Eddythekid

The word gangster and mafia, are thrown around quite a lot in Thailand, but then if you think what a gangster is, usually someone with no morals, no value on life etc. that does sort of sum up most low life Thai men, so most are gangsters or wannabees, can't believe BIB were so quick to rule out Thais, I've never met a society with such low morals. I met with Thais saving face, can't let nothing lie, if locals just wanted to rape western women I'm sure there are single girls for them to attack, but they chose this girl, so there is more to it than just having sex, you piss a Thai off they will get their revenge

None of the Thai guys I know on the estate I live in are getting anywhere near 40k a month.

The combined wage of most Thai families I know is 24-28k a month.

Generally the wife seems to have a better education (degree) and wage (14k) than the man (10k).

This is in a middle class, Thai only, estate just outside CM, bank staff, office workers, teachers, nurses, police, etc.

Another really odd happening

When the men get paid, end of month, they are expected to bring their wage packet home, unopened, and hand it to their wife. She will then open the wage packet, count the money and hand the guy 200-400bht for him to spend. She keeps the rest to pay household bills.

Interesting to see how you have so much insight into a Thai families personal finances, you speak in average terms like you went around with a survey form, and then entered the data into a spreadsheet, my feeling is if the lady is a professional earning 14k+ she will seek a husband with far better potential, 10k is labourers money these days.

Anyway back to OPs original post. I think 40k is bordering on living OK for a couple (I'm assuming the 40k wasn't something you just hand over each month???), it's possible to live on 40k but you won't have much for leisure, eating out, clubs & bars. Mind if you own your property and have no HP on cars/motorbikes it's a little more feasible. As for - "would a lady stay with a man earning only 40k per month?" Well if I was earning say 60k a month and suspected my wife was only with me for money, I'd stash 20k and tell her that's all there is, if she leaves, brilliant! The last thing I want is a prostitute to wake up to each morning, so bye-bye! What ever happened to our beliefs and more importantly our wedding vows, "for better or worst, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health" Can you really live like this? Knowing that, if things took a dip (stock market, baht strengthens, road accident) your wife would be gone the next day - <deleted> that!

about 60 per cent of news reports were of homicide, about 24 per cent involved suicide and some 9 per cent involved assaults.

She said the proportion of homicides arising from domestic disputes was on the rise, reaching 59.16 per cent in 2012 compared to 2011's 49.70 per cent.

Ninety per cent of the victims were women.

That means over 30% of all news reports were of women being killed as a result of a domestic dispute.

I find that hard to believe.

Usual garbage report, your maths is excellent mate, I came to the same conclusion BS. Better subject to post about is the amount of women having their Falang husband done in for the sake of bricks and mortar

There are many things you can do, first and most obvious is parking in a shaded area, (always consider where the sun is moving, should you be parked up for any length of time). If there's no shade you can either carry a silver cover under your seat (the blackout blind is brill and the curtain shop will knock one up for 100-150bt), and the last measure is to pop the seat up and turn the bike so under-seat is facing the sun, downside is someone may come along and close it for you, plus your fuel is exposed for thieves.

More permanent measures - get your seat re-covered using a metallic Ironing-board cloth (200bt in Tesco) upholsterers will charge about 300bt to recover and the seat stays amazingly cooler, plus it breaths better when your sitting on it, vinyl has a habit of making your ass sweat whether you've parked in the sun or not. Here's ones I've done for my ninja 250 and ninja 650

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2047584183120&set=pb.1049904731.-2207520000.1365736123&type=3&theater

What time is your flight? I'm home for a long break on the same day - 9:30 Aeroflop??

