Cm Has The Season Been Up Or Down

[Donnyboy]

I was at the chaing mai night bazaar last night. The word is there are more people than last month but no one is spending. The key word is many shoppers but no buyers.

you always have to take those comments with a grain of salt. At my g/fs work in the NB, it was ok. It certainly is better than June last year when the FIFA world cup was on. Im in the NB quite often and it does seem quiet but ok, seasonal I rekon.

[Toon Army]

Read an interesting piece in todays The Nation by Bob Kimmins, relating to the bleak outlook Chiang Mai is facing. Certainly gives food for thought.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/explore/20...e_30036950.html

Cheers

[wolfmanjack]

I was at the chaing mai night bazaar last night. The word is there are more people than last month but no one is spending. The key word is many shoppers but no buyers.

you always have to take those comments with a grain of salt. At my g/fs work in the NB, it was ok. It certainly is better than June last year when the FIFA world cup was on. Im in the NB quite often and it does seem quiet but ok, seasonal I rekon.

What does your gf sell ??

My wife's family sells t-shirts which normally sell well if there are people. Last nights total sales for one shop was 1,000 baht and the other was 1,500 baht. The rent on each shop is 1,000 per night. My wife's sister says it is always slow in May but this year was the slowest ever. In the past June would be on the increase since the college kids (backpackers) were on vacation already. They said many more people than May but no buyers. Any way they say it is lower than ever before. They are stacking up the goodies on the spirit houses today. I will ask tomorrow if it helped.

[wolfmanjack]

Read an interesting piece in todays The Nation by Bob Kimmins, relating to the bleak outlook Chiang Mai is facing. Certainly gives food for thought.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/explore/20...e_30036950.html

Cheers

this article hits the nail on the head. It sure would have been nice to get the 8 lane superhighway from Chiang mai to Bkk built. Maybe I will get the chance to stay in one of the new $300 per night hotel rooms for 1,000 baht after they fail to fill any rooms.

[Donnyboy]

I was at the chaing mai night bazaar last night. The word is there are more people than last month but no one is spending. The key word is many shoppers but no buyers.

you always have to take those comments with a grain of salt. At my g/fs work in the NB, it was ok. It certainly is better than June last year when the FIFA world cup was on. Im in the NB quite often and it does seem quiet but ok, seasonal I rekon.

What does your gf sell ??

My wife's family sells t-shirts which normally sell well if there are people. Last nights total sales for one shop was 1,000 baht and the other was 1,500 baht. The rent on each shop is 1,000 per night. My wife's sister says it is always slow in May but this year was the slowest ever. In the past June would be on the increase since the college kids (backpackers) were on vacation already. They said many more people than May but no buyers. Any way they say it is lower than ever before. They are stacking up the goodies on the spirit houses today. I will ask tomorrow if it helped.

DVDs.

where about are the shops? In Kalare? 1000baht per night in rent seems expensive to me except if its in Kalare or in a shop proper.

hopefully things pick up soon for your extended family.

[Donnyboy]

Read an interesting piece in todays The Nation by Bob Kimmins, relating to the bleak outlook Chiang Mai is facing. Certainly gives food for thought.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/explore/20...e_30036950.html

Cheers

surely its clear what the new mayor needs to do, its the same the world over, well in modern cities anyway.

ie clean streets in good repair, rubbish & waste solutions, clean water & sanitation, good traffic management, provide good public transport systems,look after parks and public areas etc.

and in CM specifically, ban outdoor fires, and slash and burning, rid cars & trucks that over pollute, bury those ugly powerlines. Increase sercurity in tourist areas. Provide bus stops and outlaw red buses, tuk tuks stopping in the middle of the road.

simple.

[lannarebirth]

That's as negative an article as I've read about any city, anywhere. Yet I've been to hundreds of cities that are far worse to live in than Chiang Mai and it's environs. I wonder why there was no writer given credit for the piece?

[Cyberstar]

Would some others out there who are connected with business in the area care to comment on whether their business annual numbers are up or down ??

