High End Liquor

[thaibebop]

How much, if any, a market is there for high end liquors? I hear alot of people asking for access to places that have, what, special stuff. Would importing fine wines, the top end vodkas, rums, whatever, make a person some money?

[bluezephyr]

A friend of mine goes to russia quite a bit,expensive single malt whiskeys are worth there weight in gold so im told,people with too much money will always buy expensive gear just because they can afford it,probably a niche thing only for the rich or well off

[thaibebop]

But are there enough people like that to support a small import business?

[bluezephyr]

Sorry im not educated enough about thailand culture/lifestyle to be able to answer that.

Your idea would have to start in a big city/town where all the money is,word of mouth to start with,advertise a bit,see if you can do something with it.

when in LOS, being handed drink lists all the farang beers/spirits were many x the price of local ones,so there must be a big import duty or someone is cashing in somewhere,is there only one legal route to bring import drink in,or is someone sitting pretty from being the main importer? then you'd have no chance i would have thought.

How much can you afford to spend to make the idea affordable?few bottles wouldnt be worth it when a crate can be bought with discount for spending more money.

I started my own business about a year back,gave it up as a bad job due to not having enough capital to buy bulk and sell competitively,Even if there arent many people doing top end stuff,prices will still come into it,even if it isnt available in that country.

When in Hua Hin i went into a drinks wholesaler,with the thought of taking a bottle or two back home as it might be cheaper,i didnt buy any as it wasnt much if any cheaper,these were ready available spirits in the uk not the high end.

Maybe farangs who have moved from abroad to live would rather wait for their relatives/friends to bring the fav tipple in.so the market is reduced a bit there.

saying all that,if you never try youll never know,i did,i failed but it could have gone the other way,giving internet quotes for people at 2am just wanting to know prices with no interest really,then starting work at 6am wasnt the best time ive had.

Good luck

I have some ideas if i can ever afford to move to LOS,but keeping under my hat

Edited February 4, 2006 by bluezephyr

[thaibebop]

Thanks. It was just an idea I was toying with as I have experience in the Liquor industry in the US. It seems that the time for such a thing is not yet here.

[raro]

Thanks. It was just an idea I was toying with as I have experience in the Liquor industry in the US. It seems that the time for such a thing is not yet here.

I also think so. As long as thais consider that lighter fuel in those black labeled bottles as the best Whiskey that money can buy, there is a slim chance for high-end booze.

I've got here some whiskeys from duty-free shops, for sure not high-end but already better than Johnny W. - whenever I offered it to Thais they made a face and asked for the 100 pipers...

[Carmine6]

Thanks. It was just an idea I was toying with as I have experience in the Liquor industry in the US. It seems that the time for such a thing is not yet here.

Maybe so, but if you wait for the time to be right, it'll probably be because someone else spent the time building the market.

I took a 1 1/2 ltr bottle of JW Black Label up to Issaan for my girlfriend's father and that was finished easily in 3 days. I fully expected to go through maybe 1/3 of it while I was there, and then there'd be the rest left for later. But even the women were drinking it. And later at her uncle's house, they pulled out a branded American whiskey but I can't remember which. This was out in a small farm town. They wanted Tequila, and anything else I cared to bring the next time.

I think it's more of an exposure and financial thing at this point, than taste. If you get more people to try different things, they'll buy. They just don't know what to buy right now.

Someone posted that there's a big import tax on wine which limits that market. I wonder if it's the same for harder alcohol.

[naka]

From what I see, absolutely every type of high end whisky, vodka, wine etc.

is already being imported into Thailand. Either I'm missing your point

or you really need to get out of the house more often.

Ahhh ... now I see ... 2491 posts in just over 1 year !

Naka.

Edited February 4, 2006 by naka

[steveromagnino]

From what I see, absolutely every type of high end whisky, vodka, wine etc.

is already being imported into Thailand. Either I'm missing your point

or you really need to get out of the house more often.

Yes, most are available somewhere.

the duty on imported liquor is very high here, so spirits and wine are both expensive. For reasons I cannot fathom JW is the brand leader here; I would happily blind taste test 100 pipers 3 yr against JW Red, knowing that 100 pipers is a better whisky; JW black is bearable, but Chivas is infinitely better, yet JW is market leader who knows. When you mix the stuff with coke you might as well drink the cheapest available.

GlenLivet, Maccellan, even Laphroig (my favourite), all available here, and you aren't going to be able to undercut the price much, as the liquor importers know every trick to minimise their tax. Also, since it is an agent situation, you will be selling in the grey market, and some of these importers won't be happy for you to cut in on that. the only one you should bring in that i haven't seen is Glen Grant - what can i say I like Speyside malts.

top end vodkas, maybe, but the market is tiny. In fact, the market is tiny for anything other than, well 100 pipers and spey royal really.

Do NOT bring in a few cases as you will get hit with massive full duty; try a few bottles on your person when you fly in, or a case at the most; check the prices at Villa; i guess you will find there is no way you can bring it in tax paid and compete.

[thaibebop]

From what I see, absolutely every type of high end whisky, vodka, wine etc.

is already being imported into Thailand. Either I'm missing your point

or you really need to get out of the house more often.

Ahhh ... now I see ... 2491 posts in just over 1 year !

Naka.

I am not in Thailand. I am still in the states. I was thinking about businesses I might invest in or be apart of when I get there.