Ever did dream of being a bar owner?

[aussienam]

As a young man it was a dream - come to Thailand, open a bar, have a hot woman/women and "live the dream".  Many years later, never did, and never found a "hot woman". 

And years on I now know about the layers of bribery to police, protection money, licensing, compliance, theft, etc, that adds to costs and now not a certain future anyway post COVID. 

 

If you are a criminal, like many are here, who managed to go through your life undetected by the law over the years in your home country and accumulate proceeds of crime, then if you can launder money and set up that dream bar, Go-Go, club it is pretty much a zero risk game anyway as it's free money. 

And many have done it that way. 

 

The honest punters who put too much risk into this business venture are often ones who end up going bust with no backup money.

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by aussienam

[Leaver]

6 hours ago, xylophone said:

I think that's been the case over the past few years, however not long after I arrived here, I got friendly with a lovely guy who owned a bar here (Patong) and it was an extremely successful bar in an extremely successful Soi.

 

Unfortunately he had multiple sclerosis and as this progressed he had to be pushed around in a wheelchair, and I became his "pusher" (the nice sort) and I spent many, many evenings with him in his bar because I had to wheel him around the place and even along to the toilets, so I was an almost constant companion of an evening.

 

He asked me to look at his books as regards the running of the bar, and it was very profitable for him, and after paying all outgoings (including car expenses etc) he was left with about 1.5 million baht profit.

 

He then suggested that I should buy a bar because I seemed to be a personable sort of guy and got on well with most folks and in his words, "I would make a good bar owner". However my retort was that if I owned a bar I would be tempted to drink more than I currently did (which wasn't a lot) and I didn't want to end up with cirrhosis of the liver, of which, by the way, he eventually died.

 

Before that came about, he called me round to his house one day, sat me down and asked for my opinion..........business had been poor for quite a while, and it got to a point where he said that, "after last night I can't make out whether I made 10 baht or lost 10 baht", such was the state of the business, so at his behest I helped him sell it, which was very timely because things were slowly going downhill from there, and they have done ever since.

 

So in a nutshell, I never dreamt about owning a bar, but did consider it on a couple of occasions, and thought better of it, and I'm so pleased that I did.
 

 

I know that bar owner.

 

I saw him walking down Bangla Road the day after he sold the bar.  ????

 

On a serious note, you would probably be good at running a decent wine bar.

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by Leaver

[OneMoreFarang]

2 minutes ago, Leaver said:

I know that bar owner.

 

I saw him walking down Bangla Road the day after he sold the bar.  ????

 

On a serious note, we need some nice wine bars, and I think you would be good at running one.  

Do you know the price of even half decent wine?

I like wine but in Thailand it's just ridiculous expensive. 

[Leaver]

4 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Do you know the price of even half decent wine?

I like wine but in Thailand it's just ridiculous expensive. 

 

Yes, wine is taxed so heavily that it makes it cost prohibitive for middle class Thai's, and why, all because Thailand doesn't really make wine, so tax all things farang.  

 

Thai Business 101.  Better to rip off a few, than sell to the masses and make even more money.  

[CartagenaWarlock]

On 12/9/2021 at 10:01 PM, dddave said:

I had 40% stake in a Nana Plaza bar many years ago.  I was the resident night guy, 8pm to 2am. 

Quickly discovered I hated chatting with drunks but what bothered me most was as the bar earned more than 60% of it's income from bar-fines, "Pimp" was now part of my resume.  Got out after 6 months.

I don't have much experience in Thailand but within one week of arriving in Thailand I realized that all the bars where tourists frequent are brothels fronting as bars. 

[bristolgeoff]

Thought about it looked nice,but in the real world alot of hard work.you will always own 49 percent never outright owner.If the bar becomes a success  then happy days  and hope it,s last.

[jacko45k]

23 hours ago, Hummin said:

Imagine having a bar with the hottest girls in Pattaya, who are not allowed to go out with customers,

Have you not described the typical strip club in the USA. Many of which make good money. 

[Hummin]

13 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Have you not described the typical strip club in the USA. Many of which make good money. 

Yep, experienced one in Daytona, did not sell alchohol thow, you had to bring yourself, but they sold you the soda to mix with, and a friend bought me a no touch lady lap dance. Strangest experience in my whole life, and never put my foot in such place again. 

