Living In Hau Hin

[chrisj6001]

Hi Hau Hin

Having just retired after 33 years running Nightclubs in the UK, I am serious looking at Hau Hin. I have been visiting the area since 1994.

As I am active I would also like to buy or start a business, the two things I have in mind is a UK style nightclub or wed design and printing both of which I have many years experience of.

My other half is Thai and has a very good job here, she is a head nurse.

So tell me what life is like and my chances if you will.

My next visit is 28th January.
Keep well

[Frost]

Welcome at HHAD...

Hm... Guess it would be easyer to ask expats about HUA HIN not Hau Hin, maybe u have a chance here to get an answer...
About Hau Hin fewest may have any kind of information here...

And wed design... Do u mean web design? Just to make your posting clear, then u may get some answers here...

[margaretcarnes]

After that slightly 'frosty' reception - welcome!
You've got a good start by already having a Thai wife who should be able to help you through the many hoops of life in Thailand. And a lot of years running clubs back home.
There's no shortage of info on here about the problems of visas and work permits, so have a browse under previous threads for that (including retirement visas.)
Regards your business ideas - personally I think HH is lacking a decent UK style nightclub. I think it would need to be at the 'plusher' end of the market though, and you'd need a very good DJ, and can't expect to be able to hire European musicians very often. Food would be a plus. And remember that HH attracts a lot of Scandinavian and other European tourists as well as Brits. It's not the Costa Packet or Butlins!
Finding town centre premises big enough could be a problem, and getting tourists to venture out of the town centre also a problem.
One aspect of running such a business in Thailand is getting used to not being able to do what you are used to in terms of 'hands on' work. You can't serve, take orders, clean tables, run the disco, stock the fridge, or technically even greet customers. A work permit allows you only to manage, train staff, and supervise.
Web design businesses seem well provided for in HH, but clearly it can be a world wide market, with the advantage of maybe working from home. There are forum members who can provide much more info on that type of work and the work permit needs for it.

[buksida]

Web design businesses seem well provided for in HH,

That's pretty accurate, there are at least 15 outfits in this wee town offering web design services, competing with 'companies' that outsource the work to India is virtually impossible so unless you have a large client base in Europe it is going to be a struggle.

The nightclub idea sounds grand and there is a market for it but you'd be up against the heavy handed competition (read: Hilton) and no end of bribes and tea money to the constabulary and anyone else who wants a piece of the action. If it is professionally setup and managed it could do well though.

[Takiap]

I agree with Buksi in that Hua-Hin is certainly lacking a decent nightclub. The Hilton is as close as it gets and in my opinion, the Hilton is a million miles away from being a nightclub. It's simply an over-priced pub that attempts to entertain by hiring cheesy musicians. If you get to open a "proper" nightclub that really bounces, you'll sure as hell see me there.

Also, while I'm sure you won't manage to escape the tea money aspect of things, you may be able to keep it minimal by setting yourself up directly with one of the top brass, so to speak. Anyway.....good luck.

[chrisj6001]

Hi and thanks for your replies:

Thank you for your comments as they are most appreciated. I posted here, as I really wanted to hear what local people thought of the Nightclub idea. I was in Hau Hin for NYE and also last September, during that time I did a bit of research and what you are saying is what I heard then.

Its funny you mention the Hilton as that is how I sort of started my career in the nightclub business as during my early years I was a DJ and worked at a lot of the Hilton and Sheridan hotels across the world. One thing I learned was Hotels and Nightclubs do not mix well as the noise vibrates through the building and guests complained which I would if I paid to stay in a 5 star hotel.

Thanks for the Tea Money quote, yes I knew about it and have had to deal with it a few times even in London at the Hippodrome and Hammersmith Palais to name a few, but they where days long ago thankfully.

My idea of a club in Hau Hin is keep it small at around 300 to 400 capacity, with a music policy that is not baseline all the time, Commercial Dance music is the faze I use, leather sofa’s to relax in and a dedicated dance floor for those who want to strut their stuff. Add a DJ who knows his boss can do the job as well as he can, bar service by the glass if the customers only wants one drink. Then add a few extra’s like Service, TV’s and Style, BUT keep it clean in all departments and I do mean CLEAN.

But first to find that venue, and talk to the right people.

On the Web design front, yes I hear what you are saying, my company in the UK has daily requests for outsourcing. We did it once only to find so did a 1000 other companies, so the site supplied to us was the same supplied to the others its called TEMPLATES, so we do not do it and tell customers that if you want a web site like 1000’s of others please do not ask here as “Quality Says A lot About You”?

But it does not have to cost much more? But Worth It.

As I said I do appreciate what you say and will listen to you.

Keep Well
Chris

[Khundon1975]

chrisj6001

Welcome to the forum.

I'm to old now for any but the slowest of dances but I used to cut a dash as they say, in my youth.

I remember that there were 2 clubs in HH back a few years, one in the City Beach hotel and another over by the night market.

I never used either, so cannot say if they were fun places or not. I do know that both clubs had there fair share of trouble, that is why the wife and I steered clear of them.

Good luck to you, if you do manage to set up a decent club in HH.

[Frost]

I am also new in HuaHin. But surprisely it seems that some new members spell the town name wrongly, why is that?
Is this a common error by newbies?

Hi Hau Hin
Having just retired after 33 years running Nightclubs in the UK, I am serious looking at Hau Hin.

HI guys this is my first post on here. So I won't ramble on too long. It's been some time since I first went to Hau Hin but enjoyed the place when I was there. A mate of mine has since emmigrated to Hau Hin and bought a bar...