Thanks guys .. Well i've been here since i was 20 and will be 31 in may it comes a time in life where you just get fed up of a place plus all the bs what comes with it i have also lived in Bangkok / Pattaya / Phuket .. just tired these days .. plus i'm not getting any younger ...

ge mate 11yrs.in bkk,patts.and phuket no wonder you want to go home,unless youve had some bad experiances come and try it in korat,and only 31 what were you abandoned.its loverly here. taffy

Yes it does sound like he hasn't given the proper Thailand a chance, you've been hanging out at all the seedy cities, that's not the real Thailand. But then you also came here far to early in life, I assume you are going back to purchase a house and find a job and hopefully settle down to start a family, good luck with all that? I'd done the house buying and career stuff from 20-34, then I left for Thailand (also 2002) seems like you're doing it all opposite to me and my methods, be interesting to see how it pans out for you, perhaps you could keep us posted here from time to time. (taffy too)

one post you saying your not trying to educate then you keep claiming two posters that have successful resorts actually haven't got successful resorts,tell me then why is someone paying me 220k for my website and some fixtures and fittings when we finish up next month.

P.s they also have to pay the land owner to rent the land so don't twist it that I sold my bussiness for that price

OMG - I'm creasing myself with laughter, I thought I was talking to a businessman, sorry mate, our worlds are light-years apart, good luck with the sale of your F&Fs (+website).

Nobody was saying you haven't got a successful resort, I don't even know it to comment. This was not a competition, it was a thread about advising someone whether it was a worth while venture, you and Lemoncake decided to advice him not to get involved and gave a string of reasons why, stipulating all the problems you incur day after day. I on the other hand don't share the same views or experience and so I wrote to that effect, only to be called a liar, and a dreamer, then you try to defend yourself by back-tracking and claiming how successful your business is and how much profit you make (so funny).

I think both you and Lemoncake should take a long hard look at yourselves, because I think you'll find the problems you have come from within.

Lemoncake - thankyou for your last post, no derogatory remarks, and what you say is actually very constructive, you have redeemed yourself. Yes I can believe that location has a lot to do with it. So (not to give you personal advise), those that experience problems hiring staff because their business is smack in the middle of sex-tourist destinations, why don't you try hiring from up country, I'm not saying it will work, plus you'd have some added expenses, but worth a try. See up-country there are people who closer resemble what we expect to find in our home countries, the problem in these tourist areas, the bright lights and fast bucks are like a magnet, and that's what you've got to compete with. Even people who simply turn up with all their high morals and intent on finding a proper, decent job, soon get sucked into machine, so yes location has got a lot to do with it, and how long before these staff from up-country soon realise if they just lower their moral standards (A LOT) they too can make some easy money - GO FAT, GO UGLY may be the way forward (lol)

Lemoncake I got no advice for you, you obviously know all you're capable of knowing already, that's why you are so happy running your guesthouse Keep up the good work mate!

...and finally they stop spouting their negativity - winner!

So in conclusion OP, yes it's possible to run a small guesthouse in Thailand, turn a profit and sit back and relax, working minimal hours per week, and try not listening to all the negativity here, just coz they couldn't do it doesn't mean you can't

I'm not trying to educate anyone, or at least that wasn't my intention, my 1st intention was to give the OP some good sound advice, but on hearing all the negative comments, I felt strongly about re-addressing the balance. Do you expect me to give up and roll over and say "OK i'm having all the problems you are having" when I'm not?

Am I underpaying them 300bt per day at 25 days a month is 7.5k? They get tips on top of this.

You boys have really been hit with the Thai bug of classifying each person. My staff are my staff, they are paid to work for me, this is clarified at interview "Now do you want the job" To employ someone solely for cleaning rooms when you only have 10 is ridiculous My cook doesn't clean, and my cleaner doesn't cook. My staff wear the same (well tidy) uniform and perform all their duties throughout the day, They've been taught to cook and clean and run the bar/reception. In a small guesthouse of only 10 rooms it is the only way forward, there is no other logistical method that will work. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that if my wage bill is 25k p/m and the manager is on 10k that leaves 7.5 each for other 2.

