obsession

Its definately a lot harder to go it alone in los. Having a thai wife would would make it a lot easier.

UNBELIEVABLE someone would post this

I think obsession may have meant:

Having a thai wife could make it a lot easier.

To exhaust this matter:

Although very very unlikely, there is some small chance having a thai wife could make it (a lot?) easier.

I dont think its UNBELIEVABLE at all and dont know why you are shouting about it. Apart from the reasons Soundman very honestly posted, putting the land in your wifes name would be a big advantage too. It would save you all the pantomime involved with setting up a company to bend Thai law. I admit I only know about 6 people with their own businesses in los, but only one of them "goes it alone". The others rely heavily on their wives and many dont even have work permits. Everything they have to do is done through their wife and all permits/licences are in their wifes name. Please prove me wrong, as I have no intention of getting married and would be delighted if its easier for a single foreigner to own and run a Thai business.

If someone is foolish enough to put a business, land, money, investments or anything else in someone elses name that person is by definition a fool so there is nothing to prove.

I didnt think you could justify your earlier post and it looks like you cant admit your wrong, so you would rather call people fools. I wouldnt put anything in someone elses name either, but dont think everyone who does it a fool. Some people can be trusted.

Its definately a lot harder to go it alone in los. Having a thai wife would would make it a lot easier.

UNBELIEVABLE someone would post this

I think obsession may have meant:

Having a thai wife could make it a lot easier.

To exhaust this matter:

Although very very unlikely, there is some small chance having a thai wife could make it (a lot?) easier.

I dont think its UNBELIEVABLE at all and dont know why you are shouting about it. Apart from the reasons Soundman very honestly posted, putting the land in your wifes name would be a big advantage too. It would save you all the pantomime involved with setting up a company to bend Thai law. I admit I only know about 6 people with their own businesses in los, but only one of them "goes it alone". The others rely heavily on their wives and many dont even have work permits. Everything they have to do is done through their wife and all permits/licences are in their wifes name. Please prove me wrong, as I have no intention of getting married and would be delighted if its easier for a single foreigner to own and run a Thai business.

I think some people are missing the point. The OP said stickman compares the priceing to the quality. You can get things cheap, but theres not the same quality. You can get a cheap taxi in los, but some are old and they dont have the same safety standards os seatbelts etc. Half of them dont even know the roads. Same with the food, you can get cheap food, but theres no health and safety etc. You cant compare noodles from a rusty old cart to uk or us prices. Hotels are getting more expensive and dont have fire escapes or smoke alarms. Some are comparing London rents with Bkk rents. Thats ludicrous. In London you could earn an almost unlimited salary and have all the culture and world class entertainment you could wish for. As he said.... Ist world prices for third world quality. Go for the same quality as your home country and Thailand could work out nearly as expensive. IMHO

What a load of old codswallop.

I've been taking taxis here everyday for 3 years - maybe once or twice have I been in one where the driver didn't know where to go. The taxis are dirt cheap here and most of them are very clean.

You say there are no fire alarms or fire exits in hotels in Bangkok? You ever stayed in a hotel here? Or are you referring to a 100baht a night slum?

Foreigners who live in Thailand don't all earn 30,000 baht a month. We aren't all bums or on pitiful teachers salaries barely able to get by; we own international companies or do business worldwide. I own very nice property in London and I get far better value for money here in Bangkok than I can get in London. The quality and value I get here in the high quality restaurants and hotels is outstanding - as good as anything I experience in London, New York, Paris or Rio, and FAR better value for money.

Its you thats talking codswallop. As usual. You dont get hotels for 100bht in Bkk. Ive stayed in the majestic , the nana , the dynasty inn and the swiss grottino. Only the grottino had sprinklers and smoke alarms.

Have you ever tried pointing to a place on a map and asking the taxi driver to take you there. I think most of them cant read maps. In london they have to do the knowledge, which I believe can take up to two years. Ive never had a taxi with a seatbelt that works in Bkk, and I doubt if there any safety checks or that the passengers are insured. They are cheap, but its for a 3rd world level of service.