Definitely down around here (mid Ratchapakinai). However, it seems like the cheap guesthouses down the sois of the lower end of Ratchapakinai do have customers - at least there seems to be no lack of (potential) patrons to whom a difference of 5 baht an hour does make an issue.

As for the new mayor - the most important issue for the small shopkeepers around here, is whether or not he/she will support the lobby who for years has been asking for mid Ratchapakinai to be included in the Sunday market area (the old mayor was strictly opposed regardless profound lobbying).

[ThaiPauly]

The woman that delivers our vegtables says that business is bad everywhere in town....some hotels are so quiet that most of the food She is delivering is just for the staff.

Another indicator is in town "How easy is it to cross the road"?

Its easier now than it usually is...stupid way to judge how busy CM is ...but I have never found it less daunting than at the moment.

[wolfmanjack]

I was at the chaing mai night bazaar last night. The word is there are more people than last month but no one is spending. The key word is many shoppers but no buyers.

you always have to take those comments with a grain of salt. At my g/fs work in the NB, it was ok. It certainly is better than June last year when the FIFA world cup was on. Im in the NB quite often and it does seem quiet but ok, seasonal I rekon.

What does your gf sell ??

My wife's family sells t-shirts which normally sell well if there are people. Last nights total sales for one shop was 1,000 baht and the other was 1,500 baht. The rent on each shop is 1,000 per night. My wife's sister says it is always slow in May but this year was the slowest ever. In the past June would be on the increase since the college kids (backpackers) were on vacation already. They said many more people than May but no buyers. Any way they say it is lower than ever before. They are stacking up the goodies on the spirit houses today. I will ask tomorrow if it helped.

DVDs.

where about are the shops? In Kalare? 1000baht per night in rent seems expensive to me except if its in Kalare or in a shop proper.

hopefully things pick up soon for your extended family.

DVDs will always sell to locals as long as the price is right. I buy them at the night bazaar for 80 baht because most of the other places charge 100-120 baht.

They have proper shops on the main street. It is still expensive as far as I am concerned. My wife asked me to rent a cart for 10,000 per month plus 1,500 per month for electric. Now that is expensive. I would rather pay 30,000 per month for an actual room. One of their shops has sleeping rooms upstairs that they get also but the other 4 have nothing but the room itself. All of the upstairs are blocked off.

[wolfmanjack]

That's as negative an article as I've read about any city, anywhere. Yet I've been to hundreds of cities that are far worse to live in than Chiang Mai and it's environs. I wonder why there was no writer given credit for the piece?

I read the article with the idea of reasons for tourist to come or not. It mentioned many of the projects that thaksin was trying to put in place to make chiang mai a convention and tourist hub.

[lannarebirth]

That's as negative an article as I've read about any city, anywhere. Yet I've been to hundreds of cities that are far worse to live in than Chiang Mai and it's environs. I wonder why there was no writer given credit for the piece?

I read the article with the idea of reasons for tourist to come or not. It mentioned many of the projects that thaksin was trying to put in place to make chiang mai a convention and tourist hub.

I guess the reason I feel the article is so negative is that I never imagined most of those schemes would ever come to pass anyway, and I can't imagine anyone else would believe so either. The highways I see being built, along with the airport extension. Get that few weeks of pollution cleared up with decreasing song taews and increasing busses, and i'm a happy camper.

[chanchao]

They have proper shops on the main street. It is still expensive as far as I am concerned. My wife asked me to rent a cart for 10,000 per month plus 1,500 per month for electric. Now that is expensive. I would rather pay 30,000 per month for an actual room. One of their shops has sleeping rooms upstairs that they get also but the other 4 have nothing but the room itself. All of the upstairs are blocked off.

Those prices are a bit out there I have to say... Compare that with the Pantip building where you can have an AIRCON shop in a nice looking mall for around 10K just the same.

Same company that owns Pantip also manages 'The Plaza', the mall that used to be called Chiang Inn. They're renting out shops there, go check the prices as they might be reasonable.

