Angel Witch For Sale

[rchapstick]

I saw TC's copy of his lease and in one paragraph it forbid sub-leasing; in the next paragraph, it spelled out the terms for sub-leasing: clear as crude oil.

 

Why I am not surprised Bad English and sloppy thinking can be amusing in a menu, but lethal in a contract or any other important document. This sort of nonsense is not limited just to beer bar rental contracts. Itâ??s pervasive.

 

Of course when you start to question these sorts of obvious inconsistencies - which can and often do create serious problems in the future - you're seen as an overly fussy Farang. It is more than a language issue.

 

All the more reason for any prospective buyer to run away screaming from a deal like that.

 

[shygye]

Actually it is very clear! He can not sublease BUT he can transfer his lease IF approved by the his lessor, Boss Hogg.

[shotover]

What TC initially tried to do was to RENT the bar to the Danes: them paying the rent to him and he paying Boss Hogg. The sub-lease would have stayed in his name, the purchase price was actually described as "Key Money" At the same time there was an issue between TC and Sunbelt with who he had initially listed. He let somebody else put together the deal claiming his Sunbelt contract had expired, Sunbelt didn't agree and it got messy.

I saw TC's copy of his lease and in one paragraph it forbid sub-leasing; in the next paragraph, it spelled out the terms for sub-leasing: clear as crude oil.

Once Boss Hogg barged into the deal it became a real mess, everybody accusing everybody else of double-dealing. Narit, the local cop got pretty badly burned in the deal and TC ended up with a warrant out for his arrest. He went home to CA, promising to return to answer the charges but remains there still.

 

Interesting insight on the lease details.

 

Got my curiousity up; How would a Thai cop 'get burned' when involved in a farang dispute?

 

You would think the Thai cop would always benefit in a situation like this.

 

 

 

[Gadfly]

The details get more complicated the more we discuss the "sale" of Cathouse (e.g., clear lease terms vs. contradictory lease terms, angry policeman with some unknown interest in the deal, etc.), but that deal seems to serve as the posterboy of why buying a bar is a bad idea. (Well, I guess it could have been worse - no one got killed).

 

In terms of bad ideas, I put buying a bar in Nana up there with, and only slightly above, sponsoring a BG anywhere in Thailand.

[shygye]

We can discuss,

 

Titty Twister

The Living Room

Carousel/Hollywood

[STFORME]

and:

Clinton Plaza

Play School (Richard)

Sukhumvit Soi 10

The Warbler

[Gadfly]

And perhaps we should discuss. TopCat got a great deal of attention here, but I have not hear much about the shenanigans behind these other bars. Same issues or themes?

[buddha]

I can remember meeting the owner of a soi 10 bar just before it was razed. He had just glassed it off to take advantage of a powerful air con unit he installed. The funny thing about the installation is that it was blowing hot air into the bar next to it. I mentioned this to him and he shrugged it off. I thought to myself that if I was his neighbor I would be pissed to the point of breaking the glass every time he turned his back. A week later it was all gone, not due to the hot air....I rather enjoy walking by the park and remembering what that area used to be like, a cookie cutter of girlie bars all destined for failure, they never even had a chance.

 

Buying a bar in one of these entertainment venues is a lot like having sex without a condom. You will inherit the previous vendors reputation and your neighbors will have a good deal of effect on the foot fall that occurs in and around your premises. It's just plain risky for someone who knows the business let alone the newby. Your success or failure in one of these venues includes many variables that cannot be considered, prevented, or prepared for even by an astute, experienced business person. Basically it is not UP TO YOU.

 

Having a god deal of experience in the hospitality industry I read the whole 'topcat' scenario with great interest back in the day. I have often mused about opening some type of food/beverage establishment in the los but I would never venture into this type of bar. Imagine having to deal with 50 different bargirls on a daily basis?

 

with that said I am making an offer on the property at angelwitch.

 

 

 

[bibblies]

Imagine having to deal with 50 different bargirls on a daily basis?

That's me right now. I've taken on your mantle.

[STFORME]

Clinton Plaza had about 8 or 9 good size go go's and had a run from about 1999-2002. Most were owners in Cowboy and Nana who expanded to Suk Soi 13.The Farang con guy who put the whole area together never really had a proper lease with the land owner. Eventually he stop paying the rental money that he was collecting, put it in his pocket, and the rest is history.

 

Richard from Playschool (no longer connected with this bar) sold approx. fifteen, 20% shares in the bar back in the mid 90's.

 

Then there's the ongoing bar war on Walking between the owners of Living Dolls Showcase vs. Living Dolls 1. This story gets update weekly.I believe its now in its 3rd year.

 

The best story about the bars is the one about the owner's of Super Star in Patpong, in, I believe, the late 80's. They had put together a deal to ship 3 containers (20 footers) of the evil weed to the USA. They were writing up contracts with most of the other bars in Patpong to buy them out after the cargo got delivered. A storm sank the boat and the cargo is probably on the ocean floor making the fish very happy by now.

 

If you want to hear some other stories, go see Ricky at Sisterz on Walking Street. It'll cost you a few gin tonics, but he has been around the scene (especially Bangkok) for a good number of years.