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[syd barrett]

UPDATE on comments

I am English and like most normal non-gym going people shower twice a day only.

I believe that all you farang objectors, who shower 4,5 or 6 times a day, so don't take offence.

But the fact remains that there are a lot of unclean and stinky long-stay farangs here in Pattaya who wear clothing for several days in a row. Some of them are my friends and some of them are good people, but they are just soap dodgers (sometimes 55 years old plus) who have been brought up to appreciate a weekly bath and a change of clothes on a Sunday.

Thanks, all comments about the business plan welcomed.

[chuckd]

Syd Barrett:

Are you really Weho?  

[Shotime]

My TWGF is "Miss Most Useless <snip> In Thailand" 2006.

Edited by soundman, 2009-04-16 20:21:33.
Removed profanity.

[nam-thip]

My Tai misses works firstly because she wants to and secondly she knows if she doesn’t work I’ll cut her money by 30% to make sure she only has enough for herself and her daughter.

The logic is simple: Work and I’ll give you enough money to enjoy life and buy the sort of things you could never previously afford.

I point blank refuse to give money for her to send to her family but offer help when I’m able to as I have an 83 year old father who I’m responsible for and he has to take priority.

Help when I can:
I’ve just funded putting her fathers Kwai lek or two wheeled tractor back on the road after it’s been stood idle and broken for the past two years.
He’s as happy as Larry.

She never complains and is happy with the arrangement.

[Shotime]

You have, it seems, achieved the impossible. I respect your setting of boundaries, but I am a little curious. What does 70% of "her money" leave her? In Baht.

If you have the time, can you also share what your help to the family amounts to. Monthly. In Baht.

Your logic is somewhat twisted, but I still want to know. You first. Mine always complains no matter what I find in my heart (pocket) to give her.

You sound like a lotta fun.

Edited by Shotime, 2009-04-16 12:19:35.

[dogleg]

Well, I'm English and I don't wear socks or underclothes. How's that?
(and I've got my own washing machine!)

[dogleg]

Seriously though, I'd go and find a girl who already runs a laundry if I was you. There are plenty of them.

[sanmiguel]

Asianrider, on 2009-04-15 13:03:17, said:

my local laundry is good, the only problem is they occasionally eat one of my socks. I give them pairs everytime, but get the odd single one back !!!

In England i buy 10 pairs of the exact same socks for 2gbp from Asda, then every 3 months or so replace them..... job sorted, usually have about 7 pair left at the end of each period.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

I think it is the wrong business, from reading this thread I think you should start a few shower stalls near the bars. That way the guys don't have to miss any showers or any drinks.

[JimmyConway]

BEENTHEREDONETHAT, on 2009-04-16 16:20:25, said:

I think it is the wrong business, from reading this thread I think you should start a few shower stalls near the bars. That way the guys don't have to miss any showers or any drinks.   

There you go you could call it the 'Shower Bar' overweight farangs sitting in their undercrackers drinking Chang when every 30 mins or so sprinklers comes on and showers the lot. What a sight for sore eyes that would be!

[jupiler]

patklang, on 2009-04-15 15:43:30, said:

Think you should check out this theory about farangs wearing the same clothes for a day ,maybe you are doing this and think all farangs are the same.
I have minimum 5 showers a day/evening and every time i change clothes,albeit,singlet,shorts,unless i go out.This is a hot country and to suggest we dont change clothes everyday is mindblowing.you must have some dirty friends.

So you change 5X times a day clothing? Perhaps you need you're own private laundry shop

[BSJ]

syd barrett, on 2009-04-15 14:55:17, said:

I am absolutely sick and tired of the Thai wife lying around all day watching unfunny comedy programmes with irritating sound effects and the even more pathetic Thai soap series that run every evening from 8.00pm onwards.

I have an idea to set her up with a laundry business. I reckon I can rent a premises for 6,000 per month then there is utility bills on top.

I can set the place up with three washing machines initially, one washing machine will be for farangs only because this will be set to a higher temperature wash because farangs (unlike Thai's) wear their clothes more than once so there is more bacteria in their underwear and socks.

I shall get two ironing-boards (good quality) not the type which sag or slip around on the floor because they weigh only 1kg.

Then set her to work (with one assistant from her Isaan extended family (who has never been to Pattaya before, so appreciates a salary of THB4K).

I will advertise heavily for tourist business with English signs and flyers and get her to draw up some Thai-scripted similar.

Then I can just sit back and wait for the cash to come in.

Comments appreciated.

      Your a Cunny Funt!  Well, you did ask for comments.

