No, I'm not talking about slinky, skin-tight latex! 

 

Calm down...

 

I'm talking about the various latex mattress shops that abound in Phuket, and which seem to be frequented by Russian and Chinese tourists, all buying natural latex pillows and mattresses at hugely-inflated prices.

 

Well since my little hotels are in the rubber trees, and since the majority of my guests are Russian and Chinese, maybe I should try hawking some of these products myself.

 

Now I'm actually a convert to sleeping on natural latex mattresses.  They are damn good!  They're a good product.  But why so expensive?

 

What I need to identify is a wholesaler of these products, from whom I can source these products and re-sell to my hotel guests.

 

Does anyone know a wholesaler in Phuket/south Thailand?  Prices??

I've always assumed all the Russian latex shops were just money laundering ventures.

They get a bus load inside and the talking begins. Have to understand that the Koreans (and Chinese as well ?) listen to the tour guides and whatever they say happends. So they go into the latex shop and if you don't want to buy the sales person and guide will go :

"You not buy? Not for your wife? Not even for your mother? I'm sure your mother would like to have something like this, why you deny your mother a good sleep? You do not love your mother? Are you good children? Why don't you love your mother? If I was your mother and you not buy i will think you do not love me? Do you love me? on and on and on.............................

 

 

I recall the publication that can't be quoted, tried to see into this business, and they were shuffled off.  From what I've seen, only tour buses pull up and no one else is allowed.  I also read somewhere else, that the prices charged were double or triple of market value.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/701836-crazy-prices-for-natural-latex-toppers-in-phuket/?p=7393647&hl=%2Blatex

I buy only from Vandelay Industries

Retail is listed as a prohibited occupation for foreigners.

 

Next...

How does one get a  mattress into their luggage?

How does one get a  mattress into their luggage?

 

Silly question-they cut it up into smaller pieces and glue it back together when they get home-simple
 

Simon, find a friendly Russian who speaks English (they do exist) and get him to buy you and him a ticket and infiltrate the tour.

 

Then you can report your learning back in this thread.

Oh, mattresses. I thought this thread would be about more interesting uses of latex......

The use a vacuum to suck all the air out and then it fits a carry on.

The use a vacuum to suck all the air out and then it fits a carry on.

 

Ah - that must be something to do with the 'blow me' comment earlier...

Yep Simon, no argument here that latex products are outrageously priced here on Phuket.

It is one of the contributing factors to the growth of teenage pregnacies...

Yes, and the nightlife would be so much poorer without it.

A profanity post has been removed as well as the replies.

I was in the matrasses, slatted bases and bowspring business for many years. Forget all the BS about changing a matrass every 10 years and all the fancy crap about camelhair or special latex or foam ... I sold them all ... it is all a story, the one more expensive than the other.

My advice to you : a boxpring with a pocketspringmatrass is the best combination there is. Don't go int othe harder the better BS, a matrass should be chosen according to your weight and most suppliers of pocketspringmatrasses have medium and hard versions .... when you are over the 100 kilo go for the harder one ... if you like it that way.

^{Thanks Dundeemk6 for your comments.  I have to say that  I much prefer to sleep on a natural latex topper, so I'm a convert to these types of mattresses - it is the outrageous prices in Phuket that surprise me.}

I was in the matrasses, slatted bases and bowspring business for many years. Forget all the BS about changing a matrass every 10 years and all the fancy crap about camelhair or special latex or foam ... I sold them all ... it is all a story, the one more expensive than the other.

My advice to you : a boxpring with a pocketspringmatrass is the best combination there is. Don't go int othe harder the better BS, a matrass should be chosen according to your weight and most suppliers of pocketspringmatrasses have medium and hard versions .... when you are over the 100 kilo go for the harder one ... if you like it that way.

 

The harder the better is not BS! (no puns intended)

In my experience getting rid of the mattress (note spelling) and box spring was a key to ending over a decade of lower back misery. 

