kandahar

Hi again, Mike.

There is a Classic and Big Bike Show and Sale near the old jail in CR on the 13th. That is mostly some of the locals that like to get together once a month and generate interest in Biking and big bikes. Kind of a low-key thing but a might be something you would like to see. Should be plenty of bike minded people there to chew the cud with. I can point out that spot in the city if you need me to.

As far as I know, this event is open to everyone, with the exception of skybluestu. In fact, if you see Stu, don't even let him know the event is taking place. We much prefer to keep him in the dark until AFTER the events around here. Once the thing is finished, I'll send him a PM and tell him what he missed and what a grand time we all had without him.

Also, if you meet him, keep an eye on that dog.

Hi Mike.

Welcome to the little town.

Lots of beer stops here but I can't vouch for any of them. The town is small enough that you'll discover the popular ones within a few minute's conversation with almost anyone here.

We only have two liars in CR. They will both weigh in shortly on this thread and give you better directions for the beer spots. But they will probably be happy to be your guides and hosts on those runs also.

We have some really good eating places here. Check out the pinned thread section and have a look at the Google map. Most of the restaurants on that are pretty decent and fairly priced for the goods offered. Give me a PM when you arrive and I'll be your guide for that run. I need to get the ol' bike out and take it around town for an hour anyway. I've been neglecting it. I promise NOT to take you to Limbo's favorite pizza place.

Lots to see in the area. You'll enjoy any day rides out of the city that you make.

We have one local celebrity here that you might want to run across. He is a famous Aussie and is known near and far. He is currently looking at upgrading his old abacus and Etch-a Sketch for a real computer. I heard he is shopping for a newer, more comfortable driver's seat before he gets the computer though, because he heard that the new computer has a hard drive. He told me that he didn't even realize that you could drive them. He will probably weigh in here also if he has gotten the computer set up already.

Lots of places to stay also and some are nice as well as cheap. Again, PM me and I'll give you the tour of some of those when you hit the ground here.

Print out the pinned Google map when, or before, you get here and keep it handy. It will make getting around a little bit easier. When we know for sure what days you will be here, we can update you on the current events that you may want to attend.

Don't hang around in Chiang Mai too long. Something in the water there. You'll see what I mean when you get to talking with some of those guys there. Most of them really wish they lived in CR anyway.

Stay safe. Keep us posted on your arrival date.

I was really sorry to miss the potluck this month. It is an important time for me each month to kind of "re-calibrate" my brain, listening to lots of farang talk and hear the ladies having fun with the latest gossip concerning the men. I don't get out much, so that social time makes an impact on my month. Maybe I'll have lots of visitors this month to make up for the loss. I know jubby will stop by today. That is a good start to any month. Anyway, I hope to make it next month, and maybe even have some newbies in tow.

Haven't been to Makro in a while so I don't know what is new and exciting out there. However, I did find a good tea at Tops the other day. Tops brand tea bags, called English Breakfast Tea, has a good flavor for a good price. I suspect there is instant tea in the bags because the hot water turns dark almost instantly when the tea bag is added to the water. And there is enough flavor to easily get two cups of tea from one tea bag. Anyway, a nice little find for me. I enjoy it.

Finally emptied my store-bought bottle of Tabasco and gave the local Dix Thaibasco a try. Great stuff and a heck of a lot cheaper than the imported Tabasco. I'll stick with the local recipe from here on out. CR Sausage King shop has the best price I have seen so far. Hot sauce at its best.

Hope to make the next one for the 1st time. Family not very familiar with area of Chiangrai but will still try to make the attempt.

When the time comes, let me know. I can show you the way.

Hi tangaroa67.

Welcome to the forum. Welcome to CR.

If you will have 50,000 USD per year to live on here, you will have no pressure to "make a living" and you won't have to live so "frugally". You should be able to get by nicely on that. Healthcare for your family is cheap. Healthcare for you will be a different story but your income will allow for a decent insurance policy for you. With the government help available for your Thai family in the area of education, you shouldn't have to commit too much to get the kids through school, either.

