small business ideas in Isaan

[bodlivy]

5 hours ago, recom273 said:

What do you do in Texas? It seems, although not doesnt always follow - use your existing skills - Butchers and bakers do well here. You dont need to make big money every day, just enough.

 

Whatever you do, like others, little startup cost, no rent, is the best.

 

Again, clothes, my wife sells something that local people can't get hold of, she sells at local markets, maybe two or three times a week, the goods are imported second hand, her rent for the pitch is about 40-100B per market, and the profit is 250%.

 

For fun, I also grow hydroponic vegetables, it's ok in the cold season - trouble is that everyone copies each other here, but luckily they dont continue past one season.

 

You say Issan. its a very varied place, you have big cities, small provincial capital towns, even in a rural district you might have a rich  village that is inhabited by the families of local government office workers, the next village might be filled with older people with little disposable income - there are some areas that are really poor, no infrastructure and and another area, maybe has a big river, for example, these can be very rich areas due to natural resources. 

 

I wish you all the best. Dont think about investing in a coffee shop.

 

Thank you so much for your perspective. Yes, my first thoughts were a pizza place or a coffee shop lol. Doesn't everyone love pizza? I'm in IT, so don't think it will transfer to LOS well. I Iooked up IT salaries there. It's a pittance even in BKK.

[bodlivy]

5 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Maybe start with meeting her in person for a while to see how she really is.

 

We are meeting in person. I am taking my time to get to know her better and not rush into anything. Cannot handle long distance at all, it's a situation I did not expect to find myself in, especially at my age. One of main concerns of mine is her staying in Isaan by herself while I figure out my stuff.  A year or two?  She has grandparents to support and some business ideas to keep her busy, but from my past experience with women back home  I learned they find someone local pretty quick if they are bored. My ex found someone practically overnight when I moved 200 miles away for work lol. And I was driving back and forth to meet every weekend. This is way worse and I guess I'll just try my luck

[youreavinalaff]

6 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

You move to isaan never or when you somehow lost it and are retired. You not move their in working age as a westerner to do a business lol, then you simply lost your mind yourself.

A wild generalisation. Incorrect also. I'm speaking from experience.

[Dan O]

18 minutes ago, bodlivy said:

 

We are meeting in person. I am taking my time to get to know her better and not rush into anything. Cannot handle long distance at all, it's a situation I did not expect to find myself in, especially at my age. One of main concerns of mine is her staying in Isaan by herself while I figure out my stuff.  A year or two?  She has grandparents to support and some business ideas to keep her busy, but from my past experience with women back home  I learned they find someone local pretty quick if they are bored. My ex found someone practically overnight when I moved 200 miles away for work lol. And I was driving back and forth to meet every weekend. This is way worse and I guess I'll just try my luck

Its good your taking your time to know her and her family as they are and will always be the  #1 priority in all her decisions, with there influence added in. Dispite what she says TIT. 

 

Surprised no one mentioned it and maybe you know you cant work in a business without a permit. The business has to have a minimum of Thai employees and meet other requirement to hire a foreigner. 

 

Most small business last 3 to 4 months and then die. You should be making any decisions on what to start until you go there and spend time learning g the area as it can be quite different over tge long run vs a week or 2 visit on a regular basis.  Coffee shops (booth style) and noodle shops spring up everywhere and close just as fast. There's no profit in rural areas. Food ingredient cost have risen about 25 % in tge last 15 month.  

 

Then the added bonus is why do you want to open a business? Income or just to stay busy?  

[FritsSikkink]

44 minutes ago, bodlivy said:

 

Thank you so much for your perspective. Yes, my first thoughts were a pizza place or a coffee shop lol. Doesn't everyone love pizza? I'm in IT, so don't think it will transfer to LOS well. I Iooked up IT salaries there. It's a pittance even in BKK.

If you have proper specialist certifications on high end IT work with good experience, you can make good money in BKK. Your housing cost will be considerably lower than in a big city in the Western world. When you make good money in the USA, you can do remote work and get a Digital nomad visa and live here. 

