Night of the Iguana: Old Fogies with young Thai Nubiles. Do they mix?

[Ulysses G.]

I felt like some Thai food last night and had heard that The Wok is quite good and I love the old Thai house it is in. I went by, but the house is empty with no signs directing customers to a new location. They had a Thai cooking school and the owner was a chef on Thai TV. One would think that they were rolling in dough. Are times that tough or is there another reason that they had to close?

[adjan jb]

I felt like some Thai food last night

Quite unusual.

Are times that tough or is there another reason that they had to close?

They knew you were coming.

[Ulysses G.]

Actually, I eat Thai food quite often, but mostly vegetarian. I prefer Chinese, but it is not so easy to find.

[hannabee]

I think they actually had a fire a couple weeks ago, I was bummed too, the place is tasty. Hopefully they'll relocate somewhere else. I don't think it was lack of business, it has been very busy every time I went.

[brickroad]

tough times worldwide i think

I felt like some Thai food last night and had heard that The Wok is quite good and I love the old Thai house it is in. I went by, but the house is empty with no signs directing customers to a new location. They had a Thai cooking school and the owner was a chef on Thai TV. One would think that they were rolling in dough. Are times that tough or is there another reason that they had to close?

[SomchaiCNX]

Simple, they had to move because of end of (extended) contract.

The owner got a much better offer from the new B......hotel "Sri Lanna". (They need parking and want a Spa)

First they kicked out Panda tours, now The Wok and the rumor is that La Villa will be the next.

Nice to have new people in town, isn't it.

[Gonzo the Face]

Unless I am mistaken, the chef is Nabian..... He and his wife, Elizabeth , have the CM Thai Cookery . Nice couple and from what I have seen its business as usual at the Thapae gate school. [Had 2 locations] I know things have been slower for the past few months, but I know I have sent several who wanted to take a Thai Cooking Class. For my money they are the best in CM Hope the closing of the Wok is but temporary.

Just as an aside, if there are any Thais who would like to take a Falang Cooking Class, get in touch with me........ There are several falangs I would like to cook, and if I am able to make a few baht teaching the proper way to cook one... ...well hard times u know....

Gonzo

Edited March 18, 2009 by Gonzo the Face

[cmsally]

Unless my sources are wrong the Sri Lanna is a Beer Chang acquisition, the opposite corner lot was their next progression for parking and it seems the Wok was the next purchase (as it is now joined to the parking lot) and completely empty; only the wooden house standing. Perhaps they will turn it into a spa or a coffee shop - Chiang Mai could really do with another one of those!

[Ulysses G.]

An imternet shop would be most welcome.

[Gonzo the Face]

NO... NO... NO.....

Has to be a 7-Eleven . there is none for what........ 3 - 4 hundred feet

[cmsally]

Or heaven forbid ..................... a bookshop.

[Ulysses G.]

Hobo Books is closed. Shaman Books is reportedly closing. I'm closing one of mine and several newer book shops have been failing. Times are tough.

[dave2]

cmsally.

your wish is my command : )

this was smile houses breakfast place on the soi in front of johns old cosy corner bar until last week

next week .... a new coffee shop that will have notions of english ( knowledge i assume )

enjoy pic ... dave2

[Ulysses G.]

One thing that Chiang Mai could use is a nice, top quality Thai restaurant in the tourist area. The Wok was the closest thing that I could think of and I sent some tourists there a few days ago, so I was really surprised to find it empty last night.

[cmsally]

cmsally.

your wish is my command : )

this was smile houses breakfast place on the soi in front of johns old cosy corner bar until last week

next week .... a new coffee shop that will have notions of english ( knowledge i assume )

enjoy pic ... dave2

Well in that case my money is on the spa!

If wishes are coming true, then instead of that can we please have an intellectual think tank to debate the disadvantages of large corporations extending into businesses that can't possibly be profitable as a stand alone enterprise.

[lannarebirth]

cmsally.

your wish is my command : )

this was smile houses breakfast place on the soi in front of johns old cosy corner bar until last week

next week .... a new coffee shop that will have notions of english ( knowledge i assume )

enjoy pic ... dave2

Well in that case my money is on the spa!

If wishes are coming true, then instead of that can we please have an intellectual think tank to debate the disadvantages of large corporations extending into businesses that can't possibly be profitable as a stand alone enterprise.

Maybe for a price, they'll buy the city naming rights and change it to Beer Chang Mai.

[cmsally]

cmsally.

your wish is my command : )

this was smile houses breakfast place on the soi in front of johns old cosy corner bar until last week

next week .... a new coffee shop that will have notions of english ( knowledge i assume )

enjoy pic ... dave2

Well in that case my money is on the spa!

If wishes are coming true, then instead of that can we please have an intellectual think tank to debate the disadvantages of large corporations extending into businesses that can't possibly be profitable as a stand alone enterprise.

Maybe for a price, they'll buy the city naming rights and change it to Beer Chang Mai.

Careful what you wish for!

