If you are a US Citizen and want to start up a business, the skids can be greased for you because of the Treaty of Amity.
Check out:
http://usa.siam-legal.com/business-in-thailand/amity-treaty.php The U.S - Thailand Amity Treaty has promoted U.S. Thai trade relations since 1966. The treaty requires the Thai government to give businesses owned and run by American investors national treatment. This exempts American businesses from most of the regulations mandated by the Alien Business Law of 1972.
Treaty of Amity : Requirements |
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For a company to be eligible for Amity Treaty Status, at least 50% of its directors 51% of its shareholders must be American citizens. This restriction applies to all parent companies as well. The US Thailand Amity Treaty does not apply to the following industries:
- Land Ownership
- Inland Transport
- Inland Communication
- Agriculture
- Natural Resource Exploitation
- Commercial Banking
- Services Involving a Fiduciary Duty
The U.S. Thailand Amity Treaty’s future is uncertain. Thailand has a treaty obligation with the World Trade Organisation to treat investment from every WTO member nation the same. A WTO arbitration panel gave Thailand until 2005 to reform their treaties and stop preferentially treating American investors. Now that the deadline has passed, WTO member nations are free to request trade sanctions against Thailand to force compliance with the WTO ruling. For now, this issue remains dormant, but, if international pressure mounts, Thailand may have to decide between cancelling the U.S. - Thailand Amity Treaty and granting national treatment investors from all W.T.O. member nations.