Opening A Restaurant In Bangkok

[maydagirl]

Hello,

well as mentioned above, I'd like to open a restaurant here in bangkok and would like to know the necessities. I'm on my student visa and have alot of thai friends that will give me their names to open the restaurant. But im gonna be managing there and cooking and stuff like that. since im a student i obviously am not allowed to work. so wad to do?

I want to know if i could just open a restaurant without showing initial capital ..ex: 600000 -- na da!(meanin i dont have)

n there are alot of foreigners that opened restaurants here. and then there are all those small restaurants that dont seem to need anything ,,

so wad i wanna know is, if one of my frds helped n opened the restaurant ... then would i be able to work there? afterall id HAVE to cook at least.

i dont need da restaurant to be some hotshot expensive place. its just gonna be a normal restaurant .. n i have no clue..but to cook. lol

so any.. i mean ANY help is more than appreciated! thankssss

[Boater]

so you have no money to open a restaurant?

[nonthaburial]

here we go again. Bravado with no ideas = Major problems. The very least off your problems is the required work permit, and what makes you think that as a student you could provide the type of food that is saleable. suggestion save your (or your friends) money and think straight

[chiangmaibruce]

Hello,

<snip>

since im a student i obviously am not allowed to work. so wad to do?

<snip>

so any.. i mean ANY help is more than appreciated! thankssss

Let's see now:

Willing to jeopardise student visa and continued residency in Thailand - tick

Willing to expose friends to legal sanctions related to illegal business/foreigner with no work permit - tick

No experience in running any kind of business - tick

No experience in running a restaurant- tick

No work permit or chance of getting one - tick

No funds to start the business - tick

No business plan (and by your own admission, clueless) - tick

Next!

PS: If your plan is simply to earn a little extra income to help with living expenses then I think you are snookered with this idea. Depending on how much time you have on your hands, and your skill set, you might be able to find something part-time doing teaching or writing or telemarketing etc, but it would be illegal and you would be taking a significant risk.

Edited April 24, 2009 by chiangmaibruce

[CWMcMurray]

Can you do it???

People break the laws in every country around the world, just realize that if you do this, you are breaking the law and decide if you are willing to pay the piper if he comes a calling.

This is completely separate from the advise of others about the economics of opening a resteraunt.

As for me, I do not think you should go for this "opportunity", but good luck if you decide to give it a go.

[tb86]

Hello,

well as mentioned above, I'd like to open a restaurant here in bangkok and would like to know the necessities. I'm on my student visa and have alot of thai friends that will give me their names to open the restaurant. But im gonna be managing there and cooking and stuff like that. since im a student i obviously am not allowed to work. so wad to do?

I want to know if i could just open a restaurant without showing initial capital ..ex: 600000 -- na da!(meanin i dont have)

n there are alot of foreigners that opened restaurants here. and then there are all those small restaurants that dont seem to need anything ,,

so wad i wanna know is, if one of my frds helped n opened the restaurant ... then would i be able to work there? afterall id HAVE to cook at least.

i dont need da restaurant to be some hotshot expensive place. its just gonna be a normal restaurant .. n i have no clue..but to cook. lol

so any.. i mean ANY help is more than appreciated! thankssss

well if you have less than a million that your ready to spend forget it.......this isnt a great time to be opening a new restaurant in bkk, can you cook? how will you deal with employees 14 hrs a day if you cant be there, what will happen when you piss one of them off and they know you dont have a wp, you better bet they are gonna drop dime on you.

you have any start up money? how much

you have cash for op expenses? how much

what ya gonna do when you get inspected and cant show wp?

how are you gonna get a buisness licensce? 30,000 baht right there for registering

how do you plan on getting a credit line with your purveyors? or are you gonna pay cash on delivery? how that gonna effect your working cap?

who will have the lease?

who will own the restaurant? friends become enimies real fast when money is involved.

what are you gonna do when the guys that have their names on paper decide they dont like you as much as they thought they did? and kick you out........

how are you gonna market your place, can you afford it? do you know anybody that could help

who is your target market?

how do you plan to capture that market and retain their buisness?

how long can you go with out making any money?

what is your food cost, beverage cost?

your utilites?, you montly repair costs?

how will you train your staff?

what services will you offer?

what differentiates you from your competition? why would anyone choose you over any of the thousands of other places in bangkok?

where are you positioned in reference to your price point

who will do your monthly p&l statements, do you know what a p&l statement is?

who will be responsible for you taxes?

theses are just a few of the 1,000,000 questions you need to be able to answer.......if you cant reasonably answer any of these your going to fail,,,,,,, having a restaurant is like having a spastic 8 year old, it needs to be taken care of at all times.

think long and hard before you just decide to do this this is not a game for kids..........

