Who owns the bars/clubs

[spz1827]

Just curious to know who owns the beer bars/nightclubs in patong? Are they mostly farang owned or thai? Do they rent the locations or buy them outright? If so how much (ballpark figures)?, Also how successful are people who buy bars/clubs, do most crash and burn or do most make a success of it?

Sorry more questions than i planned but id be quite interested to know, thats if anyone can provide any answers on this.

cheers.

 

[Pompal 09.]

actual owners are usually Thai as only Thais can own land in Thailand

Operaters/lessees of bars are usually falangs but the bigger nightclubs are generally run by Thais

Lease price varies very widely based on situation, size and the greediness of the owners

 

[Lady in Waiting]

Usually in seforum.xxxes.. Ground owned by Thais (only a few families in general).. Bar sois then given a head lease.. Usually seems to be 10 years but getting shorter.. Those are often Thais (as they get the best price due to contacts to the families) but sometimes a farang or self managed.

Then theres bar leases, almost always 3 years.. Which gets bought and sold as the clock ticks down.

 

[Pompal 09.]

You've got the right name for buying a bar in LOS........ " Mr. Bonkers' Bar " 555!

 

[Khaled]

hope you not thinking about buying one

 

[moxy]

Haha maybe one day but im too young at the mo and ain't got enough dough. Also I'm sure a lot of hastle comes with owning a bar over there so it may be best to stick to hols. Good call on the bar name though.

 

[Maybelline]

The Thai ownership of Patong bars is temporary as I intend to corner the market in 3-4 years.

 

[Anna :)]

Which corner?

 

[Cali]

I intend to turn Bangla into the new Bohemian Grove...where wrinkled old cnuts like Kissinger and Clinton can get their rocks off praying to a giant concrete owl - while being serviced by the nastiest, ugliest, and most pernicious katoeys God ever suffered to crawl upon the face of the earth

 

[mew2fling]

I think owning a bar is a great idea!

 

[Zerexiam]

So do I, but for nearly all foreigners we have to lease and the key money can be outrageous.

 

[Jeniffer S]

I wonder how many of these people fulfilling their dreams of owning/running a bar in Thailand, return home after a while pennyless.

 

[Azeri]

I think it's very difficult to know the truth. If I went broke with a bar I might be too embarrassed to admit it so there are probably lots of sad stories we never hear.

 

[Jamie W]

I dont think you have to wonder.Its pretty common knowledge most of the bars make litle or no profits.Which kinda is at odds with the 10k a night boys.oh well.

 

[McBraas]

I read an article on another site about the various mafia in Thailand. One of the things they said is that the mafia will typically use a bar/restaurant as a front for a money laundering operation. They don't care if they make a profit. This may explain some of the restaurants and bars I've seen without a customer in Patong for months...yet they remain open.

 

[Magic But Mediocre]

Not too different from anywhere else in the world I suppose.
There is a Russian owned strip club here that seldom seems to have more than three or four cars parked outside. Yet it has been open fow a few years now...

 

[Dan]

In Denmark they use Pizza places to launder **** money.....

 

[New T]

Same-same everywhere. I was in the restaurant/bar industry for 20 years, from bartender to sous chef to head chef to DJ to manager of a 500 seat disco: payoffs - yes, even in Kanada - are typical, SOP. I've comp'd dozens of liquor inspectors to the tune of $200K + over the years. It's the cost of doing business. Anywhere.

The only reason I ever left that gig was the HOURS - I went one stretch of two years, 16 hours a day, 365 days...after that, running a bar in Patong would be a fcuking breeze!

There are three simple rules to running a successful bar/disco/restaurant/night club/etc: hot babes, good food, service. Price is a non-factor: punters will pay anything if properly serviced and standards are maintained.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Maybe if there are only a couple of alternatives. But when there is 200 different bars in a small area then i'm sure price does begin to have a factor. Any price change in product with lots and lots of very similar but different substitutes will lead to a greater change in demand such as the tong. Try and open a bar in patong and charge 300b for a beer.

 

[Xtreme Poetess]

I never said to get greedy, just be fair.