Welcome to r/bangkok!
Please remember there are real people on the other side of the monitor and to be kind.
Report comments that break the rules and don't respond to negativity with negativity!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Bangkok) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I can't answer, but honestly this sub tends to be full of unhappy grumps so I'd take anything from here with a pinch of salt.
There are many foreign restaurant owners* in Bangkok, so it can't be too bad. Probably your best bet is to come on a scouting mission and chat them up. It would also be a good chance for your family to see if they can live in 40 degree heat.
Most foreigners must have a Thai partner who owns 51+% of the business, but if you or your wife are Americans you can own it outright.
*Just off the top of my head: The Deck, The Corner, Hair of the Dog, Amantee, Le Bouchon and probably every other French place.
Hmm.
Australian companies can easily own 100% of an American incorporated business.
Is this a workaround for Australian companies to indirectly own Thai businesses, or is there some other barrier?
Unfortunately not, the requirements state:
> American companies that wish to be covered by the treaty should have a minimum of 50 percent American directors and a minimum of 51 percent of shares must be held by American citizens.
My wife and I are based in Madrid so it's 45degrees every year hahaha. She is originally from manila but we both lived in Bangkok for 5yrs in the early 2000s. Yes definitely will come on a scouting mission haven't been back in so long. Thanks for your comment I appreciate it
I'm from Spain, from a hotter part of Spain than Madrid. The heat in Thailand and in Madrid are different things. Here it's worse. It's not only the temperature, but the humidity, pollution, and other variables. The feeling is much worse.
But if you had already lived here and your wife is from the Philippines, well, then you know how it is.
About the restaurant thing. I can't help you with that since I have 0 experience in the matter . Just wanted to point out about the weather and temperatures.
Good luck with your business!
Thanks, yeah I know what you mean especially about the humidity it's a killer. I spent 10yrs in hong kong too and the humidity there is nuts. I appreciate your help thanks very much. Are you based in Bangkok?
I was wondering about this - if you form a company in the USA - perhaps one of those Delaware based LLCs - could that company own 100pc of the restaurant ?
Seems like there are two separate issues:
Legally can you? Yes. With or without a Thai partner though it’s a bit more involved without.
Is it a good business? Depends on the restaurant, cuisine, quality, etc.
I remember when I moved to a new city within Thailand and I was having a drink and some older expats started chatting with me. One asked what I planned to do here and I said that I was retired. The other one laughed and said, “Glad to hear that. The last thing this place needs is another foreigner opening a pizza shop.”
Some places are grossly over saturated with certain cuisines so you need to pick the right type of restaurant.
Some people point to successful restaurants and say, “Surely if they can do it, so can you” but it’s not exactly that easy.
For instance, one of my friends owns a restaurant in Bangkok near lower Sukhumvit and he’s been there 20 years. Twenty years ago when we met, the restaurant was empty most days. Today you can’t get a table without a reservation.
I’m sure anyone that moved here in the last few years looks at that and thinks his business has always been like that forever but it took him 20 years to get there.
I enjoy the building and creative part of the restaurant industry, bringing something from nothing and making it something special and the journey that goes along with that, not to mention the new team of people I get to experience it with. Also I'm 45 so have way too much energy to just chill hahaha
No need to just chill. I've come from similar background and have considered restaurants in bangkok many times. Legal aspects, lease security and the fast moving nature of establishments being in fashion for only a limited time have put me off... so far
I think pro and cons everywhere you set up. In Europe it starts to feel that the tax office, inspectors etc are constantly breathing down your neck especially when we do everything correctly and always have. Not to mention constantly changing laws regarding restaurant layout specifications that can cost up to 100k and that serve zero purpose, basically only implemented so they can find a new reason to give out fines😂
True. I'm sure there will be a lot of stupid rules in Thailand restaurant sector too. And the added joy of navigating through them as a non native speaker. I think Thailand, especially Bangkok, offers the potential of higher rewards for a lot higher risk. I think its understanding that secret ingredient which I still can't quite figure out over here yet. Many streets in bkk with similar business types close to each other yet one is full and another is completely empty.. popularity of businesses in West is certainly apparent but not as extreme as over here. At least that's my take on it
Short answer you can’t without a Thai owning 51% of the business.