If my model sounds feasible on paper that's all you got to do after it's written down is implement it, a little like when I built the place, I made a plan and then implemented it. If someone is hell bent on stopping your plan from working, you either persuade them to come around to your way of thinking or you get rid. I think your problems are you never had a plan or road map to start with

Boys promise you won't hate me if I give you my site, I got nothing to prove to either of you, but still I'd loove to get my point across that it can be done, and as long as you keep making assumptions about me, the info is going to go through one ear and out the other, I direct you to my site as long as you promise to stop slagging me off :)

You boys have really been hit with the Thai bug of classifying each person. My staff are my staff, they are paid to work for me, this is clarified at interview "Now do you want the job" To employ someone solely for cleaning rooms when you only have 10 is ridiculous My cook doesn't clean, and my cleaner doesn't cook. My staff wear the same (well tidy) uniform and perform all their duties throughout the day, They've been taught to cook and clean and run the bar/reception. In a small guesthouse of only 10 rooms it is the only way forward, there is no other logistical method that will work. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that if my wage bill is 25k p/m and the manager is on 10k that leaves 7.5 each for other 2.

If my model sounds feasible on paper that's all you got to do after it's written down is implement it, a little like when I built the place, I made a plan and then implemented it. If someone is hell bent on stopping your plan from working, you either persuade them to come around to your way of thinking or you get rid. I think your problems are you never had a plan or road map to start with

Taninthai, don't believe everything you here, unless you live in Nae Hong Song!

Ha Lemoncake you've just bought a smile to my face, your statement just took me back 6yrs, when my wife said to me, nobody will do everything, cook is for cooking, cleaner is for cleaning, etc. I have 10 rooms, running at 50-60% so to clean rooms only would take max 3hrs, so the rest of the time do you just pay them to sit around waiting for the customer to vacate, get real. My restaurant may make between 10 and 20 meals a day so on a bad day 10 meals at 20mins (av) she too will have just over 3hrs work, so do I pay her to sit around all day waiting for someone to order food. I said to my wife "believe me, you put in their job description and they will do it", until this day it was never raised as an issue again. Rooms are cleaned the moment a room is vacant as long as food is not being cooked, when rooms are all clean and no food is required they move onto the laundry, if the laundry is finished they do general cleaning of the hotel and restaurant. When your staff are idol they will get bored and grow to hate their job, if you'd read all my posts thoroughly you also know that one member is dedicated to pool cleaning, appox. 4/5hrs work a week. YOU DON'T KEEP A DOG AND BARK YOURSELF.

10 rooms take 3 hours to clean? now you have just shown that you do not have anything

I have had to clean rooms and 10 rooms will take minimum 6 hours of non stop work if properly cleaned.

Unless of course your idea of a clean is to change towels and put a toilet paper.

No doubt a maid or reception staff will cook a great looking delicious meal

Lets hope your imaginary guests are happy with the food and "clean" rooms.

Man-management skills same as your time-management skills it would seem. I averaged the time at 20mins per room, doing it daily you keep on top of things, I then clearly stated that we are at 50-60% capacity, therefore my 3hrs was based on 6 rooms, now go and re-calculate

I am sorry so 10 rooms does not take under 3 hours, 5 rooms does

So do tell me what you charge per night to have a manager on high salary and do tell me why since you doing so well, you have maids cooking?

May be you can explain to me how you actually manage to stay in business with 5 rooms, maid, reception and manager

Really I feel like I'm up in front of the Jury again!

Is 10k a high salary - I don't think so!!

Have you not worked out, the rooms are only half of the business, you need to diversify, we have a bar and restaurant, we do a laundry service, we sell toiletries, we rent motorbikes, we have a pool and gym that people pay a membership for.

...and apology accepted! Listen guys it was you who thought it OK to throw all your problems out there and have a good winge about Thai people and their work ethics, don't expect everyone to agree with you.

Taninthai, don't believe everything you here, unless you live in Nae Hong Song!

