Booming businesses in Thailand you wouldn't think about

[elgenon]

17 hours ago, Guderian said:

I’m surprised nobody has started a company here growing farang-style button and portobello mushrooms. The Malaysians have no problem growing them judging by the imports available in the likes of Makro and Foodland, so why not the Thais? They love mushrooms and my GF is very fond of the farang versions. In fact I’ve got orders to visit Makro tomorrow and get a half kilo of button mushrooms for her. With high prices you’d think the profit margin would be decent, so why has nobody started growing them here?

 

My bud's GF's sister grows them. Makes big money.

[Brunolem]

12 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

Don't be so sure these are from the proceeds of an "ice" factory.

There are a lot of businesses here and in Laos where everything is not what it seems. A helluva lot of unexplained wealth and basically money laundering.

Fair chance their money is not only coming from that type of "ice" if you know what I mean.

Wink wink. Say no more.

In Laos it is even more blatant.

In my own market town, there are a few businesses run by one family, where the matriarch has done serious time for large scale meth dealing. The son runs a big Merc, a Porsche Cayenne, Mrs has a matching Merc, House & property is like something out of Dallas.

All from a small green grocers and family mart? Nah.

Edit.

And the red soil stuff with the macro (excavator) and a few ten wheeler trucks. You aint gonna get rich doing that either, I know a few old boys involved in that game. It's high turnover, high exes, low profit margins, but doable if the trucks are out on the road 6 days a week 10 hours a day.

 

You could be right, because the "other ice" business is also booming in Isaan, yet I didn't mention it for obvious reasons.

 

Having said that, the Thais, especially the lowlife types dealing in this kind of business, are not known for their subtle ways of laudering money...neither are the Latino-Americans by the way...moving their suitcases full of cash from one bank to another, or storing them in wharehouses...

 

Large money laundering operations by means of fake businesses, like in Pattaya for example, are more likely associated with traditional organized crime (mafia types).

[pieeyed]

I be the people that built the ice plant had a BMW and Range Rover before they built the ice plant.

[mike324]

2 hours ago, pieeyed said:

I be the people that built the ice plant had a BMW and Range Rover before they built the ice plant.

I agree, they probably have another business. You can't make a killing selling ice.

On the other hand, selling trucks loads of dirt is very profitable.

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, pieeyed said:

I be the people that built the ice plant had a BMW and Range Rover before they built the ice plant.

Maybe they had a Ferrari and a Rolls Royce before the plant ?

[impulse]

On 9/8/2018 at 6:18 PM, KMartinHandyman said:

When my wife wins a ฿20 million lottery I’m having her reinvest in a miniature golf course here in our little city. She enjoys playing and we look for a course in most locations when we travel the US.

 

Ultimately I imagine it’ll become my private course after the novelty wears off like most great new business ideas in Thailand. Stick to noodles and ฿20 plastics shops if you’re looking for longevity here.

 

Although I think miniature golf is a viable business (it's a great evening activity in a lot of resort areas back home), three days after you had a good week, there would be another one popping up next door, then another one across the street, then another one...  Then none of them would be profitable.

 

I think you could keep the concept fresh enough with promotions, tournaments, beer and hot dogs, but I don't think you'd survive the competition from locals whose employment opportunities bring in 300 baht a day.

 

[Kinnock]

On-line clothes shopping for Thai girls via Facebook Live must be a growing business, if our bank statement is any indication.

[cracker1]

On 9/8/2018 at 2:13 PM, Guderian said:

I’m surprised nobody has started a company here growing farang-style button and portobello mushrooms. The Malaysians have no problem growing them judging by the imports available in the likes of Makro and Foodland, so why not the Thais? They love mushrooms and my GF is very fond of the farang versions. In fact I’ve got orders to visit Makro tomorrow and get a half kilo of button mushrooms for her. With high prices you’d think the profit margin would be decent, so why has nobody started growing them here?

 

I regularly buy Portobello mushrooms at Makro in Samui.

[Mac98]

On 9/8/2018 at 2:49 PM, oilinki said:

I got curious, how much it costs to cool +30C water to -20C

 

Cooling 1 litre of water 30C -> 0C : Energy required: 30 kcal = 126kJ

Freezing 1 kg of water : Energy required: 333kJ

Cooling 1 kg of ice from 0C to -20C : Energy required 42kJ

 

Total energy used for 1 litre / 1 kg of water: 500 KJ = 0.14 kWh

 

Let's assume the cooling system is 50% efficient. Therefore total energy consumption would be 0.3kWh/kg, with price of 5 baht/kWh, freesing water would cost 1.5 baht / kg.

