Starting A Business

[phillip1026]

My brother and I are thinking of opening a do-it-yourself washateria in Bangkok so that people can do their own laundry in a 1st class setting at a reasonable (hopefully) price.

Any thoughts or comments?

pw

Edited August 19, 2007 by phillip1026

[Sateev]

My brother and I are thinking of opening a do-it-yourself washateria in Bangkok so that people can do their own laundry in a 1st class setting at a reasonable (hopefully) price.

Any thoughts or comments?

pw

Hi Phillip,

Have you lived here before, especially in a neighborhood other than Sukhumvit?

I really don't see the demographic. Almost any apartment building, of any reasonably large size, will have one, two or more resident laundries operating at fairly low prices. People who can't afford their own washer/dryer will just use the neighborhood laundry woman.

The 1st class setting idea has play in, say, California, where everybody has a car, and drives everywhere, but in Thailand, anyone with a car, who could afford 1st class facilities, would probably be able to afford to, and prefer to leave it at a laundry service.

Lugging bags of laundry more than a few dozen meters in Bangkok heat and air pollution seems a non-starter as well, so you can cross off the apartment dwellers.

The only play I can see is in someplace like Banglamphu (Khao San Rd.), where it might be 'hip' to hang out and relax, while getting your chores done. Backpackers have the right, however misplaced, mindset to use such a facility. Affluent, upper-level, mature tourists? Forget it.

The coin-op laundry business is marginal, even in the US, where people in the business often own several locations to make enough to live on. Those people are usually busy 24/7, solving problems, repairing machines, and managing employees. Easy if it takes 20 minutes to get from location to location. In Bangkok, it might take 20 minutes to get out of your parking lot, if you can get one.

I still think, however, that an upscale laundry, with good music, a juice bar, maybe a kid's playroom (supervised) might be a good money-maker in an upscale part of the US.

Or, I could be totally wrong.

Sateev

[Carmine6]

My brother and I are thinking of opening a do-it-yourself washateria in Bangkok so that people can do their own laundry in a 1st class setting at a reasonable (hopefully) price.

Any thoughts or comments?

pw

Hi Phillip,

Have you lived here before, especially in a neighborhood other than Sukhumvit?

I really don't see the demographic. Almost any apartment building, of any reasonably large size, will have one, two or more resident laundries operating at fairly low prices. People who can't afford their own washer/dryer will just use the neighborhood laundry woman.

The 1st class setting idea has play in, say, California, where everybody has a car, and drives everywhere, but in Thailand, anyone with a car, who could afford 1st class facilities, would probably be able to afford to, and prefer to leave it at a laundry service.

Lugging bags of laundry more than a few dozen meters in Bangkok heat and air pollution seems a non-starter as well, so you can cross off the apartment dwellers.

The only play I can see is in someplace like Banglamphu (Khao San Rd.), where it might be 'hip' to hang out and relax, while getting your chores done. Backpackers have the right, however misplaced, mindset to use such a facility. Affluent, upper-level, mature tourists? Forget it.

The coin-op laundry business is marginal, even in the US, where people in the business often own several locations to make enough to live on. Those people are usually busy 24/7, solving problems, repairing machines, and managing employees. Easy if it takes 20 minutes to get from location to location. In Bangkok, it might take 20 minutes to get out of your parking lot, if you can get one.

I still think, however, that an upscale laundry, with good music, a juice bar, maybe a kid's playroom (supervised) might be a good money-maker in an upscale part of the US.

Or, I could be totally wrong.

Sateev

Think you hit the nail on the head with the backpacker types. One other main difference is that few are willing to pay for drying in Thailand which means they'd carry damp laundry back home to hang. So the dry would have to be free.

[Solosiam]

The backpackers are so tight, doubt you would make any money. Besides its so cheap to get your laundry done (they pick it up and deliver it back) I don't see anyone else who would use this service.

Be a cool idea to open a bar/laundromat though, I'd go.

[Carmine6]

The backpackers are so tight, doubt you would make any money. Besides its so cheap to get your laundry done (they pick it up and deliver it back) I don't see anyone else who would use this service.

