Doing business in LOS
 

Planning into selling food like Malay and Chinese cuisine.
I can start from scratch and even with a makeshift stall like those street hawkers.
I have small capital and trying to be realistic.

Is this doable and what are the challenges ahead?

Hope can get advice from bros here.

Thank you much.

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

Too many challenges..

1) Please define street hawker.. Those inside night market or those really along roadside near small soi or industrial estates?

2) If its a non proper set up, you have to take care of the police at that district which they may come collect 'rental' from you. They may chase you out depending on the regulation at that district.

3) If want to open up a proper shop, you cannot be registered as the sole business owner.. you need a Thai partner and the shop will be registered under his or her name.

4) The food may not suit the local Thai, you cannot depend on expats or tourist to patron your shop.. The local thai love their Thai food.

5) Material supplies.. spices and sauces are diff in Thailand and you may not be able to get the same taste..Also take note that the cost of material is high or some material are not allowed to import into Thailand.


End of the day, food business in Thailand really cannot fight with the locals unless you are a big player who can afford extensive marketing and target at the middle or middle high income group of population inside town shopping belt.

My 2 cents...

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

PCC, makeshift no need much money, but cart and food cost. :D Tell me where is your stall, I go try try. There was a uncle selling SG BBQ chicken wings on push cart but dunno where he disappeared.

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

Sure definitely will let you know first .
Still in planning stage.

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

Nice sharing bro.
I appreciate that.

Probably will pay a hawker stall and sell my stuff from her stall.
I'm expecting conflict in this case. Just worried about other possibilities that I never expect.

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

I think the most important question is, will you be running the shop and what visa you are getting to work in this shop.

Many Singkie run small businesses in Thailand but most of them run it behind the scene while letting their thai partner, thai wife, thai gf etc doing the daily operation.

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

ya kun kaya toast in terminal 21 also closed shop.Just make sure you done your homework and let the thais try your cooking before you even decide to venture. Asimple nice is not good enough. They must crave for it then you have a good chance to open. Like some bros say, the thai really love their thai food alot. :cool:

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

Even Ya Kun can up lorry liao what makes you think you can succeed?
After 1 year of loss making or only at breakeven operation you'll auto give up.

Maybe the SG BBQ Chicken uncle sick of paying protection money to Tumluat.
This week cop A come and collect then next week cop B collect another round.
Never ending headache 555. :D

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

Free drinks, food and hold hand.
If have free pussy lagi best! :rolleyes:

Traits of the typical cheapo Sinkie! :p

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

U should check with that fat malay guy, we know in Thailand.... He is planning or done food business b4 if I am not wrong.

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

Malay or Indonesian food is not popular among Thai people. They don't like the smell of spices and they don't like their food too oily. I think the only place left selling Indo/Malay food is Jimbaran Bali in MBK 5th floor food court (aka The Loft). All other Indo restaurants have tried and fail after a couple of years.

Jimbaran can survive because MBK attracts tourist and most of their customers are tourists. If you plan to sell Malay street food you better test your food with the locals and see if they like it or not. Most will probably not. The Thais that I know that can eat Malay food are those that have lived abroad before and they have more adventurous taste buds.

The other places that sell Singapore-style hawker food like laksa and nasi lemak are Secret Recipe and Ya Kun Kaya. I tried the laksa in Secret Recipe but it did not taste as good as the local version.

Just my two cents.

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

Definitely will not forget.
You all had given true reviews.
I should gauge the crowd with sample then can get real reviews from locals.
I'm researching northern side which mostly students or working class. Definitely my market will not be the rich one .

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

can try sell bak kuh teh. Almost all my thai friends say they like it when I bring them to eat in sg. It is like the consensus dish they say they dont mind eating again. Dont sell dishes that there is already a thai version. For instance, they very much prefer their chicken rice than ours.

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

F&B business in LOS is really tough.

A typical example that I came across is a high end authentic Japanese restaurant in Pattaya.
I went there twice as I find that the food is fresh and nice.
But it also ended up close shop within a year even Pattaya is a location full of tourists all year round.

Re: Doing business in LOS
 

Small money makes big money...depends on what you want?
Get a small pick up or here have the small 10ft lorry..make like the Lok-Lok style...After if the biz picks up, offer franchise to the local Thai, they like to Monkey see Monkey do...see what can make money they will also follow.

But before all these becomes a reality...you die die must have the proper visa for yourself to stay here for long and then a work permit.
Dont tell me you going to do it with a TR visa.. is a No-No...
For work permit, if you tell them you are going to be street vendors, most likely will be reject. Certain work are reserved just for Thai. You have to be creative in your application which makes it so different from the locals.