Help ! Should I Move To Thailand?

[lovejoy]

i am an irish guy who has been living in new york for 10 years ,in the bar nightclub game

i am sick of the fast pace and want to move somewhere and maybe open a small bar ,not to make a lot of money just to have a more relaxed life in nice sorrundings

any advice on how easy or difficult this would be and where would be good to do it

[snoophound]

Capital and Connections are the key here.

Take a year off spend a mill baht and have a look.

It could save you 3 or 4m.

i am an irish guy who has been living in new york for 10 years ,in the bar nightclub game

i am sick of the fast pace and want to move somewhere and maybe open a small bar ,not to make a lot of money just to have a more relaxed life in nice sorrundings

any advice on how easy or difficult this would be and where would be good to do it

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[lovejoy]

how much on average would it cost to open somewhere pretty small on or close to a beech bearing in mind i can build it all myself

[chaiyapoon]

Finding a beach front property that is in a good enough position to make money won't be easy(many others have the same dream!) or cheap and many resorts are seasonal,read little no money part of the year 4-8 months.Building yourself will invariably get yourself fined or deported as work permits for small scale projects are at best unlikely.Best of luck.

[lovejoy]

Finding a beach front property that is in a good enough position to make money won't be easy(many others have the same dream!) or cheap and many resorts are seasonal,read little no money part of the year 4-8 months.Building yourself will invariably get yourself fined or deported as work permits for small scale projects are at best unlikely.Best of luck.

so you have to use local labor to do anything ?

or could i do it myself using local labor ?

i am just talking about interior not structural work

[Morden]

i am an irish guy ......... and want to move somewhere and maybe open a small bar ,not to make a lot of money just to have a more relaxed life in nice sorrundings

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why not go back to Ireland? From my experience, it fits your requirements perfectly.

[lovejoy]

i am an irish guy ......... and want to move somewhere and maybe open a small bar ,not to make a lot of money just to have a more relaxed life in nice sorrundings

Why not go back to Ireland? From my experience, it fits your requirements perfectly.

the weather and too many irish people. im from near belfast too many bad memories of the place

[Belfastboy]

i know its off topic but its obivious i had to step in and defend my beloved belfast....

yes move to thailand...!

i will be in 2 years, although my situation is the complete opposite, more of a family man...

just beware of the bar trade in thailand....its littered with corruption, bribes, police and jealous locals....

although i would recommend u visit tropical murphys in koh samui...its a great wee irish bar catering for backpackers and tourists....the sort of place i would love to own, plus the owner is a belfast boy as well...

by the way when was the last time u were in belfast? its changed so much mate...its the fastest growing city in europe at the moment....the yanks and europeans are flooding in...

[ghengis]

lovejoy - you must have heard the joke ...

How do you make a small fortune in Thailand?

First, start out with a large fortune and then start a business.

Edited August 14, 2005 by ghengis

[cobra]

lovejoy - you must have heard the joke ...

How do you make a small fortune in Thailand?

First, start out with a large fortune and then start a business. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeap, that's my business model, I'd like that on a Tee Shirt,

[lovejoy]

i have been reading some other posts on this site and by the looks of things it is not the best idea to open a bar

is that the same veiw as in opening any small buisness?

[MikeRay]

How small ?

[geronimo]

i am an irish guy who has been living in new york for 10 years ,in the bar nightclub game

i am sick of the fast pace and want to move somewhere and maybe open a small bar ,not to make a lot of money just to have a more relaxed life in nice sorrundings

any advice on how easy or difficult this would be and where would be good to do it

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

]

a lot depends on how much capital you have

[lovejoy]

How small ?

small enough that i can pretty much handle it my self

money isnt really a factor i just want out of nyc

[Gary A]

I am FIRMLY of the opinion that if you have enough money to open a successful business you have enough to retire on and just enjoy life. Who needs the headaches and the politics.

[lovejoy]

I am FIRMLY of the opinion that if you have enough money to open a successful business you have enough to retire on and just enjoy life. Who needs the headaches and the politics.

im not old and need to do something to occupy my time

i have never worked for anyone and dont want to start now

im not wealthy,but have some money

you cant retire at 30 !

[SiamOne]

I am FIRMLY of the opinion that if you have enough money to open a successful business you have enough to retire on and just enjoy life. Who needs the headaches and the politics.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

im not old and need to do something to occupy my time

i have never worked for anyone and dont want to start now

im not wealthy,but have some money

you cant retire at 30 !

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yes, come to Thailand, open a bar, have long happy hours and dont drink all your profits

sanuk time

[lovejoy]

I am FIRMLY of the opinion that if you have enough money to open a successful business you have enough to retire on and just enjoy life. Who needs the headaches and the politics.

im not old and need to do something to occupy my time

i have never worked for anyone and dont want to start now

im not wealthy,but have some money

you cant retire at 30 !

yes, come to Thailand, open a bar, have long happy hours and dont drink all your profits

sanuk time

sanuk?

im irish of course ill have a drink

[lovejoy]

here in new york there is really only 6 busy months a year what is it like there?

