Opening A Bar In Pattaya

[rolypie]

Is there really any point in opening a small bar in Pattaya ( possibly the dark side kao noi area in the new units )

as ive spoken to a few owners who tell you the same thing '' its ok im not loosing money'' which surely basically means its a waste of money and time. I ask as i am looking at different options and with more houses and units being built up there it might not be a bad option.

Advise from people who have been there and done it would be taken on board

[babuhavas]

Pattaya dose not need any more bars.there are 1000s of bars already in pattaya and people are no at all waiting for your new bar.very bad idea.

Edited January 29, 2010 by babuhavas

[Forkinhades]

Pattaya dose not need any more bars.there are 1000s of bars already in pattaya and people are no at all waiting for your new bar.very bad idea.

He is talking about the darkside, where there are many expats that live there, some bars are doing very well, get a good local customer base, keeps your prices reasonable, dont need to have girls.

[TheWalkingMan]

Stick to the darkside...

TheWalkingMan

[Spoonman]

Pattaya dose not need any more bars.there are 1000s of bars already in pattaya and people are no at all waiting for your new bar.very bad idea.

Soi Khao Noi is not Pattaya, whether a new bar in this area is viable or not, well time will tell but from what i see at the moment most bars in Khao Noi are sharing a limited number of patrons.

[rolypie]

My thoughts exactly Spoonman altho some bars up there are girly bars and i would not be venturing into that side of the trade. I drink nearly everyday in the jack tar bar on soi 6 simply because its just a lads bar and free from pestering teeraks as we all need a rest once in a while!

[Forkinhades]

My thoughts exactly Spoonman altho some bars up there are girly bars and i would not be venturing into that side of the trade. I drink nearly everyday in the jack tar bar on soi 6 simply because its just a lads bar and free from pestering teeraks as we all need a rest once in a while!

Exactly that, I know many patrons who live on the darkside, but will go into Pattaya or the surrounding areas to go to a lads bar, also look at all the stone tables that are set up outside the small local shops, not only in Khow Noi, but all the little side streets, Soi Muslim, Soi Siam, Khaotalo, always have people outside. Do it right price your drinks correctly, couple of big sports screens, and the rent will be cheap.

[rolypie]

There have been a couple of new small bars opened recentley on there so maybee i will just watch what happens to them for a while . The saints bar at the top was recentley sold by Barry but i do think that is too far up the hill, half way down would be preferable, maybee in one of the new build units

[Forkinhades]

The new thai bar 'beer beer' is doing a steady trade

[LennyW]

If you can get one of the new shophouse units at a reasonable rent with no key money involved, that would be a good start.

[Spoonman]

The new thai bar 'beer beer' is doing a steady trade

Isnt it, I come by there at 7pm every night and there is always a decent gathering of Farang guys (and gals at times) sucking down the bevvies.

[Forkinhades]

sure is, and whats his overheads? two barstasff, rent @ maybe 15000 a month, and he's still making 100% on his beer even at the prices he sells it for. Good seating 2 big screens, and the beer is only 5 baht more than the stone tables!!.

[monty]

Biggest problem is it might be good idea now, but there will be plenty others in the next year(s) thinking the same!

Very visible at the road around Lake Mabprachan. Few years ago there were just a handful places (Terrace bar, Peacock, Fisherman's rest, Scottsman's corner and Manneken Pis).

Now there's maybe 8 girlie bars, an Irish pub/resto, a golf place and a few more Western resto's. With lot's of them being virtually empty most of the time.

At the moment I reckon there's 3 places with a steady trade, Lakeside restaurant (good & expensive), Rendez-vous (quality budget food), and that minimart selling the 28 Baht Leo's.

[dmax]

after what ive heard there is no hassle in opening the bar , the hassle comes later with the girls , the wife, and also when your losing your money.

[britmaveric]

Not worth the hassle at the end of the day. You start doing well this when it will all go pear shape.

