jamesbrock

For those who know the value of a baht, spending money on food and atmosphere at 50 to 100% of the price of other, less hotsie totsie places, has nothing to do with the size of your wallet. It has everything to do with the size of your brain.

Wow, that was unnecessarily nasty! There's no need to be like that because some people like a place that you don't.

Spending money that you can afford on food that you enjoy in surroundings that are comfortable, even if it is 50 to 100% of the price of "other, less hotsie totsie places" - and even if it is 800% of the price of the delicious noodle soup across the road that you also enjoy - does not mean that you don't understand the value of money, nor does it mean that you're mentally challenged.

I owned and sold a bar in on Soi Green Mango a few years ago. Thinking back it reminds me of my two ex-wives and two boats that I bought and sold. The day that I got married, I was happy, the day that I got divorced I was extremely happy, but out a lot of money. The day that I bought the boats, I was happy, the day that I sold them I was extremely happy, but out a lot of money. The day that I bought the bar in Samui I was happy, the day that I found a sucker to buy it, I was unbelieveablly happy, but again out a lot of money. To me they were all the same, just a big hole to throw money into without any return on investment. Would I do it all over again, probably! After all, hind sight is 20/20. Good luck, whatever your decision is!

Back on topic: wayned, how long did you own the bar for? Was the loss you made much greater than the amount of money you would have spent during that time doing nothing? I mean, say your average non-working, non-business owning expat has a monthly budget of 40,000 baht (I pulled this figure from the air, I have no idea what the average expat spends); in a year he spends 480,000 baht basically treading water. Then we another expat who has a million baht lying around and decides to buy a bar; so he finds a bar that has a room upstairs where he can live... In the course of a year his bar has good times, where he makes a modest profit, and bad times, where he ploughs money into just keeping it open before deciding to sell to the next starry-eyed farang - for roughly the same amount, if not more, than he bought it for. Do you think this second expat ends up more than half a million baht out of pocket? Sure, he might not have had any ROI, but he probably hasn't lost too much more that he would have spent just treading water for a year; he's had something to occupy his time, probably made some good mates, and more than likely had a blast. That doesn't sound like a terrible proposition to me.

I guess what I'm trying to say is: buying or starting a bar in Samui isn't necessarily the first step towards financial oblivion that most of the posters here on TV would have you believe (most of which have never or could ever do the same). Sure there are a million stories of starry-eyed farangs coming here and buying the first thing they see without any knowledge of the tourism trends and selling at a loss - some of whom, like wayned, who although he made a huge loss himself, would probably do it again; and then there are those who are currently running successful bars, many of whom regular posters on TV, and then those have made a truckload of money (one I know personally started with very little about a decade ago, and now has more money than he knows what to do with).

I can be done. It requires a lot of research and due diligence to find the right place in the right location at the right price, a solid business plan detailing exactly who you want to attract and how you're going to do so, and a shit-ton of work to make that happen.

maybe its the manual clutch that does it

Manual clutch?!? I have enough trouble staying upright!

I'm not having a go at the OP, here is one of his earlier topics.......

http://www.thaivisa....__fromsearch__1

I've no doubt that other members will have greater knowledge than we of the OP's posting history and situation.

That being as it may, the OP must address this issue through professional help, we can give him well meaning support and advice, but that's all.

I am not underestimating the severity and difficulty of depression, I am not saying that the OP does not deserve help and support, however the OP must put his hand up and make a concerted effort to help himself.

All that being said I wish you all the best in this battle........it's interesting that the previous post refers to Black Dog, that is what Winston Churchill called depression and he fought it throughout his life.

Good luck OP.

Oftentimes it is this kind of well meaning support and advice that we can offer that makes the difference during the dark times.

I battled depression for over seven years, and came very close to ending it all on several occasions - thankfully a close friend pointed out that that course of action is one of the most selfish things anyone can do (something you appear to understand anyway). I was on anti-depressants for most of that time, and tried every kind of counsellor, psychologist, and psychiatrist, yet my stupid brain chemistry failed to respond to anything. But then, as soon as it began, it was gone.

I wish I had some wise words to make you feel better, or even a magic cure, but al I can say is: as someone who has fought the black dog and won, it can get better. You just need to hang in there.

Edit: I'm not saying don't seek professional help. It just didn't seem to work for me. What did work for me was toughing out these dark times you're going through.

in thai you have a " mo sai " but that normaly means u ride a wave

What? With a foot brake and all?? I don't have the co-ordination for stuff like that!

the term "BIG BIKE" gets thrown around a lot ,even for the kawasaki boss or the phantom

I thought the Wave was a 'big bike'!

