Building A Small Village Shop - Cost

[krisb]

Having had this idea before. How do you manage to keep your "hands off" so that they can't point the finger for working without a permit. I have to get involved in everything.

This my biggest fear.

Interested in Mr Reds ideas...

Its not illegal to 'help' out. I see falang helping their wifes all the time. Best som tam in Chumphae is made by a falang that 'helps' at his wifes som tam cart

[MrRed]

Did anyone ever clarify that there are tons of free games that don't need the internet? They could be downloaded with a net connected computer, burned to CD or DVD, then installed one at a time on computers. There are car and air racing, and bad guy stuff...

This is a tiny taste...

http://compactiongam...eegamesatoz.htm

great for installing viruses.

You really need a Thai geek who knows his stuff about this and you can find them normally at the local Pc repair shop,if the guy running the shop can't do it he will know somebody who can and yes it is easy.To start just set up a couple of computers with everything and see how busy you get before maybe adding more if busy enough.

Money for nothing in the village...a little electric.

Like a said before a shop alone will not make too much in a village but its the services around it that you can offer that do,our garden is coming along nicely now and so is the meat side of it(pigs.chickens ducks etc)all is sold in the mornings or used to cook with and food and drink cooked and served in the day.

GJK777

In answer to your post a noodle shop is a waste of time?

Maybe in your position it is but from th video you are on the road and what can hurt to set up a few tables and a cooking station for your shop ....nothing ventured nothing gained!! It also depends on your situation with having a baby and how many hands in the shop you have but if the shop is quiet at lunchtimes then you could get a family memeber try it for little money just to see...if good you could expand like we did doing other stuff.

[Gjk7777]

Did anyone ever clarify that there are tons of free games that don't need the internet? They could be downloaded with a net connected computer, burned to CD or DVD, then installed one at a time on computers. There are car and air racing, and bad guy stuff...

This is a tiny taste...

http://compactiongam...eegamesatoz.htm

great for installing viruses.

You really need a Thai geek who knows his stuff about this and you can find them normally at the local Pc repair shop,if the guy running the shop can't do it he will know somebody who can and yes it is easy.To start just set up a couple of computers with everything and see how busy you get before maybe adding more if busy enough.

Money for nothing in the village...a little electric.

Like a said before a shop alone will not make too much in a village but its the services around it that you can offer that do,our garden is coming along nicely now and so is the meat side of it(pigs.chickens ducks etc)all is sold in the mornings or used to cook with and food and drink cooked and served in the day.

GJK777

In answer to your post a noodle shop is a waste of time?

Maybe in your position it is but from th video you are on the road and what can hurt to set up a few tables and a cooking station for your shop ....nothing ventured nothing gained!! It also depends on your situation with having a baby and how many hands in the shop you have but if the shop is quiet at lunchtimes then you could get a family memeber try it for little money just to see...if good you could expand like we did doing other stuff.

A noodle shop in my village would be a waste of time...I should have added that. I think there are 2 shops already, so it's not worth it.I like the computer game idea, I only wish is that I can have internet in the house.The phone signal is pretty poor. Will look into Playstation 2 as they are so cheap to buy now...the kids would love it!

[Pormax]

Very nice video. Thanks.

How do you define "village?" How many people? I've seen people call what I'd call a town of 15,000 people a village in LOS. Do you have a general feel for that?

I guess I have 40-50 homes in my village,roughly 200 people...that's a guess though.

Do you honestly think a village with only 50 houses and 2000 people will have enough income for you to make enough money to make this venture worthwhile. I very much doubt it.

My village is about the same, when I arrived 2 years ago had two shops, one very nice, clean, well stocked etc the other more like a shack with shelves around the place. Not surprisingly the later did very little business outside the family circle but that family circle is about 9 homes. Now with the recent opening of yet another shop we have four in the village. There is still only the same amount of money to spend so takings will fall from the other 3. That is what happens in village life. Just a warning.

No doubt the biggest seller will be soft drinks and alcohol for the numerous village parties, weddings, new born, death, son going to be a monk for a month etc etc. The problem there is you need to have a decent stock and be competitive in price to the Cash and Carry stores in the nearest town. Then make sure the family and staff don't get drunk.

