Working in Thailand

Hi Aidan 1,

Welcome to Expat.com!

I wish you good luck in your search.

All the best,
Christine

In my opinion your best option is to go with a Non-Immigrant type visa based on retirement or marriage to a Thai. Both types are good for one year.

The retirement type requires a monthly income of not less than 65,000 baht a month; or not less than 800,000 baht on deposit in a Thai Bank. There are restriction on how long deposit must be in bank account before application for extension. Or annual income plus bank account deposit totaling not less than 800,000 baht.

The marriage has less money requirements but much more paperwork.
You need a monthly income of not less than 40,000 baht a month or not less than 400,000 baht on deposit in a Thai bank.

If you go the business/investment/employee route you mentioned you would be facing many hoops to jump through. As a partner in a business you would have to establish a Thai company which means share holders annual reports etc. and have a minimum capital of 2 million baht fully paid up in the company.  As an employee you open a whole new door of hoops to jump through.  Four Thai's for every farang employed, work permit required for you, I think a minimum salary set my government along with paying taxes and work permit fees.  Unless your business is going to make a ton of money I would avoid this route because your involvement would only attract more attention by the government tax people.