I doubt that you get an equal quality of restaurant in Bkk that you do in Paris or London. Not top end restaurants. You get the worlds best michelin starred chefs in those two cities. Not that I dine in those places, but get your facts straight.

Can you ever post without trying to boast about your" superb luxury lifestyle" or "international businesses". Nobody is interested or even believes you.

And dont assume everyone is " a bum or ptifull teacher" ( YOUR words) What an arrogant thing to say. Those teachers probably do thailand a lot more good than you do. You are an arrogant <deleted>.

Ahhh you refer to the Nana Hotel as your 'hotel'.

You say you've never eaten in BKK's great restaurants. Maybe if you actually DID, you'd see they were as good quality as great places in NY, Paris and London.

I don't assume 'everyone' is a bum; but if the Nana Hotel is where you like to sleep for the night why stereotype yourself at a lowlife sex-pat?

As for taxis and pointing to a map, why not speak to them in even basic Thai? It happens to be the language they know, being this is Thailand.

I'm not boasting about my 'luxury' lifestyle; I am just pointing out that not every falang is in Thailand stays in sex-hotels, can't speak even a little Thai to use a taxi without problems, and actually can afford to eat all the time in some of the finest restaurants in Asia. Those of you who have to live here on 30,000 a month always bitch and moan that Thailand is an awful place to live. If its so bad, why do you stay?

Keep the hard-done-by moaning coming, it makes reading TV really worthwhile.

Wrong on every point. Your english comprehension is about as good as my thai.

I only stayed at the Nana on my first visit to Bkk. Now I stay at the Swiss Grottino. Its not a "sextourist" hotel.

Im not a sexpat. You should have realised that when I said I stay in hotels. Expats usually live in condos or houses.

I didnt say Thailand was an awful place to live. I even said that the quality of life is better there.

I meant that I didnt eat at Londons best restaurants. Partly because I dont live in London. What I said was that some worldsfinest chefs are in London and Paris, which are two of the cities you said Bkk was equal in quality to.

Who said anything about living on 30,000 bht a month? Where did you pluck that from? If you thought I was a sexpat and lived in the Nana Hotel, wouldnt that cost more than 30,000 a month. You write insulting rubbish without even thinking first. I dont think you can post without calling someone a lowlife.

The "superb luxury lifestyle" I referred to, was from one of your previous posts when you were regaling us all about how splendid you are. Not.

It turned out the Soundman just owns a petrol station and he has being complaining about a 40% slump in his revenues.

Just to set the record straight.

Petrol station has been selling roughly the same amount of litres per week for years. Rents are up (due to some expansion & a new cofee shop), 7/11 has actually been doing quite well this year.

Sales have been dramatically down (40+%) in my pro audio business in the last 9 - 12 months. Sales are down across the board in the pro audio & lighting market. (Very niche market with only maybe 15 - 20 players in the whole of Thailand).

So I summise that it is not my ability as a foreigner to do business in the pro AV market, but the market in general that is down. From a business point of view, we will survive because we are not highly leveraged like many of my competitors & sales slumps really only mean profit cuts, not firesales of equipment to cover loan repayments. Tighten the belt, weather the storm & all's well on the next market up-turn.

My wife's construction business is a whole different kettle of fish that I won't go into here.

Cheers,

Soundman.

At last a realistic and believable statement.

But please note that Soundman is probably married to a rich Thai, considering she is in construction business. That means that he can find a reliable Thai partner for his business that actually pays for her 51% share. "Normal" farang instead must pay 100% getting 49% only (plus some rubbish documents that to my opinion have no legal value), is prevented from buying land, must hire 4 Thais to get his work permit, has endless visa and regulatory hassles.

Speaking of his petrol station, Soundmans says "rents are up", meaning he owns the land and cashes rent for shops operated by other people.I guess his 49% owned company bought the land before 15 August 2006, now a farang company could not set up a business that way because is forbidden from buying land (Land Office now requires the Thai partners being able to demonstrate they own the funds necessary for the purchase).This just to give an example of how many difficulties arise in facing xenophobic and predatory Thai laws.