As I said before I looked into it soon after I arrived to live in the village and now I am 100% sure I did the right thing and left it well alone.

I even thought of selling rice fertilizer as when the rice grows every one who grows rice has to get this but it is normally only sold in the big towns (20 & 25kms) away. The problem again is to make it viable one must have a large dry storage facility so that one can order a decent amount from the distributor to get a reasonable discount. Then of course you are only busy for 2/3months of the year which is not ideal..

Anyway it is your decision and I hope that the replies you have received have at least given you 'food for thought'

Gjk777 seems to be doing ok with his shop so it is possible but I do not know what his village population is like or how wealthy or poor his village is compared to yours. Might be worth a visit.

[jamescollister]

Having had this idea before. How do you manage to keep your "hands off" so that they can't point the finger for working without a permit. I have to get involved in everything.

This my biggest fear.

Interested in Mr Reds ideas...

Its not illegal to 'help' out. I see falang helping their wifes all the time. Best som tam in Chumphae is made by a falang that 'helps' at his wifes som tam cart

]It is illegal to help out, but it depends where you are as to whether it is enforced or not. I work, but there is no enforcement out here, we can't even get the local police to come in the area, only border soldiers.

You just have to be a bit careful, you can not do anything that a Thai could be employed to do, including buying stock or stacking shelves.

Few farangs out here in the badlands and most do work, but piss off the wrong guy and you can have a problem. Jim

[Gjk7777]

Very nice video. Thanks.

How do you define "village?" How many people? I've seen people call what I'd call a town of 15,000 people a village in LOS. Do you have a general feel for that?

I guess I have 40-50 homes in my village,roughly 200 people...that's a guess though.

Do you honestly think a village with only 50 houses and 2000 people will have enough income for you to make enough money to make this venture worthwhile. I very much doubt it.

My village is about the same, when I arrived 2 years ago had two shops, one very nice, clean, well stocked etc the other more like a shack with shelves around the place. Not surprisingly the later did very little business outside the family circle but that family circle is about 9 homes. Now with the recent opening of yet another shop we have four in the village. There is still only the same amount of money to spend so takings will fall from the other 3. That is what happens in village life. Just a warning.

No doubt the biggest seller will be soft drinks and alcohol for the numerous village parties, weddings, new born, death, son going to be a monk for a month etc etc. The problem there is you need to have a decent stock and be competitive in price to the Cash and Carry stores in the nearest town. Then make sure the family and staff don't get drunk.

As I said before I looked into it soon after I arrived to live in the village and now I am 100% sure I did the right thing and left it well alone.

I even thought of selling rice fertilizer as when the rice grows every one who grows rice has to get this but it is normally only sold in the big towns (20 & 25kms) away. The problem again is to make it viable one must have a large dry storage facility so that one can order a decent amount from the distributor to get a reasonable discount. Then of course you are only busy for 2/3months of the year which is not ideal..

Anyway it is your decision and I hope that the replies you have received have at least given you 'food for thought'

Gjk777 seems to be doing ok with his shop so it is possible but I do not know what his village population is like or how wealthy or poor his village is compared to yours. Might be worth a visit.

I made the post " about 50 homes ...200 people" but the next village on we are the first they come to when their shop is shut which is quite often.I looked at my location and a lot of other factors before building mine. I have a 8 month old daughter and it seemed the only venture I could do.I don't want my partner to work the fields any more, so she sits in the shop and makes a bit of money or she sits at home watching TV being bored.The shop now is like a social hub where a lot of people stop by to say hello. You will only find out if it works by trying, if it fails so be it.At the moment we have had 1700 baht days and 150 baht days, it's only been open 3 months, more things will be added later. I have big plans for songkran for a party out the front...should be good fun!

[Pormax]

Very nice video. Thanks.

How do you define "village?" How many people? I've seen people call what I'd call a town of 15,000 people a village in LOS. Do you have a general feel for that?

I guess I have 40-50 homes in my village,roughly 200 people...that's a guess though.

Do you honestly think a village with only 50 houses and 2000 people will have enough income for you to make enough money to make this venture worthwhile. I very much doubt it.