[tb86]

or if your dead set on having a place hire some one with expierience in opening places in thailand, let them do the dirty work and you just get to run it.... but that wont solve your wp problem... and you wont get it with out meeting the reqs for investor status i have 4 places in bangkok.... i have some tricks if your dead set on having this send me a mssg

[maydagirl]

WOW... all of you r sooo negative!!!!

i know of this dude who just opened up this restaurant... near my school.. n just that!! he studies at my skool as well. it seemed pretty dam_n easy! n near my school, there are housing compounds and some ppl just open a restaurant on da ground floor! it seems darn easy as well!!

so i wanna do something like that . like i mentioned above ..i dont intend to open fancy restaurants and sell overpriced foods like alot of foreigners do. n i swearrrr.. alot of pizzarias.. they r so expensive! da pizzas r soooo thin! they r big ya ya... still NO... or little marinara sauce!! GOSH! i swear i can bake n sell pizza n mark up a total of 100% n still be cheaper!!!!! and worthy of also!

anywayy..my point is, i dont have money now but my parents will be able to provide initial capital. I can most certainly cook. Im not openin a restaurant to make money or anything. I just loove cooking and i want to share it with people at a reasonable price! My friends are loyal and they love my cooking and are all addicted to it.

I also do have experience in managing businesses and restaurants! I did that when i was in america. I was young but i was managing and trainin people old enough to be my dad.

I just simply want do wad makes me happy! Hobby!!

Anyway..thanks again!

P.S. I mentioned i dont have much money..because I dont want to seek help from my parents. I want to start everything on my own. Cuz i dont want them coming at me one day saying "if it werent for us.. u wouldnt have made it" thats why.. but if i ever need money i can always get! not a problem! i just want to know legal stuff..

im gonna open a 30 Sqm. sized restaurant with no actual kitchen..cuz i will mostly sell salads.a few tables. the rent wouldnt cost more than 20000 thb. food production cost is extremely cheap. retail price would be from 50 bht to 70bht....

what will i need?

[lazygourmet]

I own a restaurant.

Nothing will conjure up looks of envy and awe faster than those four words.

People assume (which you should never do because it makes ASS out of U and ME) that owning a restaurant is fun and exciting, a great way to make money and perhaps even become famous.

Well, I am here to tell you that owning a restaurant is a lot of hard work more than anything else.

While there are definite benefits to being your own boss, there are serious drawbacks as well.

Let’s clear the air and dispel some of those pesky restaurant myths that keep popping up.

The reading about restaurant myths is continuing here

[capco1]

LazyG......Very interesting site...Thanks for the input!!

[goodheartman]

I own a restaurant.

Nothing will conjure up looks of envy and awe faster than those four words.

People assume (which you should never do because it makes ASS out of U and ME) that owning a restaurant is fun and exciting, a great way to make money and perhaps even become famous.

i dont assume owning a thai restaurant is fun and exciting. the small ma and pa ones with no customers all ove r the darn place!

in fact lots of big ones w littlte customers.

[Naam]

so i wanna do something like that . like i mentioned above ..i dont intend to open fancy restaurants and sell overpriced foods like alot of foreigners do. n i swearrrr.. alot of pizzarias.. they r so expensive! da pizzas r soooo thin! they r big ya ya... still NO... or little marinara sauce!! GOSH! i swear i can bake n sell pizza n mark up a total of 100% n still be cheaper!!!!! and worthy of also!

i takes it u comed to Thailand to studdy da english langwitch, right?

[harrry]

Why not cut your ideas back a bit. You said you have friends.

Why not help one or two of them to set up a small stall selling a couple of food items. For example there is a girl near where I live who cooks only Garlic Pork and Rice and she only does it from 5pm o 7pm but as she takes such care with her cooking and treats her customers so well gets good business. Move up from there. But remember you will not get a work permit s you cannot work in it,.

[teacup]

To the OP

You want to open a restaurant and have no clue how to go about.