Ha Lemoncake you've just bought a smile to my face, your statement just took me back 6yrs, when my wife said to me, nobody will do everything, cook is for cooking, cleaner is for cleaning, etc. I have 10 rooms, running at 50-60% so to clean rooms only would take max 3hrs, so the rest of the time do you just pay them to sit around waiting for the customer to vacate, get real. My restaurant may make between 10 and 20 meals a day so on a bad day 10 meals at 20mins (av) she too will have just over 3hrs work, so do I pay her to sit around all day waiting for someone to order food. I said to my wife "believe me, you put in their job description and they will do it", until this day it was never raised as an issue again. Rooms are cleaned the moment a room is vacant as long as food is not being cooked, when rooms are all clean and no food is required they move onto the laundry, if the laundry is finished they do general cleaning of the hotel and restaurant. When your staff are idol they will get bored and grow to hate their job, if you'd read all my posts thoroughly you also know that one member is dedicated to pool cleaning, appox. 4/5hrs work a week. YOU DON'T KEEP A DOG AND BARK YOURSELF.

Lol. 10 rooms and running at 50-60% and you need to employ a manager and other staff geez me and my wife would be running that on our own no staff needed.

We have 12 rooms spread over 10 rai beachfront we have two staff come everyday to clean rooms the rest of the work we do ourselves peak season we will have 1 full time staff as said it hard work but the profit between December to February is extremely good ,better than what I would make In the uk actually.

I don't mind grafting if I have a nice healthy bank balance when season ends

Whoo 12 rooms, that's more than 10 right? How can you defend yourself and try and pat yourself on the back after revealing how hard you find it. It's a little late now to try and pos. up your story, you've been slagging your situation off through the entire thread, I employ 3 FT staff one being a manager, and my wife covers their days off MON/WED/FRI, our premises are open from 8am to midnight with kitchen closing at 9pm, and my monthly hrs come in at (approx) 850 per month. Now should me amnd my misses bust our guts working those 800+hrs, or use my management skills to employ staff, get them to the standard I require, and sit back and enjoy my time in Thailand, I personally didn't come here to work hard. As I said in an earlier post a redundant manager is a good manager. My staff bill comes to 25k p/m (I don't pay the misses obviously), is it really worth me working all those hours to save myself 25k??? get real guys you ain't gonna win here not on this thread not today. Lemoncake and Taninthai, I'm not trying to be offensive but stop tarring everyone with your incompetence brush

Taninthai, don't believe everything you here, unless you live in Nae Hong Song!

Ha Lemoncake you've just bought a smile to my face, your statement just took me back 6yrs, when my wife said to me, nobody will do everything, cook is for cooking, cleaner is for cleaning, etc. I have 10 rooms, running at 50-60% so to clean rooms only would take max 3hrs, so the rest of the time do you just pay them to sit around waiting for the customer to vacate, get real. My restaurant may make between 10 and 20 meals a day so on a bad day 10 meals at 20mins (av) she too will have just over 3hrs work, so do I pay her to sit around all day waiting for someone to order food. I said to my wife "believe me, you put in their job description and they will do it", until this day it was never raised as an issue again. Rooms are cleaned the moment a room is vacant as long as food is not being cooked, when rooms are all clean and no food is required they move onto the laundry, if the laundry is finished they do general cleaning of the hotel and restaurant. When your staff are idol they will get bored and grow to hate their job, if you'd read all my posts thoroughly you also know that one member is dedicated to pool cleaning, appox. 4/5hrs work a week. YOU DON'T KEEP A DOG AND BARK YOURSELF.

10 rooms take 3 hours to clean? now you have just shown that you do not have anything

I have had to clean rooms and 10 rooms will take minimum 6 hours of non stop work if properly cleaned.

Unless of course your idea of a clean is to change towels and put a toilet paper.

No doubt a maid or reception staff will cook a great looking delicious meal

Lets hope your imaginary guests are happy with the food and "clean" rooms.

Man-management skills same as your time-management skills it would seem. I averaged the time at 20mins per room, doing it daily you keep on top of things, I then clearly stated that we are at 50-60% capacity, therefore my 3hrs was based on 6 rooms, now go and re-calculate

Sorry - did you just say you once cleaned 10 rooms - YOURSELF - really! Now I know you are ---------

Taninthai, don't believe everything you here, unless you live in Nae Hong Song!

