Quick, honest answers to the questions we hear most. Each one links to a fuller page if you want the whole picture — start there before you start negotiating.
Not usually outright — bars fall under foreign-ownership restrictions, so deals run through majority-Thai company structures. Nominee arrangements are illegal. See foreign ownership law.
Typically a lease, fittings, goodwill and stock — rarely land, and not always a clean company. See what you're buying.
High-risk everywhere, higher with foreign-operator friction. Some work well; many empty savings. Go in clear-eyed. See the reality of running one.
The lease — buying goodwill on a short, unrenewable or non-transferable lease. Closely followed by trusting unverified cash “books.” See leases and due diligence.
Absolutely — a licensed Thai lawyer and an accountant, both independent of the seller. It's the cheapest insurance in the whole process. See why.
A genuine Thai company with real Thai shareholders is the legitimate route; a nominee arrangement — Thai names holding shares only on paper to disguise foreign control — is illegal. See company structure and foreign ownership law.
Sometimes, sometimes not — it depends on whether the licence is tied to the company, the individual or the premises, and on whether the deal is an asset sale or a share sale. Verify, don't assume. See licences.
Generally corporate income tax, VAT where applicable, withholding tax on certain payments, and social security for staff, plus annual company filings. See taxes & accounting.
Written contracts, social security registration, and proper process for termination; and remember your own right to actually work in the bar needs the correct visa and work permit. See staffing & employment.
Pitfalls are the buyer's own avoidable mistakes (emotion, skipped diligence); scams are deliberate deception by a seller or intermediary. See pitfalls and common scams.
Roughly: initial terms, due diligence, a lawyer-drafted sale agreement, staged payments tied to milestones, handover, then post-completion filings. See the buying process.
Enormously — footfall, rent, competition and zoning all flow from the site, and a great fit-out can't fix a bad street. See choosing a location.
The same discipline that protects a buyer protects a seller: clean records, a transferable lease, current licences and honest numbers make an exit far easier. See selling up.
Often because they don't work — always ask why this one really is. See pitfalls.
Yes — building from an empty shell, partnering with an operator, a smaller food-led concept, or simply working in the trade before risking capital. See alternatives.