Advice on pros and cons of purchasing/running a bar in Pattaya

[free2bme2014]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to see if I can get some feedback on the realistic expectations of purchasing, running and lifestyle of a bar owner in Pattaya.

I live in the United States and have a background in management and have considered what might be involved in this type of business in Pattaya.

I have heard some people guess but I'd rather get some feedback from those who are bar owners or managers or from anyone that has knowledge on this.

I would love to hear the pros and cons of doing this and income and lifestyle that they live.

Cheers everyone!!!

[andy666]

You gonna get slaughterd 555555

 

 

Keep in mind that some do make good money and they were adviced not to do it too.....

I don't have the balls to do it myself though!

[JABL]

from what I have seen it is a very competitive area but honestly I believe you need to go to Thailand and hang around a few bars to get a better understanding of what you are hoping to venture in....(nothing ventured nothing gained)....j

[LaaMok]

Forget previous business skills apart from the skills of due diligence, marketing and watching your back. (finances, licences etc)

 

Get some good bar owner friends.

 

Ask yourself if you are a good meeter and greeter or not and are you prepared to put the hours in drinking most days, guys say they wont but its inevitable. The biggest mistake I see is people employing themselves as meeter and greeters and not being a good one. I would never employ myself in those circumstances and i reconise my weaknesses.

 

If you can have a bar simply ran by ladies, then you are onto a winner but you really need to have solid relationships and trust.

 

I would not recommend going into the business without living here a few years!

 

Many people jump in and do ok.  But its hard to say who is successful or not as we all view success differently, a jam packed 10 years of partying and an early death is successful for some.

 

Accept advice from experienced bar owners, i.e don't shag the staff,,  respect the law and leave top shelf alone.

 

This is a lifestyle choice not a get wealthy business.

[B-Man]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to see if I can get some feedback on the realistic expectations of purchasing, running and lifestyle of a bar owner in Pattaya.

I live in the United States and have a background in management and have considered what might be involved in this type of business in Pattaya.

I have heard some people guess but I'd rather get some feedback from those who are bar owners or managers or from anyone that has knowledge on this.

I would love to hear the pros and cons of doing this and income and lifestyle that they live.

Cheers everyone!!!

 

 

Do not listen to all the naysayers on here.

 

It is what i did when i first moved here 12 years ago and enjoyed every minute of it.

 

Think about how many bars you know where the owner and the managers are farangs, it can work if you are actually willing to put the time and effort into it with out drinking your own bar dry.

 

How many farang bars do you go to and how many are there here on PA, if none of them had the balls to give it a try where would you go drink and have a chat???

 

Let me know when you open and i will come have a beer with you!

[misteregg]

Free2bme

 

First tip I would give you is get a easy to remember forum name.

 

As Lamook I've said in his posts any kind of management skills that you learn in the West are pretty useless here, And I was a manager of strip clubs in UK.

 

I would strongly disagree with Laamok's assertion that you have to be heavy drinker to be popular and to make money in this industry. It's all about how you set up your bar and how you handle yourself. Soi7 is probably the best in the business and he never drinks. 

 

If I was you, I wouldn't actually buy a bar. I would wait until somebody else who hasn't got your skills goes bust and just take over running the bar for free, albeit by paying some key money. See this as a training exercise, Not necessarily to make any money. Make your mistakes here before you invest any serious cash. 

 

Get to know how Thai people work and what attracts customers.

 

Next time you are in Pattaya feel free to pop into Secrets where I'll be happy to have a chat with you if I'm not too busy.

Phil 

[Soi7]

The problem I see over and over are bars that go bust someone goes in to take over and changes very little or nothing and assumes they will now be successful I don't understand why more investors don't do their homework.

 

These bars go broke for a reason and if you're going to buy one take the time to find out why do what you can to correct it.

 

If a bar is very successful it's not likely to be sold that's not always the case but more often than not

[SimplySam]

The problem I see over and over are bars that go bust someone goes in to take over and changes very little or nothing and assumes they will now be successful I don't understand why more investors don't do their homework.

 

These bars go broke for a reason and if you're going to buy one take the time to find out why do what you can to correct it.

 

If a bar is very successful it's not likely to be sold that's not always the case but more often than not

 

A good example of that truism in Pattaya was the bath MM took on the FLB.

[davethailand]

from what I have seen it is a very competitive area but honestly I believe you need to go to Thailand and hang around a few bars to get a better understanding of what you are hoping to venture in....(nothing ventured nothing gained)....j

Definitely.

Forget previous business skills apart from the skills of due diligence, marketing and watching your back. (finances, licences etc)

 

Get some good bar owner friends.

 

Ask yourself if you are a good meeter and greeter or not and are you prepared to put the hours in drinking most days, guys say they wont but its inevitable. The biggest mistake I see is people employing themselves as meeter and greeters and not being a good one. I would never employ myself in those circumstances and i reconise my weaknesses.