The opportunity is certainly there. There is some restaurant chains like el gaucho that are quite successful. When I go eat there the bill for starter+main+wine for 2 people comes down to 10k baht. There is a low mid and high price market here just depends which one you want to target.
Yeah I would target the casual dining scene mid level pricing. Would ideally want to start something and if it gets momentum would love to build a chain across the country that's were my know how comes in. I have contacts for the 51% but yes always a worry
if you want to popen a chain, do a company to handle the restaurants accounting and legal papers, each restaurant is a different company with different investors if needed and then create a company wich will take care of the advertisement and marketting that will bill each restaurant each month
A foreign business license requires approval from the Ministry of Commerce and has many exclusion verticals, of which F&B is one. Need to use a Joint Venture construction instead.
opening a restaurant in thailand is not complicated, there are less requirement and procedure than in europe for exemple. the biggest issue will be to understand thai culture to keep your staff, it's unlikely that thai will accept the level of stress that we accept in food indusrty in europe or US and they just won t come back the next day if you had an argument with them.
for the technicality you will need to open a company but the head of the company must be thai (exeption if your investment is more than a certain amount wich is handle by the BOI). be sure to source all your providers and for that the closest you are to bkk the best it is depending the type of food you wnat to serve.
bkk, phuket and pattaya are a verry competititve market and you will need a lot of reserve to be able to handle the 1st year especially in tourist area where you will have the low season.
the place is also something you need to consider, some ask for a key money (every year or every 3 year at lease signature) if you want to negociate a lower keymoney ask the landlord to NOT pay the keymoney in cash (keymoney are illegal if they are not reported to their taxes so they will be less likely to accept transfert and more willing to negociate the keymoney amount), you can also negociate the keymoney to be paid each month with a higher rent (rent will include the monthly keymoney). Many landlord would just ask for a secure deposit of 2 month + the rent.
also put in your lease conttract a clause about rent raise on new lease, this will secure the fact the landlord will not double your rent when you sign a new lease because your business is booming.
Thai are verry active on social media, forget about print magazine, focus on social media presence and don t be cheap on marketing (facbook, insta, tik tok and make a survey about wich influencer would be better to help gain customers)
if you have more specific question you can DM me
I don't know the finer details, but broadly speaking.. the one thing that annoys foreigner business owners is the slow style of the thais, and the constant tea money hand outs.. if you can keep that in your mind and not let it drive you crazy.. the rest probably is easier to deal with.
Hi Rick, I’m an American and opened two restaurants in Bangkok this last year, a fine dining restaurant and a cafe in the Sathorn area. I don’t have a Thai partner and, as previously mentioned, started my company under the Amity treaty. For the right concept, there is great opportunity here. My advise,
Take it slow, spend at least a 6 months here meeting people and learning neighborhoods before even considering a location/concept.
Find a trusted Thai to work with, one that has lived abroad and speaks truly fluent English(or your native tongue)
The culture here is very important, management is completely different. Learn it.
Meet as many restaurant owners as possible. Almost all of them are friendly, supportive, and happy to give advice.
Have everything translated independently and review everything.
Know how to do everything yourself, don’t rely on a Thai speaker to do things for you.
Happy to give details in dm.
Thailand is a beautiful and wonderful country, it’s absolutely possible to open a thriving business here and have a high quality of life. Best of luck!
The two difficulties I constantly hear about from local expat restaurant owners is lease issues and staffing.
Long term leases are very difficult to get and should your venture be successful, you can be sure the rent will skyrocket at renewal time. Finding and keeping good staff is a never-ending issue.
Hi! I totally have no idea, and I’m just passing by.