So you come to TV asking advices how to open a successful restaurant from bunches of strangers who have in many cases here,…. never owned any business in their entire life or ever seen a balance sheet.

R U kidding yourself?….yeah right, this is the place to get advices on “ How to open a successful business, for dummies!!!”

WooHoo.... Have you seen the statistics on the success rate of farangs owned businesses in Thailand?

Seriously, there are many ways/places to do your serious research, but “I think” this place is not one of them.

Edited April 30, 2009 by teacup

[goodheartman]

teacup is right.

ANYONE WHO IS serious about doing business in los does not come here for answers to questions.

and the ?s people ask shows they have no business doinmg business in los............

op should join up w the guy trying to develop a spa and resort here

Edited April 30, 2009 by goodheartman

[lazygourmet]

To the OP

You want to open a restaurant and have no clue how to go about.

So you come to TV asking advices how to open a successful restaurant from bunches of strangers who have in many cases here,…. never owned any business in their entire life or ever seen a balance sheet.

R U kidding yourself?….yeah right, this is the place to get advices on " How to open a successful business, for dummies!!!"

WooHoo.... Have you seen the statistics on the success rate of farangs owned businesses in Thailand?

Seriously, there are many ways/places to do your serious research, but "I think" this place is not one of them.

[onnut]

WOW... all of you r sooo negative!!!!

i know of this dude who just opened up this restaurant... near my school.. n just that!! he studies at my skool as well. it seemed pretty dam_n easy! n near my school, there are housing compounds and some ppl just open a restaurant on da ground floor! it seems darn easy as well!!

so i wanna do something like that . like i mentioned above ..i dont intend to open fancy restaurants and sell overpriced foods like alot of foreigners do. n i swearrrr.. alot of pizzarias.. they r so expensive! da pizzas r soooo thin! they r big ya ya... still NO... or little marinara sauce!! GOSH! i swear i can bake n sell pizza n mark up a total of 100% n still be cheaper!!!!! and worthy of also!

anywayy..my point is, i dont have money now but my parents will be able to provide initial capital. I can most certainly cook. Im not openin a restaurant to make money or anything. I just loove cooking and i want to share it with people at a reasonable price! My friends are loyal and they love my cooking and are all addicted to it.

I also do have experience in managing businesses and restaurants! I did that when i was in america. I was young but i was managing and trainin people old enough to be my dad.

I just simply want do wad makes me happy! Hobby!!

Anyway..thanks again!

P.S. I mentioned i dont have much money..because I dont want to seek help from my parents. I want to start everything on my own. Cuz i dont want them coming at me one day saying "if it werent for us.. u wouldnt have made it" thats why.. but if i ever need money i can always get! not a problem! i just want to know legal stuff..

im gonna open a 30 Sqm. sized restaurant with no actual kitchen..cuz i will mostly sell salads.a few tables. the rent wouldnt cost more than 20000 thb. food production cost is extremely cheap. retail price would be from 50 bht to 70bht....

what will i need?

leave it to the pros! i know many an idiot that thought he could open a bar or restaurant and failed big time. I have been in this game a long time and you really need to know what you are doing, even if its a small place. and friends helping you! forget it, they will rip you off.

[maydagirl]

so i wanna do something like that . like i mentioned above ..i dont intend to open fancy restaurants and sell overpriced foods like alot of foreigners do. n i swearrrr.. alot of pizzarias.. they r so expensive! da pizzas r soooo thin! they r big ya ya... still NO... or little marinara sauce!! GOSH! i swear i can bake n sell pizza n mark up a total of 100% n still be cheaper!!!!! and worthy of also!

i takes it u comed to Thailand to studdy da english langwitch, right?

welll.. u should knoe.. if i were to study eng..id be somewhere else. do u possibly think that i came to thailand from a lesser country so that id be able to speak as BAD english as their own people? no thank you!

anyway... im a teenager. i wanna do something on my own. i type IM.so?

[maydagirl]

Why not cut your ideas back a bit. You said you have friends.