[realthaideal]

"Why would anyone in their right mind close some of the night markets around town? They add character and vibriancy to the city, help people to earn a few baht, and tourists have an extra place to visit."

It is crazy! But with regards to Warorot, starting about a year ago they hit upon a plan to make the area by the river cleaner and open for strolling tourists. Also some people complain about backed-up traffic on Chang Moi. The 'bright idea' would be to make all the night market vendors who sell in the streets pack up and allow only proper stalls to operate. At this point that would take away one of the the city's best markets -Kad Luang by night- for the most part, and send a couple hundred people scrambling to replace their incomes selling in other markets like the one that's growing in front of Central KSK by night. Many edgy vendors right now scheming where is the best place to be selling. And to echo the other posts about the NB, same for Kad Luang, many lookers, few buyers. Incomes are about 1/2 what they expect. Everyone's tight right now.

[Donnyboy]

I was at the chaing mai night bazaar last night. The word is there are more people than last month but no one is spending. The key word is many shoppers but no buyers.

you always have to take those comments with a grain of salt. At my g/fs work in the NB, it was ok. It certainly is better than June last year when the FIFA world cup was on. Im in the NB quite often and it does seem quiet but ok, seasonal I rekon.

What does your gf sell ??

My wife's family sells t-shirts which normally sell well if there are people. Last nights total sales for one shop was 1,000 baht and the other was 1,500 baht. The rent on each shop is 1,000 per night. My wife's sister says it is always slow in May but this year was the slowest ever. In the past June would be on the increase since the college kids (backpackers) were on vacation already. They said many more people than May but no buyers. Any way they say it is lower than ever before. They are stacking up the goodies on the spirit houses today. I will ask tomorrow if it helped.

DVDs.

where about are the shops? In Kalare? 1000baht per night in rent seems expensive to me except if its in Kalare or in a shop proper.

hopefully things pick up soon for your extended family.

DVDs will always sell to locals as long as the price is right. I buy them at the night bazaar for 80 baht because most of the other places charge 100-120 baht.

They have proper shops on the main street. It is still expensive as far as I am concerned. My wife asked me to rent a cart for 10,000 per month plus 1,500 per month for electric. Now that is expensive. I would rather pay 30,000 per month for an actual room. One of their shops has sleeping rooms upstairs that they get also but the other 4 have nothing but the room itself. All of the upstairs are blocked off.

no, Id rather have 3 stalls than 1 shop for the 30,000 baht. It will get you better coverage if you have them located in the good areas, but Id say the good locations would be hard to get. You wouldnt pay 1,500B p/m for electric either. The trade off will be space and extra staff needed.

ps traders dont need a room to catch a snooze, they just buy a lounger and place it on the side of the rd

[miltonbentley]

The woman that delivers our vegtables says that business is bad everywhere in town....some hotels are so quiet that most of the food She is delivering is just for the staff.

Another indicator is in town "How easy is it to cross the road"?

Its easier now than it usually is...stupid way to judge how busy CM is ...but I have never found it less daunting than at the moment.

I think you're onto something here TP The Crossing the Road Index to gauge city prosperity. Sounds like a decent Phd thesis

[Donnyboy]

They have proper shops on the main street. It is still expensive as far as I am concerned. My wife asked me to rent a cart for 10,000 per month plus 1,500 per month for electric. Now that is expensive. I would rather pay 30,000 per month for an actual room. One of their shops has sleeping rooms upstairs that they get also but the other 4 have nothing but the room itself. All of the upstairs are blocked off.

Those prices are a bit out there I have to say... Compare that with the Pantip building where you can have an AIRCON shop in a nice looking mall for around 10K just the same.

Same company that owns Pantip also manages 'The Plaza', the mall that used to be called Chiang Inn. They're renting out shops there, go check the prices as they might be reasonable.

I would imagine that pantip would have far less foot traffic than the main st, so it would be difficult for selling t-shirts i rekon.

Didnt know Chiang Inn was reopened. They have got most of the building covered in green sheeting for re-modelling.