[Centigrade32]

46 minutes ago, bodlivy said:

 

We are meeting in person. I am taking my time to get to know her better and not rush into anything. Cannot handle long distance at all, it's a situation I did not expect to find myself in, especially at my age. One of main concerns of mine is her staying in Isaan by herself while I figure out my stuff.  A year or two?  She has grandparents to support and some business ideas to keep her busy, but from my past experience with women back home  I learned they find someone local pretty quick if they are bored. My ex found someone practically overnight when I moved 200 miles away for work lol. And I was driving back and forth to meet every weekend. This is way worse and I guess I'll just try my luck

 

I don't want to say don't. But, don't.

You are putting the horse before the cart.

Forget about any kind of business and focus on your actual relationship. If it's based on money, you only have yourself to blame. 

Move to an area that you love, rather than where she lives. If that doesn't work for her, get rid.

Once settled, you can see the lie of the land and what might work. Don't listen to her. Meaning take note of what she says, but don't follow. Lead. If you don't you'll regret it.

 

 

[1FinickyOne]

8 hours ago, bodlivy said:

 

What about selling one orange the first day, then 2 oranges next day, etc. This seems a sure success, no,?

except it probably costs 20 oranges a day to be in business. 

[bodlivy]

8 hours ago, Dan O said:

Its good your taking your time to know her and her family as they are and will always be the  #1 priority in all her decisions, with there influence added in. Dispite what she says TIT. 

 

Surprised no one mentioned it and maybe you know you cant work in a business without a permit. The business has to have a minimum of Thai employees and meet other requirement to hire a foreigner. 

 

Most small business last 3 to 4 months and then die. You should be making any decisions on what to start until you go there and spend time learning g the area as it can be quite different over tge long run vs a week or 2 visit on a regular basis.  Coffee shops (booth style) and noodle shops spring up everywhere and close just as fast. There's no profit in rural areas. Food ingredient cost have risen about 25 % in tge last 15 month.  

 

Then the added bonus is why do you want to open a business? Income or just to stay busy?  

 

Not income, but mostly to keep her occupied and also seeing if she's capable of being a partner or just a deadweight. This will be factored into the timing for my retirement, I guess. Just something for her (and me) to do and collaborate since it's going to take me a while to sort out my stuff. I have elderly parents stateside, etc. I considered bringing her here into the States, but visa process is long and toxic. I already had experience with it with a prior partner and would not recommend going this hell to anyone. So yeah just trying to keep a positive attitude lol. Also, as I get older, I really am approaching the end of the rope culturally with living in the US. It's just not meant to be a place for retirement or quiet living. We're all supposed to have died at 40 on the frontier in shootout with natives.

 

[bodlivy]

8 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

If you have proper specialist certifications on high end IT work with good experience, you can make good money in BKK. Your housing cost will be considerably lower than in a big city in the Western world. When you make good money in the USA, you can do remote work and get a Digital nomad visa and live here. 

 

The opportunities that presented for being a nomad, the agency side still wanted me to co-locate with their clients in US for 3-4 months at a time. I do financial/accounting software and those clients like to see bodies in chairs present on the floor. They are absolutely not going to trust some guy on Zoom with their in-house accounting tricks.

[bodlivy]

7 hours ago, Centigrade32 said:

 

I don't want to say don't. But, don't.

You are putting the horse before the cart.

Forget about any kind of business and focus on your actual relationship. If it's based on money, you only have yourself to blame. 

Move to an area that you love, rather than where she lives. If that doesn't work for her, get rid.

Once settled, you can see the lie of the land and what might work. Don't listen to her. Meaning take note of what she says, but don't follow. Lead. If you don't you'll regret it.

 

 

 

Solid advice, thank you. I've made that mistake in previous relationship, moved to another city for a girl. Naturally it was a disaster. Now I'd rather tear it all down, die inside and be alone, than to be in that situation again hanging out like a doofus. 

 

 

[Centigrade32]

2 hours ago, bodlivy said:

 

Solid advice, thank you. I've made that mistake in previous relationship, moved to another city for a girl. Naturally it was a disaster. Now I'd rather tear it all down, die inside and be alone, than to be in that situation again hanging out like a doofus. 

 

 

 

So why are you considering doing it all over again?

If you are giving her money to be in a relationship, stop it. It's not a real relationship. That's a red flag. Stop handing your money over to women 😊  That is not the way to find love. You are just buying yourself a companion/hanger on.

Jumping on the carousel, so to speak. Not many are brave enough to want to see if she's still yours without the sending of money.

