Opening A Small Restaurant Business

[REM]

Hello All,

My girlfriend wants to open a small restaurant, and she doesn't know the process. She is Thai, and I was looking for some info and couldn't find too much, but what are the req's for a Thai citizen to open a small business, most likely a sole propietership?

I know the process for foreigners, and for Americans. I will not be part of the business, so that should avoid the two million baht capital requirement, but just how easy is it for her?

Any advice or stories about past experiences would be really helpful!

[CharlieH]

Best advice is DONT DO IT ! the way to make a small fortune is start with a big one !

Next, if you must do it, you cant even sit in there or you could be in trouble. Dont think for one minute "its nothing to do with me" will work as they have eheard it all before.

You know how jealous Thais can be and if you upset someone because of a ferang funding the competition they wont waste a second reporting you and if "they" happen to have family or friends in the right job it could be a real problem.

Good Luck

[rgs2001uk]

Rent shophouse and start cooking, thats what the local round my way do.

She of course wont bother to burden herself with such nit noi crap like tax etc etc.

Whole operation can be set up for less than 10k baht, after that she is on her own.

Oh by the way, can she actually cook, is she prepared to work 10 hours a day all for lets say a monthly profit of less than 12k?

[TheWalkingMan]

She should be looking for the information herself while you look just to confirm what she tells you. If she does not know how to look for information or does not want to do the leg work then forget it as operating the restaurant will be too much for her.

TheWalkingMan

[cardholder]

Start it.

operate it.

Once your GF is bored - close it.

[FritsSikkink]

I have to agree with TheWalikingMan. Somebody who hasn't got the brains or will to figure out how to start a business will probably not be able to run 1 too.

[charlie1968]

She should be looking for the information herself while you look just to confirm what she tells you. If she does not know how to look for information or does not want to do the leg work then forget it as operating the restaurant will be too much for her.

TheWalkingMan

correct answer

charlie

[Axpat]

My, you're a helpful bunch today.

[IMA_FARANG]

First.of.all.I.need.to.apologise.for.how.this.looks.because.I.have.a.problem.with.the.keyboard.on.my.computer.and.the.space.key.doesn't.work.

But.I.hope.you.can.read.this.anyway....just.ignore.the.single.dots.if.you.see.what.I.mean.

Here's.a.true.story.about.my.experience.

About.25.years.ago.I.started.a.snall.Thai.style.laundry.business.for.my.Thai.wife.

The.area.she.picked.for.her.laundry.business.was.near.a.university.in.Bangkok.

There.were.a.lot.of.University.students.nearby....and.they.all.needed.a.laundry.service.because.they.simply.

didn't.have.the.time.or.the.facilites.to.do.their.laundry.while.they.attended.classes.

My.Thai.wife.found.a.shophouse....I.put.up.the.money.for.3.washers.and.3.dryers.

The.owner.of.the.vacant.house.was.quite.reasonable.with.his.rent.for.the.use.of.the.shophouse...my.Thai.

wife.agreed.to.his.rent.and.paid.him.for.2.months.rent.and.one.month's.security.deposit.

She.knew.that.most.of.the.university.students.were.not.wealthy.and.couldn't.afford.to.take.their.clothes.to.

a.more.expensive.laundry.

So.my.wife.deliberately.made.the.cost.as.low.as.she.could.and.still.make.some.profit.

She.hired.two.Thai.womem...housewives.with.families.whose.husbands.worked.but.needed.some.extra.money.

They.were.good.hard.workers.and.knew.what.they.were.doing.when.it.came.to.laundry...because.they.had.done.

their.family's.laundry.for.many.years.

Because.my.wife.knew.that.the.students.couldn't.simply.wait.around.for.their.laundry.to.be.done.she.set.up.

the.service.so.a.student.could.simply.drop.off.his.her.laundry.and.return.later.to.pick.up.the.clean.and.

sorted.laundry.

That.allowed.a.student.to.drop.off.their.laundry.when.they.went.to.class.and.return.later.when.their.classes.were.finished.to.pick.up.the.clean.and.sorted.laundry.

Short.story...it.was.a.fantastic.sucess.

The.customers.were.really.enthusiastic....and.the.word.spread.

My.wife.hired.another.woman...making.her.and.three.other.Thai.women.who.had.productive.and.profitable.jobs.

at.that.laundry.

And.it.was.making.a.profit!

Then.the.landlord.who.owned.the.shophose.realised.the.laundry.was.quite.profitable.

So.he.increased,the.rent.by.almost.200.percent.

Pay.up.or.leave.was.what.he.said.

So.we.left.

End.result....4.Thai.women.with.no.job...and.a.Thai.landlord.with.a.shophouse.he.couldn't.rent...and.a.lot.of

university.students.needing.laundry.washed.that.they.couldn't.get.washed.

And.I.sold.those.washers.and.dryers...getting.not.even.20.percent.of.what.I.paid.for.them.

That's.a.true.story.

Just.so.you.know.what.running.a.business.is.realy.like.in.Thailand.

Don't.say.you.haven't.been.warned.

Once.again.sorry.for.the.keyboard.problem.but.I.hope.you.can.read.it.anyhow.

Edited August 9, 2011 by IMA_FARANG

[TheWalkingMan]

My, you're a helpful bunch today.

Yep. The unvarnished truth, although painful or wanting to be avoided, is always the best.

I had a girlfriend once who wanted to open a restaurant. She had never worked in one and thought that she could do it anyway. Because she had never worked in one, I told her that it might be a good idea to get a job in one for a few months to see how she liked it and that, if she wanted, I would ask some of the restaurant owners that I know to hire her for a few months and rotate her through the different jobs. I also suggested that she pick up a book, in Thai language, on restaurant operations, so that she could get more ideas, insights etc. I mentioned that she should take a course on cooking as well as proper procedures for food storage, hygiene and handling. She never moved an inch on any of the above and after a bit, the idea of opening a restaurant was never brought up again.

That is why with my previous post I mentioned that if she is not willing to do the leg work then forget it as the banker (the guy) will do all the running around for a person who did not think that it was worth her time to find out how to do something in order to get her business started.

TheWalkingMan

TheWalkingMan

[cardholder]

My, you're a helpful bunch today.

Yep. The unvarnished truth, although painful or wanting to be avoided, is always the best.

I had a girlfriend once who wanted to open a restaurant. She had never worked in one and thought that she could do it anyway. Because she had never worked in one, I told her that it might be a good idea to get a job in one for a few months to see how she liked it and that, if she wanted, I would ask some of the restaurant owners that I know to hire her for a few months and rotate her through the different jobs. I also suggested that she pick up a book, in Thai language, on restaurant operations, so that she could get more ideas, insights etc. I mentioned that she should take a course on cooking as well as proper procedures for food storage, hygiene and handling. She never moved an inch on any of the above and after a bit, the idea of opening a restaurant was never brought up again.

That is why with my previous post I mentioned that if she is not willing to do the leg work then forget it as the banker (the guy) will do all the running around for a person who did not think that it was worth her time to find out how to do something in order to get her business started.

TheWalkingMan

TheWalkingMan

Excellent post.

Busines planning is a universal language and without the old adage comes into play:-

"Fail to plan, plan to fail".