[SiamOne]

here in new york there is really only 6 busy months a year what is it like there?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

it depends on where you get a bar

but it can certainly be seasonal; in Chiang Mai at the moment, for instance, it is very quiet in most bars. Like that for 6 months or so

on Phuket or Samui, still get many tourists all year, but also seasonal

[SiamOne]

I am FIRMLY of the opinion that if you have enough money to open a successful business you have enough to retire on and just enjoy life. Who needs the headaches and the politics.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

im not old and need to do something to occupy my time

i have never worked for anyone and dont want to start now

im not wealthy,but have some money

you cant retire at 30 !

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yes, come to Thailand, open a bar, have long happy hours and dont drink all your profits

sanuk time

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

sanuk?

im irish of course ill have a drink

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh yes, SANUK

it is the Thai spirit that should be in everything you do...make it fun

[lovejoy]

thanks you are very helpfull

im not planning to try anything till january is that a good time to start ?

[Eric Davis]

Visit here first and have a good look around.The paddy bars do make money but the costs involved in setting up can be abit daunting.

[BaanOz]

I was thinking about buying a metal detector and swinging it over the beach in Pattaya, what do you think?

No bar to sit and look after, no "backhanders" to pay, employees to service. Just me and my metal detector.

Edit: OK reeeeealllly, I reckon the way to go is to make money where you come from spending it in Thailand you'll get more bang for your bucks. Think investments and for bordom I'd recommend the detector.

Edited August 15, 2005 by BaanOz

[Dragonman]

I was thinking about buying a metal detector and swinging it over the beach in Pattaya, what do you think? 

No bar to sit and look after, no "backhanders" to pay, employees to service. Just me and my metal detector.

Edit: OK reeeeealllly, I reckon the way to go is to make money where you come from spending it in Thailand you'll get more bang for your bucks. Think investments.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can borrow my wife, save buying the metal detector. There is no place in my house I can hide anything valuable without her finding it in 5 minutes.

[barryofthailand]

here in new york there is really only 6 busy months a year what is it like there?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here in Pattaya there are only two busy months a year. Three if your lucky. The only way to make money in the bar bussiness in Thailand is to make a lot of friends that visit thailand two, three, or four times a year, and will patronize your bar. There are too many bars that come and go every year. My suggestion would be to come to pattaya for a year enjoy yourself, make some friends, and get the feel of things.

[mrbojangles]

Finding a beach front property that is in a good enough position to make money won't be easy(many others have the same dream!) or cheap and many resorts are seasonal,read little no money part of the year 4-8 months.Building yourself will invariably get yourself fined or deported as work permits for small scale projects are at best unlikely.Best of luck.

so you have to use local labor to do anything ?

or could i do it myself using local labor ?

i am just talking about interior not structural work

If you haven't got a work permit you cannot lift a finger to do anything that a Thai could do. It may sound dramatic but if you do go ahead with this plan, NEVER go behind the bar and so much as pass a napkin to someone without the work permit. Fines or deportation will follow. Good luck if you do go ahead

[lovejoy]

Finding a beach front property that is in a good enough position to make money won't be easy(many others have the same dream!) or cheap and many resorts are seasonal,read little no money part of the year 4-8 months.Building yourself will invariably get yourself fined or deported as work permits for small scale projects are at best unlikely.Best of luck.

so you have to use local labor to do anything ?

or could i do it myself using local labor ?

i am just talking about interior not structural work

If you haven't got a work permit you cannot lift a finger to do anything that a Thai could do. It may sound dramatic but if you do go ahead with this plan, NEVER go behind the bar and so much as pass a napkin to someone without the work permit. Fines or deportation will follow. Good luck if you do go ahead

i would have to get a permit to open a bar right?

how long does a work permit last /how often does it have to be renewed?

[mrbojangles]

Finding a beach front property that is in a good enough position to make money won't be easy(many others have the same dream!) or cheap and many resorts are seasonal,read little no money part of the year 4-8 months.Building yourself will invariably get yourself fined or deported as work permits for small scale projects are at best unlikely.Best of luck.

so you have to use local labor to do anything ?

or could i do it myself using local labor ?

i am just talking about interior not structural work

If you haven't got a work permit you cannot lift a finger to do anything that a Thai could do. It may sound dramatic but if you do go ahead with this plan, NEVER go behind the bar and so much as pass a napkin to someone without the work permit. Fines or deportation will follow. Good luck if you do go ahead

i would have to get a permit to open a bar right?

No, many Farang buy bars but can't/don't work in them. There was a case the other month where a bar owner (without a work permit) was just putting up a promotional poster in his bar and the boys in brown got him. Don't know what the outcome was though.

[lovejoy]

Finding a beach front property that is in a good enough position to make money won't be easy(many others have the same dream!) or cheap and many resorts are seasonal,read little no money part of the year 4-8 months.Building yourself will invariably get yourself fined or deported as work permits for small scale projects are at best unlikely.Best of luck.

so you have to use local labor to do anything ?

or could i do it myself using local labor ?

i am just talking about interior not structural work

If you haven't got a work permit you cannot lift a finger to do anything that a Thai could do. It may sound dramatic but if you do go ahead with this plan, NEVER go behind the bar and so much as pass a napkin to someone without the work permit. Fines or deportation will follow. Good luck if you do go ahead

i would have to get a permit to open a bar right?

No, many Farang buy bars but can't/don't work in them. There was a case the other month where a bar owner (without a work permit) was just putting up a promotional poster in his bar and the boys in brown got him. Don't know what the outcome was though.

sounds a bit severe

they must keep a close eye on things