Desperate times for Thai small businesses.

[ChakaKhan]

57 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I suggest you put your spellchecker on automatic as well.

Thannks forr the tipp!  I hoope to sommeday be as smmart as youu!

[Brickbat]

The pin is nearing the bubble. Worldwide. And won’t be long before the 2 meet. Pop!
Take it from Buffet. Has the runs on the board, unlike his detractors who are in exuberance now. 
as for most Thais, Mai pen rai. They know how to live on a bowl of soup.

 

[AlfHuy]

Good afternoon,

 

I just had a chat with a friend of mine. She works in a massage shop. I have been a few times there.

The whole range of massage but don't expect any extra activities. It won't happen.

 

Shop was closed for months and the girls are all suffering, a few of them even moving to the shop because they can't pay their room.

Business re-started but very few customers.

Friend had yesterday first customer at 5.30pm. it was a jap. customer.

He asked for 2,5 hours foot/thai massage. 

Cost was 500baht.

He mentioned a few times that he really liked the massage.

At the end, friend was getting a tea for him.

Boss was just not at the desk (maybe was in restroom)

Customer took this opportunity to walk out without paying.

 

The worst of all. Her boss got furious and told her, to pay her 300baht immediately (500-200 (fee, massage girl gets))

The girl is still visibly shocked.

She did not get paid and on top, she was forced to pay her boss 300baht and travel expenses to go to work were 60baht.

Spending 12 hours at work and having to spend 360baht for the honour to be at work.

 

It is not a made up story. I just spoke to the owner of the shop and she confirmed that she wanted to get paid and it was the error of the massage girl.

 

Imagine you guys have fixed expenses of min 12000 baht (room, electricity, water, phone, food, transport) and now only make 5-6000baht and due to a <deleted>.... customer, you have to pay your boss.

 

I really feel for them. Surviving day by day.

Horrible

[scubascuba3]

10 minutes ago, AlfHuy said:

Good afternoon,

 

I just had a chat with a friend of mine. She works in a massage shop. I have been a few times there.

The whole range of massage but don't expect any extra activities. It won't happen.

 

Shop was closed for months and the girls are all suffering, a few of them even moving to the shop because they can't pay their room.

Business re-started but very few customers.

Friend had yesterday first customer at 5.30pm. it was a jap. customer.

He asked for 2,5 hours foot/thai massage. 

Cost was 500baht.

He mentioned a few times that he really liked the massage.

At the end, friend was getting a tea for him.

Boss was just not at the desk (maybe was in restroom)

Customer took this opportunity to walk out without paying.

 

The worst of all. Her boss got furious and told her, to pay her 300baht immediately (500-200 (fee, massage girl gets))

The girl is still visibly shocked.

She did not get paid and on top, she was forced to pay her boss 300baht and travel expenses to go to work were 60baht.

Spending 12 hours at work and having to spend 360baht for the honour to be at work.

 

It is not a made up story. I just spoke to the owner of the shop and she confirmed that she wanted to get paid and it was the error of the massage girl.

 

Imagine you guys have fixed expenses of min 12000 baht (room, electricity, water, phone, food, transport) and now only make 5-6000baht and due to a <deleted>.... customer, you have to pay your boss.

 

I really feel for them. Surviving day by day.

Horrible

Your massage story isn't unusual, if a tealeaf leaves a bar without paying the bill the waitress has to pay he bill. Seems harsh but they only allow it to happen once plus avoids theft

[spidermike007]

On 6/19/2020 at 6:55 PM, Lacessit said:

I've lived in Thailand for ten years. I can converse quite well in Thai. And I have no reason to not believe her, as the streets of Chiang Rai are almost empty of any farang presence. Thais go to the more out of the way shops, as they are cheaper.

I didn't fall for it. I let it go because she was pretty good, and I'm not going to obsess over 50 baht.

If you want to be negative, would you mind doing it somewhere else?

 

Thank you. Many take that attitude for sport. 

 

The fact is millions are going to be hurting here and around the world for a long time to come. There are very good reasons why in the history of the world, no nation has ever deliberately shut down its economy before. You just don't engage in experiments in insanity. 

 

Who knows how long it will take. Sure some businesses  are doing fine. They are the minority. 

[scubascuba3]

4 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

There are very good reasons why in the history of the world, no nation has ever deliberately shut down its economy before. You just don't engage in experiments in insanity. 

 

 

Very true, i just hope they do an honest review worldwide after this, the conclusion should be, never lock down again and it has to be worldwide otherwise economic damage is still done

 

lockdown clusters yes, lockdown vulnerable groups yep, all the rest no

[vinny41]

21 minutes ago, AlfHuy said:

Good afternoon,

 

I just had a chat with a friend of mine. She works in a massage shop. I have been a few times there.

