How To Save A Guest House From Becoming A Flop House

[jan1van1hooten]

There is a guest house somewhere in Thailand that used be fun. People of all types went there. Women young and old. Couples. Travelers, students, hippies, rastas, craftsmen, merchants, rainbow people.

Then the economic downturn set it.

To keep rent money flowing in the owner began allowing drunks to set up house there. More and more came.

Now every night they sit in the front lobby making loud foul-mouth arguments, as drunks do, over nothing. They make messes in the toilet and do not clean up after themselves because they are too drunk to know what they are doing. One of them insults the staff because he thinks he can get away with it because he has manipulated the owner into letting him stay. He claims is heart is bad and that he could die at any minute.

Sometimes decent people come in -- couples, young college women, normal people -- but within one night they see how it is and leave.

Sometimes they don't even stay 24 hours.

The guest house has turned into a flop house where drunks live and drink themselves to death.

The small staff does not like the situation, but they are powerless to kick the drunks out without the owner's permission. They cannot complain for fear of losing their jobs.

The owner does not realize he is losing money and cannot be persuaded.

The problem is: how to persuade the drunks to leave without upsetting the owner.

Can you think of a way?

[longstebe]

Is it your problem?

[canuckamuck]

Buy it

[Ulysses G.]

V____chai Court in Chiang Mai is very successful with a business plan that depends mostly on housing drunkards and riff-raff.

[hansfromwales]

if owner wants it to be it will be.

[hansfromwales]

Is it your problem?

has to be.

not many will care about this happening..........most will just avoid it.

though from the clientele it sounds like it was always a flophouse.............what is a freakin rainbow person? i wouldnt want to stay where they stay............lol.

[GuestHouse]

If you are not the owner or in direct control of the business you can do nothing whatsoever to change what is happening.

What you can do is make sure that non of your money is going down the same plug hole. (perhaps too late for that).

Regardless, for the business to become what YOU BELIEVE IT COULD BE, requires a sea change in the management of the business, the mindset of the management and the would be customer impression of the place + A huge amount of hard work + a lot of good luck.

This means wading into the tell the current managers where they are going wrong, advising them/guiding them to make corrections + them accepting your criticism + them following your guidance.

You are asking for advice from strangers with no view of the business - You are presumably on the ground so ask yourself - How are the current owners/managers going to respond to the intervention that you know is necessary?

Even if you think they will respond positively, get your head around the idea that if the business did take off again - There would almost certainly be no benefit to yourself.

[GuestHouse]

Oh and I'd recommend that you contact Simon43 - He has bitter firsthand experience of very similar circumstances.

[smokie36]

Customer insults the staff freely?

Manager's first responsibility is to make sure his staff (and guests) are OK. He's failed at the first hurdle. I wouldn't back this donkey at all. Is he upping the Sangsom level by the day as well?

I just feel sorry for the staff......

[Thongkorn]

Sounds like many places in Pattaya , but then again thats pattaya to a T.

[IanForbes]

I can only ask one question... Why is it any concern of yours? Are you staying there?

GuestHouse pretty much answered all the obvious questions.

If you are currently staying there then move. There are LOTS of great places to live in Thailand, and enough to suit all tastes.

[hansfromwales]

I can only ask one question... Why is it any concern of yours? Are you staying there?

GuestHouse pretty much answered all the obvious questions.

If you are currently staying there then move. There are LOTS of great places to live in Thailand, and enough to suit all tastes.

isnt it obvious -op owns the joint!

[simon43]

Guesthouse - you are reading my mind!!

jan1van1hooten, I guess you are either the husband, partner or business partner of the guesthouse owner.

My 2 cents worth? Do not waste your time trying to convince the owner to change their policy. It will only give you a big headache and waste your time.

Rather, as others have suggested, protect (as much as possible) any investment that you have made into this venture, or protect any liability that you might have as partner or husband of the owner.

If you have no legal claim over the business, walk away, no even better - run!

But if you have a legal claim over the ownership of that business, consult a lawyer and go in hard. Copy all relevant business documents, however minor they may seem.

As Guesthouse and others are aware, I was in a similar situation, and I wasted a lot of money and effort doing the 'wrong things'

Revenge, if you want to call it that, is a meal that is best served cold. In my case, it seems that the owner of a certain guesthouse/hotel is about to be sued by me for property fraud and deceit, and they have already been charged with tax and VAT fraud during the recent time that they have controlled said business.

Karma is a great belief to have

Simon

[neverdie]

Guesthouse - you are reading my mind!!

My 2 cents worth?

Simon, you should write a book. I would buy a copy! (Of course I would expect it to be personally signed).

[simon43]

Simon, you should write a book...

Nah, my spelling is atroshus...

Slightly OT, but I should correct my previous post. 'Revenge'is not the correct word to use. By taking this legal action, I will be able to secure a better financial future for both myself, for the person I am suing, and for the 3 kids of that person. The only problem is that person is totally unable to comprehend this simple argument

Another suggestion to the OP. Take a visit to the local police station with some Johnny Walker Black and a few thou in cash. Tell them that you suspect the guesthouse drunks are up to no good, possibly taking drugs or whatever. Maybe even the guesthouse owner is in on it. I'm sure a few regular visits from the BiB will encourage the 'dross'to leave.