 

100 KG ice cube would then cost about 150 baht to produce. How much those sell in the markets? 

150 not counting overhead of rent, labor, transport, permits, taxes, accounting, legal, secretarial, phones, insurance.

[Mac98]

Pickles. They grow a billion cucumbers and I get a choice of German dill or a rare jar of USA sweet at enormous markup. For sandwiches I prefer the inexpensive and so called "bread and butter" chips. And how about some hot dog buns?

Edited September 13, 2018 by Mac98
Spelling error

[transam]

On 9/8/2018 at 5:49 PM, baansgr said:

Any business can be successful with the right staff, business plan and marketing, however in Thailand foreigners not being able to control a business is why so many fail. Sad but true. 

Replace the third "business" word with "wife"..?

[james1995]

expensive car does not necesarilly equal success.  more often than not it means they are in debt up to their eyeballs.

Edited September 13, 2018 by james1995

[geronimo]

I think one booming business is making homes out of containers. The foreigner can then own his own home and simply rent a piece of land to stand it on. Theses container homes are not cheap, yet being able to own one is surely a big draw for the foreigner. I am considering purchasing one very soon.

[strikingsunset]

I think one booming business is making homes out of containers. The foreigner can then own his own home and simply rent a piece of land to stand it on. Theses container homes are not cheap, yet being able to own one is surely a big draw for the foreigner. I am considering purchasing one very soon.

What a great idea, do you know the ballpark price of a suitable container,please ?


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[geronimo]

2 minutes ago, strikingsunset said:

 

What a great idea, do you know the ballpark price of a suitable container,please ?


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there's one company in Thailand that does these and you can have a combination of 20ft and 40ft containers in any design you like. It should be said that a 3-4 unit combo would likely work out at a couple of million baht when everything is done. Check out "container Kings" for more info.

[CharlieH]

I looked into getting one for a roadside shop. Fully lined/ electrics and a/c etc for a 24ft was 120k baht.

 

I passed on that ?

[strikingsunset]

i was thinking as so many relationships collapse T least with a container home you could send the wife home to her mom and then truck the home to a new location...


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[expat1010]

On the business to business side it is very difficult for a westerner to do business because of the constant need to “buy” business.

Some of the most sought after jobs are in the purchasing departments of Thai Corps and foreign subsidiaries operating in Thailand.

I understand why Thai corps may operate that way but you would think foreign subsidiaries would crack down on that sort of thing


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[geronimo]

18 hours ago, strikingsunset said:

i was thinking as so many relationships collapse T least with a container home you could send the wife home to her mom and then truck the home to a new location...


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Or put the home on wifey's land and when it goes tits up, rather than her getting the home, you take it with you !!!

[The manic]

On 9/6/2018 at 9:51 AM, bomber said:

beer bar in pattaya,you cannot fail

Very many fail!

[The manic]

On 9/9/2018 at 1:52 AM, elgenon said:

My bud's GF's sister grows them. Makes big money.

Thailand's own indigenous mushrooms are some of the best in the world 

[The manic]

On 9/8/2018 at 4:02 PM, pumpjack said:

seems like a lot of money to get started along with a major headache ......can anyone add ??  

 i know the wife and family love mushrooms !!!!

 

 

Thais have their own indigenous mushrooms

[bomber]

3 hours ago, The manic said:

Very many fail!

i was joking

[Rc2702]

I think wraps for things like burritos could be a good business along side the bbq skewer stalls. I buy the bbq skewers and spend 109 baht on the wraps and make them myself. It's a tastier meal. Could deviate to penang and rice in wraps too. 

 

 

[CharlieH]

15 minutes ago, Rc2702 said:

I think wraps for things like burritos could be a good business along side the bbq skewer stalls. I buy the bbq skewers and spend 109 baht on the wraps and make them myself. It's a tastier meal. Could deviate to penang and rice in wraps too. 

 

 

Someone i know tried wraps, various "fillings" once novelty factor was gone so was the trade.

[Rc2702]

Just now, CharlieH said:

Someone i know tried wraps, various "fillings" once novelty factor was gone so was the trade.

Well they should have moved and found more trade. Those food business's with legs can rock up anywhere and take advantage of new markets all the time. The doner kebab by us has been doing great trade in same location for a good while now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[elgenon]

There are many types of mushrooms in Thailand i had never seen before. I like 'em. Probably more nutritious than buttons.

[zzaa09]

15 hours ago, The manic said:

Very many fail!

Yep. The greater percentage, actually. 

This will happen when the market is saturated with similar venues.

 

Add, that most don't know <deleted> they're doing and generally aren't very sound business people.