 

As a Europeen from a Nordic country, I never got the fuzz about Hooters restaurants either. We experience real naked hooters in saunas and on the beaches, and even our friends moms taking sun bath in the garden naked. Well that was back in the 70 and 80ies, and those days are gone

Edited December 13, 2021 by Hummin

[BritManToo]

13 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Do you know the price of even half decent wine?

I like wine but in Thailand it's just ridiculous expensive. 

Full Moon Dark wine cooler = 28Bht.

Cheaper than beer.

[OneMoreFarang]

13 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Yep, experienced one in Daytona, did not sell alchohol thow, you had to bring yourself, but they sold you the soda to mix with, and a friend bought me a no touch lady lap dance. Strangest experience in my whole life, and never put my foot in such place again. 

 

As a Europeen from a Nordic country, I never got the fuzz about Hooters restaurants either. We experience real naked hooters in saunas and on the beaches, and even our friends moms taking sun bath in the garden naked. Well that was back in the 70 and 80ies, and those days are gone

I don't know about Hooters wherever you come from. But in Thailand there are hot girls in Hooters. Sometime more and better than in many go-go bars. And definitely a lot younger than my friends mothers.

[BobBKK]

No way!  the only attraction could be the girls? but with all the corruption it would be madness and stressful. 

[Hummin]

27 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I don't know about Hooters wherever you come from. But in Thailand there are hot girls in Hooters. Sometime more and better than in many go-go bars. And definitely a lot younger than my friends mothers.

Oh, Im passed that young girls fashination with good 30 years already. To be true, never fancied younger girls below their 30íes, and might been damaged by all my good friends hot moms in my younger days, and therefor stuck on 30 - 35 milfs ????

 

Been to one hooters in Sukumvit area, and hoped for some spicy chickenwings, but was dissapointed, and did not see one hot hooters there. 

Edited December 13, 2021 by Hummin

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

Been to one hooters in Sukumvit area, and hoped for some spicy chickenwings, but was dissapointed, and did not see one hot hooters there. 

The food is definitely not a reason to go there...

And I guess most of the girls are in under 30 and too young for your taste. ???? 

[richard_smith237]

15 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

15 hours ago, Leaver said:

I know that bar owner.

 

I saw him walking down Bangla Road the day after he sold the bar.  ????

 

On a serious note, we need some nice wine bars, and I think you would be good at running one.  

Do you know the price of even half decent wine?

I like wine but in Thailand it's just ridiculous expensive. 

Wine connections have been a success....  (they’re half decent wine bars...).

 

There are a handful of ‘wine merchants’ online, also Ital Asia, Wine Connection, Villa Market and Gourmet market do decent wines. 

Tesco’s used to do their ‘Tesco’s finest’ until they rebranded to Lotus. 

 

At all of the above places a decent bottle of wine can be purchased for around 500 baht (usually Chilean, South African or Argentinian). 

 

 

 

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

Wine connections have been a success....  (they’re half decent wine bars...).

 

There are a handful of ‘wine merchants’ online, also Ital Asia, Wine Connection, Villa Market and Gourmet market do decent wines. 

Tesco’s used to do their ‘Tesco’s finest’ until they rebranded to Lotus. 

 

At all of the above places a decent bottle of wine can be purchased for around 500 baht (usually Chilean, South African or Argentinian). 

 

 

 

Yes decent wines with a quality you normally pay 2,50 - 3 euro for in Europe, and in Norway the most expensive country in Europe when it comes to alcohol, around 350 Baht.

 

Drinking wine is my second most expensive hobby in Thailand, and I really do not drink alot, but a couple of bottles and a good dinner, makes a perfect evening.

[Mac Mickmanus]

How often do you see a happy , friendly good natured felang seedy bar owner in Thailand ?

   Not often, if at all 

[OneMoreFarang]

11 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

How often do you see a happy , friendly good natured felang seedy bar owner in Thailand ?

   Not often, if at all 

Where exactly is the point that a bar becomes a seedy bar?

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Where exactly is the point that a bar becomes a seedy bar?

Bars that have prostitutes working in them and are available for hire for customers

[OneMoreFarang]

15 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Bars that have prostitutes working in them and are available for hire for customers

Like most bars in 5 star hotels?