Its definately a lot harder to go it alone in los. Having a thai wife would would make it a lot easier. Pity there so hard to find

How about he finds a gf when he arrives, and opens a .. . . . wait for it . . . . beauty salon?

Get back in your box you. Your just showing off now. That sort of out of the box thinking is too innovative for me. I think youve been partaking in the magic funghi again

I like the table tennis idea but it would need to be topless table tennis to add a touch of class Or what about a Hi- So topless darts venue for the more sophisticated gentlemen. Sounds like a winner.

I have a very niche consulting business which is doing very well, thank you very much.

You mean an insulting business. Do you get paid for your posts?

I dont understand them either. You see some newbies post a question and geta thread full of smart ass comments, and they dont post again. Shame really.

Well, what exactly do you expect? You come here and ask people already living here for business ideas and expect serious replies? If people had serious suggestions for an original business idea, do you seriously think they would volunteer it and - in the process - give it up for free to a competitor?

There are several people on here who are already doing very well running decent businesses which they have conceived and worked hard to make a success. They didnt succeed by sharing the idea on an internet forum.

So, all that's left are the cliche beer bar, internet cafe, motorbike ideas which every tom dick and harry without an imagination comes over here, desperately trying to make a tiny living to support their bar girl habit.

Someone exporting to their home country wouldnt neccesarily consider someone exporting to the uk as a competitor. Im looking for a small earning, keep me busy. little enterprise. Not world domination and to wipe out all competitors. And how would bike hire in Chiang Mai affect a bike hire place in Pattaya for example. And who said they were trying to make a living or deserately trying to support a bar girl habit? I think your glass is half full

And please stop that ridiculous idea that all businesses need to be imaginative and/or original. Wall mart, burger king , mazda , panasonic , Avis ...... Bon Jovi . Unless your a business visionary,you copy what works? Youve have told costa coffee that starbucks have done it and you need an original idea.

I am trying to find out a small business that works in los. Whats wrong with that on a public forum. If you only have negative put downs to say, please do it somewhere else. Its not original nor imaginative, but you do seem to have a passion for it

Outside the box thinking isnt required. Neither is a "passion" for what your diong.

These are probably the 2 main things that are required.

Thinking outside the box will provide a unique business, and passion is the thing that will drive it.

Having a passion for what you do wil be the thing that gets you out of bed each day, excited about your day and what lies ahead. It is the thing that will drive you to grow and improve the business.

People who are sucessful are mostly passionate about what they do.

My 2 cents worth.

I know thats a popular opinion which I think originated from business "gurus" who havent owned a business. Its all part of their " business babble". I owned and ran a business for 8 years , that I had no passion in. I grew it to 23 employees. If you think about all the everyday businesses, how could people have a passion for some of that stuff. I think its a means to an end for most people.

My advice if you want to participate in money flow tourists provide then go to a place where they spend their money and buy a biz (guesthouse, restaurant, internet cafe, massage place, bar, hotel) in the mid of low season and resell mid to end of high season. When you can get it relatively cheap you can milk it for a few months, learn about it and when it makes the best returns sell it to the next guy. Important that you dont miss the point of the cycle when it starts slowing. Dont make the mistake to fall in love with it as there are thousands of ways how to lose it in Thailand. The only think you have to research is about whats cheap and whats expensive and of course you need some money to start with plus a good lawyer on your side.

Cheers

Thats a good idea. I didnt want a bar or guesthouse but it wouldnt be so bad if I wasnt intending to keep it long. Would prefer to avoid too many employees though.

Invest into a beer bar , with a side line for motorbike rental , and buy a noodle stall ...

Just watch the cash flow in Easy !

Like I said an over load of smart ass comments!

I dont understand them either. You see some newbies post a question and geta thread full of smart ass comments, and they dont post again. Shame really.

Someone said that Bangkok is getting like London!!!

I live in a nice part of London not the best and a way from the worst.

