve technical problems are required to obtain a work permit. Some of the operations for which work permits are obligatory are:
- Analyzing and remedying technical deficiencies
- Executing quality control inspections
- Inspecting and improving production processes
- Consulting for machine or control system repair
- Demoing machines and equipment
To be eligible for a short-term wok permit, the work to be done, which must be completed within 15 days or less, must first be registered with the Thai Labour Department, a process which rarely proceeds without complication. If you are looking to avoid lengthy delays, then it is a good idea to seek professional help in the form of a legal office. For more information, contact info@sanet.co.th.
A work permit is required even for very short-term technical jobs, and all jobs must be registered with
the labor department in advance.
Expert health tips for managers in transit
Dr. Milz: Combining stress-relieving techniques from Asia and the West
Don’t forget to have a look at the Sanet Website for an interview with Dr. Franz Milz. Doctor, burn-out expert and best-selling author Dr. Milz gives tips on how to handle the burden placed on our bodies when traveling through multiple time zones.
Many Sanet clients are constantly on-the-road traveling between countries. All those tight schedules, difficult negotiations and adjusting to foreign cultures create a lot of stress. That is why Sanet Business Development Manager, Johannes Kraus, took the time to interview Dr. Milz in Bangkok and ask him for some health and performance tips useful to travelling businessfolk. Read the interview here.