How Does A Farang Make Money In Los

[Vegemite]

Just a simple question from a lowly carpenter with a small pot of gold and without a rich father.

[Mandu]

Just a simple question from a lowly carpenter with a small pot of gold and without a rich father.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The obvious comment is with great difficulty Vege.

I think that you need to give us some more information about yourself, your location and situation generally and then someone may be able to offer some suggestions.

Surely you can't expect a definitive or helpful answer from the info that you have provided.

Mandu

[terdsak_12]

It's tough to find yourself something to do in this country that's not already done to death, doesn't cost a fortune, doesn't involve bars or restaurants, or against the law.

Took me a long time of scratching my head and a bit of luck to come up with what I do which is a nice little earner, and doesn't involve any of the above.

Hats off to any Farang who can make a go of it here.

[samuiDarbs]

Just a simple question from a lowly carpenter with a small pot of gold and without a rich father.

many people make there money through property in there own countries

or work there nuts of in there home country and chill for half the year

its very hard to get a job in Thailand as they only employ thais in 99% of cases

best thing to do is save save save and try and live of the interest

sell any property or rent it out and live in LOS

or try teaching

[Dr. Burrito]

How good of a carpenter are you is my question.

[Martin]

"Took me a long time of scratching my head and a bit of luck to come up with what I do which is a nice little earner, and doesn't involve any of the above."

Jeez, terdsak 12, you sure know how to leave people wondering!!!!

[Harmonica]

How does a farang make money in LOS? --  Just a simple question from a lowly carpenter with a small pot of gold and without a rich father.

LOS makes money on farangs -- that's the way it is! If you don't understand that, then you neither live nor win!

Your question is therefore ass backwards!

But if you still want to continue, humble carpenter with a small pot of gold and no rich daddy? ....

carve out a small portion of that pot of gold, get a sex change, tan yourself to a velvety chocolate brown, cultivate & grow the bushiest, mellifluous cave you can muster, get some raggedy clothes with tacky ornaments, start speaking some funky, exotic version of prepositionless, articleless English and set yourself up with several farangs, perhaps 6, one or two from England, one from America (this one ought to quadruple that pot of gold within 3 years), and the rest from various parts of the world.

Avoid Italians and Spaniards!

I estimate an annual income of 1 million Baht cash in the first year, automobiles & real estate (houses, not condos and don't fall for the leaseback deals!) notwithstanding (of which you should get 6 of each respectively)! Get the American to include you in his stateside will (pension & all)and register it with the embassy in BKK!

You will find yourself in the top 100 financially well off farangs in LOS -- in just a few short years.

No work permit required!

Report back here in 2010.

[~G~]

How does a farang make money in LOS? --  Just a simple question from a lowly carpenter with a small pot of gold and without a rich father.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...carve out a small portion of that pot of gold, get a sex change, tan yourself to a velvety chocolate brown, cultivate & grow the bushiest, mellifluous cave you can muster..

Harmonica, you haven't seen this guy, in his case it might take more than a pot of gold to acheive this brilliant transformation you describe!

Not even old (and modern) days alchemists dared to take such a task upon themselves!

Edited June 28, 2005 by ~G~

[pedro01]

LOS makes money on farangs -- that's the way it is! If you don't understand that, then you neither live nor win!

There's ALWAYS someone going to tell you it can't be done.

Outsourcing works for me - cheap Thai resources doing work for overseas companies. It takes hard work every day but is very rewarding.

For a carpenter - I'd be looking for things that are needed in the trade back in the UK that could be produced here & then exported to your contacts back there. For instance - could you build frames for timber houses & export them back to the UK ? I ain't a carpenter, so don't know what the trade needs (if anything).

I would say - stick close to your field of expertise & make sure you exhaust that first... If you are a carpenter - opening a restaurant may be a bad idea...

[Mandu]

There seems to be a technical hitch with this thread.

The original post from Vegemite at some times displays after the word "father" that he is possibly interested in making a resort in a village.