[Hummin]

@OneMoreFarang

 

They are not prostitutes, they are self employed when you find them in 5 star hotel bars. 

Edited December 13, 2021 by Hummin

[OneMoreFarang]

36 minutes ago, Hummin said:

@OneMoreFarang

 

They are not prostitutes, they are self employed when you find them in 5 star hotel bars. 

Self employed prostitutes? 

 

So I guess if a businessman visits his hotel bar at night and picks up a girl then he can pretend that he had a 5 star drink and somehow by accident he found some company for the night. If he would have gone around the corner to pick up a girl in bar outside then he should feel like a seedy old <deleted>? Or something like that?

[jacko45k]

4 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

How often do you see a happy , friendly good natured felang seedy bar owner in Thailand ?

   Not often, if at all 

Take away the word seedy and I can think of a few in Pattaya..... there were a lot more in years gone by... and a few grumpy ones.

Edited December 13, 2021 by jacko45k

[Hans Johnson]

Now all the memories come back to the early days when Patong, Nana and Cowboy was fired up with a few farang bar owners which all ended up having to move on due to being touched by the local mafia and protection rackets and being visited by the biggest gang in uniform turning up with briefcases to fill before closing time. 
 

The up country girls introduced to drugs and alcohol and were taught to fleece the farang with lady drinks and the farang was their pimp with his mamasan for bar fines.  The more the merrier. With the boyfriend waiting on their motorbike in the street waiting for their cut. 
 

I met and spent time with these farangs and they all bitched and complained about the fact of the difficulties with the running and culture of bars and none survived the scene and had to move on, most lost everything including the so called faithful girlfriend and her family. 
 

Thai bars are toxic to be involved in.  You have to be a fool to invest in this scene 

[OneMoreFarang]

26 minutes ago, Hans Johnson said:

Now all the memories come back to the early days when Patong, Nana and Cowboy was fired up with a few farang bar owners which all ended up having to move on due to being touched by the local mafia and protection rackets and being visited by the biggest gang in uniform turning up with briefcases to fill before closing time. 
 

The up country girls introduced to drugs and alcohol and were taught to fleece the farang with lady drinks and the farang was their pimp with his mamasan for bar fines.  The more the merrier. With the boyfriend waiting on their motorbike in the street waiting for their cut. 
 

I met and spent time with these farangs and they all bitched and complained about the fact of the difficulties with the running and culture of bars and none survived the scene and had to move on, most lost everything including the so called faithful girlfriend and her family. 
 

Thai bars are toxic to be involved in.  You have to be a fool to invest in this scene 

One of these "I know it all" comments.

Somehow it's funny that there are enough farang bar owners in the streets who do that since decades. According to you they don't exist or the are all bankrupt. 555. And do mamasans keep the barfine or what do you think? And about the briefcases to be filled? Do you actually know how much they pay? Obviously I don't know the numbers from all bars but I know the numbers from some bars in Bangkok. And the payments are less than what I expected, I would describe them as reasonable. 

[HashBrownHarry]

I could think of nothing worse....

[Hummin]

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Self employed prostitutes? 

 

So I guess if a businessman visits his hotel bar at night and picks up a girl then he can pretend that he had a 5 star drink and somehow by accident he found some company for the night. If he would have gone around the corner to pick up a girl in bar outside then he should feel like a seedy old <deleted>? Or something like that?

Exactly 10 points sir

[scubascuba3]

7 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Full Moon Dark wine cooler = 28Bht.

Cheaper than beer.

it is a nice drink that but I'm convinced the 7.5% alcohol is a lie, i never feel it so I've gone back to beer

[Leaver]

On 12/13/2021 at 10:39 AM, richard_smith237 said:

Wine connections have been a success....  (they’re half decent wine bars...).

 

There are a handful of ‘wine merchants’ online, also Ital Asia, Wine Connection, Villa Market and Gourmet market do decent wines. 

Tesco’s used to do their ‘Tesco’s finest’ until they rebranded to Lotus. 

 

At all of the above places a decent bottle of wine can be purchased for around 500 baht (usually Chilean, South African or Argentinian). 

 

 

 

 

I have no problem with wine connection, but I was thinking a late night venue, acoustic guitar or baby grand piano, for good wine and good times, after all, Pattaya is a "World Class Tourist Resort."  ????