Whether she's happy to go through thick and thin with you, as opposed to you simply being her employer. Sounds harsh, but you should not be afraid to see how she is when the going gets tough.

On the other hand, you might not care about any of that.

[bodlivy]

1 hour ago, Centigrade32 said:

 

So why are you considering doing it all over again?

If you are giving her money to be in a relationship, stop it. It's not a real relationship. That's a red flag. Stop handing your money over to women 😊  That is not the way to find love. You are just buying yourself a companion/hanger on.

Jumping on the carousel, so to speak. Not many are brave enough to want to see if she's still yours without the sending of money.

Whether she's happy to go through thick and thin with you, as opposed to you simply being her employer. Sounds harsh, but you should not be afraid to see how she is when the going gets tough.

On the other hand, you might not care about any of that.

 

Good question. It probably comes down to my age and cynicism and lack of judgment (good or bad). I've done my share of black and white decisions early in my life. Now all I can recall is they all really end up gray and a lot forgotten. Imho, we are all strangers to each others in the end, and really die alone even if surrounded by loving family. Money is very important, so is desire for money. But in the big picture I think it's just coincidental to human interaction. Even if the interaction is based to a degree on financial gain/loss. So in a way I see even the most obvious exchange of money for services that we all see daily in LOS as valid human interaction. It's just what people do and have always done. Going a bit Dostoyevsky on you lol. And I'm just overall too old to fight for any principles while drawing my finite amount of breaths per year. She's a great girl as I see it, if she's in it only for the money, then that's the deal I got. Everything comes out into the open one way or another eventually. And I'm learning to be patient which is the most un American thing to do.

 

 

 

[watchcat]

21 hours ago, essex boys said:

she no doubt wants money to start a business and has asked the OP to fund it…seen it all before

 

and you're not alone.....   Hah hah hah

 

[bodlivy]

1 hour ago, watchcat said:

 

and you're not alone.....   Hah hah hah

 

 

That is fair. 🙂 What are my chances in your estimation? Should I act my age, cut my losses and join you in observing the goings on from the porch? 

[watchcat]

2 minutes ago, bodlivy said:

cut my losses and join you in observing the goings on from the porch? 

 

Thats about it

[bodlivy]

6 minutes ago, watchcat said:

 

Thats about it

 

That is probably the best advice, the one I gave myself as well at the beginning of this. Still can see it as number 1 choice on the list I made back then. I don't know, buddy, I just couldn't do it. I really tried. I'm the last of the Mohicans. I mean romantics. 

[watchcat]

5 minutes ago, bodlivy said:

 

That is probably the best advice, the one I gave myself as well at the beginning of this. Still can see it as number 1 choice on the list I made back then. I don't know, buddy, I just couldn't do it. I really tried. I'm the last of the Mohicans. I mean romantics. 

 

Eventually you'll learn

 

 

 

[Ben Zioner]

22 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

The smartest thing you can do is get her to move there, period. You can visit here, and rent for some months, just to see how it is, but it's not a place to be if you get bored easy, especially in Isaan. If you're making good money in the states, stay there. If you have hobbies you enjoy there, remember many aren't available here, especially in the country. 

Absolutely right.

[simon43]

The best decision that I ever made was to stop all relationships (girlfriend, marriage) after my third divorce.  Although my 1st amicable divorce (UK wife) was due to differences of opinion etc, my divorces from my 2 Thai wives were instigated by me after it became clear that they were simply a drain on my relatively small income, ie - I gave, they took and I got nothing in return!

 

Since my last divorce some 10 years ago, my life in south-east Asia has been much happier and more financially stable.  I realised that being a tight-fisted, selfish bastard was just great!! 

 

I decide what I want to do in my life and where to to etc, without having the need to consider a partner's wishes. I spend a lot of time (and money) on helping young students in Myanmar, because IMHO - they appreciate my efforts and help far more than any wife ever did, and my financial investment in school books etc etc will result in a far better return than what I ever got from my greedy wives lol!

[Hummin]

22 hours ago, bodlivy said:

 

You're a bit older than I am and wiser, I hope. So realistically what would be my options? Just moving to LOS? It's nice and all, but I make good money in the States. Will probably retire in Hungary or some other place in Central Europe. Thailand would be not my first choice tbh. My concern is she'll get bored in Isaan anyway, regardless of business or family. Should I forego all the bull<deleted> and whisk her out of the country? I live up north in the States. Don't think Thais can handle real winter. 

