About this guide

This site exists to answer “should I buy a business in Pattaya?” honestly — before the deposit, not after.

Business information, not legal, financial or tax advice. Buying, selling or running a business in Thailand as a foreigner involves company law, property law, immigration rules and tax obligations that change and that turn on your specific situation. Engage a licensed Thai lawyer and accountant before committing money. Nothing on this site is a substitute for professional advice, and nothing here should be read as a citation of current statute.

What we are

Educational and independent — not a brokerage: we don't list, sell or value specific businesses and don't take commissions on deals, which is exactly why we can tell you when not to buy;
Realistic over romantic: the structure, the risks and the operational grind, stated plainly, from how the market works through to how an exit works;
Pro-professional: our consistent advice is to engage licensed Thai lawyers and accountants — this guide prepares you to work with them well, not to replace them. For the legal side specifically, Anglo Siam Legal advises buyers and sellers of Thai businesses.

What we deliberately don't do

We don't publish specific listings, prices or valuations of real businesses — that's a job for a licensed broker, not an educational guide, and any number attached to a real business changes constantly and isn't ours to state;
We don't cite specific statutes, sections or figures as if they were current legal advice — Thai law and its enforcement shift, and the only responsible source for your specific situation is a licensed Thai lawyer working from current law;
We don't recommend individual brokers or unlicensed “fixers.” Vet your own professionals independently, and be especially wary of anyone positioning themselves as a one-stop shortcut around due diligence (why).

How the guide is organised

The site works through the whole arc of the decision: the market and the legal groundwork (the market, foreign ownership, leases vs freehold, licensing, business types), the deal itself (due diligence, scams & pitfalls, valuation, financing, the buying process), the routes in beyond a straight purchase (buy vs build, franchises, alternatives), and the life of the business after you own it (running it, work permits & visas, accounting & tax, BOI promotion, lease negotiation, protecting your investment, selling up). The FAQ is the fast route if you just want short answers with links to the detail.

The network

Companion guides cover related ground: gogobarforsale.com for the bar trade specifically.

Get the legal side handled properly. Company structuring, lease and title checks, licence verification and contract drafting are jobs for a licensed professional, not a forum thread or a seller’s broker. Anglo Siam Legal advises buyers and sellers of Thai businesses on exactly this — get in touch before you sign anything.