Ha Lemoncake you've just bought a smile to my face, your statement just took me back 6yrs, when my wife said to me, nobody will do everything, cook is for cooking, cleaner is for cleaning, etc. I have 10 rooms, running at 50-60% so to clean rooms only would take max 3hrs, so the rest of the time do you just pay them to sit around waiting for the customer to vacate, get real. My restaurant may make between 10 and 20 meals a day so on a bad day 10 meals at 20mins (av) she too will have just over 3hrs work, so do I pay her to sit around all day waiting for someone to order food. I said to my wife "believe me, you put in their job description and they will do it", until this day it was never raised as an issue again. Rooms are cleaned the moment a room is vacant as long as food is not being cooked, when rooms are all clean and no food is required they move onto the laundry, if the laundry is finished they do general cleaning of the hotel and restaurant. When your staff are idol they will get bored and grow to hate their job, if you'd read all my posts thoroughly you also know that one member is dedicated to pool cleaning, appox. 4/5hrs work a week. YOU DON'T KEEP A DOG AND BARK YOURSELF.

10 rooms take 3 hours to clean? now you have just shown that you do not have anything

I have had to clean rooms and 10 rooms will take minimum 6 hours of non stop work if properly cleaned.

Unless of course your idea of a clean is to change towels and put a toilet paper.

No doubt a maid or reception staff will cook a great looking delicious meal

Lets hope your imaginary guests are happy with the food and "clean" rooms.

Man-management skills same as your time-management skills it would seem. I averaged the time at 20mins per room, doing it daily you keep on top of things, I then clearly stated that we are at 50-60% capacity, therefore my 3hrs was based on 6 rooms, now go and re-calculate

Oh yes it's so easy just fire them if there no good, do you think there is a queue of qualified people waiting to step into their job ,so you fire your chief in the morning who is is gonna do all the cooking it could take you weeks to find another chief,heard the saying if you want something done properly then best to do it yourself this is especially true for Thailand.look around, every hotel has signs outside needing 5 or 6 staff you cannot bully your staff in Thailand they will walk away to another hotel,these are my opinions based on 5 years experience of dealing with these things everyday.

Taninthai, I don't doubt your experiences, in fact I 100% believe you have all the problems you've mentioned. The thing is they'll never go away, because you are the problem. You should never bully staff in Thailand or any other country, treat them like they're the most important link in the chain and they will deliver, but beware, people can spot your incompetence a mile away, the first thing you'll need to run a successful business is the respect of your employees, without it you got no chance. It's pretty impossible to get respect unless you deserve it, so there's your first lesson, earn their respect.

PS there's no point bragging about your 5yrs experience if it hasn't been a good experience - does that make sense? Why tell everyone else they're doomed to fail just because (in your words) you are?

Sorry tell me again, what work experience you have in Thailand? and what experience you have with managing work force in Thailand? or anywhere for that matter?

Seems like you need to add "Can't read" to your failures. I've been running a guesthouse for 6yrs, now I know you're gonna say "well I've been doing it for 5yrs" the difference between you and me is, mine runs well with me putting in very few hours a week, why are you asking me silly questions that have clearly been covered in this thread. Are you assuming that I have no management skills?

Please note, not once have I said it's easy to find staff, it isn't - more the reason to train them well, motivate them and get them to stay. My experience is that my manager has been here since we opened our doors in 2007, I had 2 staff that left after 2-3yrs service, family reasons. and my new staff have been here 3 & 4 yrs already, and unlike you I'm very very happy with them. Have I lost staff after 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, of course I have but it's a numbers game, and better they go earlier rather than after months of training. Stop assuming that just coz you can't get it to work everyone is in the same boat

Taninthai, don't believe everything you here, unless you live in Nae Hong Song!

