Where Can I Buy Flags?

[KevinHunt]

During the last but one Football World Cup I had a guy come around to my place and offer to sell me a string of 32 flags representing every team that was in the competition. It seemed like a good idea so a deal was struck and up they went.

Occasionally, someone would ask "why don't you have the Norwegian flag when you have Sweden's?" or similar. I would explain that they were for the world cup and if a team didn't qualify they weren't represented, and all was well.

After a while I took them down, but recently I re-hung some of them on the front of the pub to brighten the place up.

Bad move.

It seems that if you have 20 or so flags hanging up then anyone who spots that you don't have their flag will take it as a personal insult and furthermore assume that you don't want nationals of that country in your establishment. 

I told one or two foreigners that if that is what they think then they should just F@#k off but my wife thinks that's not good business. Personally, I'd rather not have such small-minded dick-heads as customers but as a compromise, and to shut the moaning buggers up, I thought it might be a good idea to put up the flags of at least the customers that are likely to come in and take down some of the less likely flags. That means I'm taking the risk of annoying the folk of Ivory Coast and Iran but it's a small risk, I hope. What's the odds of a bus load of people from the Ivory Coast ..... Ivorian Coasters?... Ivory Coastians? (answers on a postcard please)  turning up, I wonder?

So, to cut a long story short - where can I buy, in Chiang Mai, small (6" x 4") national flags? Just the popular countries , if you get my drift.

Not Belgium.

Edited October 6, 2008 by KevinHUNT

[miltonbentley]

Hi Kevin

Don't know whether it is still there but one of the shops before the boxoing ring in Loi Kroh used to sell flags and seemed to have a reasonable range.

I recommend the flag of Bhutan, it's a cracker and although I don't suppose there's too many Bhutanese wandering about he'll be a very happy chap when he does see his country represented.

[Blinky Bill]

A dragon with 4 balls. Surprising that there aren't more dragons in Bhutan.

I recommend the flag of Bhutan, it's a cracker and although I don't suppose there's too many Bhutanese wandering about he'll be a very happy chap when he does see his country represented.

[Tywais]

If they don't have to be cloth flags then you can get the images off the Internet and print them on good color paper (water proof or sprayed with lacquer).

[cmsally]

If they are such raving nationalists then I am sure they have their own flag stitched to their rucksack or emblazoned on their suitcase or whatever. So make them a deal - a sign saying you can't find certain flags for sale so if anyone can brings theirs to add to your collection (ie one that you don't have), then they can have 10% off whatever it is you sell. That way you drum up business, customer does legwork and will even tell his raving nationalistic friends to go and see his flag, so you get more business. If the latter you may want them to sign on the back or take their photo or something and hang it up. Remember this is the age of reality TV where people get excited by the most inane things. C'est la vie!

[Daffy D]

Hi Kev

I have about a 100 of those flags of all nations, including Belgium and Bhutan but unfortunately not Cote d'Ivoire, that I got some time ago for a project that did not work out.

They are all brand new cloth material, if I remember correctly I paid 30Bt each for them.

If you are interested I can let you know exactly how many there are and the countries.

[jdinasia]

During the last but one Football World Cup I had a guy come around to my place and offer to sell me a string of 32 flags representing every team that was in the competition. It seemed like a good idea so a deal was struck and up they went.

Occasionally, someone would ask "why don't you have the Norwegian flag when you have Sweden's?" or similar. I would explain that they were for the world cup and if a team didn't qualify they weren't represented, and all was well.

After a while I took them down, but recently I re-hung some of them on the front of the pub to brighten the place up.

Bad move.

It seems that if you have 20 or so flags hanging up then anyone who spots that you don't have their flag will take it as a personal insult and furthermore assume that you don't want nationals of that country in your establishment. 

I told one or two foreigners that if that is what they think then they should just F@#k off but my wife thinks that's not good business. Personally, I'd rather not have such small-minded dick-heads as customers but as a compromise, and to shut the moaning buggers up, I thought it might be a good idea to put up the flags of at least the customers that are likely to come in and take down some of the less likely flags. That means I'm taking the risk of annoying the folk of Ivory Coast and Iran but it's a small risk, I hope. What's the odds of a bus load of people from the Ivory Coast ..... Ivorian Coasters?... Ivory Coastians? (answers on a postcard please)  turning up, I wonder?

So, to cut a long story short - where can I buy, in Chiang Mai, small (6" x 4") national flags? Just the popular countries , if you get my drift.

Not Belgium.

Tell people that you put up the flags that your customers had brought to you!

Problem solved! they find one for you and give it to you ... or they shut up

[SamSipEt]

Sunday walking street market - at Thapae Gate (by the left hand side of the gate as you walk into the road) there used to be a stall that sells small flag patches. Maybe they sell larger versions as well.

[KevinHunt]

Hi Kev

I have about a 100 of those flags of all nations, including Belgium and Bhutan but unfortunately not Cote d'Ivoire, that I got some time ago for a project that did not work out.

They are all brand new cloth material, if I remember correctly I paid 30Bt each for them.

If you are interested I can let you know exactly how many there are and the countries.

If they are the small 6" x  4" flags I am interested. I basically need the European countries that weren't in WC 2004 and some of the colonies. I have the England flag so I should have Scotland Wales, Ireland too. 

I already have the flag of Liverpool (the Red one).

Edited October 8, 2008 by KevinHUNT

[Daffy D]

Hi Kev

The flags are 8" x 6" and the countries I have are marked with a *

Bunting_Flags.txt

There are 105 flags and as I said they cost me 30bt each but seeing as you are a TV member you can have them for 2k. I'm not willing to sell just some it's all or nothing. If you're interested PM me your address and I'll post them to you, you can transfer the 2k to the wife account when you received them.

I'm so trusting.

[SamSipEt]

If they are the small 6" x  4" flags I am interested. I basically need the European countries that weren't in WC 2004 and some of the colonies. I have the England flag so I should have Scotland Wales, Ireland too. 

I already have the flag of Liverpool (the Red one).

So you think that Scotland, Wales and Ireland are all colonies? I suppose they are but it did make me laugh - thanks

[KevinHunt]

If they are the small 6" x  4" flags I am interested. I basically need the European countries that weren't in WC 2004 and some of the colonies. I have the England flag so I should have Scotland Wales, Ireland too. 

I already have the flag of Liverpool (the Red one).

So you think that Scotland, Wales and Ireland are all colonies? I suppose they are but it did make me laugh - thanks

No I didn't say that, there's a full stop there, but now that you mention it ......

[KevinHunt]

Hi Kev

The flags are 8" x 6" and the countries I have are marked with a *

Bunting_Flags.txt

There are 105 flags and as I said they cost me 30bt each but seeing as you are a TV member you can have them for 2k. I'm not willing to sell just some it's all or nothing. If you're interested PM me your address and I'll post them to you, you can transfer the 2k to the wife account when you received them.

I'm so trusting.

Thanks, but I need about 8 or 10 I wouldn't have the room to hang 105 plus the 32 that I have. Besides, people would think that the UN where having a conference and assume that we we're fully booked. 

You must be Very Trusting. You were offering to let  1. a Scouser deposit money into 2. your wife's account?

I was just thinking ... maybe you could pop into the pub one day  .... I've got this great idea for a business that is an absolute certainty........

[Daffy D]

I’d love to come into your pub and chat about your great business deal but unfortunately I live in the Deep South so the chances are remote. Shame

Yea! I see your point about the UN though if you run a pub type bar you could have competitions to see who could correctly name the most flags.