Where to Find Money to Start a Small Business: From Savings and Pre-Orders to Thai Government Bank Loans

“I want to start selling, but I have no capital.” This line comes up in mom groups all the time. Some of us already have a clear idea and are only stuck on that first lump of money. Others scroll past instant-loan ads on their phone every day until they start to waver and wonder whether to give it a try.

We are not going to tell you whether you should or should not borrow, because every family is different. What we will do is gather every real source of funding in one place, from routes that involve no debt at all to loans from Thai state banks, plus the warning signs of a loan you should walk away from immediately.

Where can you find startup money for a small business?

Quick Answer: There are 4 main routes: your own savings, pre-orders or deposits from customers, family, and bank loans. They are listed here from least to most risk for your family.

Source of funds	Pros	Watch out for
Your own savings	No interest, no one to report to	Only use what you can afford to lose; do not touch your child’s reserve
Pre-orders / deposits	Customers’ money is your capital, and you know the volume before ordering	You must deliver on the date you promised
Family	Flexible terms	Relationships can suffer if terms are not clear
Thai state banks	Clear interest and terms you can verify	Eligibility criteria, and you must repay on time every month
Informal lenders / unlicensed apps	Fast money	High interest, risk of scams or threats; best avoided

Before you start, know that many kinds of online business need much less starting money than you might think. Look at the real numbers in How much does it cost to open an online shop before deciding how much extra funding you actually need.

How much of your own savings should you use?

Quick Answer: Only use money that, if it all disappeared, your household could still carry on as normal. Do not touch your emergency fund or money set aside for your child.

Simple ways to split it that many people use:

• Keep a separate shop account from your household account from the very first baht. You will see clearly how much the shop spends and how much comes back.
• Start with a test budget. You do not need to put everything into the first batch. Use a small amount to test the market first.
• Set a stop line. For example, if you have used up this budget and still have not made sales, stop and review before adding more money.

If your savings are small, look at models that do not require buying stock first. We compare them in Dropshipping or holding your own stock: which suits moms.

Can pre-orders really work as startup capital?

Quick Answer: Yes. A pre-order means customers pay in full or pay a deposit first, and the shop uses that money to order or make the goods. It works well for handmade items, batch-ordered goods and products that already have customers waiting.

Pre-orders go smoothly when you:

• State the delivery date clearly, and leave yourself some buffer.
• State the refund terms in case the goods do not arrive or arrive late.
• Keep pre-order money separate. Do not spend it on anything else before paying for the goods.
• Update customers regularly, which cuts down on repeat questions in chat.

Remember that pre-order money is customers’ money held in trust with you. If the first round earns their trust, that trust is worth more than the money in every round after.

Borrowing from family: how to avoid falling out

Quick Answer: Agree clearly from the start whether it is a loan or an investment, how much, when it will be repaid, and what happens if the business does not continue. Then write it down so both sides see the same thing.

In Thai families, many elders want to help but would rather not talk about money directly. That sense of politeness (เกรงใจ, kreng jai) is exactly what often causes hurt feelings later. Have a short conversation that covers these 4 points:

1. Loan or investment. If it is an investment, will the elder share in the profit? How much say will they have?
2. Amount and repayment schedule. For example, how much you will repay each month and from which month.
3. If the shop does not continue, how you will pay it back.
4. Write it down. Even a message in the family LINE group (LINE is the main chat app in Thailand) that everyone acknowledges helps everyone remember the same thing.

If several people are seriously investing together, you may also need to think about your business structure. Read Sole trader or company: which suits your shop alongside this.

What loans do Thai state banks offer small business owners?

Quick Answer: GSB (Government Savings Bank), SME D Bank and BAAC have loans for small business owners or self-employed people. Each program has different criteria, limits and application windows, so always check with the bank directly first.

We gathered the information below from the banks’ websites and news reports as of October 2026, to give you a picture of what exists. This is not a recommendation to borrow, and terms may change at any time.

Government Savings Bank (GSB, ธนาคารออมสิน)

• GSB career-building loan (สินเชื่อออมสินสร้างอาชีพ): capital for a main or side occupation, up to 50,000 baht, no collateral, repayable over 60 installments, interest 0.75% per month flat rate (the web page states an effective rate of about 16.20% per year). Apply through the MyMo app or at a branch.
• Loan for small self-employed workers (สินเชื่อเพื่อผู้ประกอบอาชีพอิสระรายย่อย): for self-employed people such as online sellers and street cart vendors, up to 100,000 baht, interest 1.00% per month flat rate, repayable over up to 8 years, no collateral.
• GSB QR Mahaheng x Nok Krasip loan: for shops that use the payment app specified by the bank and have sales of at least 10,000 baht per month for 3 consecutive months or more. The 2026 round is open for screening registration until 31 October 2026 (details on the GSB website).

SME D Bank (Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand)

• News in September 2026 reported the Pluk Palang SME project for small business owners such as retail shops: up to 1 million baht per person, 3% per year fixed for the first 3 years, repayable over up to 10 years, no collateral required (guaranteed by TCG, the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation).
• Apply or ask at a branch, the bank’s LINE Official Account, the website smebank.co.th, or the Call Center at 1357.

BAAC (Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, ธ.ก.ส.)

• Most loan products shown on its website focus on farmers, agricultural businesses and people in rural areas. If your family farms, or your business is related to local community produce, ask your nearest branch or the Call Center at 02 555 0555 whether there is a program you qualify for.

What to prepare before applying

• Thai ID card, house registration (ทะเบียนบ้าน) and any documents the bank asks for
• Proof of income or sales, such as sales summaries from Seller Center or your shop’s bank statements. If you keep shop accounts from the start, this part becomes much easier. Start with DIY bookkeeping for an online shop
• Clear numbers on what you will use the money for and how much you can afford to repay each month

What is a flat interest rate, and why should you ask about it?

Quick Answer: A flat rate charges interest on the full original amount for the whole contract, even though the principal goes down every month. The effective annual rate is therefore much higher than the number you see.

Here is an example from GSB’s own website. The career-building loan charges 0.75% per month flat rate. At a glance that looks like only 9% a year, right? But the bank states the effective rate as about 16.20% per year.

When comparing several loans, ask the staff these 3 questions clearly:

1. What is the effective annual interest rate?
2. How much is each monthly payment, how many installments, and how much will I repay in total?
3. If I miss a payment, what are the penalty fees or default interest?

Which loans should you avoid?

Quick Answer: Avoid informal lenders and unlicensed loan apps, especially any that ask you to transfer a fee before the loan is released. The Bank of Thailand advises that if you are asked to transfer money first, you should assume it may be a scam.

Warning signs collected by the Bank of Thailand:

• Asks you to transfer money first, as a guarantee fee, processing fee or queue-jumping fee
• You receive less than the full amount but must repay it in full plus interest
• Keeps finding reasons for you to transfer more, claiming a wrong account number or missing documents
• Collects debts with threats and calls people in your phone contacts
• Blocks you on every channel once you start asking questions

Before borrowing through an app or company you do not know, always check the list of licensed lenders on the Bank of Thailand’s loan app checker. The page also lists where to get help with informal debt, the 1359 hotline, and the cyber police hotline 1441. If you have already transferred money, contact your bank immediately and file a police report online at thaipoliceonline.go.th.

The best startup money does not have to be the biggest sum. It is the sum that still lets you sleep well at night. Start with what you have. A small shop without debt chasing it can go further than you think.