Another advantage is that you can sleep or nap anywhere when you are used to a hard surface.

Mattresses/box springs are a huge waste of space and money, unless seen though the perspective of the uncountable millions of microbes that quickly inhabit them to live off human sweat and dander. 

They also make cleaning a room much more difficult.

You can't easily 'air out' or lay a huge mattress or box spring in the sun.

I think the Japanese are the only ones who have figured this out yet.

A simple, thin latex mattress on the floor is perfect.

I agree there is a scam on in the Phuket latex-vending circles, but that's no more surprising than, say, trouble in the Middle East.

 

 

 

What do you call expensive? A real rubber mattress costs 15000 baht maximum.

Oh, mattresses. I thought this thread would be about more interesting uses of latex......

 

Well I could offer my Chinese guests a range of gimp masks I suppose.. do you know a wholesaler of them in Phuket??

 

Totally off-topic, but an interesting fact:

 

The biggest condom factory in the world is located near to Surat Thani, (owned by a Canadian company).  Several years ago, they were seeking to recruit a new General Manager (no direct condom experience required!).  I actually applied for that job (very good pay/package).  It would have made a good talking point in the bars... (so what do you do for a living then?...)

Like the joke goes. Real men take ribbed condoms and turn then inside out!

Fool-proof way to detect a broken condom.

Put one on, cover with Tiger balm and then put another condom on.

 

If she squeals, the outer one has broken. If you squeal, the inner one has broken.

 

I was in the matrasses, slatted bases and bowspring business for many years. Forget all the BS about changing a matrass every 10 years and all the fancy crap about camelhair or special latex or foam ... I sold them all ... it is all a story, the one more expensive than the other.

My advice to you : a boxpring with a pocketspringmatrass is the best combination there is. Don't go int othe harder the better BS, a matrass should be chosen according to your weight and most suppliers of pocketspringmatrasses have medium and hard versions .... when you are over the 100 kilo go for the harder one ... if you like it that way.

 

The harder the better is not BS! (no puns intended)

In my experience getting rid of the mattress (note spelling) and box spring was a key to ending over a decade of lower back misery. 

Another advantage is that you can sleep or nap anywhere when you are used to a hard surface.

Mattresses/box springs are a huge waste of space and money, unless seen though the perspective of the uncountable millions of microbes that quickly inhabit them to live off human sweat and dander. 

They also make cleaning a room much more difficult.

You can't easily 'air out' or lay a huge mattress or box spring in the sun.

I think the Japanese are the only ones who have figured this out yet.

A simple, thin latex mattress on the floor is perfect.

I agree there is a scam on in the Phuket latex-vending circles, but that's no more surprising than, say, trouble in the Middle East.

 

 

 

 

Harder is not necessarily better for all.

As someone who has gone the hard mattress route for lower back pain, only to find it exacerbated my hip problems, I would suggest there is not a hard and fast rule for all.

However, it's difficult to experiment to find out what is best for you, because of the expense and a lack of loaners.

I currently have a medium/hard mattress with a foam overlay which seems to work for me.

Gratuitous sexy latex photo...........I'm surprised I'm the first!

 

[attachment=277786:001.jpgopd.jpg]

Hi Simon,

 

I'm the Marketing Manager for a company producing latex foam (amongst other latex products) here in Thailand.

Send me a PM. We figure out what you need and wether we can handle that straight form the factory. Otherwise I'll point you in the direction of our wholesalers.

 

BTW, the next 2 days I'll still be in Phuket, then its back to the big smoke...

Hi Simon,

 

I'm the Marketing Manager for a company producing latex foam (amongst other latex products) here in Thailand.

Send me a PM. We figure out what you need and wether we can handle that straight form the factory. Otherwise I'll point you in the direction of our wholesalers.

 

BTW, the next 2 days I'll still be in Phuket, then its back to the big smoke...