Be a cool idea to open a bar/laundromat though, I'd go.

Sounds cool, but after drinking through a wash and dry cycle, the last thing you want to do is fold laundry.

[Solosiam]

thats what the sexy girls in maid uniforms are for.....

[Jersey_UK]

My brother and I are thinking of opening a do-it-yourself washateria in Bangkok so that people can do their own laundry in a 1st class setting at a reasonable (hopefully) price.

Any thoughts or comments?

pw

I vote a no, unless they offer "other services" The local market is already well catered for and I think you would need to exploit a niche that is simply not there.

Although IMO Hotel Laundry is expensive, it is still cheap enuf for visitors - certainly no where near enuf to drive punters into the street with their own laundry and to waste holiday time sitting in a laundromat.

Farang who live in BKK can either afford to use an outside laundry service or have a washing machine (in apartment or in the block)................or have a wife

Many apartments, including those used by Thais, now have coin operated Washing machines on the premises......was chatting with the wife about this a while back (we lead a crazy and wild life! ) - along the lines of folk with local neighbourhood laundries must have thought that locals would always need their services........and that ordinary working Thai folk were a long way from owning their own washing machines en masse - and then along comes folk with Coin Op machines for apartment blocks..........I wish I had thought of that!

I certainly cannot see anyone travelling with their laundry to a laundromat...........

But in Kaosan Road it might be viable with a few coin op machines as an addition to a business......given the mindset and numbers of the travellers in walking distance.

[blizzard]

fougettaboutitt guy.

this one has no chance. first class settings..............lol. 200 baht a load?

sexy attendants would help. but have u seen what laundry attendants look like. sexy girls aint gonna make dosh cl eaning our underware.....lol.

[Carmine6]

My brother and I are thinking of opening a do-it-yourself washateria in Bangkok so that people can do their own laundry in a 1st class setting at a reasonable (hopefully) price.

Any thoughts or comments?

pw

I vote a no, unless they offer "other services" The local market is already well catered for and I think you would need to exploit a niche that is simply not there.

Although IMO Hotel Laundry is expensive, it is still cheap enuf for visitors - certainly no where near enuf to drive punters into the street with their own laundry and to waste holiday time sitting in a laundromat.

Farang who live in BKK can either afford to use an outside laundry service or have a washing machine (in apartment or in the block)................or have a wife

Many apartments, including those used by Thais, now have coin operated Washing machines on the premises......was chatting with the wife about this a while back (we lead a crazy and wild life! ) - along the lines of folk with local neighbourhood laundries must have thought that locals would always need their services........and that ordinary working Thai folk were a long way from owning their own washing machines en masse - and then along comes folk with Coin Op machines for apartment blocks..........I wish I had thought of that!

I certainly cannot see anyone travelling with their laundry to a laundromat...........

But in Kaosan Road it might be viable with a few coin op machines as an addition to a business......given the mindset and numbers of the travellers in walking distance.

That'd be the business. The machines in my ex-girlfriend's apartment building were regular machines with a coin box somehow added on. Doing that conversion is where to make money. Either that or become a leaser/servicer. Place the machines and kick back rent plus a cut of the revenue to landlords.

When the ex first moved in there was one brand new small machine and one brand new large one that no one seemed to be using. She did laundry in a tub. Next visit, she's gotten laundry detergent and sometimes does laundry there. 2 more machines added. Next visit 1 more machine and running pipe and drains to add 2 more. By then you can't load up 3 machines like I did before, you can maybe do 2 but have to wait for others to finish laundry.

20 baht for the small machines and 30 for the large ones. Costs that much for a pair of socks in some laundries.

[Bentley 7]

I dont think it will be a successful business considering the new labels on clothes these days. See pic below:

[lodesafun]

Hang it up...

sorry could'nt resist.

at 25-50 baht a kilo - washed, dried, Ironed, and folded and Located everywhere by local nationals.

How could you successfully compete?

Lodes.

[Sateev]

Here's a pic of a local version of the idea:

Food and drink, just out of the frame, by local somtam cart, and Beer Leo...

Sateev