keithk2007

One of the bars on Soi Cowboy will be open with 7 screens for viewing but don't remember the name. Opens at 7am and the game will start at 8am.

Shadow sports bar in the middle of the soi

I am going to Ireland with my thai girlfriend. We are going to get a 3 month tourist visa. Was just wondering if anyone had experience of extending a 3 month tourist visa whilst in Ireland already. Can you go to immigraton and have it extended? I have heard it is possible but am not so sure. If so , how many times can it be extended or is there a certain amount of months that they will allow a thai national to stay?

Thanks guys!

Appreciate it.

Let's hope it all goes smoothly and I am back on here in a few months saying how easy the whole process is/was!!!

Apply for a tourist visa,that will give her 3 months.

Then after 3 months goto the cop shop and it will be extended for another 3 month,

Done and dusted.

No need to get married.

Do u have experience of this? What documentation did they ask for? Can it be renewed again after the second visa?

I tried this new place last night and thought it was very good.

My only gripe if you are the owner/manager would be to crank up the a/c a little.

cheers

HH

Pros:

The atmosphere & decor are nice.

Lots of space so your not tripping over the other people playing and it doesn't feel crowded even with many customers.

Tables are perfect as would be expected for new Brunswicks.

Cues are average (BIH has better house cues IMO).

VIP rooms are spacious and well decorated with nice amenities.

Proximity to Asok BTS/MRT (though BIH and Players are not more than a minute or 2 away)

Staff are friendly.

Cons:

Beer's are 120bt. Too much, especially for a new place considering most/all of their competition is cheaper. With 2 or 3 people, that can add up to quite a bit over a few hours of play. It's even worse when you consider that BIH times square has that deal (sometimes?) where for every 6 beers you get 1 hour free table time.

Their food menu is from the seafood place downstairs, and while it's fairly good, it's not cheap.

Staff are not at the level of play/knowledge as the staff at BIH, but that will come with time.

It's a nice place to play but will cost you a bit more in the long run if you endulge in drinks/food, which I almost always do.

Tried the place a few days ago and u have summed it up pretty accurately.

Can anyone tell me is there is a miniature golf course in BKK?

i would love to know also, either a pitch & putt or a crazy golf. Either is a great afternoon out.

Ever the optimist, I'm going to hope that a low level of ThaiVisa sophistication is inversely proportional to the time and effort that has been spent to create and manage a decent pool hall.

Specifically hoping that:

1) the tables are the right size and the felt is in good condition,

2) there is a good selection of cues, properly tipped,

3) there are plenty of attentive and well demeanored rack girls (who also happen to know the rules of pool/9-ball),

4) music is good and not too loud,

5) the air conditioner is on and set low enough so that the minimal exertion of playing pool doesn't cause one to break out in a sweat,

6) and what the heck, how about an air filter to give the non-smokers a break.

Have u tried ball in hand at times square building? Was there for the first time a few days ago and thought that it was great for people who are serious about pool: good tables, cues, knowledgable service girls and good air conditioning.

Hey, I'm 23 and my dad is 53 and is coming to Thailand for 5 days to visit.

Any good ideas on what to do with him?

Was thinking 1-2 days in Bangkok (where im staying now) and then going to Samet. I've never been to samet before though.

I wouldn't bother with Samet as it really is only for couples. Is a nice place but i wouldn't rush back there. Stick to Bangkok and then Samui/Phuket.

mrroomfiner

Would recommend this site also. I found it very useful when I was looking for a place.

They do block bookings so u have to block book at least a month as far as i remember, maybe a few hours a week. I think the cost is approx 1000 baht per hour.

hi

i want to open a business in Thailand. Initially investment range is 500,000 to 700,000 baht.

What can i start with this amount? Can i start a ice cream + coffee shop, or any type of trading, or any othe thing ?

Is there any consulting firms ?

Give me an idea please, need badly to start something.

Thankx

I think u should really think of something yourself as this is going to be ur own business. I don't think u will find what u are looking for here as people are not going to share their ideas with u especially if they can be started with such a small investment. With prime location shop rent prices and fit-out costs i think ur budget sounds tight if u intend to start a coffee shop or something that requires a shop unit. Maybe stick to something internet related or a business that does not have high monthly costs such as rent.