[torrenova]

The laundry business is not easy I promise you as I've been through the maths with this a few times. I do this with businesses which are profitable but not maximising their potential largely because of a lack of investment, lack of drive or knowledge etc. but mainly because Thais working and owning these types of places are happy when their income exceeds what they perceive they could earn from another more demanding job. Just l;ike the noodle lady who packs up at 2pm but who could sell another 100 dishes later on.

Does anyone remember those annoying adverts on Sophon about 3 or 4 years ago for something like Easyclean ? Howie was interviewing one of his advertisers who had seemingly spent a fortune on equipment, premises and customised delivery and collection vehicles ? Where are they now ? Bankrupt I suspect as I have not heard from the in years.

Where you can win is service. It is easy in a condo block as you have a captive audience but when you get to houses, people have more room and you can get a decent (LG or Samsung) top loader big enough for your duvet blanket (about 8kg) for between Bt6k and Bt8k. Laundry liquid is about Bt200 a big bottle, softener is Bt80 or so for the same, water is next to bugger all and electric is moderate.

You trade off pieces per Bt500 (the standard payment way) from 50 to 100 but you can clean up on service through timeliness and quality of ironing. Add in cleaning of the condos as well.

Move to contracts with people outside of condo blocks and you'll see most still don't have a car. Why ? because they cannot afford one or justify the expense. Anyone who can afford one has one, even if they also drive a bike. Now you don't take big laundry on a bike do you ? Also, you don't iron stuff even if you a machine.

In the end it comes down to whether people will pay for the service and that is where you have to put time, money and effort into doing your own empirical market research.

Just a thought for this and other businesses. Why do they close so early ? You pay rent 24 hours a day. Most taxis are earning a living 24 hours a day, yet laundries go to sleep and tell their customers that they can have it back tomorrow night maybe or the day after. What would be the outcome if you could have it back far far quicker, nearly as quick as you could do it yourself ? Think about it.

[lawling]

syd barrett, on 2009-04-15 11:55:17, said:

I am absolutely sick and tired of the Thai wife lying around all day watching unfunny comedy programmes with irritating sound effects and the even more pathetic Thai soap series that run every evening from 8.00pm onwards.

I have an idea to set her up with a laundry business. I reckon I can rent a premises for 6,000 per month then there is utility bills on top.

Comments appreciated.

One of the major considerations will be siting of your premises. Location, location, location!
From what I have seen, the concept of over supply or over-provision of facilities does not exist in Thailand.  So, to do things the Thai way, you should look out for a laundry that is already operating successfully and then locate next door - since it is obviously a lucky area. If there are already 2 or more laundries operating side by side, then all the more reason to locate as close to them as possible.
Incidentally, will the missus be able to take a break from the ironing occasionally to sell lottery tickets? I presume lottery sales isn't a full time job - just a couple of busy days twice a month.

[rogercw]

Forget laundries. Sure-fire moneymaker is to buy one of the many open-air beer bars that have gone busto and are available cheap. Make your Thai lady the mamasan. She can provide jobs for numerous "sisters" from her village thus increasing her status. No need to worry about losing money because all your falang friends will come to your new bar regularly and drink. You get to sit around and drink with your friends all day and as a bonus you get to perform the "chief talent evaluator" function.

[roomservice]

Dont want to get into flaming, however i feel if you have a lazy wife it wont work anyway,.im lucky mines a workaholic,but i see a lot of these types that laze around, as another poster pointed out if you are paying the family or similar tell her she needs to get a job to support them ,wait for a reaction,. then you will know exactly what you have and if your intended investment will be wise,.,.

Edited by roomservice, 2009-04-17 10:30:53.

[roomservice]

jupiler, on 2009-04-16 19:25:21, said:

patklang, on 2009-04-15 15:43:30, said:

Think you should check out this theory about farangs wearing the same clothes for a day ,maybe you are doing this and think all farangs are the same.
I have minimum 5 showers a day/evening and every time i change clothes,albeit,singlet,shorts,unless i go out.This is a hot country and to suggest we dont change clothes everyday is mindblowing.you must have some dirty friends.

So you change 5X times a day clothing? Perhaps you need you're own private laundry shop

Or a different deoderant !

[syd barrett]

rogercw, on 2009-04-17 10:06:24, said:

Forget laundries. Sure-fire moneymaker is to buy one of the many open-air beer bars that have gone busto and are available cheap. Make your Thai lady the mamasan. She can provide jobs for numerous "sisters" from her village thus increasing her status. No need to worry about losing money because all your falang friends will come to your new bar regularly and drink. You get to sit around and drink with your friends all day and as a bonus you get to perform the "chief talent evaluator" function.

You are joking right?

