Setting Up Your Own Business in Pattaya Instead of Getting a Job

If you want to work in Pattaya, setting up your own business is the most proactive thing you can do. You can look for a job proactively, but nothing beats carving out your own future instead of waiting for things to happen.

What should you start?

Start with something that doesn't need many staff, isn't capital intensive and is service based: a visa office, a concierge service, a property office, that kind of thing. You can stand out through hard work and a professional service. (With a property office, remember that agent and broker work itself is reserved for Thais, so check what role you can legally do. I've written more in working as a property agent in Pattaya.)

Bear in mind the staffing rule. To get a work permit through your own company, you generally need four Thai employees for each foreigner, as well as enough registered capital. The rules have some exceptions, so check with a lawyer or accountant.

What does it cost?

A small service business like that can realistically be set up for around ฿300,000 to ฿400,000.

I know because I did exactly that. About 20 years ago I set up Pattaya Job Centre. It was a desk in an office that cost ฿10,000 a month, run by my Thai girlfriend at the time. The costs were registering the company, desks and computers, and it came to about ฿200,000.

A year or so later we broke up, and I gave the business to her. She's run it ever since, and it's still going today.

What did it teach me?

Back then it taught me how easy it was to set up a company here. The barrier was low. It also taught me that if you have a decent idea and you're reasonably good at executing it, you can make decent money here, comparable to what you might make in the West.

Why is it harder now?

The paperwork and checks are a bit more complicated now, but the real change is competition. Twenty years ago you could take something that worked in the West and just copy it here. Now most of those ideas have been done. There are so many business people here, so many people wanting to stay and willing to do anything, and so many people with expertise from back home who've already tried their idea here.

Where would I look for a gap?

I'd look at what's trending and try to look into the future. Right now I'd be looking at AI, offered as a service. (Here's how I use AI in my businesses.)

Honestly, though, the world has changed so much that starting from scratch is very hard. I'd almost say you're better off buying an existing business with a customer base.

My advice: start small

If you're set on starting from scratch, keep the risk low. Don't invest too much until you've found your feet. You can always scale up later, or pivot to a different business. Start with only as much money as you can afford to lose, because a lot of people come here and lose it all.

For the ownership rules and Thai partners, read starting or buying a business in Pattaya. This is part of my series on working in Pattaya: read finding a job as a foreigner, teaching English, working in hospitality and working remotely.