Does anyone expect thai people to abide by these bike lanes? Firstly there is not enough room for them on the footpath and then thai people will ignore the bike lane lines and walk on them. If anything they will encourage more motorbike taxis to use the footpath more than they already do which is always annoying.

Hi, Can anyone tell me if there are any shows/concerts going on in October? I'd love to see a Thai group this month. Thanks if you can help!

try this site

http://www.thaiticketmaster.com/

Might be a little young for your 6 year old, but in CentralWorld, there is a restaurant called Sylvanian something or other. It basically looks like a play centre that has a proper menu for parents to tuck into, while the sprogs tear around, colour in, climb stuff and eat burgers with happy faces drawn on in ketchup. There was a Bangkok Post restaurant review about it a few months back which you might search for.

This place should suit u for the reasons mentioned. They have computer games for ur 6 yr old if he/she doesn't want to use the playcentre. Is located at the top of the escalator on the floor below the cinemas.

I know California Wow doesn't have a pool but their prices are quite reasonable. I paid 13,000 for a 12 month membership(had to pay it all up front). I brought a friend on a guest pass last week and they offered him a lifetime membership for 20,000 baht, a once off payment for life with use of all the california wow gyms with no restrictions on time. I find them to be a good gym once u can look past all the sale pitch they throw at u at the start.

Good idea, there is a lack of locations to buy whey protein. The places that do sell it are charging crazy prices. Sorry I can't offer u any advice but good luck.

You don't need to use an estate agent. Rent a room in a hotel for your first week and research yourself. Either take a walk around areas by skytrain stations or check out this site http://www.mrroomfinder.com/.

first things first, why dont you marry your (bargirl), i mean girlfriend...............lol.

you only 26 dude, sounds like you should forget about business ownership for a while.

Thanks for your 'brain-dead' comment! If you want to go bad mouthing thai women this is not the correct forum for it. I didn't start this topic for anyone to question my relationship with my girlfriend/partner but to seek advice from those who have had experience in thai business. Please stick to the topic.

Do NOT srtart a business here in Thailand. Must be about a 5 % chance of things going well and making a reasonable profit.

If the playing field was slanted to the degree it truly is in Thailand, in your home country, you would just laugh at the fools who got biten by the bug and thought it cheap and easy to "have a go" at business or even the professional who doesn't really have a clue in Thailand.

Beleive me. It is the quickest way to make a small fortune, .........................when starting out with a big(er) one.

Just wondering what your advise is based upon, personal experience or hearsay? I know everyone has their own opinions but I believe that if you have a sound business idea, enough capital, are business minded, understand thai culture and have a strong desire to suceed you can do very well in Thailand.

Franchise might be the best way to get your feet wet in Thailand, you have someone watching over you holding your hand in some cases. They will be your best partner since your success is their success they have almost as much to loose as you do.

This is exactly what I am thinking. I can learn from their experience in the thai market as they are already here. I feel that I would be getting a head start by partnering up with them.

You are 26 and at this age you can start over a few times, there is no better time then now.

This will be my second business venture as I opened my first company when I was 20. Sold it last year after running it for 5 years. So hopefully I can take some knowledge from that experience and put it to good use in this new venture.

Keith,

If I were you, I would be talking to the other franchisees in your area (or all of Thailand) in order to get a much better picture of the franchises operations, strengths, and weaknesses from the people who have experience with this. Depending on what the franchise is, the financials and other factors may be based on US/European stats but not really applicable in the same form for Thailand.

Also, as a newcomer to Thailand with no real Thai partner, you will be mostly going the setup phase alone which as almsot anyone who has started a retail/F&B business tied to location can attest is no less than a nightmare. The legal side of things is just as difficult, but those problems can be LESSENED by hiring a GOOD attorney. Believe me, this is not easy to do, but take some recommendations and do some searching online.