 

If you can have a bar simply ran by ladies, then you are onto a winner but you really need to have solid relationships and trust.

 

I would not recommend going into the business without living here a few years!

 

Many people jump in and do ok.  But its hard to say who is successful or not as we all view success differently, a jam packed 10 years of partying and an early death is successful for some.

 

Accept advice from experienced bar owners, i.e don't shag the staff,,  respect the law and leave top shelf alone.

 

This is a lifestyle choice not a get wealthy business.

Good advice I'd say.

[marko1961]

What makes you think that people will come to your bar ,when there is 10 thousand bars in pattaya as they say the fasted way to get rid of your hard earned money is open a bar in thailand,i no many people who have tried an failed, my 2cents worth be very careful .but if you do best of luck ,ps I think the first thing you will need is a top lady to trust .and that is just as hard to find never mind a successful bar.

[vimto66]

Only way i`d even contemplate anything like this is if i was very well off and could easily absorb any losses,i would just use the bar as an interest and an hobby.If i lost my money and shut the place then so be it,no big deal.Its a big risk for anyone to take and i applaud anyone who makes a success of it.

[LaaMok]

 

I would strongly disagree with Laamok's assertion that you have to be heavy drinker to be popular and to make money in this industry. It's all about how you set up your bar and how you handle yourself. Soi7 is probably the best in the business and he never drinks. 

 

 

I was refering to most the bars i.e smaller bars because i assumed he would start up with a smaller bar first.  Good luck with trying to earn good money and staying sober,  yes you can earn money still, but in the smaller bars the manager is often the focus and is expected to lead the way. IMO

 

You and soi 7 are in larger gogos/coyote type bars where there are 50 women so there is more focus on that,  plus its a different environment.   From my observations i see you bouncing around from customer to customer socialising.  In the smaller bars, guys expect/want you to drink with them the whole time,  and yes you can get away with not drinking alcohol but from my experience from getting drunk in bars, i like to find people on the same level as I get drunk.

 

As for me personally, I have difficulty relaxing and enjoying myself in social situations and need a drink to loosen myself up, so i am a rubbish sober host lol.  But I know you don't suffer from that.

 

Also the main point I was reffering to,  is the factor of controlling oneself to not drink, its very hard in an environment like that especially when offered drinks/shots and get included in rounds. I know you can do it,  and soi 7 has gotten over his alcohol hill,  but i dont see many guys able to say no here.

[misteregg]

I was refering to most the bars i.e smaller bars because i assumed he would start up with a smaller bar first. Good luck with trying to earn good money and staying sober, yes you can earn money still, but in the smaller bars the manager is often the focus and is expected to lead the way. IMO

 

You and soi 7 are in larger gogos/coyote type bars where there are 50 women so there is more focus on that, plus its a different environment. From my observations i see you bouncing around from customer to customer socialising. In the smaller bars, guys expect/want you to drink with them the whole time, and yes you can get away with not drinking alcohol but from my experience from getting drunk in bars, i like to find people on the same level as I get drunk.

 

As for me personally, I have difficulty relaxing and enjoying myself in social situations and need a drink to loosen myself up, so i am a rubbish sober host lol. But I know you don't suffer from that.

 

Also the main point I was reffering to, is the factor of controlling oneself to not drink, its very hard in an environment like that especially when offered drinks/shots and get included in rounds. I know you can do it, and soi 7 has gotten over his alcohol hill, but i dont see many guys able to say no here.

Good observations Bryan. I still think it could be done in a beer bar.

From my observations, those guys who have the confidence to just leave the Thais to run the bar and don't go there that often sometimes reap more rewards than if they are there every day trying to micro manage everyone and pissing staff off.

Of course the Thai usually skim off some for themselves, but at least you make something and don't have hassle.

[brisbaneAl]

For a smaller bar that you want to run yourself.

1. Do you have the personality for it? eg good people person, enjoy sitting in the same place 365 days a year 12 plus hours a day and have the patience of a saint?

2. Can you control/moderate your drinking?

3. Do you have a reliable Thai partner/wife/mamasan/cashier that you trust implicitly and shares trait number 1 & 2?

4. Can you afford to live earning only baht?

 

General tips

Find a niche, something different or something no one else is doing all that well.

Keep your overheads as low as possible, smaller bars don't make the big money but can ride out quiet times much easier.

Have combinations of revenue streams, eg accommodation, drinks, girls, food, try not to be reliant on just 1 or 2.

Research heavily. 

If you don't have a lot of friends already ensure the customer base you are buying isn't moving with the seller and you are compatible with their needs/wants.

Managing the girls is like herding cats.

 

It's not as undoable as many will tell you but it is no bowl of roses either.

 

Cheers

Al

[Soi7]

Great info Al as you would Know Sir

[rik696969]

a bar is as good as the girls..they can make or break it..one day you have many girls next they get the hump and they walk out...