Looked again and that section has gone blank.

Get back to us Vege and maybe someone can offer some less extreme suggestions than Harmonica. As well founded as his advice was.

Mandu

[pluto_manibo]

The original post from Vegemite at some times displays after the word "father" that he is possibly interested in making a resort in a village.

There is enough bad quality housing by "self proclaimed" real estate moguls, contractors and architects. Carpenter at home does not equal Donald Trump in Thailand....

[Harmonica]

LOS makes money on farangs -- that's the way it is! If you don't understand that, then you neither live nor win!

There's ALWAYS someone going to tell you it can't be done.

Outsourcing works for me - cheap Thai resources doing work for overseas companies. It takes hard work every day but is very rewarding.

For a carpenter - I'd be looking for things that are needed in the trade back in the UK that could be produced here & then exported to your contacts back there. For instance - could you build frames for timber houses & export them back to the UK ? I ain't a carpenter, so don't know what the trade needs (if anything).

I would say - stick close to your field of expertise & make sure you exhaust that first... If you are a carpenter - opening a restaurant may be a bad idea...

I agree with you Pedro, but generally I'm the last one to say something cannot be done -- but here's why I said it, especially in this case:

>>>>>>> Just a simple question from a lowly carpenter with a small pot of gold and without a rich father." <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

what are the odds that a fella who's lived 40+ years already (assumption), who's got just a small pot of gold for his battles thus far, who assesses himself as "lowly", who plugs in the "sympathy" button, "without a rich father" -- is going to have any kind of real inititative, zeal and/or balls to get the job done.

The ones who do have the stated (above)wherewithal are flourishing and prospering here, but they are small in number, but they certainly exist!

[pedro01]

LOS makes money on farangs -- that's the way it is! If you don't understand that, then you neither live nor win!

There's ALWAYS someone going to tell you it can't be done.

Outsourcing works for me - cheap Thai resources doing work for overseas companies. It takes hard work every day but is very rewarding.

For a carpenter - I'd be looking for things that are needed in the trade back in the UK that could be produced here & then exported to your contacts back there. For instance - could you build frames for timber houses & export them back to the UK ? I ain't a carpenter, so don't know what the trade needs (if anything).

I would say - stick close to your field of expertise & make sure you exhaust that first... If you are a carpenter - opening a restaurant may be a bad idea...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can't argue with that...

I agree with you Pedro, but generally I'm the last one to say something cannot be done -- but here's why I said it, especially in this case:

>>>>>>> Just a simple question from a lowly carpenter with a small pot of gold and without a rich father." <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

what are the odds that a fella who's lived 40+ years already (assumption), who's got just a small pot of gold for his battles thus far, who assesses himself as "lowly", who plugs in the "sympathy" button, "without a rich father" -- is going to have any kind of real inititative, zeal and/or balls to get the job done.

The ones who do have the stated (above)wherewithal are flourishing and prospering here, but they are small in number, but they certainly exist!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Harmonica]

Just a simple question from a lowly carpenter with a small pot of gold and without a rich father.

Another point of view on "how does a farang make money in LOS"

Rule #1:

By NOT losing any that he initially arrived with!

..... thru' scams, dubious ventures, loans to others (farangs especially), helping others out (?) etc.

[Martin]

Yes, harmonica.

They shoulds print on the airline ticket, or somewhere, :

Financial Health Advice: Do Not Invest More Than You Can Afford To Walk Away From.

[Braccobaldo]

..I totally agree with Martin and Harmonica...make money in your homecountry than come to squander in Thailand...

Ehi, Harmonica why should we avoid italians and spaniards.......

[quiggs]

Take a look around, Thailand could use some good carpenters, where I am at, building skills western style are in demand, not sure if you can make money from it though.

It takes a year to build a house here.....with no kitchen!!!

The original post from Vegemite at some times displays after the word "father" that he is possibly interested in making a resort in a village.