A one bedroom flat 16.5 million baht and rising which is ten times the average wage

an average Thai meal with one beer each no dessert 2760 baht

2 bottles of beer in a pub 490baht

5 takeaway sandwich lunches for work 1200baht

1 bus ride 140 baht

council tax 100,000 baht per year

just owning a car (tax insurance parking permit) 60,000 per year - does not include hp payments, petrol, servicing and wear and tear

cinema 550 baht

dvd hire 275

dvd purchase 1200 baht

massage ( 1 hour) 3450 baht

tee shirt 700 baht+

pair of levi jeans 4140 baht

1kg jasmine rice 140 baht

Just a small selection of prices. Yes I know the earning capacity is higher and relative costs are different but I find my costs are less than half when I am in Bkk.

Yes, the 1st world is a bit more expensive. Nobody is denying that. But Bkk is expensive for the quality received.

I think Bkk property is a lot more than 10 times the average wage.

What about motorbike hire? Any BMs tried that as a business?

Internet cafes. Bars. Motorbike hire. With respect, you're not exactly thinking outside the square, are you?

I didnt really want to use the word millionaire because people seem to be thinking I want to make a million £ in los. I dont. I want a reasonable earning oppotunity that doesnt take too much time to run as my workaholic days are behind me. But to illustate a point.... most millionaires make their money from average hum drum everyday businesses. For every Bill Gates, theres thousands of millionaires running ordinary businesses. Outside the box thinking isnt required. Neither is a "passion" for what your diong.

Having looked at it myself I feel that there is so little money to be made in most areas and when you couple that with the restrictions put on you as a foreigner you are better off making your money in another country and living on the profits over here

I think your right that there is little money in most areas and maybe not worth the effort. I will be living off money made abroad , but would like some more. Wouldnt we all. Will maybe stick to what I know best and buy condos for resale. But would like to find a good export oppotunity. Must be someone willing to share their export secrets as I probably wouldnt affect their market.

What about motorbike hire? Any BMs tried that as a business?

Stick makes me laugh - "oh no, my imported steak costs more than pad thai from a street cart"... Who's actually writing the column these days?

If I may tackle his points individually:

• Socks, I'm not sure what his point is. Cheap socks are, um, cheap. A good start.
  
• Brand names are expensive, apparently. I honestly wouldn't know. If you want to look like an advertising hoarding but don't want to pay, you won't exactly struggle to find cheap replicas.
  
• Electronics are not particularly cheap here. Never have been. Next.
  
• On the medical front, any guesses where his Swiss friend wanted to get her liposuction? Is it on Sukhumvit soi 3, by any chance? There are countless hospitals in Bangkok, you just need to shop around. Yes, Bumrungrad is exceptionally expensive. This is because it's a world-renowned hospital. Some of London's more exclusive nightclubs are exceptionally expensive, too. This doesn't mean you can't get a cheap pint in London - you just need to know where to go.
  
• Giving birth costs 100,000 baht? Quick, someone tell the several million Thai women of Bangkok, who I suggest might possibly not all be able to pay quite that much... Seriously, who writes this stuff?
  
• Most I ever paid to get into a club in Thailand was 500b at Narcissus. Peanuts compared to the London equivalents. Yes, the hotel bars are a rip-off. Nothing new. Who on earth drinks in them? Who'd want to?
  
• Imported beef is going to cost more than local beef. This is because it's been shipped several thousand miles to get here. This is not rocket science, people. My local pub in the UK was charging £12.99 for chewy steak 2 years ago. Sauce and/or french fries were extra. And no, I didn't even live in London.
  
• I would be very, very scared of any UK pub selling fish and chips for £3 a plate. You didn't get much change out of £10 last time I indulged, so best part of 700b. No contest.
  
• No opinion on his education points - I have no kids, but if I did I certainly wouldn't educate them in Thailand. So I can appreciate that this is overpriced, but for different reasons.
  
• Accomodation in Bangkok is so cheap it's practically free. Another poor article, but at least it's provided an amusing thread!
  

Sorry mate, but thats nonsense. You have almost trebled the uk cost for food alone. The biggest pub chain in the uk ( whetherspoons ) is £3.50 for fish and chips. Maybe the £12.99 pub thought you were a foreigner and gouged you I think you recollect that wrongly.