My village is about the same, when I arrived 2 years ago had two shops, one very nice, clean, well stocked etc the other more like a shack with shelves around the place. Not surprisingly the later did very little business outside the family circle but that family circle is about 9 homes. Now with the recent opening of yet another shop we have four in the village. There is still only the same amount of money to spend so takings will fall from the other 3. That is what happens in village life. Just a warning.

No doubt the biggest seller will be soft drinks and alcohol for the numerous village parties, weddings, new born, death, son going to be a monk for a month etc etc. The problem there is you need to have a decent stock and be competitive in price to the Cash and Carry stores in the nearest town. Then make sure the family and staff don't get drunk.

As I said before I looked into it soon after I arrived to live in the village and now I am 100% sure I did the right thing and left it well alone.

I even thought of selling rice fertilizer as when the rice grows every one who grows rice has to get this but it is normally only sold in the big towns (20 & 25kms) away. The problem again is to make it viable one must have a large dry storage facility so that one can order a decent amount from the distributor to get a reasonable discount. Then of course you are only busy for 2/3months of the year which is not ideal..

Anyway it is your decision and I hope that the replies you have received have at least given you 'food for thought'

Gjk777 seems to be doing ok with his shop so it is possible but I do not know what his village population is like or how wealthy or poor his village is compared to yours. Might be worth a visit.

I made the post " about 50 homes ...200 people" but the next village on we are the first they come to when their shop is shut which is quite often.I looked at my location and a lot of other factors before building mine. I have a 8 month old daughter and it seemed the only venture I could do.I don't want my partner to work the fields any more, so she sits in the shop and makes a bit of money or she sits at home watching TV being bored.The shop now is like a social hub where a lot of people stop by to say hello. You will only find out if it works by trying, if it fails so be it.At the moment we have had 1700 baht days and 150 baht days, it's only been open 3 months, more things will be added later. I have big plans for songkran for a party out the front...should be good fun!

Best of luck with your party hope it is a success. As you say only time will tell.

Anyway good on you to have the courage to give it a go.

Hope it works out for you and your family.

[jamescollister]

OP don't waste your time or money, if your in laws had wanted a shop they would have opened one.

You will pay to make and stock, they will sell and spend. When all the stock is gone there will be no money to re stock, it's the Thai way and that's why little shops, noddle bars etc pop up and disappear.

Better to just send them money to live if they can't work, all these schemes are just away of justifying helping out the in laws. Jim

doesnt take to long....

what hes saying is your inlaws see you as a walking atm who just want to use you. Hes also saying your wife was probably a ex bargirl who also wants your money so you should get out as quickly as possible and wake up to yourself. Remember ALL Issan folk are bad, hopeless people who break everything. Even though all you asked was how much to setup a shop.

Sorry Jim, but it is what your saying.

Think you are reading what I said from a farang view point not a Thai view point, or maybe an Issan view point.

A Thai girl's life revolves around family, her security and future is family. Makes no difference whether she marries a farang or a Thai. If things go bad it is family she will go to, taking care of her family is number one priority.

I like many here am married to a Thai girl, first wife and first husband. We lived, to start in OZ, if things had gone wrong, she would have returned home to the family.

In the west we have divorce settlements etc, wives are taken care of through the courts, not so in Issan. Wife has 2 brothers, one on his 2nd wife other on his 3rd. Marriage here [ Buddha types ] come and go, most husbands are seen as temporary son in laws to start. Any girl who does not try to secure her future is silly, whether she marries a farang or some lay about Thai makes no difference. Providing for the family is insurance for tomorrow.

Things change when you have kids and with time, then you and kids become the family.

We live here, MIL and FIL in the same house, 2 kids, I am now family. Not a temporary son in law.

It's Thailand and our ways are not theirs, we see things differently, the bar girl ripping of the farang usually means a farang that thought he was too good, too handsome, too rich, to be just a good husband. Jim

[krisb]

OP don't waste your time or money, if your in laws had wanted a shop they would have opened one.

You will pay to make and stock, they will sell and spend. When all the stock is gone there will be no money to re stock, it's the Thai way and that's why little shops, noddle bars etc pop up and disappear.

Better to just send them money to live if they can't work, all these schemes are just away of justifying helping out the in laws. Jim

doesnt take to long....

what hes saying is your inlaws see you as a walking atm who just want to use you. Hes also saying your wife was probably a ex bargirl who also wants your money so you should get out as quickly as possible and wake up to yourself. Remember ALL Issan folk are bad, hopeless people who break everything. Even though all you asked was how much to setup a shop.