[lannarebirth]

cmsally.

your wish is my command : )

this was smile houses breakfast place on the soi in front of johns old cosy corner bar until last week

next week .... a new coffee shop that will have notions of english ( knowledge i assume )

enjoy pic ... dave2

Well in that case my money is on the spa!

If wishes are coming true, then instead of that can we please have an intellectual think tank to debate the disadvantages of large corporations extending into businesses that can't possibly be profitable as a stand alone enterprise.

Maybe for a price, they'll buy the city naming rights and change it to Beer Chang Mai.

Careful what you wish for!

Not a wish by any means Sally. Like you, I've noticed they're swallowing a pretty big piece of this city. I'd love to know their "master plan".

[cmsally]

Ahh... the master plan. I wonder if in fact they have one.

For instance with the hotels are they simply sitting on the real estate with the management company taking the ups and downs of the business cycle (mostly downs at the moment)?

Do they see themselves as the Thai Tescos - different business though.

Mr. Charoen’s motto is serene but powerful like water, which means when the tidal waves move it will create a devastating effect.

Article

Better start building the dam, I guess.

[dave2]

cmsally.

are you talking about the shangrilla and the meridian by any chance ?

both huge empty white elephants in my opinion and will be for a long time !

dave2

[cmsally]

cmsally.

are you talking about the shangrilla and the meridian by any chance ?

both huge empty white elephants in my opinion and will be for a long time !

dave2

I'm not so sure the Shangri-La is included in the portfolio

But pretty sure it includes: Mae Ping and other property of same name out of town (Imperial ...)

Hotel adjoining Anusarn Market (CM Lodge??) as well as Anusarn and bits of Night Bazaar, Meridian (the one in CR too I think),

Sri Lanna, Suriwong Book Centre, Imm Eco opposite Brit Council and soon to open at Tapae Gate (old Suriwong Plaza).

Grapevine says chasing Sanpakoy market and Warorot also.

Heck just buy the whole town and have done with it.

There's a pattern here of tourism and local/tourism retail business. Well I guess that just about covers all business!

Edited March 18, 2009 by cmsally

[satiariyan]

Actually, in my position as someone who gets informed by whatever the wife makes out of the jungle drum's talk in the neighborhood which includes the street crossing in question, this is all part of Taksin's comeback plan: It's here that the new casino will be located! Rumors say that after Taksins straw persons now have bought up two of the land areas each constituting one corner of the Ratchapakinai/Ratchamanka intersection and eliminated the handful of petty businesses that have been there for at least the five years I'm acquainted with, they're now aiming in on the rusty sheet metal encompassed "shop" that presumably manages to contribute a livelihood to those that own the place by selling cookies in 10 kilo aluminum containers, but obviously doesn't make it worthwhile to do something about their example of their (for at least) five years unmaintained extreme eyesore their property constitutes.

I think the guy who recently started a thread about rumors saying that the casino would be build near Shangrila Hotel may have mistaken it for Sirilanna Hotel (with 6,000 Baht/per night for cheapest room, this newbie evidently aims at guys for whom winning /loosing a few millions on gambling isn't important). If spoken on a bar stool late at night by someone in poor control of his/her tonque the two names could easily be mistaken by a listener in a similar condition.

Edited March 18, 2009 by satiariyan

[Paagai]

Actually, in my position as someone who gets informed by whatever the wife makes out of the jungle drum's talk in the neighborhood which includes the street crossing in question, this is all part of Taksin's comeback plan: It's here that the new casino will be located! Rumors say that after Taksins straw persons now have bought up two of the land areas each constituting one corner of the Ratchapakinai/Ratchamanka intersection and eliminated the handful of petty businesses that have been there for at least the five years I'm acquainted with, they're now aiming in on the rusty sheet metal encompassed "shop" that presumably manages to contribute a livelihood to those that own the place by selling cookies in 10 kilo aluminum containers, but obviously doesn't make it worthwhile to do something about their example of their (for at least) five years unmaintained extreme eyesore their property constitutes.

I think the guy who recently started a thread about rumors saying that the casino would be build near Shangrila Hotel may have mistaken it for Sirilanna Hotel (with 6,000 Baht/per night for cheapest room, this newbie evidently aims at guys for whom winning /loosing a few millions on gambling isn't important). If spoken on a bar stool late at night by someone in poor control of his/her tonque the two names could easily be mistaken by a listener in a similar condition.

I posted a link to this article in the said casino thread:

www.property-report.com

Interesting insite to some of the background that maybe applicable here to.

[Ulysses G.]

I have heard that the Rose Hotel/restaurant is for sale. I wonder if that will go too.

[cmsally]

I doubt that Sri Lanna would be earmarked for a casino. That would need heaps of parking - I think you would be looking at a more out of town location.

Somehow I don't think Charoen really is in the league of Thaksin stooge, more in a league of his own.

So I don't buy the theory of being a Thaksin lackey.

Maybe central Chiang Mai is just seen as a safe cash haven and issue of wealth preservation. If it kept him out of the stock market the past couple of years, it was probably worth his while.

By the way there is another meeting scheduled against road widening on March 20 at church next to Nawarat Bridge.