• 4 Bt. per KM
  

PM sent

Scooter is a, well, a scooter.

Bike is a bike.

Lol, my motorbike riding friends back in Australia never let me get away with saying I ride a motorbike when, in fact, I ride a scooter - no matter how many times I insist that the term 'motorbike' is used for both here!

Bondi is aimed squarely at two week tourists and the prices and food quality reflect that.

I've always found the quality of the food there to be as good as, if not better than most places I've eaten - it's the delivery that often lets them down in my opinion; but that hasn't stopped me becoming quite a regular there over the past seven months.

Bars in Bangrak are not competing in the same way. Most customers there are expats or passing through to KPG.

Most bars in Samui aren't competing in the same way.

james, what is a "parma" ?

The term 'Parma' is Australian slang for a Chicken Parmigiana - an Australian pub staple.

I googled it...its like a parmagiana...eggplant thing I think. Bit confused by the chicken parma though?

Hopefully he can explain it more comprehensively.

Indeed it is a variation of the parmigiana; with the chicken version (with Virginian ham) being a uniquely Melbournian dish.

I hope this is comprehensive enough:

1. Start with a 400g good quality chicken breast that's thick and juicy (a pre-crumbed heart shaped schnitzel isn't going to cut it)
   
2. Crumb with tasty seasoned bread crumbs
   
3. Grill (definitely don't fry) for 14 minutes on a hot plate
   
4. Top with homemade Napoli sauce, Virginian ham and mozzarella cheese
   
5. Bake or grill until the cheese is bubbly and just beginning to brown
   
6. Serve with seasoned chips, fresh garden salad and homemade vinaigrette
   

God, I'm salivating just thinking about it!

Also wonder if he's tried the Sweeney Todd breakfast yet?

La Taverna on Green Mango has a very tasty parmiagana btw....

Interesting...

No, I have not been to Sweeney Todd yet; but will definitely try to get there when I'm more mobile.

I must admit to being very disappointed, and somewhat let down when I heard my first one in Chiang Mai; I thought it was just a Samui thing, and Chiang Mai was above it.

I am not so optimistic of the future of Bondi Lamai. The prices are quite high and I have not heard good reviews. I think they will continue to get walk-in tourists who judge a place by it's look (it does look professional), but I doubt they will create a repeat customer market.

I disagree. The location is probably one of the best in Lamai, and being where they are they get a lot of customers coming over from the boxing ring and food hall. And that bar on the street front/corner is a masterstroke - there are always people sting there watching the passing parade. Yes, the prices are high, but even when Lamai is dead, they seem to have people eating and drinking.

Sure, most of the food there is good, but not great, but, as I wrote here yesterday, I love the ribs there - in fact I was wheeled in there last night for a serving - and they alone are enough to keep us going back. Not to mention they serve Magners, and have a great pool table with good cues. And always good service.

It could be better, but in my opinion, it'll be around for a while.

Interestingly, Apple released Java for OS X Lion 2012-001 yesterday. From the Apple website, it "delivers improved reliability, security, and compatibility for Java SE 6. Java for OS X Lion 2012-001 supersedes all previous versions of Java for OS X."

From a popup, which is the way all Adobe update alerts appear. I didn't think think anything unusual at the time as I seem to spend way more time updating Adobe products than actually using them.

Of course, I do have them set to check for updates automatically, and it's the first prompt I've seen since the latest version was released on Tuesday. And I'm pretty sure they all ask for the admin password when updating.

Another thing - I spent most of yesterday on TV, and never went near any sites with which you'd normally associate trojans and the like.

I'll look into it, but I'm not overly concerned.

Final Update: The police called us this morning and said that we needed to come get the motorcycle and the parts to it. They said that nobody was available to put it back together. My wife said we could argue with the police but she wouldn't recommend it. When we went to get the bike, who was there as proud as could be, the thief. So, now it is sitting in another shop where it is being assembled and I will of course get the bill.

So I take back my glowing respect for the Thai Police. Once again, amazing Thailand!

Of course, he is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, he probably hired a good defence lawyer for his arraignment, at which he pleaded not guilty, and then was released after paying a hefty bail. Sorry, forgot where I was - I wonder how much tea money he paid them??

Great. Updated Flash today...

especially if the place is charging you for the privilege of using their table!

Good point. However, I don't think there are too many bars doing that.

Warm Up has a decent 8ft table up the back near the toilets. 20B/game. Cues aren't brilliant though.

Some are...