Sorry Jim, but it is what your saying.

Think you are reading what I said from a farang view point not a Thai view point, or maybe an Issan view point.

A Thai girl's life revolves around family, her security and future is family. Makes no difference whether she marries a farang or a Thai. If things go bad it is family she will go to, taking care of her family is number one priority.

I like many here am married to a Thai girl, first wife and first husband. We lived, to start in OZ, if things had gone wrong, she would have returned home to the family.

In the west we have divorce settlements etc, wives are taken care of through the courts, not so in Issan. Wife has 2 brothers, one on his 2nd wife other on his 3rd. Marriage here [ Buddha types ] come and go, most husbands are seen as temporary son in laws to start. Any girl who does not try to secure her future is silly, whether she marries a farang or some lay about Thai makes no difference. Providing for the family is insurance for tomorrow.

Things change when you have kids and with time, then you and kids become the family.

We live here, MIL and FIL in the same house, 2 kids, I am now family. Not a temporary son in law.

It's Thailand and our ways are not theirs, we see things differently, the bar girl ripping of the farang usually means a farang that thought he was too good, too handsome, too rich, to be just a good husband. Jim

What you describe here is basically identical to western girls..

Arent they or for that matter arent we all trying to create security for the future?..no different.

Arent all our families number 1?...I know mine is and hers is. No differenve there.

Dont we all rely on our families for support? especially when things go wrong, I know I do. Thats what family is for, right?

Divorce in the west isnt 50/50 anymore. Its what you brought into the marriage. Thats fair.

Sons in laws in our family arent just allowed into the circle of trust either. Its earned.

Sorry Jim but what you describe is same as here in the west.

I dont want to get into BG talk to much, it ruffles feathers.

Sorry for going off topic op.

[nanapong]

But in my opinion you will only make your sales target if its the first shop in the village. So look whats lacking.

Very true until someone else notices you look like your succeeding and then a further 15 will spring up!

Please note that i said 'look like' and not 'are succeeding.

I agree with the above.

You only have to look at the market at Kap Choeng on the Cambodian border to see the Thai mentality.

There are 100's of shops but the majority (I would guess over 70%) sell the same things, bags or shoes.

!n one soi I counted 5 shops next to each other selling shoes and the stock was the same in each, this was followed by 3 shops selling bags then another 2 shoe shops etc etc.

On the other side of the soi it wa almost identical.

Now to me this is insane because in a business like that, competion is not good because all one does is play one shop against the other to get the best price, consequently the profit margin is lowered and naturally there is less customers per shop.

I also noticed a similar thing in Pattaya with the Thai Massage shops. Too many of them in the same area in certain places 3 or 4 next to each other. When one had a 'promotion' then the rest had to follow or lose out on customers.

The same will happen in a small village IF you do ok.

Why not try something different like a bicycle shop that not only sells but repairs them. Most children need a bicycle to go to school or meet up with friends.

That's so true. In Surin you'll suddenly come across lots of roadside stalls selling Melons .There may be 20 stalls spaced out over a few hundred meters all selling the same melons. I couldn't believe it so asked my girl why they all sell the same thing. Why doesn't somebody think " ok i'll sell apples ". Her reply " well they see melon sell good so they think they'll sell good the same ". Like on many occassions i'm sort of speachless because i can't imagine anybody being so thick. I've lived here 10 years and even now i can't believe how stupid some Thai people are. I reckon for the first 5 years it used to make me angry but now i just laugh at the stupidity. The best way to think about things here is to think the exact opposite to what you or i would consider normal. Then you'll have a better understanding of Thai mentality.

[TommoPhysicist]

Divorce in the west isnt 50/50 anymore. Its what you brought into the marriage. Thats fair.

Sons in laws in our family arent just allowed into the circle of trust either. Its earned.

What country does that happen in? (France?)

It certainly isn't 'just what you brought in' for America, Canada, Australia and the UK.

(Where they usually get the home + 50% of all other assets +maintenance and child support)

[nanapong]

Divorce in the west isnt 50/50 anymore. Its what you brought into the marriage. Thats fair.

