Coin laundry shops - the new money trap?

[CLW]

First it was coffee shops, then weed shops, now coin laundry to burn your money and copy each other?

 

I think for four years, there has been one larger coin laundry shop around my neighbourhood. 

In the last six months at least five more shops have opened or are about to open. With certainly more to come.

Aren't people doing a business plan and market research before opening a business?

And I thought banks have been stricter for business loans?

Seems to me like another way to burn money?

Or is it money laundering (pun intended 🤣)

[CharlieH]

Agreed we've had 3 open up in the last 6 months

[BritManToo]

Same here, I cycle past 4 every morning, but I'm near the university, lots of student apartments, so maybe enough customers to keep them all going.

[howerde]

1 hour ago, CLW said:

First it was coffee shops, then weed shops, now coin laundry to burn your money and copy each other?

 

I think for four years, there has been one larger coin laundry shop around my neighbourhood. 

In the last six months at least five more shops have opened or are about to open. With certainly more to come.

Aren't people doing a business plan and market research before opening a business?

And I thought banks have been stricter for business loans?

Seems to me like another way to burn money?

Or is it money laundering (pun intended 🤣)

No business plan or any research, the Thai way if you see a new business copy it, all they will end up doing is seeing their income drop with each new shop, in turn equipment gets old no money for repairs etc

I noticed  near where i am 3 opened, this is a franchise or someone opened 3 in a small area, they have equipped all 3 with cameras, open 24 hours no staff on site any issue and you use line to contact and someone turns up to sort out, this does seem to have been thought out

[CLW]

And apart from a single person household, the coin laundry are expensive. 

I just calculated, we are three persons and average doing 3 machines per week. 

With those coin laundry front loaders it is 60 THB per cycle. That would be 9,360 THB per year. Enough to buy a front loading washing machine, that normally should last longer than 1 year. 

[Quentin Zen]

This would make for some fun AI content.  Put in all your white clothes, and they all turn green.  No defamation, just get people to think.  Coin laundry, all clothes ruined.  Yea, it's a scam.   Probably many farangs have their hand in these.   Soon car washing machines next to every Amazon Cafe.  

[scubascuba3]

Of course way too many, rarely do you get Thais doing anything original

[JBChiangRai]

It’s the Thai way to follow the herd, especially if it requires low or zero investment.

 

Worst hit are farmers. The government says they should plant bananas, they all do it and the price of bananas collapses.  It happens every few years.

 

The only business worth a foreigner doing is something requiring high investment or you’re competing with Somchai who is happy if he makes 500 baht a day.

 

And as the saying goes, if you want to make a small fortune in Thailand, start with a big one.

[KhunBENQ]

31 minutes ago, CLW said:

And apart from a single person household, the coin laundry are expensive. 

And they are expensive if you have little laundry to do and can't fill them. Most machines start at 10 or 14 kg.

I had tried this when in Pattaya. Some shirts and shorts. Better stay with aunties wash, rinse, iron.

[KhunBENQ]

30 minutes ago, Quentin Zen said:

Soon car washing machines next to every Amazon Cafe.  

The next 'big thing". DIY car wash. They spring up like mushrooms. Some of terrible quality.

[Stocky]

It's just a new and pun-tastic way for crooks to launder their money.

[impulse]

If you want to see what's coming next, visit one of the SME Exhibitions they throw in BITEC, QSNCC, IMPACT, etc.

 

As far as business planning, I'm not sure how you'd be able to forecast the competition in a relatively new arena like coin-op laundries.  Pre-Covid, I rarely saw one while working and living in Bangkok.  Now, they're all over.  I'd be lying if I claimed that I saw that coming.

 

 

[BangkokReady]

11 hours ago, CLW said:

Aren't people doing a business plan and market research before opening a business?

 

Business plan Thai style: "I see there are some of these businesses here, I will copy them."

[richard_smith237]

8 hours ago, impulse said:

Pre-Covid, I rarely saw one while working and living in Bangkok.  Now, they're all over.  I'd be lying if I claimed that I saw that coming.

 

Same.. .and as many others have mentioned, I've seen them pop up in my area...  Pre-covid I never noticed any, now I see 4 on my Soi alone...   

 

 

[MalcolmB]

They are good businesses with very low overheads if, as they usually are set up on land owned by the operator.

 

Less and less people have time to hand wash their clothes in a bucket anymore like was done in Thailand by many in the recent past and still done by some.

Smart people the Thais, good money for minimal work.

 

A lot of speculation by the usual farang know-it-alls who don’t actually know any operators.

If you want to know what is really going on try this link

 

https://pantip.com/search?q=ซักผ้าหยอดเหรียญ

 

They have been around for 40 plus years.

 

 

[JackGats]

They're great wherever there's service, ie someone to take your laundry out of the machine (and into the dryer) for you. If, like often the case in labour-strapped Pattaya, you need to sit down and wait during the whole process, not so great.

[Lorry]

1 hour ago, MalcolmB said:

Less and less people have time to hand wash their clothes in a bucket anymore like was done in Thailand by many in the recent past and still done by some.

This is not what these shops compete against. 

Washing by hand is ancient history,  last century. 

 

The way to wash clothes here used to be 

- your own washing machine

- a series of coin operated top loaders belonging to the condo/apartment/ dormitory

 

These new shops use front loaders and warm water.  Clothes do get cleaner. Most people shy away from the investment to buy such a machine,  as they are relatively expensive.

[KhunLA]

Dryers would be handy for some folks, as it's been raining here the past week.  Surprisingly their a coin operated laundry locally, and parking lot was full the other day with cars / trucks, vs the 1 or 2 MB noticed in the past.   Guessing the rain had something to do with that.

[Furioso]

I use the coin op for blankets, bath towels, etc.

 

Am I the only one who hand washes t-shirts, shorts, socks, light towels, washcloths, pillow cases?

Then dry under the ceiling fan. 

 

[Lorry]

7 minutes ago, Furioso said:

I use the coin op for blankets, bath towels, etc.

 

Am I the only one who hand washes t-shirts, shorts, socks, light towels, washcloths, pillow cases?

Then dry under the ceiling fan. 

 

You are not alone. 

There used to be an old lady in a hut next to the big palm tree in T Nodi, A Nowhere, Changhwat Yala, she did the same. 

Not sure if she is still alive,  though. 

[richard_smith237]

13 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Dryers would be handy for some folks, as it's been raining here the past week.  Surprisingly their a coin operated laundry locally, and parking lot was full the other day with cars / trucks, vs the 1 or 2 MB noticed in the past.   Guessing the rain had something to do with that.

 

 

Always had a washing machine and a drier here - especially in a Condo in BKK..   and now in a house....

 

Its just so much more convenient...   particularly in wet-season...  

 

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Back in the day - going back 20+ years I used to have a service that would come and pick up laundry and return it a few days later ironed and folded - they charged by the KG.... 

 

Then had apartments which had a washer drier - and a maid took care of all of that...    Still does - the only difference is that now I can never find anything...  

 

 

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Its places like this (pic below) that are popping up everywhere...  Its more to do with the 'attraction' of low interest rates offered by the franchises to draw in the franchisee than it is any actual market demand I think... 

 

 

 

 

[PJ71]

14 hours ago, CLW said:

Aren't people doing a business plan and market research before opening a business?

nope, internet cafes were the same...

[Jim Blue]

1 hour ago, Lorry said:

. Most people shy away from the investment to buy such a machine,  as they are relatively expensive.

Also small condos often don't have room for a bulky machine .