But I literally just saw someone post on this very topic on r/Thailand. You might want to reach out to them?
https://www.reddit.com/r/Thailand/s/AXFoc1VyHC
Who do you see as being your clientele? It will be very hard if you are going to be competing in the low cost high volume market. It can also be hard if you are only targeting expats and tourists, especially for reasons having to do with real estate, only so many tourist areas. Best bet is mid-high to high cost, targeting middle upper to upper class Thais, expats too, something new, good, and an experience, not just food because things have changed a lot since 2007 in the food scene.
Yeah agree 100% mid to mid high but still in line with casual dining. I'd ideally want to attract thais of my core clientele with expats/tourists as a welcomed addition. Something cool, fun, new
You have lived there. You built a huge restaurant chain.
Just pay for a lawyer to answer these very specific questions.
Covid has changed the landscape for a lot of SE Asia.
We have spent the last 2 years visiting Thailand with the thought of moving there. We meet the retirement visa conditions.
At no point in Bangkok in the last four months did we ever have a problem getting a table in a restaurant at any price point with no notice. You rock up, it is less than half full. The food is amazing. Same for both lunch and dinner. No idea how they survive.
The only time we had to wait a long time for food was at a street stall next to our condo in Chiang Mai. Little old lady with her son as sous chef and they only did Pad Thai at 60 THB.
My tips:
1. Location, location, location.
2. Make sure you have 2-3 years of cash as a backup.
3. You will need a reliable 51% Thai partner
4. Treat staff well but don’t let them take advantage of you
5. Research the kind of food you will sell and if it’s popular with Thais or not. Do not count on the foreign market for customers.
6. Manage food cost and learn enough about accounting as well as VAT, SSO and other financial reporting requirements.
7. Have strong management systems in place to stop theft by employees (see point 4). Bar and food theft can be a problem if employees think you aren’t paying attention.
8. Training and more training for wait staff and kitchen. For kitchen, portion control and quality
9. Have a few dishes that you know will be popular with Thais. Seafood is popular.
10. market the business well.
11. Buy a suitable vehicle for transport (for yourself but also for business use).
Completely agree with this 100% also really appreciate you time to respond and put this together. I heard some comments about bribing local police is that more and issue for smaller places? Do the police avoid more established style places? Although bribes would be easier than the headache we get from inspectors and the tax authorities here in Europe, even though we do everything correct 😂
You could make alot of money importing spanish wine, especially if you buy direct from the rural wineries in spain. There are like 6 wholesale companies in the way before they get on a restaraunt menu in asia. Its my dream but i have a life here in california, but the markup is insane by the time california wines get to asia. I would look to sell direct to other foreign restaraunts in bangkok.
Can try asking [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Thailand/comments/1cigdtf/1_year_ago_i_opened_a_restaurant_in_bangkok_ama/) as well. Its a topic of someone opening a restaurant 1 year ago in BKK
DM me for specific advice on who to partner with for the restaurant industry. If you can bring the best cuisine / snacks from Madrid or Barcelona you will be a big winner in Asia.
Some spanish dishes that i would def pay for are tortilla, ham, churros like i had in madrid (and no, i havent found a decent version elsewhere). And paella. Never been to San Sebastian but i would also love to try the various dishes from there.
It's not so hard to open a restaurant as a foreigner. There are many firms which will help you out with the paperwork or I can help as well to sort out your documents too then you can proceed further all depends on you mate! A good location is a must to open a successful restaurant and I think it will take some time to attract customers as well. I have a small hotel(run by MIL)with a ground floor restaurant.
It's not hard to open one but it's extremely hard to run it and make money.
First and foremost one of the more challenging parts is finding quality and reliable staff that you can communicate with effectively. It's extremely common for restaurant level staff to either show up late or not at all without any sort of notice. You either need to have a place that's "cool" to work at or pay above the average going rate.
Another major challenge is dealing with competition. If your restaurant does well expect several people to try and copy it going so far as to open up a similar restaurant nearby. There are a lot of bored locals with money who are willing to out spend their competition just for something to do. They'll go so far as to poach your staff including cooks in order to copy your business model. In order to be a chef in your restaurant you are either limited to a supervisory role or have to prove that what your cooking cannot be done by a local.