[Beardog]

If you don't invest in a bar or a restaurant you will probably be able to drink a lifetime of alcohol on what your saving.Like opening up yet another beauty salon & 6 more open up next to you. I think it would be wiser to think tank something that hasn't been done that everyone would see it as a must have or must do attraction. Nothing new done in the bar scene . Most seem to close from low season & the owner having to carry 9 months of negative cash flow.Best money maker I know is an American that went to Indonesia & has fishing mono filament line manufactured & sells in the U.S. Other than that if you feel you are the one lucky Farang go for it . I wouldn't put up a satang of key money Because we all know what key is in Thailand.....Right down the toilet.

Edited January 29, 2010 by Beardog

[torrenova]

People are right about Khaotalo bars sharing the same customer. I know as I lived there !

Some places are paying Bt5000 rent and have their missus as cashier. Fine, pay her Bt5000 as a starter and another staff member another Bt5000 and say bills of Bt5000 including UBC and wi-fi with a PC in the corner to let the guys check their email and you have a bar of sorts.

You are shelling out Bt20,000 a month so about Bt700 a day. If you make Bt25 on a bottle then you have to sell 28 bottles of beer. However, if you drink 10, then you cost the bar another Bt350 or so which means selling another 14 bottles, so now you are up to around 42 bottles a day you have to sell. If the average customer has 3 drinks, then you are looking at 14 customers a day. That should be fairly easy you'd think but there really are only about 20 or 30 customers who go out in that area and if they already have their places to drink.

I am not sure you can coax any more people to come out and drink as surely they would be out already. Those who do drink but don't come to the bars already there are not going to change from stay at home drinkers or from driving to where they want or sitting outside mom and pop shops drinking at Bt2 over the shop cost.

However, I think if you had experience in the trade in Pattaya and some cash then you could beat them at their own game.

What I do not see is any bar business which can be anything much more than a subsidised drinking place for the owner. Take the owner away and people don't go. It will give you free beer and probably provide your missus with some income and may well give you Bt20,000 or so a month if you are lucky and get some regulars but as a stand alone business to provide you with a decent income, no, it cannot do that.

For the low inward investment however, it could be something to consider.

[Tolley]

Yeah good idea open a new beer bar then you could be beer bar 3,201 in Pattaya!

[Jonathanpattaya]

Pattaya dose not need any more bars.there are 1000s of bars already in pattaya and people are no at all waiting for your new bar.very bad idea.

I quite agree.

Just forget it!

[yogi100]

Look around at the other local bars in the low season and if you're lucky that's how your bar will be doing. Oh, and you'll still have to pay your rent, electric and staff salaries, and this is when the world is experiencing an economic downturn. You will also need to be there 24/7 as the friends who might pop in for a drink or two will not stop if you are not there. Neither will they stay if there are not some attractive girls present.

[OZEMADE]

Yeah good idea open a new beer bar then you could be beer bar 3,201 in Pattaya!

Actually, once you come past Lablae Road, where the new market is of Siam Country Club Road. It is not known as Pattaya, it's known as Nongprue from memory.

[LennyW]

Yeah good idea open a new beer bar then you could be beer bar 3,201 in Pattaya!

Actually, once you come past Lablae Road, where the new market is of Siam Country Club Road. It is not known as Pattaya, it's known as Nongprue from memory.

I think you will find that "Pattaya" is not on most, if any, address'es, i live in Pattaya, but my address is XXXXX Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi,20150., no mention of Pattaya or south Pattaya???

[Phil Conners]

All of Pattaya is Nongprue.

[PhilHarries]

The only bar in Pattaya worth investing in is your refridgerator.

You keep it stocked with your favourite tipple. You watch your sport or movies on the TV or you listen to your music on the sound system. You cuddle up to your missus and go to bed when it suits you.

A couple of times a week you can go out for some variety. Go to some other bars and help prop up the losers who have sunk their life savings.

If you have money and don't need to run a bar in Pattaya, don't do it.

