The Olde Bell closing permanently on June 30, 2013

[george]

THE OLDE BELL IS CLOSING

Dear Valued Gold Card Members and friends of The Olde Bell

It is with great sadness that we have to announce that The Olde Bell will be closing permanently after close of business on Sunday 30^th. June. For the past couple of months we have been trying to sell the business, and had found a fine prospective buyer. Unfortunately our Thai/Chinese landlady got too greedy and instead of accepting the rent we were paying (which she only raised 9 months ago), she increased it.

The potential buyer accepted the increase – as he really was serious about buying the business- but then the landlady called us a few hours later to say she had been ‘talking to her son’ and had decided to increase the rent a second time – this time substantially So the annual rent had gone up from the 560,000 Baht we pay, to 600,000 and then finally to 660,000.

She also wanted to increase the deposit from 100,000 to 300,000 Baht. Typical ‘Hi-So’ greed of course, but it was enough to put the buyer off and he withdrew the offer. We offered to make up the difference to the landlady out of the money he paid us for the sale of the business, but she refused to accept that.

-- Source: Olde Bell Newsletter

-- 2013-06-25

[wedders]

Sad news. I've had many a brekkie there in my Chiang Mai days. Always felt with a bit more frontage and that poxy exchange place removed, it could have been far more popular.

All the best.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[JoePai]

Sorry to hear that Pedre - good luck in the future

[Eesat]

Shocking news,The Olde Bell is an absolute institution in Chiang Mai and Loi Kroh will be a far worse place to be without it,I don't even want to know what will replace it!

[CMKiwi]

It ceases to amaze me how some landlords/ladies appear to let greed all but emcompass their lives. Unfortunately The Olde Bell and potential new tenant suffered as a result. Oh and the landlady will never recover lost rent/income, but then they never seem to see that.

Very frustrating (I imagine) but what can one do apart from owning the building?

Sad to hear this happen yet again in CM

[joeaverage]

i hope you gut the place so there is not a thing left for them to try and recreate your business with

[Loaded]

Sorry to hear you are closing, and I can understand your frustration with your landlady.

However, 55K/month for a double unit townhouse along one of the busiest farang streets in the centre of Chiang Mai isn't especially expensive. It's probably around the current market value of the property. The price of land and property in Chiang Mai has risen considerably over the last few years and when this happens, rents quickly rise as well. Marketing the property at what the landlord considers the market rate isn't 'greed'. It's called business sense. One really big disadvantage of this property is the ugly yellow ATM that obscures the business from many passing potential customers.

[dave2]

re

One really big disadvantage of this property is the ugly yellow ATM that obscures the business from many passing potential customers.

hes right : (

dave2

[taotoo]

Frees up a parking space though.

[bob4you]

Sorry to hear you are closing, and I can understand your frustration with your landlady.

However, 55K/month for a double unit townhouse along one of the busiest farang streets in the centre of Chiang Mai isn't especially expensive. It's probably around the current market value of the property. The price of land and property in Chiang Mai has risen considerably over the last few years and when this happens, rents quickly rise as well. Marketing the property at what the landlord considers the market rate isn't 'greed'. It's called business sense. One really big disadvantage of this property is the ugly yellow ATM that obscures the business from many passing potential customers.

You obviously are :"Loaded" but I will bet that the property sits vacant to 6 months and the landlord looses B300,000 from her greed, but will learn nothing from it. Thais are greediest landlords I have ever dealt with. I had one refuse to replace a water heater on a property that I paid B15,000 per month for so at end of lease, I used my deposit as last month, moved out and the property sat vacant with for rent sign on it for 6 months. Greedy Thai owner from BKK of property in Pattaya.

[terminatorchiangmai]

Greedy landlords, must be someone waiting to make it another guest house or boutique hotel which we don't have enough of yet.

Good luck to you Pedre.

Isn't there a bar with potential at the night-bazaar for sale on the classifieds ?

[CMKiwi]

I think the majority of 'market rentals' in the commercial sense are way out of whack. I have a reasonable grip on current rates however when I observe the apparent lack of tourists (Read customers) in most locations, I ask myself how to these businesses survive? Having spoken to some tenants it is a very cut throat existance.

The throw away line of 'Its the low season' doesnt seem to hold much weight as when 'high season' comes around I dont see much of a change.

I was of the belief that normally a tenant has a fixed contract and rentals/leases are renewed annually or at a term agreed by both parties. In that respect I do feel for the current tenants. But as many have said,TIT and the place will likely stay empty for some while until some poor sap tries to make a go of it. Heaven help then should they do well, as you can guarantee as much as the sun rises every morning, that the landlady will expect a bigger return as a result

Still, The Olde Bell was a great place and I am sure that if Pedre decides to try again elsewhere he will do well.

[retell]

lets hope you do not find the place being rented out for the "old price after all " to the new business

[rebelplatoon]

Sorry to hear that Pedre....

You hear it so often that people get frustrated in their efforts like this.

Maybe you should've offered the new buyer the difference back so that he could pay it to her and she still got what she wanted.

Would not be surprised if for that price it will be vacant for quite some time and then it's up for grabs for a normal price again.

Sad!

[CNXTim]

This story is not a new one,

And whilst everyone here castigates the "wicked" local real estate barons and baronesses and wails - it was and will always be thus...

There are ways for farang to live well and prosper in the LoS - IM(not at all H)O running a bar on Loi Kroh is not one of them.

Be careful in the jungle and learn Mowgli...

Maepenrai...