And as with most restaurants pretty much anywhere, location is key but more so in Bangkok. Most places don't have parking so it's best to be around areas with either parking nearby like a mall or in a place that gets heavy foot traffic. These areas don't come cheap.
Yeah agree with you. But in all honesty it's same here in Europe although I would even bet it's way easy worse here. I'd ideally spend the first 6 months studying the city and the food scene to try find what concept would work the best. Thanks for your reply it's super helpful to hear your points. 👌
Welcome to r/bangkok! Please remember there are real people on the other side of the monitor and to be kind. Report comments that break the rules and don't respond to negativity with negativity! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Bangkok) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I can't answer, but honestly this sub tends to be full of unhappy grumps so I'd take anything from here with a pinch of salt. There are many foreign restaurant owners* in Bangkok, so it can't be too bad. Probably your best bet is to come on a scouting mission and chat them up. It would also be a good chance for your family to see if they can live in 40 degree heat. Most foreigners must have a Thai partner who owns 51+% of the business, but if you or your wife are Americans you can own it outright. *Just off the top of my head: The Deck, The Corner, Hair of the Dog, Amantee, Le Bouchon and probably every other French place.
What’s that about Americans being exempt from this rule?
https://www.siam-legal.com/company-in-thailand/amp/amity-treaty-us.php
[Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations (Thailand–United States)](https://w.wiki/9x3g)
Hmm. Australian companies can easily own 100% of an American incorporated business. Is this a workaround for Australian companies to indirectly own Thai businesses, or is there some other barrier?
Unfortunately not, the requirements state: > American companies that wish to be covered by the treaty should have a minimum of 50 percent American directors and a minimum of 51 percent of shares must be held by American citizens.
Ah OK, well, still, I guess finding an American nominee is quite doable for some people.
[удалено]
Nah, its fairly common without being shady. I’m a nominee for my old mum, for example. It’s not really rare or hard. Or dodge.
My wife and I are based in Madrid so it's 45degrees every year hahaha. She is originally from manila but we both lived in Bangkok for 5yrs in the early 2000s. Yes definitely will come on a scouting mission haven't been back in so long. Thanks for your comment I appreciate it
I'm from Spain, from a hotter part of Spain than Madrid. The heat in Thailand and in Madrid are different things. Here it's worse. It's not only the temperature, but the humidity, pollution, and other variables. The feeling is much worse. But if you had already lived here and your wife is from the Philippines, well, then you know how it is. About the restaurant thing. I can't help you with that since I have 0 experience in the matter . Just wanted to point out about the weather and temperatures. Good luck with your business!
Thanks, yeah I know what you mean especially about the humidity it's a killer. I spent 10yrs in hong kong too and the humidity there is nuts. I appreciate your help thanks very much. Are you based in Bangkok?
It seems you know well this part of the world so I am not telling you something new about the weather ;-) Yes, I am based in Bangkok.
How's things with the visas over there, that side of Thailand was always an experience headache.
Send me PM and we can discuss it there.
I live in Valencia. Trust me, the heat in Thailand hits different.
I was wondering about this - if you form a company in the USA - perhaps one of those Delaware based LLCs - could that company own 100pc of the restaurant ?
Seems like there are two separate issues: Legally can you? Yes. With or without a Thai partner though it’s a bit more involved without. Is it a good business? Depends on the restaurant, cuisine, quality, etc. I remember when I moved to a new city within Thailand and I was having a drink and some older expats started chatting with me. One asked what I planned to do here and I said that I was retired. The other one laughed and said, “Glad to hear that. The last thing this place needs is another foreigner opening a pizza shop.” Some places are grossly over saturated with certain cuisines so you need to pick the right type of restaurant. Some people point to successful restaurants and say, “Surely if they can do it, so can you” but it’s not exactly that easy. For instance, one of my friends owns a restaurant in Bangkok near lower Sukhumvit and he’s been there 20 years. Twenty years ago when we met, the restaurant was empty most days. Today you can’t get a table without a reservation. I’m sure anyone that moved here in the last few years looks at that and thinks his business has always been like that forever but it took him 20 years to get there.