The whole range of massage but don't expect any extra activities. It won't happen.

 

Shop was closed for months and the girls are all suffering, a few of them even moving to the shop because they can't pay their room.

Business re-started but very few customers.

Friend had yesterday first customer at 5.30pm. it was a jap. customer.

He asked for 2,5 hours foot/thai massage. 

Cost was 500baht.

He mentioned a few times that he really liked the massage.

At the end, friend was getting a tea for him.

Boss was just not at the desk (maybe was in restroom)

Customer took this opportunity to walk out without paying.

 

The worst of all. Her boss got furious and told her, to pay her 300baht immediately (500-200 (fee, massage girl gets))

The girl is still visibly shocked.

She did not get paid and on top, she was forced to pay her boss 300baht and travel expenses to go to work were 60baht.

Spending 12 hours at work and having to spend 360baht for the honour to be at work.

 

It is not a made up story. I just spoke to the owner of the shop and she confirmed that she wanted to get paid and it was the error of the massage girl.

 

Imagine you guys have fixed expenses of min 12000 baht (room, electricity, water, phone, food, transport) and now only make 5-6000baht and due to a <deleted>.... customer, you have to pay your boss.

 

I really feel for them. Surviving day by day.

Horrible

why don't you speak to the owner again and say you and all your friends that use this massage shop will boycott the shop if the owner demands payment from the massage girl for something that happened outside her control

Owner has to then decided which to lose 1 payment or many payments.

[spidermike007]

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Very true, i just hope they do an honest review worldwide after this, the conclusion should be, never lock down again and it has to be worldwide otherwise economic damage is still done

 

lockdown clusters yes, lockdown vulnerable groups yep, all the rest no

Exactly spot on. Isolate the most vulnerable. Shutting down an entire economy is bizarre, dumb, non visionary, and sadistic. And I would venture to guess the only ones who disagree have a nice pension, investments, money in the bank, or were collecting a salary this whole time. What about the others? 

[Olmate]

8 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

why don't you speak to the owner again and say you and all your friends that use this massage shop will boycott the shop if the owner demands payment from the massage girl for something that happened outside her control

Owner has to then decided which to lose 1 payment or many payments.

Perhaps best to leave the cuppa tea until the guy has paid, interfering with the boss,s rules will get the girl sacked.

[vinny41]

8 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Perhaps best to leave the cuppa tea until the guy has paid, interfering with the boss,s rules will get the girl sacked.

Hopefully the girl will move to a different massage shop as far as the owner is concerned it would be better if they close due to lack of customers 

[Olmate]

10 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

Hopefully the girl will move to a different massage shop as far as the owner is concerned it would be better if they close due to lack of customers 

Same rules apply in the next shop tho. I’m sure girl will learn from that experience ,hope the OP chucked in to help out.

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, AlfHuy said:

 

 

At the end, friend was getting a tea for him.

Boss was just not at the desk (maybe was in restroom)

Customer took this opportunity to walk out without paying.

 

The worst of all. Her boss got furious and told her, to pay her 300baht immediately (500-200 (fee, massage girl gets))

 

Actually, the boss is at fault for not being there to ensure payment was made.

The thief won't be coming back to that shop. However, he'll probably go to another shop for his next massage. If your friend puts the word around, she may get lucky. Then call the police, and it'll take a lot more than 500 baht to extricate himself, as a non-Thai.

[sandyf]

On 6/19/2020 at 7:04 PM, Lacessit said:

Perhaps I should have said the businesses depending on farang customers, and on premium real estate, are the ones in deep doo-doo.

Yes,that is what you should have said. Businesses around the world that rely on foreign customers have a problem, despite what some may think, it is not unique to Thailand.

In some countries, businesses that rely on domestic customers have a problem. in the UK the government have U-turned so much they are about to disappear up the proverbial orifice.

I went out to a local village a couple of nights ago, a right hive of activity, if it wasn't for the face masks it could have been normal, no sign of businesses struggling there. Nice fried rice with a bottle of Chang watching the world go bye in the evening sun, what's not to like.

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

 Shutting down an entire economy is bizarre, dumb, non visionary, and sadistic.

If they hadn't taken that approach in 1666, chances are that you wouldn't be here whinging about it.

[spidermike007]

29 minutes ago, sandyf said:

If they hadn't taken that approach in 1666, chances are that you wouldn't be here whinging about it.