[winstonc]

This story is not a new one,

And whilst everyone here castigates the "wicked" local real estate barons and baronesses and wails - it was and will always be thus...

There are ways for farang to live well and prosper in the LoS - IM(not at all H)O running a bar on Loi Kroh is not one of them.

Be careful in the jungle and learn Mowgli...

Maepenrai...

dont they deserve castigating then,,,???? greedy bstards,,,,,,,,her loss,,good luck fella,,,

Edited June 25, 2013 by winstonc

[annabel]

Greedy landlords, must be someone waiting to make it another guest house or boutique hotel which we don't have enough of yet.

Good luck to you Pedre.

Isn't there a bar with potential at the night-bazaar for sale on the classifieds ?

Nope !! Whoever is the mafia owner of that part of the strip will put up another extension of Karaoke and pool tables and Gogo girls so that eventually all of Loi Kroh will become a small version of Bangkok's Patpong !! Joy!! They have been at it for years and are slowly achieving their goal .... Ummm .. how will they get rid of Chez Marco ///??

[wolf5370]

Sorry to hear you are closing, and I can understand your frustration with your landlady.

However, 55K/month for a double unit townhouse along one of the busiest farang streets in the centre of Chiang Mai isn't especially expensive. It's probably around the current market value of the property. The price of land and property in Chiang Mai has risen considerably over the last few years and when this happens, rents quickly rise as well. Marketing the property at what the landlord considers the market rate isn't 'greed'. It's called business sense. One really big disadvantage of this property is the ugly yellow ATM that obscures the business from many passing potential customers.

I would suggest it wasn't the actual price that put the buyer off - but that she raised the price twice before they'd even moved in - alarm bells going off everywhere, I'd run too.

[DekDaeng]

lets hope you do not find the place being rented out for the "old price after all " to the new business

There is a cure for that, too. Just spread the word -

Bar near me was owned by a nice guy who died. Wife tried to continue the business after but customers knew what an orrible bitch she is* so she only had customers who didn't know. & very few. Now closed ;-)

Inc domestics in front of customers, etc.

[johnlandy]

A fact yes, it was a bar, the food was generally good, BUT, the Olde Bell AND, the host did have their critics (a goodly number too) and, that is a another fact also

[mjsansai]

A fact yes, it was a bar, the food was generally good, BUT, the Olde Bell AND, the host did have their critics (a goodly number too) and, that is a another fact also

I can attest to that , the landlord wasn't very friendly and his clientile somewhat of a clique, now what about getting the Chiang Mai Saloon of the street

[Loaded]

A fact yes, it was a bar, the food was generally good, BUT, the Olde Bell AND, the host did have their critics (a goodly number too) and, that is a another fact also

It was/is a friendly pub, without the pollution of slappers and the farang flotsam and jetsam that follow them around, where you could have a quiet pint after work. If Pedr was around, he was always friendly and convivial. It suited me. Critics of a place like this are also the sort of people I'm sure I wouldn't want sitting next to me in a bar. Olde Bell will be missed by me.

[Scott]

I don't live in CM and I haven't been there for a good number of years, but the place has a good reputation and it frequently comes up in conversations with those who have lived there or visited there.

Sad to see it gone. Wish I would have had the chance to visit.

[kinmaew]

What a f***** nightmare it must be "Trying to do business with Thais". I would not waste my time and I dont see why others do, you can invest your money in your own country in property or even a bank depsoit and get a good return to live in LOS compared to the "hit and miss lifestyle" you have to live over there and the Thais do it because they know there is no recourse. Keep your money and investments at home where they are safe and money flows are predictable.

[MESmith]

What a f***** nightmare it must be "Trying to do business with Thais". I would not waste my time and I dont see why others do, you can invest your money in your own country in property or even a bank depsoit and get a good return to live in LOS compared to the "hit and miss lifestyle" you have to live over there and the Thais do it because they know there is no recourse. Keep your money and investments at home where they are safe and money flows are predictable.

Can you please recommend a good bank deposit in UK that pays a good return?

[elektrified]

A fact yes, it was a bar, the food was generally good, BUT, the Olde Bell AND, the host did have their critics (a goodly number too) and, that is a another fact also

I can attest to that , the landlord wasn't very friendly and his clientile somewhat of a clique, now what about getting the Chiang Mai Saloon of the street

That's not fair. Admittedly I've only been to the Olde Bell twice to watch a couple of games and have a few beers but I thought the overall vibe was quite good in there. The same with the Chiang Mai Saloon which has decent food, good drink promotions and Ron's family are nice, friendly people.

[wolf5370]

A fact yes, it was a bar, the food was generally good, BUT, the Olde Bell AND, the host did have their critics (a goodly number too) and, that is a another fact also

I can attest to that , the landlord wasn't very friendly and his clientile somewhat of a clique, now what about getting the Chiang Mai Saloon of the street

Sorry don't agree with this at all. I don't frequent Loy Kroh (or town centre at all) - but when I was up town I popped in (other places from time to time too) - When I first went in here, I sat at the bar, chatted to Petr, chatted to a young German guy sitting next to me. Every other time I have gone, my girls (daughters) play on the pool table, and I have always found people sitting at the bar friendly and chatty. My girls have on occasion gone up to play with Petr's son while I sat at the bar chatting.

Some bars I would definitely say are real unfriendly, I certainly would not count Old Belle in that list. I do not go there enough to be a part of a clique, so the fact that I can chat quite happily with bar staff and patrons alike, I would refute the 'clique' concept at all.