Failing Businesses

[poooket]

The wet t-shirt contests in the afternoon at Valhalla were good fun. I remember several years ago a company in Central taking deposits for a condo with waterpark situated inside Poonpol Plaza. A young Thai guy in a flash suit looked like he was one of the owners. Went on for quite a few months with plenty of advertising in the local rags but I don't think they ever broke ground. No doubt a few real estate stories similar to this.

Always had a good time at Valhalla. I also remember seeing sales brochures for the condo at poonpol, did they ever start building anything?

[poooket]

The Andaman Hospital at the southern end of Patong. It was only open for a month.

The building lay empty for ages until some bright spark turned it into a Haunted House. That closed very quickly and is now a rather strange looking Italian restaurant (De Marios?).

Never knew there was a hospital there before. There was a mini golf somewhere along that road, can't remember exactly where but it disappeared many years ago.

[LivinginKata]

The Andaman Hospital at the southern end of Patong. It was only open for a month.

The building lay empty for ages until some bright spark turned it into a Haunted House. That closed very quickly and is now a rather strange looking Italian restaurant (De Marios?).

Never knew there was a hospital there before. There was a mini golf somewhere along that road, can't remember exactly where but it disappeared many years ago.

Mini golf was a bit further on on Rat-u-tit. Called Pirate's Mini/Crazy Golf. Valuable land, think it became the new extension at the Holiday Inn. Fure sure a big structure sprung up in it's place.

[stevenl]

 

What about NASA burger in Kata? It just literally dissapeared along with the English owner lol

Yes, it did just disappear quite unexpectedly. I suppose the rent cost for that prominent spot just did not justify the income from take away burgers.

 

The land was owned by the Welsh owner Vince's wife's family so he didn't pay rent. But as soon as he had a problem with the wife that was it! Disappeared and hasn't been seen for years.

 

The original NASA Burger was on Patak Road opposite Karma Lounge, When he set up the new location he sold to Barry who changed the name to Bling's Burgers for some unknown reason. He then converted it to the Banana Sports Bar and it's now an empty Thai restaurant.

 

Add to the list of failing businesses just about every bar and restaurant on Thaina Road, Kata, with a couple of honourable exceptions, such as Dukes. I've been told Roberts has closed. Can anyone confirm this?

The wife now has a clothing and goodies shop on Katekwan road. Not doing any busines at all.

[Valentine]

What about NASA burger in Kata? It just literally dissapeared along with the English owner lol

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Was that the one on the V shaped corner? I think I know the owner.

[LivinginKata]

What about NASA burger in Kata? It just literally dissapeared along with the English owner lol

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Was that the one on the V shaped corner? I think I know the owner.

Yes, right on the V - where road splits to the beach.

[stevenl]

We have gone from the big and spectacular failures to the really small and insignificant (except for the people involved) ones. The failure of Nasa Burger in the same thread as Oktoberfest? Might as well mention the hundreds of small bars that have failed over the years.

[LivinLOS]

Valhalla in Patong was another one, I really liked that place. Its a shame it went bust

Didnt go bust, only the ground lease was not renewed due to rising by massive multiples and Jan got an option on Hilltop hotel.

Wasnt every truly the same after Jan got stitched up by the tuktuks and had to do that stint in jail.

[LivinLOS]

Safari nightclub was another one I really liked. I used to go to bed early and set my alarm at 230am and head down there fresh. Easy pickings when your relatively sober. There was another nightclub called buzz or something similar next door.

You are revealing how long you really have been here Ivan. For many years one of Patong's hottest and successful night clubs. The owner tried to take on Mayor Pian in local mayoral elections and that was the end of his successful business. Buzz is now a shooting range, and Safari is mostly demolished.

Safari was Chairat (deputy mayor) I am 99% sure ??

Made a mint back during the purachi social order scene when bangla was closing at 2 on the dot..

[LivinLOS]

Well how about this one for showing my age..the nightclub at the end of Soi Crocodile before it burnt down. (Im sure it was called crocodile disco) was another one of my favourite haunts . cant really blame a fire for failure though.

Was it not D-Club ??