Long distance relationship with a Thai be it in a tourist area or Isan, an government worker, or just anybody, just forget it. Normally Im a quite positive guy, but long distance relationship, and I say it again, forget about it. Sorry

[bodlivy]

5 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Long distance relationship with a Thai be it in a tourist area or Isan, an government worker, or just anybody, just forget it. Normally Im a quite positive guy, but long distance relationship, and I say it again, forget about it. Sorry

 

That's fair, LDR in general is a big no-no in any situation. But specifically Thai - could you please elaborate on this?

[Hummin]

8 minutes ago, bodlivy said:

 

That's fair, LDR in general is a big no-no in any situation. But specifically Thai - could you please elaborate on this?

They keeps their option open until they have secured themselves a man, and have in most cases learned not to trust anybody until they have proved themselves. 

 

And I can understand them when they meet a man, or men who promise to come back, but never do out of many reasons. And in the meantime new possibilities comes and goes. 

 

I do not say everybody is like this, but to fear, most is, especially those who chasing foreigners. 

[bodlivy]

22 minutes ago, Hummin said:

They keeps their option open until they have secured themselves a man, and have in most cases learned not to trust anybody until they have proved themselves. 

 

And I can understand them when they meet a man, or men who promise to come back, but never do out of many reasons. And in the meantime new possibilities comes and goes. 

 

I do not say everybody is like this, but to fear, most is, especially those who chasing foreigners. 

 

That is entirely understandable. A foreigner shows up and talks big, makes plans, then, after returning back home gets cold feet and drops from radar after a few months. Westerners change their mind all the time. It is also natural when traveling and meeting new people. So realistically that only leaves one possibility, to drop everything and move to LOS as soon as possible. Even if I start visa process now to bring her over here, it's long and contentious and I'm competing against new local opportunities. Am I on the right track of thinking? 

[bodlivy]

1 hour ago, watchcat said:

 

Eventually you'll learn

 

 

 

 

Already am 🙂

[Hummin]

14 minutes ago, bodlivy said:

 

That is entirely understandable. A foreigner shows up and talks big, makes plans, then, after returning back home gets cold feet and drops from radar after a few months. Westerners change their mind all the time. It is also natural when traveling and meeting new people. So realistically that only leaves one possibility, to drop everything and move to LOS as soon as possible. Even if I start visa process now to bring her over here, it's long and contentious and I'm competing against new local opportunities. Am I on the right track of thinking? 

That sounds a bit desperate, I think you need to cool down, and let time work for you. 

 

 

[Dan O]

9 hours ago, bodlivy said:

 

Not income, but mostly to keep her occupied and also seeing if she's capable of being a partner or just a deadweight. This will be factored into the timing for my retirement, I guess. Just something for her (and me) to do and collaborate since it's going to take me a while to sort out my stuff. I have elderly parents stateside, etc. I considered bringing her here into the States, but visa process is long and toxic. I already had experience with it with a prior partner and would not recommend going this hell to anyone. So yeah just trying to keep a positive attitude lol. Also, as I get older, I really am approaching the end of the rope culturally with living in the US. It's just not meant to be a place for retirement or quiet living. We're all supposed to have died at 40 on the frontier in shootout with natives.

 

I think thats the right approach. Take the time to learn about her and equality important her family as they will have great influence on her and how she conducts life with you especially if you are living in "their" area of the country.

 

I also think it good to have some type project to keep you busy and active in retirement and help you both bond together. Be prepared to not be informed completely about decisions in their family as you're an outsider and culturally you are raised in an opposite mindset to the culture here.

 

They will work at their pace and what they deem important and over time your issues probably wont be high on that list. Spatial thinking or logical thinking is limited here so if a problem has too many variables the easiest in their mind or "thats the way its always done" will be the only one considered.

 

Be cautious with money and the family as there is no such thing as a loan here to relatives. They will tell you they will pay back but its a gift in their mind. Not every thai is like that but I would bet 90+ % are. I am also from the states and retired here a while ago and pursued the same direction as you intend. I have a small cafe which we "co-own" although its really mine and just keeps me busy as we also have the family farm and her family so its a nice break away from that chaos.