My firiend wants to buy a beer bar.

[GameMaster]

Forget it, it's a bad idea. The entire Thai bar / sex industry was based on cheap labor and weak currency. As Thailand develops, less and less people are willing to get exploited. As Thailand ages, young women are finding better opportunities in more traditional trades. Less attractive girls in the sex industry means better wages for those still in business and that translates into crappy prices for customers which in turn translates in less customers. Unless a miracle happens, the entire industry is headed towards a systemic crisis in the near future.

 

I wouldn't do business in Thailand but for those willing to, I'm pretty sure you got opportunities in producing goods and services for the growing middle class, get involved in sustainable tourism, or find a way to exploit the silver expat economy which is likely to grow. Pattaya is already some sort of geriatric cheap charlies stronghold.

[n00dle]

22 hours ago, xylophone said:

Mind you it was a very popular and busy bar because he hired pretty girls, and he had a following from friendships made in London over many years of owning nightclubs.

this means they sold drugs.

[n00dle]

21 hours ago, transam said:

Established...

no, clientele

[StayinThailand2much]

23 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

3000? ????

And not paying/not having staff, music, etc. 

 

Several beer bars for sale in Pattaya, even in places that are hailed as 'the new popular areas'. Not all beer bars have a lot of customers, but some have a good number of staff. Good luck selling enough beer and lady drinks to cover costs, not to mention making a meaningful profit...

[xylophone]

3 minutes ago, n00dle said:

this means they sold drugs.

Wrong on that, and I should know because I was there with him almost every night, helping him around in his wheelchair (MS sufferer). Mind you he did used to snort the "Bolivian marching powder" (such as it was here, which was very poor) in the toilet to help with his pain, but he would have no one selling it or dealing it in his bar.

 

No, he knew the things which made a bar successful due to his time spent in London opening and running a couple of nightclubs – – pretty girls (with low bar fines), conviviality and a laugh and a joke, not to mention generosity, which was repaid many times over by the customers.
 

[Reginald Prewster]

On 5/1/2023 at 4:14 PM, ozimoron said:

could he reasonably expect to make 80 to 100k baht a month profit?

you are joking are you? 

 

Settle more like 20 - 35 k if he is a professional bar keeper, otherwise he will be part of the loosers

"New opened, soon closed" 

Why everybody wants to open up a bar, beer bar or restaurant in Pattaya and dreaming the big money?  

 

If you sell 100 Beers per day 

= 170.000 baht per month

 

- rent 35.000 (if cheap)

= 135.000 

 

- fees 40.000 (if Lucky) 

=95.000

- staff  x5 = 50.000 (if somebody wants to work for it)

45.000

 

oops water, electric, cleaning.........

= 25.000 Profit

 

AND, most likely 100 beers selling per day is not even possible for most owners...

 

equals "soon closed"

or he is a long year professional who knows how to avoid thumbleweeds rolling through the deserted permises... 

 

Trust me, I am one of these lucky guys who are living 21 years in Thailand, never touched what others couldn't make and run a good offshore company, touching the 4 digits nearly per day, but working outside Thailand!!

98% he will chewing on last grizzle within 6 month.. 

[GarryP]

17 hours ago, roo860 said:

Nothing beats blowing your own trumpet!????????

I can't bend down low enough. Not that I'd want to. 

[3NUMBAS]

they dont seem to last long in bizness

[ozimoron]

8 minutes ago, Reginald Prewster said:

you are joking are you? 

 

Settle more like 20 - 35 k if he is a professional bar keeper, otherwise he will be part of the loosers

"New opened, soon closed" 

Why everybody wants to open up a bar, beer bar or restaurant in Pattaya and dreaming the big money?  

 

If you sell 100 Beers per day 

= 170.000 baht per month

 

- rent 35.000 (if cheap)

= 135.000 

 

- fees 40.000 (if Lucky) 

=95.000

- staff  x5 = 50.000 (if somebody wants to work for it)

45.000

 

oops water, electric, cleaning.........

= 25.000 Profit

 

AND, most likely 100 beers selling per day is not even possible for most owners...

 

equals "soon closed"

or he is a long year professional who knows how to avoid thumbleweeds rolling through the deserted permises... 

 

Trust me, I am one of these lucky guys who are living 21 years in Thailand, never touched what others couldn't make and run a good offshore company, touching the 4 digits nearly per day, but working outside Thailand!!

98% he will chewing on last grizzle within 6 month.. 

Not disagreeing at all. I just wanted to see what was available and for what prices.