Lots of people here do supplement their income in some ways and are successful enough at it. As some people mentioned already, announcing that success here on the forum has its drawbacks. And, the majority of folks here don't even look at this forum, let alone post on it. So, this is a difficult place to get the answers to your questions.

I suspect that "most" people here who finance an endeavor for family do so without any real financial benefit coming back to them and, more often that not, actually lose money keeping said endeavors up and running. Some people continue to support such endeavors because they feel better about that than just handing out money to non-working family members. Once you get situated here, I think you will see that is the case. However, there are opportunities for success.

When you get settled, have a look around and see what is here and what isn't. Try to determine what needs can be filled. You will see lots of things missing here but most of those are missing because there isn't a large enough market to bother with filling the need. There ARE things that CR would support if they were available. You just need to determine what they are and go with the one, or ones, that will bring your investment back to you in a timely manner.

Here are some loose "rules" for doing business here:

Anything you do, can be done cheaper by a Thai.

Anything you do that even remotely looks successful will soon be copied by Thais.

Anything you do has to be done at a higher standard than your competition. You cannot go head to head with these people and win. If you sell the same product or service as another, you HAVE to make your product or service be something that far outshines what is being offered locally. And of course with that, your prices will be higher. You need to compete for customers that can afford, and are willing to pay, for higher quality. That certainly isn't the majority of residents here.

Don't limit your business to one product or service. Combine several ideas into one shop so that your investment base is spread over a larger market and one product or service compliments another.

Become known for the best value. The best price will drive you out of business because your competition will gladly lose money to make you go out of business. So, offer the best follow-up service and value for money. Service is one thing here that is under-rated and pretty much ignored. There are exceptions, of course. But overall, the main idea of most businesses here is to get the baht from the customer one time and don't worry about return customers or word of mouth advertising. For whatever reason, while these people will undersell you at every opportunity, most of them won't lift a finger to follow up on a sale. You will see that immediately as you spend time in the city, starting with cafes and restaurants. For the most part, nobody here will ask you if your meal was okay after you have eaten. For the most part, nobody here will ask you if you want another drink during your meal or an after-dinner drink or dessert when you finish. This neglect is shared by most other forms of business in CR, even farang-owned businesses. So, that aspect alone provides an opportunity for you to excel where others are barely making it.

As frugal as they are, there are Thais in this town who have money and will spend it for something that is a cut above. However, they tend to agonize over spending. So, get used to the idea of a customer coming in and looking at a product, talking to you about it and returning several times before finally committing to the purchase. Be patient and don't be tempted to throw them out as time-wasters. If they return to look at something, there is a good chance they are going to finally cave in and buy it, even though you might wait six months and go through several visits before that happens. Concerning your Thai customers, leave room, and time, to haggle on the prices. Be prepared to offer the product at a bit of a discount to move the product. My wife sells the same product for the same price to Thais or farang. But she is much quicker to announce her final price to the farang. They tend to want to know that bottom line quickly. The Thais seem to enjoy the hunt and the longer it goes on, the more successful they feel about the purchase. Sticking with the posted price is counter-productive. This is Thailand and haggling is part of the culture. And the word of mouth advertising about the discount is important to future business with Thai customers. If you post a price and stick to it, you will quickly get a reputation amongst the Thais as being stingy. Bad for business.

Never give in to the temptation to NOT discount something as deeply for a farang as you would a Thai. The price you need for something is the price you need. And if a farang walks in and sees the posted price and offers it, just mention that the price for that item doesn't reflect the discount that is in effect for said item. You never need a customer thinking, or finding our later, that you have screwed him or her. The extra baht isn't worth what it will do to your reputation. I, for one, NEVER return to a business that I know has done that to me.

