Emnau Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 I have a friend who is interested in buying an operational bar in Thailand, preferable in the Phuket area. Can any one supply any relevant information? Bars available, investment required etc etc.... Thx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sporty Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 I have a friend who is interested in buying an operational bar in Thailand, preferable in the Phuket area. Can any one supply any relevant information? Bars available, investment required etc etc.... Thx http://www.bahtsold.com/en/quicksearch?co=Thailand-1&c=1009&ca=7&pr=6&submit= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 Is this serious? Does the friend have any experience in operating a bar anywhere? Does he know the hurdles and hoops he has to pass? We have some bar owners on the board. Hopefully, they will join in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 Roll out thr ol' joke: how do you make 1M baht with a bar in LOS...invest 2M Baht...something like that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayjann Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 Is this serious? Does the friend have any experience in operating a bar anywhere? Does he know the hurdles and hoops he has to pass? We have some bar owners on the board. Hopefully, they will join in. i wonder how much cash he has to squander?. my english friend has been on phuket for 16 years/married to a thai and with 2 lovely girls to complete the family. had a bar just off bangla which was very much out of the way but was very popular after word of mouth,always packed with customers and a fun place. great bar and probably the bar where i have BF'd most women while visiting phuket. it seems he provided the initial cost of buying the bar and setting it up. he had no involement of hiring the staff/drinks/food etc,all left down to his wife. but he used to pay the 'tea money' each night when certain people came round. but he saw the writing on the wall and sold up and got a very good price. bought his wife a new bar which is very much off the beaten track but which seems quite profitable and she is now a fairly rich woman in her own right. he has nothing to do with the bar except for having a few beers each night and does not get involved in any disputes which may occur. everything that happens regarding the bar is down to his wife and up to her to pay all the fees which are needed. all in her name with all the official paperwork in order. but he has made a successful move into real estate and is now a very rich man and all the cash is in his name. i don't know the law or how things work but what it seems is that what hers is now hers and what is his is now his. both children are dual nationality and agreed between the parents that neither will look for sole custody in the event of divorce. i know some of the things i have said might be totally wrong regarding thai law but that is how it looks to me. but i do feel sorry for him as his wife is a total lush and drinks in the bar until 3/4 am and then lays in bed all day. it's up to him to get the kids up,feed them and get them to school before he can start his days work. and most nights while drunk she berates him for being a bad husband/a lightweight in the drinking during the night and gives him the finger if he decides to leave the bar and go home and sleep. it's not only the cash input which involves buying/running a bar. there is always something behind the scenes which can sour it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbaron Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 Haven't had a good "don't buy a bar" thread for years! Awesome. OP - tell your friend Sunbelt Asia may be a good start, have heard their name thrown around when it comes to good advice for farangs in regards to buying/setting up businesses. If the bar is operational (as per your original question) and profitable - it will likely cost a lot to get into, even if the books are cooked... be careful. Having said that, there are plenty of profitable bars in Thailand, but most of the happy bar owners I've known over the years don't rely on the income from the bar, it's more a hobby/something to keep them interested... Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 Hi, He'd probably be better of contacting StoneSoup (board member on this site). Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 There was a Yank on the old Nana Plaza board who had owned a restaurant in Pattaya. He said he lost no money, but when he sold out he made no profit. He had basically just supported himself over the years he ran it, which isn't a bad arrangement. I mention him because he insisted one could do all right with a restaurant. But as soon as booze and BGs were involved, the expenses skyrocketed. Tea money to the cops and local officials was the big problem. Everyone wanted a piece of the pie. Caveat emptor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bar4 Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 Tea money to the cops and local officials was the big problem. I really haven't experienced that - in fact quite the contrary. But I have a Thai partner who has been in the game for years and knows them all so that helps. My main suggestion to the OP is to make sure he has a trustworthy Thai and cut them in on a percent of the business. Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 My main suggestion to the OP is to make sure he has a trustworthy Thai Cheers, Mark More chance of finding a virgin in Nana Plaza Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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