There is enough bad quality housing by "self proclaimed" real estate moguls, contractors and architects. Carpenter at home does not equal Donald Trump in Thailand....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Harmonica]

..I totally agree with Martin and Harmonica...make money in your homecountry than come to squander in Thailand...

Ehi, Harmonica why should we avoid italians and spaniards.......

Because they chisel a businessowner to death and bankruptcy! ... gross generalization, but hey, its sunday!

They are both anathema to a Thai lady (ladyboy or boy turned lady) because there's usually nobody driving the car, just one, big giant dick that announces, advertises & bellows from a distance, "You pay!"

[Braccobaldo]

..I totally agree with Martin and Harmonica...make money in your homecountry than come to squander in Thailand...

Ehi, Harmonica why should we avoid italians and spaniards.......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Because they chisel a businessowner to death and bankruptcy! ... gross generalization, but hey, its sunday!

They are both anathema to a Thai lady (ladyboy or boy turned lady) because there's usually nobody driving the car, just one, big giant dick that announces, advertises & bellows from a distance, "You pay!"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...nice and likeable, same everytime, Harmonica...even if in my family have both, spaniards and italians!!!!....Kiniao mak mak...don't like work...same me...you are right one more time...CIAO, OLA....

[Harmonica]

..I totally agree with Martin and Harmonica...make money in your homecountry than come to squander in Thailand...

Ehi, Harmonica why should we avoid italians and spaniards.......

Because they chisel a businessowner to death and bankruptcy! ... gross generalization, but hey, its sunday!

They are both anathema to a Thai lady (ladyboy or boy turned lady) because there's usually nobody driving the car, just one, big giant dick that announces, advertises & bellows from a distance, "You pay!"

...nice and likeable, same everytime, Harmonica...even if in my family have both, spaniards and italians!!!!....Kiniao mak mak...don't like work...same me...you are right one more time...CIAO, OLA....

Regards to you & your family, Bracco! May you be the one to teach other Italians and spaniards to be a bit more generous and understanding when it comes to the working Thai gals! They've made us all happy!

[~G~]

..I totally agree with Martin and Harmonica...make money in your homecountry than come to squander in Thailand...

Ehi, Harmonica why should we avoid italians and spaniards.......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Because they chisel a businessowner to death and bankruptcy! ... gross generalization, but hey, its sunday!

They are both anathema to a Thai lady (ladyboy or boy turned lady) because there's usually nobody driving the car, just one, big giant dick that announces, advertises & bellows from a distance, "You pay!"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...nice and likeable, same everytime, Harmonica...even if in my family have both, spaniards and italians!!!!....Kiniao mak mak...don't like work...same me...you are right one more time...CIAO, OLA....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Regards to you & your family, Bracco! May you be the one to teach other Italians and spaniards to be a bit more generous and understanding when it comes to the working Thai gals! They've made us all happy!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Coming from the same mediterenian zone, I love Italians... Even those who tried to pick my pocket at broad daylight near the Colosseum...

[Harmonica]

..I totally agree with Martin and Harmonica...make money in your homecountry than come to squander in Thailand...

Ehi, Harmonica why should we avoid italians and spaniards.......

Because they chisel a businessowner to death and bankruptcy! ... gross generalization, but hey, its sunday!

They are both anathema to a Thai lady (ladyboy or boy turned lady) because there's usually nobody driving the car, just one, big giant dick that announces, advertises & bellows from a distance, "You pay!"

...nice and likeable, same everytime, Harmonica...even if in my family have both, spaniards and italians!!!!....Kiniao mak mak...don't like work...same me...you are right one more time...CIAO, OLA....

Regards to you & your family, Bracco! May you be the one to teach other Italians and spaniards to be a bit more generous and understanding when it comes to the working Thai gals! They've made us all happy!

Coming from the same mediterenian zone, I love Italians... Even those who tried to pick my pocket at broad daylight near the Colosseum...

Pick your pocket? ... is that it? At piazza de espana 2 tried to mug my buddy in broad daylight. They even stole his pizza and had the gall to eat it just 20 ft away.