Simon

[Loz]

good to see a real understanding of how to get police support. working within local protocols saves time face and money.

[Loz]

ps. when i read the Title i thought the answer would include viagra!

[roamer]

good to see a real understanding of how to get police support. working within local protocols saves time face and money.

[Jingthing]

This is so easy! Just fly a large ISRAELI flag on the house. Evict the drunks, and make it an Israeli guesthouse. Little known fact, the rate of alcoholism among Jews is very low. Problem solved. See ya!

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/genetics/a/blcah030307.htm

[Jingthing]

There are always trade-offs in life.

[trogers]

The solution to such a problem has been taught to me while sitting on my papa's laps - There Was An Old Woman

http://www.poppyfields.net/poppy/songs/oldwoman.html

[StreetCowboy]

Guesthouse - you are reading my mind!!

My 2 cents worth?

Simon, you should write a book. I would buy a copy! (Of course I would expect it to be personally signed).

? Signed by an anonymous poster on the internet ? THat doesn't seem right...

SC

[roamer]

This is so easy! Just fly a large ISRAELI flag on the house. Evict the drunks, and make it an Israeli guesthouse. Little known fact, the rate of alcoholism among Jews is very low. Problem solved. See ya!

BUT, the bar sales will plummet.

At the end of the day cash over the counter will always win regardless.

The main thrust of the OP's post was that "Now every night they sit in the front lobby making loud foul-mouth arguments," Turning it into an Israeli guest house might succeed in cutting out the drunkenness whilst raising the volume and be equally off putting to other would be guests. Actually anyone who wants a bit of peace and quiet want to join me in opening up an Israeli guest house in Malaysia ?

[Flatouthruthefog]

good to see a real understanding of how to get police support. working within local protocols saves time face and money.

Wise indeed. GuestHouse and Simon also give us much wisdom.

"Somewhere in Thailand" (nice one, OP), there was once a very successful bar/restaurant, run by a foreigner (correct visa, wp and all) mainly for foreigners.

He made a big thing about Christmas with an excellent value lunch, special deals on drinks, little gifts etc.

Two days before, in came a nice middle aged English couple and spent quite a lot of money. She was somewhat of an extrovert and when invited to the big 25th lunch, exclaimed "What? No games?" and proceeded to describe some very amusing family style games she had run at parties at home.

Everyone including the owner welcomed the whole thing and she set to work on preparations. In fact the couple came in the next lunch time to check on numbers booked, etc.

On this day, for over an hour beforehand, an obnoxious, loud, drunk foreign stranger had monopolised the bar, making especially foul mouthed remarks about women in general and English women in particular.

He continued his drunken rant with no form of sanction or control from the owner, but very dark looks from the couple planning the next day's fun. Some regulars suggested quite clearly to the owner that the man should pay and be told to go. The owners reaction? "He has every right to be here just like everyone else. There's free speech in Thailand!"

Of course it was the English couple who went and, neeldess to say, never returned.

Within a year the place was almost dead and the owner lucky to get out with a fraction of his investment.

So, OP, if you are directly involved, "Put up (ie fight) or shut up (ie shop)".

[roamer]

This is so easy! Just fly a large ISRAELI flag on the house. Evict the drunks, and make it an Israeli guesthouse. Little known fact, the rate of alcoholism among Jews is very low. Problem solved. See ya!

BUT, the bar sales will plummet.

At the end of the day cash over the counter will always win regardless.

The main thrust of the OP's post was that "Now every night they sit in the front lobby making loud foul-mouth arguments," Turning it into an Israeli guest house might succeed in cutting out the drunkenness whilst raising the volume and be equally off putting to other would be guests. Actually anyone who wants a bit of peace and quiet want to join me in opening up an Israeli guest house in Malaysia ?

Hope that won't mean a todger inspection.

We would have to inspect each others, if only out of boredom due to Israeli,s not being allowed into Malaysia

[Beetlejuice]

Are there any prizes for the right answers?

[IanForbes]

GuestHouse can't be saved.

But he IS a source of entertainment on thaivisa.

[nocturn]

This is so easy! Just fly a large ISRAELI flag on the house. Evict the drunks, and make it an Israeli guesthouse. Little known fact, the rate of alcoholism among Jews is very low. Problem solved. See ya!

BUT, the bar sales will plummet.

At the end of the day cash over the counter will always win regardless.

The main thrust of the OP's post was that "Now every night they sit in the front lobby making loud foul-mouth arguments," Turning it into an Israeli guest house might succeed in cutting out the drunkenness whilst raising the volume and be equally off putting to other would be guests. Actually anyone who wants a bit of peace and quiet want to join me in opening up an Israeli guest house in Malaysia ?

Hope that won't mean a todger inspection.

Do you really? While I understand your attempt at humor, I just can't seem to understand whyever it came to mind.

[hansfromwales]

to get the brown boys involved seems a bit ridiculous. once you get them involved they would be like lifetime partners.

why dont op just shut down for a month.