I am Alex Chiu, founder of invesThai, and an independent consultant with hands-on manufacturing experience across multiple industries, including metal casting, automotive components, gear reducers, OEM manufacturing, and other industrial sectors. My work is grounded in real factory operations—not theory—having personally gone through the full process of setting up manufacturing facilities from scratch, from initial planning, BOI application, factory permit, equipment selection to supplier development, production setup, quality systems, and operational ramp-up.
I began traveling throughout Southeast Asia at a young age due to my parents’ work, and among the ASEAN countries, Thailand became the place where I spent the most time and developed the strongest connection. After completing my university education, I returned to Thailand to pursue a career in the manufacturing industry and joined a foreign company preparing to establish a new production plant in the country. With a background in mechanical engineering and strong foreign language skills, I was entrusted to lead the factory setup process.
In this role, I personally handled BOI promotion applications, land acquisition, construction permits, contractor bidding, factory construction supervision, factory and utility licensing, as well as local supplier development. As the factory matured and I continued to accumulate experience across different industrial organizations, I was increasingly approached—often through recommendations from BOI and other Thai government officials—to assist other foreign companies seeking to invest and establish operations in Thailand.
Today, I leverage this practical, on-the-ground experience to guide clients through complex investment and manufacturing decisions. My goal is to help businesses avoid common pitfalls, shorten learning curves, and move from planning to execution efficiently, with solutions that are realistic, implementable, and aligned with Thailand’s regulatory and industrial landscape.
Difficulties in starting a business or factory in Thailand
I have built a factory from scratch myself, so I know very well that the initial stages of building a factory are exceptionally difficult. The foreign businesses I have come into contact with generally encounter the following three problems.
- Not familiar with Thailand, and don’t know where to start. Investors often turn to the experiences of others who have succeeded in Thailand. Yet these insights are frequently contradictory or outdated, and may no longer apply to current laws or market realities. Indecision can slow progress, while following advice without proper verification may lead to misjudgment and compliance risks.
- Poor communication with translators. Usually, the translators hired by foreign companies do not understand the steps for foreign companies to set up factories and do not understand the proper jargon of the industry. During the meeting, the translators themselves have to first comprehend the concept or procedure in Thai first before even thinking about translating to the foreign owner. With this setup, both the accuracy and time efficiency of translation are greatly compromised.
- Even if you spend a lot of money to hire professional accountants and lawyers to help, the results will be limited. Accountants specialize in financial statements, annual accounting reviews, and etc. Lawyers specialize in legal consultation, litigation, and etc. In fact, these two types of companies usually don’t know much about the details of foreign companies building factories or have any actual hands-on experience in setting up a FDI or BOI promoted company.
About invesThai
While assisting many foreign owned businesses, I have realized that I enjoy helping other who are dealing with the stress of starting a company in Thailand. Whenever I see my clients whom I helped build the factory finally start production as scheduled after all the hard work, I felt fulfilled and have a great sense of accomplishment. In order to serve more clients and solve the above problems encountered by foreign investors, I launched the invesThai investment guide. With my fluent English and Thai language skills, engineering background and experience in setting up companies and factories from scratch, I can help foreign investors like you overcome various difficulties and get you operational in the shortest possible time. Whether it is providing free online investment guides or consulting services, I believe that the information and services I provide can be a strong anchor for your venture in Thailand.