Ever tried to discuss any problem with one without his mother being brought into the equation?

And farangs here think Thai gals are hung up about their moms!

These cats are totally mama's boys!

But I do love italian food!

And Sorrento and Amalfi are near the top of my list and have been so for several years -- but LOS is where the heart is!

[johnleepbs]

Or..possibly.....make money from photography....if you have a digital camera...some small talent (and mine is very small) it seems possible to make a small but steady income.

I have a blog running here with my efforts http://photomoney.blogspot.com/

Only peanuts so far....but it only involves a small amount of effort....

[spencer]

I know you say you are a carpenter but how are your cabinetry skills ???

[Mali_in_CM]

I can get a good return, with low risk, on modest capital.

And no, I'm not talking about MLM, Amway, drug deals, telephone sales or other get-rich BS.

###

BTW, folks, try to keep in mind that not everyone has a high speed connection. And try to get over this ### quoting, quoting, ad nausem to no purpose.

[steveromagnino]

Well to the original poster, I will attempt to answer your question, and perhaps offer a contrary view to the people who believe it is not possible for a westerner to make some serious cash here.

There are many westerners I know that are multi millionaires here, selling either to the local market or for export. A few doing import.

For the most part, they have leveraged off what they already know, and set up a business that compbines their knowledge with (often) the untapped labour resources of Thailand. Thai people can be very good at producing stuff of high quality; hel_l Louis Vuitton (who have some of the strictest standards for making stuff and unlimited money) are doing some of their new store fabrication stuff for overseas right here in Thailand, then shipping it there.

So you knowledge of construction could be very useful.... But that could is a stretch to will. You need to figure out how to leverage your knowledge; either in setting up your own business or working for a successful one here.... Carpentry isn't going to do it; high end cabinetry and so on probably has a better use; and there is a high demand for quality shop fitouts and commercial stuff of that nature; Curve and Kingsmen and two I can think of with farang work staff who are doing a lot of work. You get in with one of these guys and work mighty hard (the farangs working for these companies do just that) and you might get somewhere. Probably the most useful role is to liase between the client (probably some westerner based in HK/Singapore) and the local contractors. To do that requires project management skills; have you got that?

So... you must look at what you really know something about; what your strengths are; you may be surprised at the opportunities. However, they will take a spot of work, and you WILL need to know how to speak or at least understand Thai if you are to get anywhere at all in this place. Unless you own your own business and either don't require staff or local customers/suppliers or can afford to hire a right hand person to do the "Thai stuff" for you.

[MyNameIsFarang]

Just a simple question from a lowly carpenter with a small pot of gold and without a rich father.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I recall something I heard about one fellow who was in your situation some years ago and you might do what he did. Travel a bit, study some philosophy and improve your spiritual life. Perhaps you might consider teaching those life lessons to others, but start with a small group of a dozen or so. This can be somewhat ego-inflating, so above all try not to let it go to your head or offend the local authorities. Who knows but people could be singing your praises for a long time to come. Best of luck.

[RAZZELL]

How to make a small fortune in LOS...

Simple...start off with a large fortune...

Edited October 17, 2005 by RAZZELL

[Buff-horns]

breeding ostriches ? kanagaroos ?

i would market solid wood bathtubs. top of the market tubs hewn out of solid hard timber, like you see those heavy wooden seats that weigh a ton. they would be very durable and waterproof .

then ship them to europe

[Bang Pra]

Steve,

I could not agree with you more! I see so many people here complain about the difficulty of establishing a successful business in Thailand. Guys! Realise that it is difficult anywhere to establish a successful business. With local knowledge I have managed to, via and with the extraordinary help of my better half, establish a long-term income here. But if it was my aim to simply make “millions” I would choose somewhere else other than Thailand.

To “My Name is…” I acknowledge that many (OK some!) of us have come here to enjoy an idyllic (some spiritual) lifestyle that we might not be able to do elsewhere. So a successful business is not paramount! Lets encourge more people who just want to LIVE here!