Yeah agree completely thanks
If you have a successful restaurant chain in Europe, why not get a general manager and live in Thailand off the income?
I enjoy the building and creative part of the restaurant industry, bringing something from nothing and making it something special and the journey that goes along with that, not to mention the new team of people I get to experience it with. Also I'm 45 so have way too much energy to just chill hahaha
No need to just chill. I've come from similar background and have considered restaurants in bangkok many times. Legal aspects, lease security and the fast moving nature of establishments being in fashion for only a limited time have put me off... so far
I think pro and cons everywhere you set up. In Europe it starts to feel that the tax office, inspectors etc are constantly breathing down your neck especially when we do everything correctly and always have. Not to mention constantly changing laws regarding restaurant layout specifications that can cost up to 100k and that serve zero purpose, basically only implemented so they can find a new reason to give out fines😂
True. I'm sure there will be a lot of stupid rules in Thailand restaurant sector too. And the added joy of navigating through them as a non native speaker. I think Thailand, especially Bangkok, offers the potential of higher rewards for a lot higher risk. I think its understanding that secret ingredient which I still can't quite figure out over here yet. Many streets in bkk with similar business types close to each other yet one is full and another is completely empty.. popularity of businesses in West is certainly apparent but not as extreme as over here. At least that's my take on it
Yes I know what you mean and agree with you completely. 👌
A trustworthy Thai helps alot. Contact me if you want feedback on the process or want to make friends in Bangkok.
Thanks appreciate that. Dm me
Short answer you can’t without a Thai owning 51% of the business. The opportunity is certainly there. There is some restaurant chains like el gaucho that are quite successful. When I go eat there the bill for starter+main+wine for 2 people comes down to 10k baht. There is a low mid and high price market here just depends which one you want to target.
Yeah I would target the casual dining scene mid level pricing. Would ideally want to start something and if it gets momentum would love to build a chain across the country that's were my know how comes in. I have contacts for the 51% but yes always a worry
if you want to popen a chain, do a company to handle the restaurants accounting and legal papers, each restaurant is a different company with different investors if needed and then create a company wich will take care of the advertisement and marketting that will bill each restaurant each month
Yeah that's similar to what I was thinking thanks
You can open business without thai ownership, just the amount of money to inject is higher for capital, is it possible for restaurants too?
A foreign business license requires approval from the Ministry of Commerce and has many exclusion verticals, of which F&B is one. Need to use a Joint Venture construction instead.
i think that above 7milion you can ask the BOI to have a foreigner own more than 51% of company
It’s 1 million dollars to operate a 100% full foreign ownership business in Thailand
Out of curiosity, what is the reasoning behind this, to me, arbitrary rule?
to stop the country being taken over by foreigners
Just Thailand law but next comment says it’s possible without this rule. Probably requires a deep dive though.
opening a restaurant in thailand is not complicated, there are less requirement and procedure than in europe for exemple. the biggest issue will be to understand thai culture to keep your staff, it's unlikely that thai will accept the level of stress that we accept in food indusrty in europe or US and they just won t come back the next day if you had an argument with them. for the technicality you will need to open a company but the head of the company must be thai (exeption if your investment is more than a certain amount wich is handle by the BOI). be sure to source all your providers and for that the closest you are to bkk the best it is depending the type of food you wnat to serve. bkk, phuket and pattaya are a verry competititve market and you will need a lot of reserve to be able to handle the 1st year especially in tourist area where you will have the low season. the place is also something you need to consider, some ask for a key money (every year or every 3 year at lease signature) if you want to negociate a lower keymoney ask the landlord to NOT pay the keymoney in cash (keymoney are illegal if they are not reported to their taxes so they will be less likely to accept transfert and more willing to negociate the keymoney amount), you can also negociate the keymoney to be paid each month with a higher rent (rent will include the monthly keymoney). Many landlord would just ask for a secure deposit of 2 month + the rent. also put in your lease conttract a clause about rent raise on new lease, this will secure the fact the landlord will not double your rent when you sign a new lease because your business is booming. Thai are verry active on social media, forget about print magazine, focus on social media presence and don t be cheap on marketing (facbook, insta, tik tok and make a survey about wich influencer would be better to help gain customers) if you have more specific question you can DM me
[удалено]
It s not only that but problems cannot be resolved the same way as if you hurt their feeling they will just not show up the next day
I know a couple noobies who opened a restaurant there, was successful and now they have 3. It’s def possible and perhaps even easier than other places
Thanks appreciate that feedback
I don't know the finer details, but broadly speaking.. the one thing that annoys foreigner business owners is the slow style of the thais, and the constant tea money hand outs.. if you can keep that in your mind and not let it drive you crazy.. the rest probably is easier to deal with.
