information on moving to Thailand :) hope i'm not boring you

[ivanica]

Dear all,

as I can see by your previous posts, some of you have a large experience with all of the issues surrounding the famous "moving to Thailand".
I do not need any specific info on Thai culture or way of living and managing your budget over there, as I have been there more times then I can remember.
I love that country and after several years of getting to know it and managing my own NGO that has a lot of operations in the SE Asia, i have decided to take some time and move to Thailand as life is starting to get really boring and expensive in Europe (i might have to mention i am of Serbian origin-a country with the growing economy and equally growing expenses of living).
I have several obstacles to doing all of the paperwork for spending at least one year in Thailand, so I have decided to ask you (experienced) guys about it.
We have no Thai Embassy in Serbia, so I have to address all my issues to the Thai Embassy in Hungary (not a big problem), but I am not sure what type of visa should I get for a one year residence (maybe more) and what are the requirements for me (as a single and happy girl ) to get nessecary papers.
Also, I would like to open an office for my NGO in Bangkok and of course, to rent a space for it. Any tips and suggestions?
Also, where can I can find the list of businesses that are forbidden to be owned or run by farangas?
I was thinking to start up a small business (ex. internet cafe, some tourist assistance agency...), is it possible and what can you suggest?
I have many more questions but mostly everything is related to paperwork for moving and logistics surrounding the opening of a small business by a foreigner.
I hope I will get some info from you and in the meantime, I will be thinking about drinking Singha in Khao San

THX!!!

[synthia]

First, you can't get a visa for longer than a year.

Second, I don't know what you would need to do to set up an NGO. I do know that even volunteers are supposed to have work permits.

If you start a business, the majority ownership must be Thai, and you'll need a lawyer to set it all up. The norm used to be some dummy agents who were paid a small annual fee to be 'owners' but had no real access to the business. I believe now the Thai owners must have full access to all the business's bank accounts and there are other regulations changes.

The real issue is that no matter what you set up, the law has been changing rapidly. Everything is pretty much at the whim of the immigration official. I've heard that 'O' visas have become much harder to get.

Visas aren't granted on a 'if you meet these requirements you will get a visa' basis. People apply for two-month tourist visas, and get only one month. People get denied for no reason at all. In some consulates, no two-month visas are issued no matter what, others are generous, or used to be generous, with the 'O' visas (Hull, for instance).

People who are there are having trouble sorting it all out.