[brianthainess]

He won't own a bar, 3mil for 20 bar stools and a pool table, plus the rent 15k up, and electric, protection money, girls pay, clean sheets for back rooms, Run Forest Run. 

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, brianthainess said:

He won't own a bar, 3mil for 20 bar stools and a pool table, plus the rent 15k up, and electric, protection money, girls pay, clean sheets for back rooms, Run Forest Run. 

I get all that. What interests me is that somehow, some people seem to make it work. Some of the advice in this thread has been helpful.

[Brick Top]

[Toby1947]

He'll need a good supply of mouse traps to catch the fingers of Thai cashiers they just can't help themselves.  Forget it every bar in Pattaya is for sale if you talk to the owner and are prepared to listen to their BS figures 

[Bangkok Barry]

On 5/1/2023 at 3:49 PM, Hummin said:

Reasonable profit pr unit should be before cost 50% 

 

So his monthly rent is 80k

Staff 100k

Electricity 20k

Insurance 5% of turnover Normally 10 - 30 k a month depending on season and of course size of bar

Investment downpay 5% a year

Reserve to pay new tv, freedge and everything that you did not think about as well time to pay bills while waiting to gain a proper group of returning well paying customers. 

 

The biggest problem is to find loyal staff who stays with you

 

 

 

Then you can start calculate profit and how much beer you have to sell. 

 

 

You forgot his donation to the police Christmas Party fund.

[Pink Mist]

Baiting post and reply removed.  Stay civil and on the OP's topic.

[Skeptic7]

Good idea...NOT❗

[BTB1977]

If his money he can do as he wants. Your money, run. 

[Hummin]

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

You forgot his donation to the police Christmas Party fund.

Insurance ????

 

Some claim they pay, some others not

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

Insurance ????

 

Some claim they pay, some others not

That itself it another topic. Some might say it's worse in the Philippines.

[chris carre]

On 5/1/2023 at 9:24 AM, Mentors65 said:

Good luck... 

May i add you will need it ????????????

[The Old Bull]

On 5/1/2023 at 1:33 AM, KannikaP said:

Depends on the size of the place, but to make Bht 3000 A DAY PROFIT, after rent, wages, overheads, electricity, water, insurances!!!!  etc etc, I very much doubt it.

And also depends on how much of the profits HE is going to sup.

 

What's the profit on a bottle of beer Bht 10 ? you would have to sell 300 to make Bht 3000 that's after the ones you sold to pay the bills.

[frantick]

From what I saw this past year, unless you're a very popular bar with the expats, the only way you'll survive is if you save ALL profits from high season and use them during low season. Like the west retail market that makes all its money over the holidays. 

 

I don't know if many have that willpower, but there are a lot of bars still standing. Then again, some are Thai owned and don't have to pay rent, and some beer bars have fairly low rents. 

 

I'm thinking some closures/sales are coming before next high season. But I'm only an observer, no facts to back this up. Just a gut feeling that global monetary issues will drastically reduce air travel. 

[daveAustin]

On 5/1/2023 at 4:51 PM, ozimoron said:

Is there a problem with asking here?

Tough crowd here as you know. As suggested, best off looking on local Thai FB groups. Guessing to clear 100k, would need to be in one of the better spots with big sale/rent prices. Best time to buy was during covid. 

[Hanuman2547]

Good luck to your friend.  I hope that he can make a go of it.  

[sidneybear]

Successful bars have one thing in common: a shrewd and charismatic owner.

[Straight8]

putting it bluntly, just another fool and his money to be soon parted.

 

 

[SunnyinBangrak]

Buying a beer bar here could be a great idea. SO long as you/ your friend have no expectation to make a a profit, and open the business with the sole motive to have fun and enjoy that lifestyle.

[SAFETY FIRST]

On 5/1/2023 at 3:14 PM, ozimoron said:

could he reasonably expect to make 80 to 100k baht a month profit?

He may turn over 80k a month but will be lucky to make any profit. 

 

Take out rent, electricity, beer, police, wages there's nothing left. 

 

[ozimoron]

2 minutes ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Buying a beer bar here could be a great idea. SO long as you/ your friend have no expectation to make a a profit, and open the business with the sole motive to have fun and enjoy that lifestyle.

I would have nothing to do with it. I believe he at least wants to live off the proceeds or not bother. He does have the temperament to run a bar successfully, just not huge management skills.

[SAFETY FIRST]

On 5/1/2023 at 3:14 PM, ozimoron said:

I have a friend, actually son of a mate of mine who wants to buy a beer bar

Ozimoron, is your mate and his son moron's? 

 

Talk some sense into them