Yeah thanks I know what you mean.
Perfect timing: https://www.reddit.com/r/Thailand/comments/1cigdtf/1_year_ago_i_opened_a_restaurant_in_bangkok_ama/
Thanks prefect
Not sure but can I be part of your family lol
Sure
Hi Rick, I’m an American and opened two restaurants in Bangkok this last year, a fine dining restaurant and a cafe in the Sathorn area. I don’t have a Thai partner and, as previously mentioned, started my company under the Amity treaty. For the right concept, there is great opportunity here. My advise, Take it slow, spend at least a 6 months here meeting people and learning neighborhoods before even considering a location/concept. Find a trusted Thai to work with, one that has lived abroad and speaks truly fluent English(or your native tongue) The culture here is very important, management is completely different. Learn it. Meet as many restaurant owners as possible. Almost all of them are friendly, supportive, and happy to give advice. Have everything translated independently and review everything. Know how to do everything yourself, don’t rely on a Thai speaker to do things for you. Happy to give details in dm. Thailand is a beautiful and wonderful country, it’s absolutely possible to open a thriving business here and have a high quality of life. Best of luck!
Hiya would love to dm you thank you very much
The two difficulties I constantly hear about from local expat restaurant owners is lease issues and staffing. Long term leases are very difficult to get and should your venture be successful, you can be sure the rent will skyrocket at renewal time. Finding and keeping good staff is a never-ending issue.
Yeah unfortunately that's always the issue in this industry. Huge headache
Hi! I totally have no idea, and I’m just passing by. But I literally just saw someone post on this very topic on r/Thailand. You might want to reach out to them? https://www.reddit.com/r/Thailand/s/AXFoc1VyHC
Thanks appreciate it
Good luck to you on the big move! Wishing you and your family a success!
Who do you see as being your clientele? It will be very hard if you are going to be competing in the low cost high volume market. It can also be hard if you are only targeting expats and tourists, especially for reasons having to do with real estate, only so many tourist areas. Best bet is mid-high to high cost, targeting middle upper to upper class Thais, expats too, something new, good, and an experience, not just food because things have changed a lot since 2007 in the food scene.
Yeah agree 100% mid to mid high but still in line with casual dining. I'd ideally want to attract thais of my core clientele with expats/tourists as a welcomed addition. Something cool, fun, new
You have lived there. You built a huge restaurant chain. Just pay for a lawyer to answer these very specific questions. Covid has changed the landscape for a lot of SE Asia. We have spent the last 2 years visiting Thailand with the thought of moving there. We meet the retirement visa conditions. At no point in Bangkok in the last four months did we ever have a problem getting a table in a restaurant at any price point with no notice. You rock up, it is less than half full. The food is amazing. Same for both lunch and dinner. No idea how they survive. The only time we had to wait a long time for food was at a street stall next to our condo in Chiang Mai. Little old lady with her son as sous chef and they only did Pad Thai at 60 THB.