Sons in laws in our family arent just allowed into the circle of trust either. Its earned.

What country does that happen in? (France?)

It certainly isn't 'just what you brought in' for America, Canada, Australia and the UK.

(Where they usually get the home + 50% of all other assets +maintenance and child support)

No France is the same as most other places you mention. Women get more or less the lot and you end up with very little. At least in Thailand you know you're going to get sweet fa should Tilac decide she needs a new Buffalo.

[TommoPhysicist]

Divorce in the west isnt 50/50 anymore. Its what you brought into the marriage. Thats fair.

Sons in laws in our family arent just allowed into the circle of trust either. Its earned.

What country does that happen in? (France?)

It certainly isn't 'just what you brought in' for America, Canada, Australia and the UK.

(Where they usually get the home + 50% of all other assets +maintenance and child support)

No France is the same as most other places you mention. Women get more or less the lot and you end up with very little. At least in Thailand you know you're going to get sweet fa should Tilac decide she needs a new Buffalo.

In Australia it's become so bad that they can get a percentage of your pension if they can prove a 'de facto' relationship lasting over a year, even if you have a wife and family and they were only the 'bit on the side'.

[nanapong]

Divorce in the west isnt 50/50 anymore. Its what you brought into the marriage. Thats fair.

Sons in laws in our family arent just allowed into the circle of trust either. Its earned.

What country does that happen in? (France?)

It certainly isn't 'just what you brought in' for America, Canada, Australia and the UK.

(Where they usually get the home + 50% of all other assets +maintenance and child support)

No France is the same as most other places you mention. Women get more or less the lot and you end up with very little. At least in Thailand you know you're going to get sweet fa should Tilac decide she needs a new Buffalo.

In Australia it's become so bad that they can get a percentage of your pension if they can prove a 'de facto' relationship lasting over a year, even if you have a wife and family and they were only the 'bit on the side'.

Man is incomplete until he is married. Then he is finished.

[DILLIGAD]

In Australia it's become so bad that they can get a percentage of your pension if they can prove a 'de facto' relationship lasting over a year, even if you have a wife and family and they were only the 'bit on the side'.

Same in UK but there is no 'golden rule' (unlike the sweaties)

[IsaanAussie]

I was just as amazed by the futile nature of having so many outlets so close together. 50 red umbrellas and young people selling banana leaf wrapped sticky rice in a line on each side of the road. I asked a Thai friend, why dont some go further away? His answer was "Boss say sit here". "Boss?" "Yes, one guy own every umbrella!"

[SantiSuk]

Divorce in the west isnt 50/50 anymore. Its what you brought into the marriage. Thats fair.

Sons in laws in our family arent just allowed into the circle of trust either. Its earned.

What country does that happen in? (France?)

It certainly isn't 'just what you brought in' for America, Canada, Australia and the UK.

(Where they usually get the home + 50% of all other assets +maintenance and child support)

No France is the same as most other places you mention. Women get more or less the lot and you end up with very little. At least in Thailand you know you're going to get sweet fa should Tilac decide she needs a new Buffalo.

Bar stool analysis abounds on this thread *.

Dunno about the other countrries, but the UK is certainly potentially quite penal on maintenance requirements (I paid GBP 36k pa to keep my separated wife of 20 years in the style to which she had supposedly become accustomed (though curiously we jointly never spent anything like that!).

So it would be easy for me to agree and add force to your statements. However, suggesting that a UK wife would get the house plus 50% of all other assets is way overstating it. Typically all assets would be pooled and the house may well be one of the assets that goes to the wife but there would be compensating assets (including often the private or company pension rights) kept by the husband. In many cases where assets are non-trivial the wife will get assets deemed sufficient for her needs and that may be less than 50% of the total pot of assets. It was well short of 50% in my case when the value of pensions were taken into the equation.

*Divorce and separation laws are not simple to define and usually need lots of court/lawyer time and negotiation under broad principles, or at least that's my understanding. I'm surprised anyone not sitting on a bar stool can claim to represent the laws of so many territories.

Edited November 20, 2012 by SantiSuk

[DILLIGAD]

But over here at least you could bribe a Judge! 555

Edited November 21, 2012 by DILLIGAD