Looking for the PERFECT location in downtown Chiang Mai, but only need a small area for your business?

The minimart right next to Starbucks on Thapae Road @ Thapae Gate is moving out in two days and the shop will be available on January 1, 2008. The landlord lives in the shopfront to the right of the minimart and has not started advertising yet.

The place is WAY too small for a bookshop or restaurant, so I have no interest in it, but it is perfect for some sort of office that needs lots and lots of access to the public or maybe a takeout business that has a kitchen in another location.

What's the rent UG?

Expensive.

The minimart was paying 35,000 per month, so my guess is in that area. Normal for Thapae Gate these days.

Too steep?

The place is empty now, if anyone wants to look at it.

Wonder how to make a profit at such prices .

How much are they asking when selling it nowadays ?

I doubt if they want to sell it when they can get such a good rent.

My guess is that a travel agent or food take-out business will take it. Something high profit, that doesn't need much space.

Downtown could use a Ben and Jerry's ice cream parlour.

I doubt if they want to sell it when they can get such a good rent.

My guess is that a travel agent or food take-out business will take it. Something high profit, that doesn't need much space.

Downtown could use a Ben and Jerry's ice cream parlour.

I suppose there would be a lot worse places to sell ice cream than next to Gecko Books.

A Ben and Jerry's anywhere close to me would be guaranteed to kick butt!

A Ben and Jerry's anywhere close to me would be guaranteed to kick butt!

And a big one too. Trouble is it would need more than one big butt to cover 35K in rent!

It might be a nice start though.

The phone number on the door is:

089 553 9206

But the landlord lives next door to the right of the shop.

Has anyone checked to see what they are asking for the place this time?

so i finally can open a travel agency there ?

That's about 1,150 baht per day rent, based on a 7-day working week

After staff and other costs, figure on 3,000 per day standing costs

Not many business types going to swallow that and make a profit in that location in the current economic climate?

High volume fast food is one of the few I can think of, unless the post office or a bank snatch it up.

Maybe an opportunity for a "no appointment" dental surgery?

Or a wedding chapel for tourists and BGs? ...... decorated in a Muppet Show theme

high-end big-mark-up art gallery similar to soi 1 nimmanheiman. Might be too small to show a wide range but a great location to pick up trade on Sunday.

It is expensive, but on the other hand, certain types of businesses would earn so much more money there than at a cheaper, less attractive location that it would be more than worth the price. A business that doesn't require much space.

Would you rather pay an absurd rent and make 100,000 baht per month in profit or a cheap rent and make only 10,000 baht profit?

It takes money to earn money is one thing that I've definitely learned about business.

A Subway Sandwich shop with a few tables or a Baskin Robbins Ice cream take-out? Something good?

Subway, Yummm I think i will go get a footlong Turkey sub right now

A much bigger, newly remodeled place has opened up around the corner facing Thapae Gate park near Daret's. Also, a very small, but much cheaper place right next door. PM me for landlord's phone number.

Kind of on topic; but does anyone know what is going to be in place of old Suthep photo lab, on Tapae Rd. ?

The shop next to JJs that used to be a photo studio for many years is now a Dental clinic.

No, not that one , the Suthep photo lab further up on the opposite side.

It has already been refurbished and glass windows, doors put in (almost opp Krung Thai bank).

Looks like it could be a restaurant, doesn't look like it will be fitted out as any kind of shop.

In my opinion, it is too far down to get business from the Thapae Gate/Thapae Road intersection.

If an excellent restaurant in The Duke's/Miguels/Mi Casa mode, folks would be drawn down there anyway. if nothing special, it wouldn't be a very good location.

I was wondering this Ulysses.. What kind of business are you actually in? Besides trips down south I mean.

I own the Gecko Books chain.

What's with the constant 2-4 day updating of this unresponsive month-old thread?

Is there a significant commission for finding a tenant or some other reason?

What's with the constant 2-4 day updating of this unresponsive month-old thread?

Is there a significant commission for finding a tenant or some other reason?

People ask me all the time about renting in the area where my stores are because I am aquainted with most of the land owners. Pointing out open locations helps people looking for a place and it helps the landlords and it helps keep the area vibrant, so that tourists like to go there.

All off topic posts have been deleted.

I happen to know that I have most of what he has and a heck of a lot that he doesn't. Again you aren't looking around.

I can think of one book written locally, about a local subject, and printed locally, that you don't have.

Quoting you when you were offered the chance to stock it - "You're not known so no-one will buy it, you're not like Unkovitch or others here that are known all over the internet".

Well it's still selling week-in-week-out 5 years after first publishing, but obviously not in your shops, and the content has made both a significant government department change it's thinking and promotion of a major local tourist attraction, and made the main university here completely revise the education given to tour guide candidates.

Known readers of that book include HM Queen Sirikit, and known libraries that have bought it include all Alliance Francais in SE Asia (even though it's in English), The British Library in UK, and the Smithsonian in USA.

But Gecko Books is far too upmarket to buy books that include such luminaries in their readership.

And as Gecko Books are a forum "sponsor" I fully expect this post will get snipped or pulled too - right?

ON topic - the explanation you gave for pimping the empty properties is a little self-defeating isn't it?

If farangs are the predominant tenants touted to, to rent in the TG area, it'll only increase rents faster than if natural market dynamics are allowed to take their course, and ultimately, that'll mean your rents increase faster than natural too.

Bit of shooting ones own foot there I'd guess?

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Personally I think that UG is just trying to be helpful.

I really don't understand why posters are slagging him off.

Many people are searching for a good biz opportunity, as UG said its too small for a bookshop so whatever goes in there is no competition to him.

It's not WHAT you know that can make you sucessful here but WHO you know, and UG has been here a long time. Agents claim that the vast majority of the businesses they have for sale are pofitable ( most of them are not)..the most viable ones are never advertised and sold through word of mouth.

I would hate to see people like UG and others in the know stop offering these pearls because people question thier motives.

If I were him I would not bother again.