You may be well served to ask the master franchisor or whomever is looking after the development of the franchise in Thailand if there are any resales available. This way, if you agree with the location, you could basically walk in from day one and begin working and earning a return on your initial investment. Depending on the reason for sale, I would say that this is a MUCH smarter way of going about things unless you already have a great location which you are sure will do very well.

What kind of franchise is it if you dont mind?

Hi BackinBKK

I definitely intend to speak to other franchisees as soon as is possible. I would hope by hiring a good lawyer that a lot of the hard work that is associated with company formation in Thailand will be done without too much effort on my side as I would like to put as much energy as possible into other sides of the business. Any recommendations for a good lawyer, anyone?

At the moment I don't think that there are any resales available as this is a very popular franchise chain so I have to open a new location. I would rather not reveal the name of this franchise but will say that it is in the food industry as I am still at the early stages of the process. Thanks for the reply.

Guesthouse is correct in some of his points, getting a Thai wife is a good start for a good business but only if you trust and love her and she you 100% Other Thais ect will try and steal all they can from your business inc photos off your website etc etc This is what we have found but they have problems matching customer service and understanding the farang market to the same degree as a mixed marriage can do and this is where we can hold a big advantage.

Price is not a 100% concern for our customers but customer service is.

Thanks sukanyacondo

Yes I know I can trust my girlfriend 100%. But what I was trying to get at is what the advantages/disadvantages are by having my girlfriend as my majority thai shareholder as appose to having a thai lawyer. Can anyone share their experiences? Good or bad, for or against....Has anyone lost out by have a thai lawyer as their major shareholder?

Hi there Keith. There's a few pluses and lots of minuses in operating a business in Thailand. To give a brief reply I would have to ask the following questions.

1) Are you using a business broker? I highly recommend one of Thai Visa's advertisers - Sunbelt Asia

2) Have you lived in Thailand before - or just visited as a tourist? There is a big difference between the two.

3) So you have a Thai partner you have known for a long time? It is 100 times harder to live and work in Thailand by yourself.

4) How old are you? If you are over 50 years of age, visa requirements are different.

5) Where is the franchise located - tourist area or off the beaten track? How close is the nearest franchise to the business you are interested in buying? Do you have exclusive rights to a certain area? Have you visited other franchisees to see how they are coping?

I am sure other members wil have different questions and hopefully between you answering our questions and us asking you questions we can help you make up your mnd.

Peter

Hi Peter

Some answers to your questions:

1) No. I'm not dealing with a broker but dealing directly with the franchise companies representative for Thailand. I am not purchasing a business from somebody but paying for a franchise and opening up a new location.

2)I am living in Bangkok about 5 months now(studing thai at the moment). Previously I have only visited as a tourist(about six times).

3)The only thai person that I know for any length of time(longer than 1 year) is my girlfriend so I would like to know my options if I had her as my thai partner or if I use a trusted lawyer(don't have one yet). Advantages and disadvantages anyone?

4)I'm 26.

5)This business will be in a tourist location. I will be exclusive rights to a chosen location. I have not visited any other franchisees yet, I am only at a very early stage with this(first contact).

Hi everybody

I am considering opening a business here in Thailand. I am a farang so as far as I know I can only own 49% of this company. I am not American so am not able to avail of the Amnity Treaty. So what I am looking for is advice and people's experiences of operating a business in Thailand whilst only legally owning 49% of the company.

What are the pitfalls? What are my limitations? Can you share with me any good or bad stories that you have heard or experienced. At the moment I am looking as opening a very popular franchise, don't know if that makes a difference.

I am currently learning thai at Piammitr language school. It is on Sukhumvit soi 23, 2 mins from asoke skytrain station and the sukhumvit mrt station is even closer. They teach classes monday to friday and you can chose between morning or afternoon classes. They can also offer you the ed visa.

Hi, just wondering when next season kicks off? I moved to bangkok about 6 weeks ago and plan to be here at least a year and would be interested in joining a team. I know there are still a game or 2 left in this season. Where do u train and where are ur home games played? I live close to On Nut bts station? Where is ur next game being played if i wanted to go and check the team out? Are there any mini tournaments between seasons, like 5-a-sides?