 

bars now have big problem getting girls

[udontony]

Knowing Brisbane Al, Soi 7 and misteregg and seeing how they run bars, advice from them is well worth listening too.  If they dont know what happens in bars then nobody does!  Good luck with whatever you decide to do. 

[mryang]

With 10 000 bars already here, one must ask - What makes YOUR BAR better than those that already exists?

 

This might sound crazy but in ANY BUSINESS you must have the "best in the world" approach. It doesn't mean the most expensive, but best for the category of customers you want to attract at THAT TIME, in THAT AREA and still OVER ACHIEVE and making the customer OVER SATISFIED . 7-11 has the best in the world food 4 AM, 10 meters from my house. So I go there. Yes, Hilton has better food, but it ain't open and it's too far for my tired legs to carry.

 

ALSO - A bar / restaurant only survives from the number 50 or even 100th customer that single day. The 49/99 before was just to make you pay the existing bills. So your entire marketing approach must be how to attract 50 + X customers on a daily basis.

 

AND - Asking existing bar owners is ONLY WORTH A DIME if they already are world class and superior in the field, and even so, you are not to learn what really matters - draw your own conclusions.

 

BUT - I would say that 99% of all bar owners don't know a much about how to run a serious successfully bar. They all look the same, they are all equally boring and they do the same as everyone else as they were a (f**ing) franchise. So if you have any new idea that takes the bar scene to the next level - I'd say you have a good chance to succeed.

 

My 2 cents worth.

[Skins]

Good advice in this thread. I have several ideas for a "brick and mortar" type business and I thought about the bar thing as well... I agree you need to have something that sets you apart from the competition. Pattaya doesn't need another small run down beer bar.

 

Personally, I see Cambodia as a much easier option for a foreigner wanting to start a small business. Easier to get started and less competition. The place is begging for some quality establishments in my opinion. I might even give it a go in the near future.

 

I wish you much success.

[Asswhole]

If you can afford the risk then go for it.

[gambit]

You are getting some good advice from some well respected members, I opened this thread thinking I would see a bunch of sarcastic posts.

 

I do not live in Thailand but also think I may move there when I hit 50-55. 7 or 8 years if I make it that long.

 

If I were you I would go to your local bar with a similar style you want to own in Thailand, a little rougher would be better. Go sit at the bar every night for a week from open to close drinking nothing but non-alcohol drinks, this is to see how you can handle being around drunk people when sober, not as easy as it sounds. Have conversations with the drunk customers. If you can not handle that then there is no way you can handle being around vacationing drunks from around the world.

 

If I remember right JasonThai is coming up on his one year anniversary of buying the Lala land bar on Soi 6, I do not know Jason personally but he seems like a nice guy on facebook. Find him a water bed and I would think he would tell you about his experiences.   I also think his partner when he started left, Rickie. Don't know the story but if Jason wants to talk about it then it will give you a idea of what you are getting into.

 

I wish you the best and would like to know how you do if you do go through with it.

 

Just because something worked in Michigan doesn't mean it will work in Thailand. And do not ever say this, "Well this is how we did it back home" you are not home and it just pisses people off. I hear it all the time, "this is how we did it in New York" my response is, well go the fuck back then. 

[Wok N Rok]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to see if I can get some feedback on the realistic expectations of purchasing, running and lifestyle of a bar owner in Pattaya.

I live in the United States and have a background in management and have considered what might be involved in this type of business in Pattaya.

I have heard some people guess but I'd rather get some feedback from those who are bar owners or managers or from anyone that has knowledge on this.

I would love to hear the pros and cons of doing this and income and lifestyle that they live.

Cheers everyone!!!

 

It's not easy. But it's do-able.

 

You need a good selling point. You need to market it.

 

Pros.

Living in Pattaya.

Beer

Social life

 

Cons

The risk

Hiring staff. Very very difficult.

 

Cheers.

[Andyc673]

Give it go, but just bare in mind that Pattaya is full of bars, so it's going to be competitive, if you can get the right staff that's a huge bonus, location will be a massive hit too, but also bare in mind that the king is the oldest monarch in the world, the thais love him and when he dies how will that affect Thailand and it's natives.

[Andyc673]

Getting a guesthouse with a bar might be a safe way to go aswell.

[xerive]

Location Location Location

 

Once you have this sorted then decide are there to sell food or beer or women.

 

If you plan on selling just beer - FORGET IT - nobody I know makes money on beer alone.

 

If you plan on selling food - DONT SELL SHIT - people are not stupid more then a couple of times i.e. they don't go back.

 

If you plan on selling women - Do you know any?  You have to watch them constantly - they will SCAM YOU or try to.  Be prepared for many police visits. 

 

...

 

Please also note - picking up an ashtray - clearing 1 empty glass from a table - picking up the phone and answering in your business name all constitutes "working" unless you have a visa you will get trundled off to the police station where the extortion begins.

 

Usually the staff or even one of the bitter customers you may of pissed off have grassed you up (or competition) - this happens quite a lot.