So, what business to start? Again, look for what needs aren't filled. Don't be in a hurry. As you settle in, you will start looking for things for your own use and not be able to find them. Or, if you can find them, they will only be found in Chiang Mai or further south. For example, try finding a shop that does powder coat painting in CR. Try finding a shop in CR that does spray-on foam insulation for houses or business buildings. Try finding a shop that does the spray-on pickup bed liners in CR. Try finding a shop that picks up your laundry, cleans and presses it and returns it to your home in a timely manner. Try finding a large "laundry mat" where the ladies can do their laundry and DRY their clothes while watching the latest soaps on TV and sharing the latest gossip over a cup of tea or coffee. There are many things that one must go to CM for these days. Is there enough demand to bring the same business to CR? In some cases, yes. And in some cases, the investment is large enough that you won't have to worry about someone else copying your idea and being a competitor. Even in the cases of business that are already in CR, there are some which are substantially lacking in quality and service. Which ones could you open and do correctly and end up with the majority of customers? Is there a company in CR that offers painted steel roofs guaranteed for 20 years or more? No. You can buy a painted steel roof here but it isn't guaranteed at all. And there is a market for such a thing. As you spend time here, you'll get the proper ideas for what will work and what won't. All of the aforementioned ideas aren't necessarily good ideas for CR right now. But all will be in the future as the town grows up. So, in some cases, it is good to get in on the ground floor and be a part of the growing city instead of contributing to the multitude of businesses that are already in competition with the same ideas and products.

My ideas, or those of others here, aren't what you're after and isn't what you're asking for, I realize. You're wanting to know what has worked for others. I don't think you'll find the answer in the CR forum. I think you need to be a pioneer. That is where your chance for success lies.

We won't be there with enchiladas after all. We're both still trying to shake off the remains of stubborn colds. Hope you all have fun.

Save your money. You don't need all the bells and whistles. Buy an abacus and an Etch-a Sketch.

Check this out.

http://classifieds.thaivisa.com/ads/search/1/currency/5/day/5/county/10/ord/price/sens/asc/

Oops! I think you're in the wrong forum. It all makes sense to us.

Will somebody, please, tell me what's all this bullshit about? :jap:

I see no beginning, no end and no subject of this exchange? ! , & % $ # @

Don't tell me not to butt into someone's private conversation. I already did stop.

But why you guys do not explain what this is about, or , alternatively, take it back to where it started?

Any Mods around?.... Do your job, please...

Sorry to hear the ol' bike is breaking. Looks like it is a part that you could just order in and replace.

Maybe you can make the potluck with your family. Some of the biker gang will be there, I suspect.

I see that soap has a house available for short term rent (six months, max.) if anyone is looking. 6,000 baht, partially furnished.

http://classifieds.thaivisa.com/real-estate/houses-to-rent/house-for-rent-chaingrai-83977.html

tab, let us know how it turned out for you.

Garry, did we miss a get-together while you were home? I was looking forward to a biker lunch. Maybe we'll have to have one without you?

Still haven't decide what to bring. Thinking about enchiladas. Maybe fruit and whipped cream for dessert?

Will be bringing movies and few books again if anyone wants to dig through them.

Thanks to Scea and Will for a lot of those.

Hi TJ.

Welcome to CR and the forum.

Feel free to write here. I too, am lousy with the computer but they haven't thrown me off of the forum yet. It is a great place to share stories, argue, and to share ideas and experiences.

Feel free to stop by the house here for a cup of coffee when you hit town.

I can't say how far from the bus terminal to the Piyaporn. However, the Piyaporn is about 1 kilometer before you reach the border. You will have little red trucks/buses waiting at the bus station to take you to town. Just tell the driver of the little red truck/bus that you are going to the Piyaporn. He will let you off in front of the place. It is on your left as you are approaching the border.

When you are ready to return to CR, just walk out of the hotel and cross the street and flag down the first red truck/bus you see. The red ones go to the bus station. Other colored ones go elsewhere.

is this what youre looking for??

http://www.motorcycl...k.com/MFWT.html

should cost less than 2,500thb

I doubt less than 2,500 due to needing a way to connect the device to a Thai vehicle without a tow receiver.

Ask Kandahar if he can build you something similar.

He and his Misses are marketing a lot of Motorcycle type accessories, and he is a dam_n good metal worker. Builds about anything and is quality.

Doubt your vehicle has a tow hitch receiver here in Thialand, so would need to construct something to adapt to your vehicle in a similar fashion.

Kandahar is your man in this department.

Thanks for the compliment but of course, I can't build anything for sale here in Thailand. I build stuff for the house, the yard and for the wife. The wife's little shop crew does copy some of my stuff and sell it though.