I must add that I have become rather partial to the ribs at Bondi Aussie Bar & Grill in Lamai - dam_n they're good! Much better than Bikini BarBQ's self proclaimed "Best Ribs in Samui"

Unfortunately, it's pretty much all downhill from there. The Bondi Burger is ok, but not great; and their 'Melbourne's Famous Parma' was a massive disappointment (being from Melbourne, and loving a good parma). Their steak was good, but nowhere near as good as those from The Shack - which I would consider one of the best steaks I have ever had!

Speaking of parmas, I had a Breakfast Parma at the Ark bar a few weeks ago (for dinner), and can not wait to get back there and have another! All you Melbournians out there - do yourselves a favour...

As far as breakfasts go - I have not yet found one that deserves a second visit. The bog-standard 'Full English' or 'Big Breakfast' (with two fried eggs, two oft questionable sausages, bacon, tomato and beans, with toasted white bread) does nothing for me in the slightest. Every one is the same with no imagination or point of difference whatsoever. I understand people like them, but that is what this thread is for - personal opinions...

A farang, undoubtedly, commissioned by the Thai owner of the boxing!

Think yourselves lucky - here on Samui they have innumerable speaker-vans and speaker-boats going up and down Chaweng foreshore!

Yes very true, however from what I have read on here people do care alot about speed.

Not people who buy scooters. Power, yes; speed, no. There's a difference.

If you are quite happy with the specs you talked about on say two bikes then you would want to choose the one thats faster than the other right?

Wrong. I would choose based on large number factors, not one of them would be top speed.

Maybe one has better accelleration but less top speed than the other, well thats fine and its our choice which we prefer but right now i don't see anyone posting on any thread here a comparison of current thai models. The new PCX compared to say the old or the new click compared to the old Nouvo or new Mio. At least the HP values would give us all a fair idea.

You don't se anyone posting comparisons of top speed of various scooters is because it's basically irrelevant. Sure, some people are interested to know how fast a particular bike can go, but top speed is rarely - if ever - a consideration when it comes to purchasing a scooter. You can compare different classes of scooters like that; it's like comparing a Honda Jazz to a Toyota Camry.

As far as going up hills, 2 years ago i went to Ko Larn near pattaya, it has a very steep hill in the middle of the island that almost everyone has to use daily. All the bikes there were Airblades and Clicks. I asked the Mocy taxi guys why this was so, and they told me that yamaha bikes can't compare or that they couldnt get up the hill. (I've seen some lately though) Torque? HP? I don't know, but i would like to.

Obviously you don't, or you wouldn't be fixated on top speed like you are. Torque and horsepower are much more relevant considerations than top speed, but bear in mind that more of each does not necessarily mean a higher top speed.

Why not bring your own, as the cue thing seems to be be the important thing for you.

I do not often go out with the sole intention of playing pool, but if the mood so takes me, I would prefer to do it with a decent cue; especially if the place is charging you for the privilege of using their table!

"Here, look at out brand new walnut bar, and out icy cold beer taps pouring the freshest beer in town! Glasses without holes or jagged edges?!? No no no, just lick it off the floor... Or bring your own glass"

Or, hire one of them to park outside the advertiser's place of business for a few hours...

This probably won't work if the advertiser is Thai, though, as he/she would possess that uncanny Thai ability to not hear sounds that would drive your regular farang crazy (such as songs on continual repeat at Global House).

The Wild Boar on Loi Kroh has a brand new table. The bar is owned by a Canadian (if that makes a difference), it is not a girl bar, good food, good waitstaff, not overpriced etc.

But what about the cues? An awful lot of places neglect this essential piece of equipment (as noted in various posts above).

I had a pretty bad chest infection over xmas, and was desperate to get to a pharmacy for some medication, but was continually foiled by the rain. One day during a break in the rain I decided to make a run for it, only to get stuck behind a slow moving speaker-truck. Never in my life have I been so close to committing murder.

All I could think was Radiohead's line "When I am king you will be first against the wall"...

Probably busy going through the books... I mean, looking over the detailed contract of sale... I mean, performing due diligence with the included company...

Disc lock is the best prevention

Not really. The alarm can be silenced by wet tissue inserted in the hole and the it doesn't prevent 2 people lifting the bike in to the back of a pickup. If they really want it, they'll take it.

I agree that it's not the 'best' protection, but it's a pretty dam_n good one. It will stop a lot of opportunistic thieves from busting the steering lock and wheeling it away, especially with 120dB screaming at them!

As you say, though, if they want it, they'll take it!