Why not help one or two of them to set up a small stall selling a couple of food items. For example there is a girl near where I live who cooks only Garlic Pork and Rice and she only does it from 5pm o 7pm but as she takes such care with her cooking and treats her customers so well gets good business. Move up from there. But remember you will not get a work permit s you cannot work in it,.

well.. i cant sell on da streets. what am i...?? u knoe.. all my life.. shortcuts always da option. n i swear it is it! for ex. i never finished highskool yet im in a uni since im 16. i hardly ever went to highskool yet i have a highskool diploma. i dont have to get any degrees i get paid 30000 bht a month. i dont have to work..cuz i have my family business... see??? SHORTCUTSSS!!!!!! obviously, i wouldnt be startin from some hot n humid nasty dirrty work by da street. but hey.. thanks for it tho. id try da stall if i was ever normal. but i cant even ride a taxi bike.. or even a bus.. theres no way id be able to sell stuff by da street!

[maydagirl]

To the OP

You want to open a restaurant and have no clue how to go about.

So you come to TV asking advices how to open a successful restaurant from bunches of strangers who have in many cases here,…. never owned any business in their entire life or ever seen a balance sheet.

R U kidding yourself?….yeah right, this is the place to get advices on “ How to open a successful business, for dummies!!!”

WooHoo.... Have you seen the statistics on the success rate of farangs owned businesses in Thailand?

Seriously, there are many ways/places to do your serious research, but “I think” this place is not one of them.

i knoe.. but da thing is i didnt come here to ask for advice. i just wanna know what da legal terms are. and people just started telling me all those random and negative stuffs!!! besides.. i dont need my restaurant to be successful.. just want it up n runnin cuz thats wad interests me!

but ya..i pick ur comment"BEST!"

Edited April 30, 2009 by maydagirl

[maydagirl]

WOW... all of you r sooo negative!!!!

i know of this dude who just opened up this restaurant... near my school.. n just that!! he studies at my skool as well. it seemed pretty dam_n easy! n near my school, there are housing compounds and some ppl just open a restaurant on da ground floor! it seems darn easy as well!!

so i wanna do something like that . like i mentioned above ..i dont intend to open fancy restaurants and sell overpriced foods like alot of foreigners do. n i swearrrr.. alot of pizzarias.. they r so expensive! da pizzas r soooo thin! they r big ya ya... still NO... or little marinara sauce!! GOSH! i swear i can bake n sell pizza n mark up a total of 100% n still be cheaper!!!!! and worthy of also!

anywayy..my point is, i dont have money now but my parents will be able to provide initial capital. I can most certainly cook. Im not openin a restaurant to make money or anything. I just loove cooking and i want to share it with people at a reasonable price! My friends are loyal and they love my cooking and are all addicted to it.

I also do have experience in managing businesses and restaurants! I did that when i was in america. I was young but i was managing and trainin people old enough to be my dad.

I just simply want do wad makes me happy! Hobby!!

Anyway..thanks again!

P.S. I mentioned i dont have much money..because I dont want to seek help from my parents. I want to start everything on my own. Cuz i dont want them coming at me one day saying "if it werent for us.. u wouldnt have made it" thats why.. but if i ever need money i can always get! not a problem! i just want to know legal stuff..

im gonna open a 30 Sqm. sized restaurant with no actual kitchen..cuz i will mostly sell salads.a few tables. the rent wouldnt cost more than 20000 thb. food production cost is extremely cheap. retail price would be from 50 bht to 70bht....

what will i need?

leave it to the pros! i know many an idiot that thought he could open a bar or restaurant and failed big time. I have been in this game a long time and you really need to know what you are doing, even if its a small place. and friends helping you! forget it, they will rip you off.

thanks for da reply..its very frank and u should knoe.. i believe in me. i dont think i could open or start a business. bcuz i know i can. and if youve been in this game along time.. why not shower me with ur experiences and let me know. u have da time to discourage me but dont have da time to give a little guidance??????

[lazygourmet]

thanks for da reply..its very frank and u should knoe.. i believe in me. i dont think i could open or start a business. bcuz i know i can. and if youve been in this game along time.. why not shower me with ur experiences and let me know. u have da time to discourage me but dont have da time to give a little guidance??????

My 25+ years of experience are my bread winner... in any case I will disclose it, especially to a quidam on an anonymous forum.

Otherwise my homepage might give you some insights about restaurant realities.

And as a restaurant consultant myself, you would not be able to retain me if you were not willing to take my own advice!

In fact, I never accept a client unless I believe there is a good chance that I can do him some good and that his operation will be better as a result.

[TheWalkingMan]

welll.. u should knoe.. if i were to study eng..id be somewhere else. do u possibly think that i came to thailand from a lesser country so that id be able to speak as BAD english as their own people? no thank you!

anyway... im a teenager. i wanna do something on my own. i type IM.so?