If you don't have money and need to run a bar in Pattaya to stay there, don't do it.

Simples.

[philliphn]

DON"T DO IT!

[rolypie]

Hmmmmm a lot of negative comments, im not thinking of investing'' life savings '' i already have a house here and countless bikes and motors i just thought maybee there could be something else rather than sitting in everyone elses bars thinking there must be something i could do. Perhaps i will stick to watching mongers in all the places i frequent and try to buy shares in the jack tar bar

[manarak]

Well, you've got the same chance as everyone to be successful with a bar.

If you are experienced in running a bar, if you have people you can trust around you, if you have a good location, if you are either a marketing genius or a cost cutting genius or a bit of both and have lots of energy to spend on the project and are prepared to work 18 hour days, you have a good chance. Of course, luck can help too.

If you got none of the above (like many farangs running out of business some months later), I'd pass.

Another thing to think about is that IF you are successful, chances are you will make people envious.

Usually the wrong type of people, contact with them can cause lots unnecessary expenses, also more serious problems, including acute lead poisoning.

On the other hand, there are lots of bar owners who do not seem to have this kind of problems.

[calibanjr.]

I hate to be a wet blanket and work counter to someone's initiative, but I'd have to back the warning comments above.

My CV: Half-partner in a short-time bar/guesthouse on Soi 6 (yeah, THAT Soi 6) from Nov 2003-Jun 2004. Great life adventure, lots of anecdotes. Came out $13k poorer and wiser. Moved up north and doing my own export thing, less adventure, actual profit.

One IMPORTANT thing to note: I met bar owners from all over Pattaya in that time, at pool(billiards) tourneys, piss-ups, and the like. In all my time there, I NEVER heard a bar owner say he was having a bad month. Everything was always fine/ok, even from guys who sold out/went home the next week.

Not saying that I'm a great biz-man and that it's not possible to make money doing it, just that my story is close to many others I've heard elsewhere. My advice would mirror that mentioned above. Find something novel, a new twist, and pound that.

[monty]

Add Titty twister to those three as well, they're new and doing a roaring trade. Not sure how long it will last but at about 50-55 baht a beer the place is packed in the daytime and the girls are in and out of the short time rooms like YoYo's.

Think I've talked the owner into getting Pattaya's first Brunswick Metro 9ft pool table, if there is a God he'll go through with it...

And I reckon The Black Sheep bar is going to get busy quite soon with the current thread also running on the Pattaya forum!!

Mods - sorry to mention short time but it kind relates to the fact that the bars with popular women over on the darkside seem to be busy.

Tom.

Well, it's not really around the lake

But yeah I agree, they do a pretty good trade! Then again, they poured in a fair bit of cash, new swimming pool and all, so at their profit margins they'll have to go strong for a few years just to get even on investment!

I do like all the wood and stuff.

And to hitch onto your remark, the staff and concepts does indeed create most of the trade! Look at BP2! Whatever people might say of the place, they also do a roaring trade!

But for both places, you also have to include the risk they take in the equation, as they are very much on the wrong side of the (admittedly widely ignored) law. Which BP2 found out a bit over a year ago with a 250,000 Baht cost price attached to a visit form the BiB! Takes a while to get that back!

[RJfromUSA]

Pattaya dose not need any more bars.there are 1000s of bars already in pattaya and people are no at all waiting for your new bar.very bad idea.

He is talking about the darkside, where there are many expats that live there, some bars are doing very well, get a good local customer base, keeps your prices reasonable, dont need to have girls.

ive been selling bars for 25 years ...21 years in usa and 4 years in bkk and pattaya....its almost always best to buy and existing bar in a location acceptable to you and a bar that needs improvement and you know what to do to make it better...in the long run this will cost u less....u can give it a new look....there is an existing customer base and all equipment there to do business....to start something new here takes forever and the cost will greatly exceed ur estimate...im retired but if u want some free advice just let me know...."POW"