2 indian brothers.. My 2nd wife was one of the stage coyotee girls when we met.. Also a buddy got mickey finned with something that had him out in minutes, just made it down the stairs and faceplanted in the soi, where luckily he was known and assisted to hospital.

[steelepulse]

Safari nightclub was another one I really liked. I used to go to bed early and set my alarm at 230am and head down there fresh. Easy pickings when your relatively sober. There was another nightclub called buzz or something similar next door.

You are revealing how long you really have been here Ivan. For many years one of Patong's hottest and successful night clubs. The owner tried to take on Mayor Pian in local mayoral elections and that was the end of his successful business. Buzz is now a shooting range, and Safari is mostly demolished.

Safari was Chairat (deputy mayor) I am 99% sure ??

Made a mint back during the purachi social order scene when bangla was closing at 2 on the dot..

Correct, as I mentioned earlier in the thread. He was printing money up there with Safari for a few years.

[Benmart]

There's a lot con men here.

They bring over divorced, reasonably wealthy, lonely, middle aged "friends" for their first time.

They set them up with good times and pretty girls.

Of course, it's all affordable to them, and so is the BS "investment" they are talked into and "sold." whilst they are infactuated with Phuket/Thailand and their new girl, half their age.

The local con man inflates all figures in relation to this "business" that will be like a great little "project" for the newly in love, first time to Thailand, western guy.

The business falls over - all sorts of BS is blamed for it, but ultimately, the con man has taken his share out of the whole scam.

Nothing new - it's been going on for years.

Interesting theory.

Someone must have really done a number on you to come up with this.

Come on Hans. It's not a theory. How many fools have you spoken to who here who have said, proudly, "I'm partners in a bar here." Or, "My bar is for sale. I'm only selling because we are moving up to Issan to be with her family."

It's the same BS, over and over. I've asked, playing along. I quickly sort out who I wouldn't p*ss on here.

For the record, once again, I'm single, by choice, never had a Thai gf/wife, never bought a bar/property here, never sent money for sick buffalo - have been the victim of the odd tuk-tuk driver in the past, or the bar bill added to a little, but nothing more than a loss of a couple of hundred baht here. Never anything to consider a balcony dive.

Seriously, why do you think someone who has seen "a number": done on so many others, and have learnt form their experiences, must have had a number done on them, as you suggest?

To put your "theory" in context - at this very moment, who do you think is more at a chance of loss, of even 1 baht, me, or you????

"Easy does it"

[elgenon]

Different geogrphy- When I saw a Philadephia sandwich shop on Thapae in CM I had to scratch my head. How many people going to CM Have lived in Philadelphia? Only me I think.

[ozyjon]

BUT look at from another perspective, as in Europe people just don't bother with starting a business because they know financially it is doomed to fail so the economy grinds to a halt but here at least they have a go therefore keeping the small people ticking over with money and the economy ticks over benefiting everyone.

[NamKangMan]

The biggest one I can think of was Carrefour in Jungceylon. I used to shop there. It was always reasonably busy.

I don't think it failed, but it must have been losing money, or had very high expenses.

They not only pulled out of Phuket, but I think out of Thailand in general.

Edited October 14, 2013 by NamKangMan

[poooket]

The biggest one I can think of was Carrefour in Jungceylon. I used to shop there. It was always reasonably busy.

I don't think it failed, but it must have been losing money, or had very high expensies.

They not only pulled out of Phuket, but I think out of Thailand in general.

Big c took over all carrefour in thailand

[NamKangMan]

The biggest one I can think of was Carrefour in Jungceylon. I used to shop there. It was always reasonably busy.

I don't think it failed, but it must have been losing money, or had very high expensies.

They not only pulled out of Phuket, but I think out of Thailand in general.

Big c took over all carrefour in thailand

Yes, but why did Carrefour pull out of Thailand? You don't leave if you are making money.

Anyway, it's not there anymore.

[stevenl]

The biggest one I can think of was Carrefour in Jungceylon. I used to shop there. It was always reasonably busy.

I don't think it failed, but it must have been losing money, or had very high expenses.

They not only pulled out of Phuket, but I think out of Thailand in general.