A fortnight in a Bkk hotel costs about the same as a fortnights holiday , including flights and sometimes all meals, to Spain, Turkey, the canary islands, greece etc etc. I prefer to pay the extra for los, but its undoubtedly surpassing some !st world prices. A two and a half flight from the uk to mainland europe can be a 3rd of the cost from Bkk to chiang mai.

Even the Nana hotel disco is over 500 bht to get in. ( dont tell Bendix I was there ) And it doesnt come anywhere near a !st world sound/ light system.

I will need to open a business in los to take advantage of everyones delight in overpaying.

You are an arrogant <deleted>.

palm may be an arrogant <deleted>, but by proudly informing us that your hotels of choice are Nana, Swiss Grottini, Majestic and Dynasty tells us all we need to know about you

Not "proud" . Just proving that I was basing my opinion more than one and it wasnt in one of his imaginary 100bht hotels. And yes, you"ve sussed me out

Thanks for all the replies. The 60,000bht does sound the cheapest but is still over 10,000bht a month and just seems uneccesary compared to neighbouring coutries visa options. And I would prefer not have to visit the uk again. Might have to do it. Thanks for the figures.

So is that right that with the ED visa, you can stay for 2 years? Am thinking that maybe spending the 1st year on the ED visa and then get the extension for another year. And after that could move to cambo and spend one month out of every three in thailand would maybe be the best option.

No no no mate, you're getting it all wrong! Any Non Imm visa is for 1 year (either multiple entry or extended 1 year). Am I right, playmates?

(sorry, but Big A has been at the carpet cleaner solvent again)

okay in terms of the Non Imm ED its like this. If you have a single entry then its good for 90 days and if you have some paperwork then can extend it for a year. So that would be 15 months ( 90 days + 12 months )

If you get a multi entry Non Imm Ed from your home country with paperwork then its good to enter Thailand for one year from your first entry. If you border run just before the end of the 12 months then your entitled to another 90 days. ( 12 months + 90 days) = 15 months.

That's the way its worked for me anyway. Of course your going to have to fork out for tuition. Some schools don't really care if you attend as long as you pay for the program.

Thanks. I dont really understand its advantage though. It sounds pretty much the same as a 1 year tourist or non imm visa, but with the extra cost of tuition fees? Is that right or have I missed something?

I am trying to pick one that doesnt just rely on western tourists. Maybe manufacture and/or export. Or internet cafes are used by thais and farangs. Apart from that, I dont have much of a clue what to do. If I dont buy one, I might have to go to cambo. I have owned and managed before and dont care if its something I dont " have a passion " for.

I think some people are missing the point. The OP said stickman compares the priceing to the quality. You can get things cheap, but theres not the same quality. You can get a cheap taxi in los, but some are old and they dont have the same safety standards os seatbelts etc. Half of them dont even know the roads. Same with the food, you can get cheap food, but theres no health and safety etc. You cant compare noodles from a rusty old cart to uk or us prices. Hotels are getting more expensive and dont have fire escapes or smoke alarms. Some are comparing London rents with Bkk rents. Thats ludicrous. In London you could earn an almost unlimited salary and have all the culture and world class entertainment you could wish for. As he said.... Ist world prices for third world quality. Go for the same quality as your home country and Thailand could work out nearly as expensive. IMHO

What a load of old codswallop.

I've been taking taxis here everyday for 3 years - maybe once or twice have I been in one where the driver didn't know where to go. The taxis are dirt cheap here and most of them are very clean.

You say there are no fire alarms or fire exits in hotels in Bangkok? You ever stayed in a hotel here? Or are you referring to a 100baht a night slum?

Foreigners who live in Thailand don't all earn 30,000 baht a month. We aren't all bums or on pitiful teachers salaries barely able to get by; we own international companies or do business worldwide. I own very nice property in London and I get far better value for money here in Bangkok than I can get in London. The quality and value I get here in the high quality restaurants and hotels is outstanding - as good as anything I experience in London, New York, Paris or Rio, and FAR better value for money.

Its you thats talking codswallop. As usual. You dont get hotels for 100bht in Bkk. Ive stayed in the majestic , the nana , the dynasty inn and the swiss grottino. Only the grottino had sprinklers and smoke alarms.