Maydagirl,

I suspected you were a teenager.

Just one piece of advice...

Typing IM is ok, but it makes you look lazy when posting here. The occasional post with IM abbreviations seems ok, but not the majority of them. Maybe you are the brightest and hardest working person in the world, but how can people believe that when you haven't taken the time to post in proper English. Not to say that other posters here aren't lazy either (tons of misspellings everywhere).

Just remember who your audience is and lean more towards emulating their style of English.

Good luck with the restaurant idea!

[goodheartman]

why is it in many cases PRofTs are not what op is looking for in starting the BUSINESs .

OP CAN YOU TELL US WHO PAYS YOU 30,000 BAHT A MONTH. a job? a sponsor ? thats a lot for a teenager in thailand.

Edited May 1, 2009 by goodheartman

[teacup]

To the OP

You want to open a restaurant and have no clue how to go about.

So you come to TV asking advices how to open a successful restaurant from bunches of strangers who have in many cases here,…. never owned any business in their entire life or ever seen a balance sheet.

R U kidding yourself?….yeah right, this is the place to get advices on “ How to open a successful business, for dummies!!!”

WooHoo.... Have you seen the statistics on the success rate of farangs owned businesses in Thailand?

Seriously, there are many ways/places to do your serious research, but “I think” this place is not one of them.

i knoe.. but da thing is i didnt come here to ask for advice. i just wanna know what da legal terms are. and people just started telling me all those random and negative stuffs!!! besides.. i dont need my restaurant to be successful.. just want it up n runnin cuz thats wad interests me!

but ya..i pick ur comment"BEST!"

Oh wait I wanna change my mind, considering ya AIM above

Ayo, ya come 2 da right place, gurl……2C how to “just open” da place but not how to rock it, like a successful business

Yah yah many here have had their experiences to share….lol

Err….CHOK-DEE jaa…..Go bomb it …..U rock gurl---totally!!!

Ps: Ok give me one star …for-the-BEST-answer b4

Edited May 1, 2009 by teacup

[maydagirl]

why is it in many cases PRofTs are not what op is looking for in starting the BUSINESs .

OP CAN YOU TELL US WHO PAYS YOU 30,000 BAHT A MONTH. a job? a sponsor ? thats a lot for a teenager in thailand.

haha u r sooo funny!

[getgoin]

I would say that you should go home and finish your education. Then think about beginning a life where you have to work illegally at something you don't know how to do and make no money.

[Datsun240Z]

Well Maydagirl, if you really want it, why not. Rent some place and open your joint. Sell something nice and good luck.

Main rule: give the people what they want.

[KarenOh]

why is it in many cases PRofTs are not what op is looking for in starting the BUSINESs .

OP CAN YOU TELL US WHO PAYS YOU 30,000 BAHT A MONTH. a job? a sponsor ? thats a lot for a teenager in thailand.

haha u r sooo funny!

Seriously OP I finished my AP prep school education on scholarship, worked my way through college trying to come up with tuition money week by week, transferred to school in Thailand to try to finish my BA because I couldn't afford a US education and YOU are getting paid 30,000 baht a month when you are completely uneducated?! I work my ASS off to cover my rent (7000b) and cannot begin to comprehend what you could possibly do for 30k a month as an unskilled worker WITHOUT a work permit. Enjoy your luck. Life being as it is, you'll probably be immensely successful without ever having uttered a coherent sentence in your lifespan and I'll die penniless with all my education for naught.

[flying]

Without going into many common sense reasons ................

Just Try................ As my wife would say. ( Yes Thai of course )

Why even come here & ask ?

You know the folks here myself included are actually burdened by a common sense

we gained elsewhere. Which is pretty negative & actually quite useless in a place like LOS

If you don't believe me just read all the posts that ask incredulously why does LOS do things the way they do....

I never forgot when I was young my pal was in India & ran low on money.

He asked a local ....... Man what am I going to do I only have $xxx left.

The local said .....No problem that is plenty enough for a pot some tea & a couple of glasses

you can sell tea !

Basically all Im trying to say is why bother asking ?

You want to jump in....Jump!

You will learn so much more by jumping in & trying.

For better or worse.................Just realize education is never free.

What you gain by asking others here is their wisdom which may or may not be true for you.

What you gain by doing is Knowledge that you Know is true for you.

Good Luck with what you decide.