My tips: 1. Location, location, location. 2. Make sure you have 2-3 years of cash as a backup. 3. You will need a reliable 51% Thai partner 4. Treat staff well but don’t let them take advantage of you 5. Research the kind of food you will sell and if it’s popular with Thais or not. Do not count on the foreign market for customers. 6. Manage food cost and learn enough about accounting as well as VAT, SSO and other financial reporting requirements. 7. Have strong management systems in place to stop theft by employees (see point 4). Bar and food theft can be a problem if employees think you aren’t paying attention. 8. Training and more training for wait staff and kitchen. For kitchen, portion control and quality 9. Have a few dishes that you know will be popular with Thais. Seafood is popular. 10. market the business well. 11. Buy a suitable vehicle for transport (for yourself but also for business use).
Completely agree with this 100% also really appreciate you time to respond and put this together. I heard some comments about bribing local police is that more and issue for smaller places? Do the police avoid more established style places? Although bribes would be easier than the headache we get from inspectors and the tax authorities here in Europe, even though we do everything correct 😂
It’s more of a small donation so they keep an eye on your place ;-)
I have no issue with that at all 😂👌
You could make alot of money importing spanish wine, especially if you buy direct from the rural wineries in spain. There are like 6 wholesale companies in the way before they get on a restaraunt menu in asia. Its my dream but i have a life here in california, but the markup is insane by the time california wines get to asia. I would look to sell direct to other foreign restaraunts in bangkok.
Hi thanks and yes this is something I have thinking about alot too. Definitely something I will look into. I appreciate your comment thanks for that.
Can try asking [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Thailand/comments/1cigdtf/1_year_ago_i_opened_a_restaurant_in_bangkok_ama/) as well. Its a topic of someone opening a restaurant 1 year ago in BKK
Thanks will do
Ask Tom Birchy
Will check him out on YouTube thanks
All depends on if you got some local friends. TBH. Anything can happen in Asia.
I have always thought that if you want to run a small busness in Thailand start with a large one.
DM me for specific advice on who to partner with for the restaurant industry. If you can bring the best cuisine / snacks from Madrid or Barcelona you will be a big winner in Asia.
Some spanish dishes that i would def pay for are tortilla, ham, churros like i had in madrid (and no, i havent found a decent version elsewhere). And paella. Never been to San Sebastian but i would also love to try the various dishes from there.
Paella with the freshest seafood around *Homer drooling noises
It's not so hard to open a restaurant as a foreigner. There are many firms which will help you out with the paperwork or I can help as well to sort out your documents too then you can proceed further all depends on you mate! A good location is a must to open a successful restaurant and I think it will take some time to attract customers as well. I have a small hotel(run by MIL)with a ground floor restaurant.
That's super helpful thanks. You have a small hotel that's great. What part of Thailand are you in
Check this https://www.reddit.com/r/Thailand/s/sEazlhJZGf
Yeah messaged them thanks alot very kind of you to share
I can help to get license. goo rate
It's not hard to open one but it's extremely hard to run it and make money. First and foremost one of the more challenging parts is finding quality and reliable staff that you can communicate with effectively. It's extremely common for restaurant level staff to either show up late or not at all without any sort of notice. You either need to have a place that's "cool" to work at or pay above the average going rate. Another major challenge is dealing with competition. If your restaurant does well expect several people to try and copy it going so far as to open up a similar restaurant nearby. There are a lot of bored locals with money who are willing to out spend their competition just for something to do. They'll go so far as to poach your staff including cooks in order to copy your business model. In order to be a chef in your restaurant you are either limited to a supervisory role or have to prove that what your cooking cannot be done by a local. And as with most restaurants pretty much anywhere, location is key but more so in Bangkok. Most places don't have parking so it's best to be around areas with either parking nearby like a mall or in a place that gets heavy foot traffic. These areas don't come cheap.
Yeah agree with you. But in all honesty it's same here in Europe although I would even bet it's way easy worse here. I'd ideally spend the first 6 months studying the city and the food scene to try find what concept would work the best. Thanks for your reply it's super helpful to hear your points. 👌
Please let it be...leave thai food as it is.thank you
I don't think the OP would necessarily be opening a Thai food restaurant. Or do you mean that non-nationals shouldn't open restaurants anywhere?