[Gonzo the Face]

.... and here I thought this was down year...... now I know

I have just not been charging enough.....

effective today I am raising my rates to 2000 baht per night and start looking for backpackers who are wearing ties....

http://www.bangkokpost.net/Business/18Jun2007_biz20.php

[chanchao]

Didnt know Chiang Inn was reopened. They have got most of the building covered in green sheeting for re-modelling.

It's being renovated and will open when it's ready. I chatted with the girls in their sales office, located at Pantip Plaza.

[Donnyboy]

Didnt know Chiang Inn was reopened. They have got most of the building covered in green sheeting for re-modelling.

It's being renovated and will open when it's ready. I chatted with the girls in their sales office, located at Pantip Plaza.

thats new-usually buildings in LOS open before theyre ready

[Crow Boy]

The woman that delivers our vegtables says that business is bad everywhere in town....some hotels are so quiet that most of the food She is delivering is just for the staff.

Another indicator is in town "How easy is it to cross the road"?

Its easier now than it usually is...stupid way to judge how busy CM is ...but I have never found it less daunting than at the moment.

I think you're onto something here TP The Crossing the Road Index to gauge city prosperity. Sounds like a decent Phd thesis

I have used the RCI (Road Crossing Index) as a reliable market indicator for years. Last night (ok it was Sunday) at 7pm I walked directly across the Night Bazaar road at the Loi Kroh corner which normally is a the busiest intersection in that area. Scarcely a glance was sufficient that I could have wandered at ease the walk without the usual danger of becoming a bonnet ornament on a tuk tuk or songtao. The other indicator I use is the PVI which is the Pirated Video Indicator, at good ie busy times the rate is 100B per disc or negotiate down to about 80Baht it you speak Thai. Last night I picked up 15 for 1000 which is a significant jump and indicative of how much they are selling.

CB

[Bill97]

The other indicator I use is the PVI which is the Pirated Video Indicator, at good ie busy times the rate is 100B per disc or negotiate down to about 80Baht it you speak Thai. Last night I picked up 15 for 1000 which is a significant jump and indicative of how much they are selling.

CB

Good price, where did you get them?

[Donnyboy]

The woman that delivers our vegtables says that business is bad everywhere in town....some hotels are so quiet that most of the food She is delivering is just for the staff.

Another indicator is in town "How easy is it to cross the road"?

Its easier now than it usually is...stupid way to judge how busy CM is ...but I have never found it less daunting than at the moment.

I think you're onto something here TP The Crossing the Road Index to gauge city prosperity. Sounds like a decent Phd thesis

I have used the RCI (Road Crossing Index) as a reliable market indicator for years. Last night (ok it was Sunday) at 7pm I walked directly across the Night Bazaar road at the Loi Kroh corner which normally is a the busiest intersection in that area. Scarcely a glance was sufficient that I could have wandered at ease the walk without the usual danger of becoming a bonnet ornament on a tuk tuk or songtao. The other indicator I use is the PVI which is the Pirated Video Indicator, at good ie busy times the rate is 100B per disc or negotiate down to about 80Baht it you speak Thai. Last night I picked up 15 for 1000 which is a significant jump and indicative of how much they are selling.

CB

theyre probably the cheap burnt ones with the black n white sleeves- some wont play in high end dvd players.

[Cyberstar]

4-5 days turnover hardly is enough to state that tides are rising, but being positive - it seems like we're getting back to normal low season. At least it has been a positive pleasure to make the daily summation these last few days, around here.

[Crow Boy]

The woman that delivers our vegtables says that business is bad everywhere in town....some hotels are so quiet that most of the food She is delivering is just for the staff.

Another indicator is in town "How easy is it to cross the road"?

Its easier now than it usually is...stupid way to judge how busy CM is ...but I have never found it less daunting than at the moment.