[johnnyk]

Couple of questions:
Are there enough expats to put 3-400 people in the place most nights?
Seems to me most expats in HH are not nightclub types.
Are there enough tourists to do the same? Not from what I have seen around town in recent weeks. And bills have to be paid 24/7/365 not just 90 days of the year
Will Thais go to a falang nightclub? Not at falang prices they won't. And I doubt they would anyway, its a different style.
Would Thai nightclub owners be welcoming of such a venture? I have my doubts and they just may have some influence to bear on the situation.
Ideas are great but having a real market to serve comes first, IMO.

[margaretcarnes]

I'm pretty sure the OP will have had enough experience to be able to do his SWAT analysis - and sounds like he has already made a start. But I do agree on numbers JohnnyK.
A 300/400 capacity club sounds about right by UK standards. But take the number of expats - say about 6,000 by Buksis' estimate I think? Suppose they might ALL go out to a club once a month (given the exchange rate, frozen pensions etc) so at most thats a potential 200 a night. In reality maybe only 25% of them max are interested = 50 a night. Plus Thai partners of course in many cases, but still pushing it to pull in 100 a night.
So it would need to attract tourists as well. Back to the location problem - and limited season - personally I would consider only opening Fridays and Saturdays to reduce overheads and maximise the door.
The obvious problem with that is keeping Thai staff. Even paying them full time rate probably wouldn't work.
BTW the spelling issue Frost - maybe partly due to the pronunciation problem. A friend of mine who has actually spent time in HH still cannot pronounce it. It always comes out as 'Howa Hin' despite constant correction. Some people just can't get their g...s around it!

[Super Joe]

Agree with JohnnyK. It will not work in Hua Hin IMHO, there's no where near enough farangs under a certain age who are into clubbing and dance/house music. Friends bar put on an excellent DJ a few years back every Friday, it was well publicised around town, approx. 15 people turned up, so dropped it after 6 weeks or so, I know a full blown club building would be a different proposition but it gives you an indication.
Another problem I'd see is you'd have to be charging clubs rates for beer due to overheads of large building with big set-up costs and limited trading hours etc, whilst back home clubbers have no problem with the prices, in Thailand if people have to pay over 80 Baht for a beer they have kittens and label the place a rip-off joint and harp on about it only costing 32 Baht from the supplier.

If the local young male Thais decide to frequent it drinking their bottle of whisky with mixers then it could kill it as somewhere farangs want to go. Not sure how easy it would be to stop this, if a group of 8 coppers turn up with a bottle of Johhny Walkers in their hand (and that will happen) are you or your doormen going to be able to turn them away??

Sorry to give negative feedback but just being honest, and don't get me wrong there's nothing I'd like to see more, we regularly travel up to Bangkok to go to proper clubs as there's nothing in HH. Generally the clubs in Bangkok have to pay massive fees to the local plod/government officials so have to charge 400-800 Baht entry, 140 Baht a beer. In Bangkok the girls buy drinks, in HH the girls won't be buying drinks at that price unless bought for them, even the farangs won't want to pay that.

Good luck with whatever you do.

SJ

[Super Joe]

And the other thing I believe is any new club in town will always suffer numbers wise as the Hilton will ALWAYS attract the majority of people because of it's location at the end of Bintabaht on the way to the late night karaoke/bar area. And because the girls are into it's cheesy music and they can just walk in free (apart from weekend cover charge) and not have to buy a drink. Those large number of girls then attract the farangs irrespective of how cr@p the place and it's music is.

Unless a new place can get a location right near Bintabaht (which will mean big rents IF you can get the licence) then it's going to find it hard as when you have to shut at 2am then people want to wander onto the karaoke/bar area where you can drink until daylight. And as the Bintabaht bars are open until 1am or 2am, depending on current police crackdown, then your trading window will be small. The Hilton starts to get busy at 11:30 but not really busy until midnight, then turns the lights on at 2am, so just two and a half hours of trading

Now if you can get a licence to stay open until 4am, then you could be talking .......

SJ

[chrisj6001]

Hi Thanks for your comments, all valuable in one way and another. I have seen Hua Hin spelt and pronounced a few ways; I will try and get it right in future.

I am back next week so will be having a good look round and pop into the Hilton as I have not been there as yet. Most of my visits to Hua Hin have been straight off the plane from the UK, so missed a lot I expect, this time is different.

Your right about numbers and keeping a club going as bills do have to be paid 24/7 that is why you can also utilise the premises for other things and transform into the club as the day/night progresses. Years ago clubs where cash cows now only the strong survive and you have to know what you are doing, perhaps that is why I lasted 33 years in the business and the 108 clubs I have had involvement in, some up to 3500 capacity.

I know a well run club on a split tier system would do well in Hua Hin and could also improve what entertainment is around it. In the past in most of the major towns/cities in the UK, when venues work together a big improvement was noticed.

I will let you know what I think of the Hilton and can I improve on it.

Prices
No you do not have to charge the earth to get in, most nights it can be free entry and drinks have to be at a fair price too, we had to change in the UK last year, where prices dropped from £3.50 a pint to £1.00 on some nights and here you are not paying £500 to a £1000 a week council tax on top of the rent along with other charges that would make you cry.

I still am not sure how you spell Hua Hin? This spelling is from Google!

Keep well
Chris

[caller]

and here you are not paying £500 to a £1000 a week council tax on top of the rent along with other charges that would make you cry.

Keep well
Chris

I'm keeping well, Chris - thanks.

But sorry to be a pedant, but Council Tax is only for residential properties. I assume you are referring to non-domestic, or business rates for your clubs? You must have had some prime venues!

[Farang]