Carrefour was rebranded into Big C. Same owner, so not much has changed.

[hkt83100]

Someone remembers the Titanic Disco? Following the road passing Valhalla, that's been the place. It was renamed after a few years of existance to Pascha, and went down. A follow-up to this disco was Safari...

What was the name of the Western Style pub on the front of Paradise Complex, opposite of the entry to Soi Jintana? When it went out of business it was changed into a lawyer's office.

By the way, if I am right, all places were the same owner

[cabanlit]

Wasn't there an Aussie guy with a big red jet boat in Chalong?

Where did that go?

[cabanlit]

The biggest one I can think of was Carrefour in Jungceylon. I used to shop there. It was always reasonably busy.

I don't think it failed, but it must have been losing money, or had very high expenses.

They not only pulled out of Phuket, but I think out of Thailand in general.

Carrefour was rebranded into Big C. Same owner, so not much has changed.

Not same owner at all. Carrefour completely sold it's Thai operations.

[dao16]

I think in a lot of cases, whether it is a Thai or a foreigner, people don't really understand the amount of work involved. They think they will set up a business and the money will just flow in with little to no work on their part.

I have met a few foreigners who have really successful businesses, but they also work quite a bit--as in from early in the AM until late night, 6 or sometimes 7 days a week. Now, it seems like they have a lot of down time, like waiting for deliveries, or clients, etc., but they are sort of on-call all day, every day.

[stevenl]

Wasn't there an Aussie guy with a big red jet boat in Chalong?

Where did that go?

There is a guy with a big red boat in Panwa, maybe the same?

How about coyote bar in Rawai? And the cave of cavern of Rawai?

[NamKangMan]

The biggest one I can think of was Carrefour in Jungceylon. I used to shop there. It was always reasonably busy.

I don't think it failed, but it must have been losing money, or had very high expenses.

They not only pulled out of Phuket, but I think out of Thailand in general.

Carrefour was rebranded into Big C. Same owner, so not much has changed.

I always thought Big C had been around before Carrefour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_C

[stevenl]

The biggest one I can think of was Carrefour in Jungceylon. I used to shop there. It was always reasonably busy.

I don't think it failed, but it must have been losing money, or had very high expenses.

They not only pulled out of Phuket, but I think out of Thailand in general.

Carrefour was rebranded into Big C. Same owner, so not much has changed.

Not same owner at all. Carrefour completely sold it's Thai operations.

You're right, I thought they were both parts of the Casino Group, but apparently Carrefour is not.

[stevenl]

The biggest one I can think of was Carrefour in Jungceylon. I used to shop there. It was always reasonably busy.

I don't think it failed, but it must have been losing money, or had very high expenses.

They not only pulled out of Phuket, but I think out of Thailand in general.

Carrefour was rebranded into Big C. Same owner, so not much has changed.

I always thought Big C had been around before Carrefour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_C

Yes, so? There were big C stores, and the existing Carrefour stores were rebranded Big C. So now there are more Big C stores than before.

[NamKangMan]

The biggest one I can think of was Carrefour in Jungceylon. I used to shop there. It was always reasonably busy.

I don't think it failed, but it must have been losing money, or had very high expenses.

They not only pulled out of Phuket, but I think out of Thailand in general.

Carrefour was rebranded into Big C. Same owner, so not much has changed.

I always thought Big C had been around before Carrefour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_C

Yes, so? There were big C stores, and the existing Carrefour stores were rebranded Big C. So now there are more Big C stores than before.

It does mention they were "rebranded" after acquisition. Just wondering why Carrefour sold out to them? Unless, it was an offer they couldn't refuse.

[flyingdoc]

Ask some Thais you can trust, as to what might succeed !

Ask some people at the University at the business School ! They will guide you !

[Arkady]

Business writers are fond of saying that around 70% of new businesses in developed markets fail. The percentage of failures of new businesses opened in Thailand by farangs with no prior experience must be significantly higher.

[stevenl]

Ask some Thais you can trust, as to what might succeed !

Ask some people at the University at the business School ! They will guide you !

The value of their wisdom would depend on the kind of business you want to open.