Have you ever tried pointing to a place on a map and asking the taxi driver to take you there. I think most of them cant read maps. In london they have to do the knowledge, which I believe can take up to two years. Ive never had a taxi with a seatbelt that works in Bkk, and I doubt if there any safety checks or that the passengers are insured. They are cheap, but its for a 3rd world level of service.

I doubt that you get an equal quality of restaurant in Bkk that you do in Paris or London. Not top end restaurants. You get the worlds best michelin starred chefs in those two cities. Not that I dine in those places, but get your facts straight.

Can you ever post without trying to boast about your" superb luxury lifestyle" or "international businesses". Nobody is interested or even believes you.

And dont assume everyone is " a bum or ptifull teacher" ( YOUR words) What an arrogant thing to say. Those teachers probably do thailand a lot more good than you do. You are an arrogant <deleted>.

i dont quite understand the criticism of paying 2000 us a month for a condo. i rent a 60sqm room for 30k baht a month. if i had a family, i would easily be in the 2000 us/month range. i live in a very central location. i could get a similar place for half the cost in a less central location, but then i would have to travel an extra 40-45 daily when I went out. 30 x 45 minutes means that in a month i save 23 hours of travel time for 15K baht. depending on how much you make in an hour, it makes sense to get the more centrally located apartment.

Yes, depending on your hourly wage, it does make sense for you to live nearer your work. But I think that sounds expensive for a third world city. 60sqm wouldnt be much different fom that cost in a uk city and would probably be a lot lower a percentage of your wage and your landlord would be licensed and the property up to european union safety standards. I think thats what stickman was meaning. 1st world prices for 3rd world quality. To be fair though. If you factor in quality if life, then los wins

I think some people are missing the point. The OP said stickman compares the priceing to the quality. You can get things cheap, but theres not the same quality. You can get a cheap taxi in los, but some are old and they dont have the same safety standards os seatbelts etc. Half of them dont even know the roads. Same with the food, you can get cheap food, but theres no health and safety etc. You cant compare noodles from a rusty old cart to uk or us prices. Hotels are getting more expensive and dont have fire escapes or smoke alarms. Some are comparing London rents with Bkk rents. Thats ludicrous. In London you could earn an almost unlimited salary and have all the culture and world class entertainment you could wish for. As he said.... Ist world prices for third world quality. Go for the same quality as your home country and Thailand could work out nearly as expensive. IMHO

I have enjoyed reading stickman over the years but for a while now he has been bitching about cost of living in Thailand , imho if he realy feels that strongly about it he knows where the airport is .

JB

You could also argue if you don't like what he says you don't have to read it.

You beat me to it.

Thanks for all the replies. The 60,000bht does sound the cheapest but is still over 10,000bht a month and just seems uneccesary compared to neighbouring coutries visa options. And I would prefer not have to visit the uk again. Might have to do it. Thanks for the figures.

So is that right that with the ED visa, you can stay for 2 years? Am thinking that maybe sprending the 1st year on the ED visa and then get the extension for another year. And after that could move to cambo and spend one month out of every three in thailand would maybe be the best option.

I meant to say 5,000bht a month.

Thanks for all the replies. The 60,000bht does sound the cheapest but is still over 10,000bht a month and just seems uneccesary compared to neighbouring coutries visa options. And I would prefer not have to visit the uk again. Might have to do it. Thanks for the figures.

So is that right that with the ED visa, you can stay for 2 years? Am thinking that maybe sprending the 1st year on the ED visa and then get the extension for another year. And after that could move to cambo and spend one month out of every three in thailand would maybe be the best option.

Its time I made a decision whether to stay in los or cambodia. It seems the only option to stay in los is to fly to the uk every year to renew my years tourist or non immigrant visa. That would cost approximately £1,200 (70,000bht) and waste a week. The £1200 would pay for a years rent in cambodia. Is there an easier and less expensive way to live in los? Thanks

Are you saying that los is as stable as the uk or germany, or are you just trying to confuse the issue with talk of the 2nd world war .

If you tell us why you think los is such a good investment opportunity we may all be swayed to your side of the arguement and invest our baht.