Ha Lemoncake you've just bought a smile to my face, your statement just took me back 6yrs, when my wife said to me, nobody will do everything, cook is for cooking, cleaner is for cleaning, etc. I have 10 rooms, running at 50-60% so to clean rooms only would take max 3hrs, so the rest of the time do you just pay them to sit around waiting for the customer to vacate, get real. My restaurant may make between 10 and 20 meals a day so on a bad day 10 meals at 20mins (av) she too will have just over 3hrs work, so do I pay her to sit around all day waiting for someone to order food. I said to my wife "believe me, you put in their job description and they will do it", until this day it was never raised as an issue again. Rooms are cleaned the moment a room is vacant as long as food is not being cooked, when rooms are all clean and no food is required they move onto the laundry, if the laundry is finished they do general cleaning of the hotel and restaurant. When your staff are idol they will get bored and grow to hate their job, if you'd read all my posts thoroughly you also know that one member is dedicated to pool cleaning, appox. 4/5hrs work a week. YOU DON'T KEEP A DOG AND BARK YOURSELF.

Oh yes it's so easy just fire them if there no good, do you think there is a queue of qualified people waiting to step into their job ,so you fire your chief in the morning who is is gonna do all the cooking it could take you weeks to find another chief,heard the saying if you want something done properly then best to do it yourself this is especially true for Thailand.look around, every hotel has signs outside needing 5 or 6 staff you cannot bully your staff in Thailand they will walk away to another hotel,these are my opinions based on 5 years experience of dealing with these things everyday.

Taninthai, I don't doubt your experiences, in fact I 100% believe you have all the problems you've mentioned. The thing is they'll never go away, because you are the problem. You should never bully staff in Thailand or any other country, treat them like they're the most important link in the chain and they will deliver, but beware, people can spot your incompetence a mile away, the first thing you'll need to run a successful business is the respect of your employees, without it you got no chance. It's pretty impossible to get respect unless you deserve it, so there's your first lesson, earn their respect.

PS there's no point bragging about your 5yrs experience if it hasn't been a good experience - does that make sense? Why tell everyone else they're doomed to fail just because (in your words) you are?

My god you lot are so offensive, you live in Thailand, and yet have no regard or respect for the Thai people, calling them, thieves, cheats and lazy at every opportunity, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Also consider this, if you treat people like they can't be trusted, then they will prove you right. The problem in Thailand is not the Thai people, but the low standard of foreigner that arrives on its shores. You all come with the attitude that they are stupid and can be bought for peanuts, only to find out that this is not the case, if you're old and wrinkly and living with a beautiful 25yr old, she's there for the money, if you don't give her enough she will take it at every chance, this then rubs off onto the other staff, hey presto - doomed to fail from the start.

Do you not think after 6yrs in business I would identify a theif, you identify all loop holes within the 1st few months of business and put in measures to plug the hole. You then make sure all your staff are aware of all the procedures. If you have 1 girl who arrives late, or is lazy, or shows signs of dishonesty you get rid because like a bad apple the rot will spread. It seems there is a lack of man management skills among you.

Why is only one staff trained to cook? Train them all to the same standard.

Unless caught steeling who says you must sack immediately, if you don't like someones' behaviour, employ someone else give it a month cross over and then sack the weak link.

As I say "It seems there is a lack of man management skills among you.

PS. I live above my property, my staff cook all my food daily, finger on the pulse always! I do a sneak tour every now and then but have nothing but praise for my manager, who by-the-way earns a measly 10k p/m. Someone said my wife does everything, no my wife works 3 days a week on the rota like all my staff. She works from 8am to 5pm, but I will admit she is the best worker, but all that has done is increase the standards of the rest of the work force