Nobody who really knows the score in Thailand buys a bar-beer to make a profit, or even break even. I think some of bar-beer owners actually do it for fun, as a hobby, even though they are making annual losses.

Laundry, it will be.

[Tolley]

Half the people i know in Pattaya have laundries.

They are a dime a dozen and like others have said they are very hard work.

Your missus will probably not do the work and chose to employ others and after a period of time three to six months when you have lost a bit of money you will decide to close up shop.

What is the point of having a falang if you have to do hard manual work?

Maybe finding her a non epensive hobby would be more productive for you.

PS I have bought two businesses for my wife both of which went the same way ,down the gurgler.

.It is cheaper for her to stay at home and watch thai soapies.

[Daffy D]

Laundries are hard work with big set up expenses compared to little return.
If your lady is lazy now she will not take to it.

See if you can get her interested in some business venture of her own, with little initial outlay, then at least she will have some enthusiasm to try and make a go of it. But you will still loose your investment and have her back in front of the TV once she gets bored.

If her attitude bugs you that much stop her allowance, just give her enough daily for groceries and get rid of the TV and tell her if she does not like it she can go back to the village to live with her parents,

[innovator]

You are her current employer. She has a job. She has a farang giving her a monthly salary plus benefits (free housing, food, medicine, clothing).

If she is lazy, then why would she want a second job in a hot, busy laundry?

Here are some ideas to get her motivated to work.

1. Make a list of daily house chores, along with a time schedule for her to follow.
8:00am Cook breakfast
8:30am Clean up kitchen
9:00am Clean floors, sweep/mop
10:00am 15 minute break
10:15am Take out trash and clean the areas outside of the house
12:00pm Lunch break
1:00pm Shopping at the market for fresh fruits/vegis
3:00pm 1 hour nap or break---free time for tv, soaps
4:00pm Special project: Painting, mow the grass, polishing, ??
6:00pm Dinner
7:00pm Free time

This way, she has a set schedule with something to do. This will allow you the freedom to do your own things around the house and give her a sense of
pride in actually doing something besides sitting around and watching soaps all day and night.

Good luck.

[Heng]

plasticpig, on 2009-02-22 01:48:59, said:

Why do the  Thai Chinese have all the good businesses and money in Thailand?

I know why do you?

Clever proverbs to keep up going?

[syd barrett]

innovator, on 2009-04-19 10:53:48, said:

You are her current employer. She has a job. She has a farang giving her a monthly salary plus benefits (free housing, food, medicine, clothing).

If she is lazy, then why would she want a second job in a hot, busy laundry?

Here are some ideas to get her motivated to work.

1. Make a list of daily house chores, along with a time schedule for her to follow.
8:00am Cook breakfast
8:30am Clean up kitchen
9:00am Clean floors, sweep/mop
10:00am 15 minute break
10:15am Take out trash and clean the areas outside of the house
12:00pm Lunch break
1:00pm Shopping at the market for fresh fruits/vegis
3:00pm 1 hour nap or break---free time for tv, soaps
4:00pm Special project: Painting, mow the grass, polishing, ??
6:00pm Dinner
7:00pm Free time

This way, she has a set schedule with something to do. This will allow you the freedom to do your own things around the house and give her a sense of
pride in actually doing something besides sitting around and watching soaps all day and night.

Good luck.

Thanks for the suggestions. However she already does most of the above, including the 'polishing'............

[Phatcharanan]

syd barrett, on 2009-04-24 22:38:30, said:

innovator, on 2009-04-19 10:53:48, said:

You are her current employer. She has a job. She has a farang giving her a monthly salary plus benefits (free housing, food, medicine, clothing).

If she is lazy, then why would she want a second job in a hot, busy laundry?

Here are some ideas to get her motivated to work.

1. Make a list of daily house chores, along with a time schedule for her to follow.
8:00am Cook breakfast
8:30am Clean up kitchen
9:00am Clean floors, sweep/mop
10:00am 15 minute break
10:15am Take out trash and clean the areas outside of the house
12:00pm Lunch break
1:00pm Shopping at the market for fresh fruits/vegis
3:00pm 1 hour nap or break---free time for tv, soaps
4:00pm Special project: Painting, mow the grass, polishing, ??
6:00pm Dinner
7:00pm Free time

This way, she has a set schedule with something to do. This will allow you the freedom to do your own things around the house and give her a sense of
pride in actually doing something besides sitting around and watching soaps all day and night.

Good luck.

Thanks for the suggestions. However she already does most of the above, including the 'polishing'............

Oh right !  Thats cleared that then.

Here is me thinking that in the OP you were complaining she does F.A but lie around all day.......................Silly me.

[dave9988]

What was her previous job, OP?