I think you're onto something here TP The Crossing the Road Index to gauge city prosperity. Sounds like a decent Phd thesis

I have used the RCI (Road Crossing Index) as a reliable market indicator for years. Last night (ok it was Sunday) at 7pm I walked directly across the Night Bazaar road at the Loi Kroh corner which normally is a the busiest intersection in that area. Scarcely a glance was sufficient that I could have wandered at ease the walk without the usual danger of becoming a bonnet ornament on a tuk tuk or songtao. The other indicator I use is the PVI which is the Pirated Video Indicator, at good ie busy times the rate is 100B per disc or negotiate down to about 80Baht it you speak Thai. Last night I picked up 15 for 1000 which is a significant jump and indicative of how much they are selling.

CB

theyre probably the cheap burnt ones with the black n white sleeves- some wont play in high end dvd players.

No they are colour printed discs with full gloss paper sleeves. I have a high quality SONY DVD player that can be a bit touchy about disc quality. I have been using the same guy in the NB for three years so we have a friendly relationship. Sometimes I get a glitchy disc and I bring it back the next day/week/month when I come into town. He immediately swaps them over and sells the faulty disc to the next tourist who will take it back OS.

His standard price is 100B per disc but I always buy 1,000B worth each time so it is worth it to him to discount plus he knows I am a repeat purchaser. I am polite and we chat in Thai so he knows I am not some been here for 5 minute tourist and treats me accordingly.

There are a couple of "legit" shops around town that sell DVDs but at 300B per disc and that they are imported from China where they are illegally copied I find it difficult to justify the additional expense.

There are also a couple of totally legit places such as in Kad San Khao and Central that sell imported discs. They are the only ones I know of that have the genuine article but they cost about or more than what I can get it myself direct from Amazon or eBay. If I am looking for a specific title that is difficult or impossible to get here I will use that avenue but for generic discs there are more options.

CB

[chanchao]

I have used the RCI (Road Crossing Index) as a reliable market indicator for years. Last night (ok it was Sunday) at 7pm I walked directly across the Night Bazaar road at the Loi Kroh corner which normally is a the busiest intersection in that area. Scarcely a glance was sufficient that I could have wandered at ease the walk without the usual danger of becoming a bonnet ornament on a tuk tuk or songtao.

Be careful doing that on a Sunday when the Walkign Street market is on; Thai or foreign tourist alike, you'd have to be totally delusional or severely un-clued-in to walk the Night Bazar when also the Sunday Walkign Street is on, a market that actually IS everything the Night Bazar once started out as, where the actual artists and craftspeople sell their arts & crafts.

I happened to be there (at the Sunday market) and low season or not, it was *COMPLETELY* packed. Difficult to walk anywhere on the street, I was lucky to have the baby push chair to use as an icebreaker through the crowd. 99% Thai people of course this time of the year.

[#insert another rabid rant against the tourist-hell_ that is the night bazar]

Cheers,

Chanchao

Edited June 19, 2007 by chanchao

[chanchao]

It's interesting to note that allegedly 'high end' players are the most flakey in what they'll swallow.

It's like women, really.

[Donnyboy]

It's interesting to note that allegedly 'high end' players are the most flakey in what they'll swallow.

It's like women, really.

true, they wont take anything cheap n nasty whilst the cheap players take everything!

but unlike women, you can have 2 in the house, one expensive one downstairs to show off to your friends, and the cheap dirty one in the bedroom!!

[MyPenRye]

I did not read anything about:

1) currency devaluation (20% drop for the USD vs the baht)

2) more expensive airplane tickets (although this one was alluded in the article)

3) maybe a bit of a backlash (from the new government) against Thaksin and his CM's roots (and spoiling this part of the country to the detriment of others)

These and other issues have not helped CM.

[Ulysses G.]

I did not read anything about:

1) currency devaluation (20% drop for the USD vs the baht)

2) more expensive airplane tickets (although this one was alluded in the article)

3) maybe a bit of a backlash (from the new government) against Thaksin and his CM's roots (and spoiling this part of the country to the detriment of others)

These and other issues have not helped CM.

All true, but IMHO none of these things would cause the large drop in numbers of Farang tourists that we saw this last year.

The biggest problem was the Flower Festival, and that was caused by an unthinking local Government.