Scorpio1945 is a regular here at the house. He will bug the guys about it if he decides he really needs one from them. However, there are lots of good little Thai welding shops in CR that will do exactly what you ask them to do and almost all of them will do it cheaper than the wife's crew.

I told already I wanted to go around this time... but maybe I have Alzheimer

To the rest: I trust my gps, if I make mistakes.... soo what?

I will report back to you ok?

I was thinking I was the one with Alzheimer's but I can't recall for sure.

Enjoy the holiday.

You're not gone yet? You're not back yet? What happened to the "one week" plan? Why is this thread three pages long and was started in July? Did we just go through a time warp? What the hell is going on???

Hello?!?!?!?

HELLOOOO?!?!?!?!??!

I quit caffeine 2 decades ago - it was doing a number on my kidneys and who knows what else.

"caffeine consumption causes the lack of mental alertness the habitual drinker is prone to. Without repeated administration of caffeine, energy drops and mental sharpness flags. Just like other addictive drugs, caffeine creates its own problems, and just like other drugs, the "cure" for those problems is more of the drug."

source

I'm just the messenger, but perhaps caffeine addicts might think twice next time they collectively jump down the throats of other addicted drug users - when there's a mention on ThaiVisa of a drug bust.

I dunno about this. I haven't heard of too many people losing their homes, knocking off banks and mugging old ladies because their coffee habits get out of control. And so far, the turf-wars of the Chiang Rai coffee dealers haven't taken any innocent victims that I know of. But then again, maybe I am naive.

I have done all of the bad drugs of the good old days. I have done a hell of a lot of the good drugs of the good old days. So far, my coffee addiction has retained a much tighter grip, but caused less damage, than any of the other drugs of my past. So, while I hardly jump down the throats of drug users associated with drug busts mentioned by ThaiVisa, I don't quite see how the two camps end up in the same conversation.

Just so you know, sex has the same characteristics that you mentioned. In the younger crowd, the desire for sex can all but erase mental awareness of anything not concerning sex. And after the act is finished, energy drops and mental sharpness flags. And as you well know, the cure for that is more of the same.

Coffee anyone?

And now, even further off-topic a bit. I see your theme-park idea is going to open on the 5th and 6th of next month. Good luck with that. My wife will certainly need the rush of the zip-lines now and then. I'll probably even take the in-laws out there from time to time, just so they can watch. It will be a hoot for them to see how the younger crowd is getting their thrills these days. Will you be offering Thai food as well as sandwiches there? The in-laws don't think too much of sandwiches. Let us know.

I guess I missed it previously. I know I have mentioned it in the forum but never saw a link posted. Anyway, we have it here again.

Maybe I'll get bit for this. Maybe not. I need a good bite once in a while, anyway. Here is the link to Chiang Rai Focus, which is, as near as I can tell, the go-to place for the Thais in CR province for local news, products, discussions, maps and current events. I use Google Translate to translate the pages and it works pretty well for me. Pretty good site, really. If any of you follow it, you will likely find more things to post in this ThaiVisa thread and some others. My wife stays current with the CR Focus website, so I don't depend too much on this thread to keep me abreast of the current happenings.

http://www.chiangraifocus.com/

The site also has a free advertising section for those of you wanting to post ads targeting the Thai speakers in the area. That section won't translate as near as I can tell but your Thai partners/families should have no trouble entering ads. That section is near the bottom of the website.

Not being sure if this is allowed, I will hit the report button immediately after posting this and see if it remains here or not.

We've just been cooking pizzas on one of your wife's companys BBQs using this compressed charcoal from Den Ha market. Both contributed to give truly excellent heat production and retention. Our first time trying to cook pizza this way - aided by two experts who used to run a pizza/pasta restaurant (might have helped slightly!!), and I have to say the pizza base was the best I've ever had. Next time it's the roast chicken. This charcoal still had heat aplenty after a couple of hours, and didn't take long to heat up. The uncompressed charcoal we've tried gives out plenty of heat but fades fast and left a lot more mess.

She will read this tonight and she will be pleased that someone else found it to double well as an oven.