Running hotel guesthouse you will be working 16-18hour days, you may say your not in it for the money but once the novelty wears of and you realise how hard work it is you wilk be wanting to turn a profit,speaking from experience 5 years of running a place,i have customers everyday telling me what a great relaxed easy lifestyle i have,if only they knew whats involved,if you are not running it for the money you will soon start losing money then see how much fun it is working them hours 7 days a week and not turning any profit Sent from my GT-P7500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Ha what a load of crap, I've had my very large guesthouse for 6yrs now, and other than the odd light bulb/ blocked trap/ leaking tap, I don't get involved. Oh sorry yes i do answer all emails, do accounts, and a little bit of marketing, If I work more than 7hrs a week I'd be lying. I taught my wife how to hire and fire, our staff are 3yr, 4yr and 6ys in the job, there's the secret to an easy life. My wife started working 3 days a week once our youngest started school, but that was by choice, and she finishes 5pm sharp on the 3 days that she works, when going away on hols we shuffle the rota to suite and pop off for a week on a family vacation. My staff do everything, each is trained to cook, clean and serve, and one has been given the dedicated job of maintaining the swimming pool, I never prop up my bar, you'll be lucky to see me in there one day a week, could it make more money if I was a piss-head probably, but then I could never live that life. PS I designed and built my place, with 2 little children to raise, don't listen to the negative crap on here, some people just got no balls, and will forever live in fear of their own negativity, and in doing so will never find true happiness.

In other words, you have never ran the hotel, your wife works it. Because if you did work the hotel, you would know that staff do not stay for 3-4 6 years as you claim. Not only that, if you not there, they could not care less about cleaningness and everything else.

I too own a hotel, and 200% agree with taninthai, it is 16-18 hour days, 7 days per week.

Sounds like you're calling me a liar mate, dangerous territory that PM and I'll send you a link to my website, look through my photo gallary over the years and you will see the staff have been here from 3-6yrs and as I said there is the secret to an easy life, get that right and it becomes easy, I taught my wife how to get rid of dead wood, not give an inch or they take a mile, motivation skills, annual bonus benefits, and how to do a thorough interview asking all the right questions. Get the staff right, get them to stay and it runs itself. Something I learn in management many many moons ago "A good manager is a redundant manager" I am the redundant manager, as I was in many of my roles back in UK. As I use to say to many managers I've trained, if you're working hard, your not working smart - work smarter not harder, and how do you rekon they don't care about cleanliness, perhaps you should check out my Trip advisor page, no complaints there either. Trained staff are motivated staff, Thais can be very loyal, but all staff want to be motivated. Sounds like you and Taninthai ain't working smart enough

Running hotel guesthouse you will be working 16-18hour days, you may say your not in it for the money but once the novelty wears of and you realise how hard work it is you wilk be wanting to turn a profit,speaking from experience 5 years of running a place,i have customers everyday telling me what a great relaxed easy lifestyle i have,if only they knew whats involved,if you are not running it for the money you will soon start losing money then see how much fun it is working them hours 7 days a week and not turning any profit Sent from my GT-P7500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Ha what a load of crap, I've had my very large guesthouse for 6yrs now, and other than the odd light bulb/ blocked trap/ leaking tap, I don't get involved. Oh sorry yes i do answer all emails, do accounts, and a little bit of marketing, If I work more than 7hrs a week I'd be lying. I taught my wife how to hire and fire, our staff are 3yr, 4yr and 6ys in the job, there's the secret to an easy life. My wife started working 3 days a week once our youngest started school, but that was by choice, and she finishes 5pm sharp on the 3 days that she works, when going away on hols we shuffle the rota to suite and pop off for a week on a family vacation. My staff do everything, each is trained to cook, clean and serve, and one has been given the dedicated job of maintaining the swimming pool, I never prop up my bar, you'll be lucky to see me in there one day a week, could it make more money if I was a piss-head probably, but then I could never live that life. PS I designed and built my place, with 2 little children to raise, don't listen to the negative crap on here, some people just got no balls, and will forever live in fear of their own negativity, and in doing so will never find true happiness.

Have any of you considered that this guy might be innocent, he's never stood trial, and from what I've heard over the years a Thai trial is farcical, I should imagine he was released due to insufficient evidence to hold him, and his passport was being held while the investigation was ongoing. I think if I was in his shoes (and innocent) I wouldn't let the Thai justice system decide my fate either.

Why cross to Malaysia? Well it's the only bordering Country with direct flights to Sweden, imagine having to cross 2 borders or stop at a foreign airport waiting in transit, not good for the nerves that, I think this was very well planned and a smart move, what's the background to the Thai person that he supposedly stabbed?