 

London and other parts of Europe suffered nearly 40 plagues between 1348 and 1666, starting with the Black Death, which some historians believe took as many as half the world's population. Then there were a series of mostly various forms of Bubonic, every 20 to 30 years and there still was no complete economic shutdown even during the Great plague in 1666. Some of these subsequent plagues took out as much as 20% of London's population. Incoming ships were refused port, quarantines were established for up to 40 days, and entire nations went into quarantine. But the economies kept running, as much as possible. Sure, there was a slowdown, as could be expected. But, a huge amount of people were not deliberately put out of work by the governments. 

 

In 1518 the first regulations to stop plague were introduced in London. A bale of straw had to be hung on a pole outside infected houses for 40 days. People from infected homes had to carry a white stick when they went out to warn others to stay away. More rules were gradually added over the years, such as putting a cross on the door of plague-ridden houses, only burying the dead at night, and ringing a bell for 45 minutes for each burial. The noise of bells ringing during burials was meant to remind people to follow the plague prevention rules.

 

And as I stated earlier, you are amongst the fortunate few, who do not have to whine about the shutdown, due to your pension, savings and investments. Only a small percentage of the planet are in your position. Most have to work for a living, making a prolonged shutdown punitive, and to some extent sadistic.

 

 

[AlfHuy]

4 hours ago, Olmate said:

Same rules apply in the next shop tho. I’m sure girl will learn from that experience ,hope the OP chucked in to help out.

Yes, I paid her money back and paid her, what she should have received for her work.

What a nasty piece of ..... this customer is and the boss, low life as well.

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, sandyf said:

Yes,that is what you should have said. Businesses around the world that rely on foreign customers have a problem, despite what some may think, it is not unique to Thailand.

In some countries, businesses that rely on domestic customers have a problem. in the UK the government have U-turned so much they are about to disappear up the proverbial orifice.

I went out to a local village a couple of nights ago, a right hive of activity, if it wasn't for the face masks it could have been normal, no sign of businesses struggling there. Nice fried rice with a bottle of Chang watching the world go bye in the evening sun, what's not to like.

Yes and no. Bear in mind with the rise in unemployment among Thais, many no longer have the income for discretionary spending.

There are several restaurants I know in Chiang Rai which were quite popular with Thais. They simply closed up without any indication of whether they would ever open again.

Face masks in a village? Not where my GF is, no-one is wearing them. They put them on when they go to Chiang Rai.

[Olmate]

10 minutes ago, AlfHuy said:

Yes, I paid her money back and paid her, what she should have received for her work.

What a nasty piece of ..... this customer is and the boss, low life as well.

Good work..

[sandyf]

17 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

 

London and other parts of Europe suffered nearly 40 plagues between 1348 and 1666, starting with the Black Death, which some historians believe took as many as half the world's population. Then there were a series of mostly various forms of Bubonic, every 20 to 30 years and there still was no complete economic shutdown even during the Great plague in 1666. Some of these subsequent plagues took out as much as 20% of London's population. Incoming ships were refused port, quarantines were established for up to 40 days, and entire nations went into quarantine. But the economies kept running, as much as possible. Sure, there was a slowdown, as could be expected. But, a huge amount of people were not deliberately put out of work by the governments. 

 

In 1518 the first regulations to stop plague were introduced in London. A bale of straw had to be hung on a pole outside infected houses for 40 days. People from infected homes had to carry a white stick when they went out to warn others to stay away. More rules were gradually added over the years, such as putting a cross on the door of plague-ridden houses, only burying the dead at night, and ringing a bell for 45 minutes for each burial. The noise of bells ringing during burials was meant to remind people to follow the plague prevention rules.

 

And as I stated earlier, you are amongst the fortunate few, who do not have to whine about the shutdown, due to your pension, savings and investments. Only a small percentage of the planet are in your position. Most have to work for a living, making a prolonged shutdown punitive, and to some extent sadistic.

 

 

If nothing else, a vivid imagination.

[sandyf]

15 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Yes and no. Bear in mind with the rise in unemployment among Thais, many no longer have the income for discretionary spending.

There are several restaurants I know in Chiang Rai which were quite popular with Thais. They simply closed up without any indication of whether they would ever open again.

Face masks in a village? Not where my GF is, no-one is wearing them. They put them on when they go to Chiang Rai.

Obviously there will be regional variation and likely that perception will be biased by local circumstances.

I went to the JJ market at Bang Saen last night and again quite busy, all the stalls appeared to be open and doing well. Not much sign of unemployment there. Still selling Chang at 60 baht for a large one. Had expected that to rise with the changes. The whole market had been ringfenced with steel railings and only one entrance with temperature checking.

There has always been a significant difference between employment in the north and the central area. I haven't been around the bars for over 15 years but before then I would thought that about 80/90 percent of the staff in the hospitality sector were from the north, come south looking for work. History has a habit of repeating itself.