I can give you my experience of running a restaurant bar guesthouse in high season and low season very easily forget it full stop ????

Bookings are down 36% for April in Phuket if that helps you

On 3/20/2019 at 2:01 PM, Nyezhov said:

The carbonara looks good, I wouldnt eat much of the Frankensalmon here

I buy Norwegian salmon at Rimping. Back on topic, the bar girls in CM are complaining mai mee leug ka.

Many of  shops that  are open are the ones backed by farang money because they have a thai pushing them to buy something for them or have a dream of owning a bar/ restaurant in some far away tropical place. Than after buying and pumping in money 3/4 Of the year they close or sell. Seen some open and close with in 30 days to 5 months. Low season can be very slow. And that was though high season.  Seen 70% of the shops along soi 88,94 and 102 change names yearly. If you want to run a small business start out with a big one and wait . I have been in Hua Hin 4 years now and have see many places on their third or fourth owners.  Been passing by a newly purchased  bar restaurant this week and see it empty most of the time. Sad the see the farang owner or his Thai wife who had to have a bar just setting there all alone and sad faced. And they are only 4 days into owning it. Low season will be a shock.

15 hours ago, Brunolem said:

The problem is always the same: small Thai food vendors don't bother to calculate their production costs. 

 

They sell at a "feel good" price, generally below cost, and after a few months they go belly up. 

 

Yet, in the meantime, competitors have to follow suit, and also sell at too low prices, or risking to not sell at all. 

 

And since, as soon as a vendor disappear, another takes his place, with the same price policy, it is impossible to make money in this business! 

Not sure where this comes from but the Thai biz I see are operating well and seem fairly long term. I've seen a few disasters don't get me wrong but on the whole I see a lot of longevity. Especially specialist one dish stalls. 

 

Weird thing I've noticed round by me is 2 family marts shut down within a 3km of each other.

 

Noodle shops - I think these guys kill it. 250 x 40 baht a day with 2 staff. My local beef noodle shop is a prime example but the H&wife team know the score. Appear very humble, always have stock and always have that beef cooling, creating that tasty smell. Easy 250 serves a day in their location. But they are on it 7-8 hours a day every day.

 

 

15 hours ago, Taco said:

halkboard menu wall and they said that is a sign with no Thai writing full sign tax 4000bt

That’s insane! 

Every bar in Thailand has a sale price on it

On 3/21/2019 at 12:37 PM, PerkinsCuthbert said:

Has the OP ever been to Savannakhet? The dogs are too bored to bark and the locals' idea of a rave is a stool on the sidewalk to watch the solitary car go by once an hour. But that place is hopping compared to Hua Hin in the low season.

I was trapped in Savannakhet for a long weekend holiday courtesy of the yellow bus company arriving hours late and misssing the embassy time slot. The poster is correct.