The bars

You can count the beer-bars in Pattaya almost one thousand altogether. Many of them are running with farang management, many with Thais. The ordinary staff includes a cashier, a mama-san and a bunch of bar-ladies. The customers usually sitting around the bar and the staff resides inside. Frequently a beer-bar has a pool table. We have one, too.

These bars are usually oriented to farang customers. I you are walking by these areas, you can never forget tens of exciting ladies shouting: “HELLO! WELCOME!” Every bar needs customers indeed.

The typical activities in such bars include consuming drinks, chatting with ladies, watching TV, playing innocent games etc. Additionally, you can ask some lady to go with you. None of the bar ladies are obligated to go with anybody. But yes, if the lady agrees, you have only pay the pay-bar and the lady will be free from the bar at this night. You may sit in the same bar together or go to another bar or to discotheque or to your hotel room, wherever.

Technically, this is not prostitution. Everybody can meet anybody and if they want to know each other more, so what? On the other hand, everybody knows that the ladies in bars are available for sex, too. This is highly tolerated in Thailand indeed, although the social status of bar ladies is not too much respectable.

Bottom line: the most important part in bar business is staff.

Beginning

This diary should be a story of a bar-business, as it is. But first at all, a short overview should come.

I am indeed in my mid-fifties. Born and living the most of my life in Estonia, Europe, if anybody knows that country. Have been married, having children etc. The last business was a bookseller-company, owned by myself and it was running quite well.

After several trips to Thailand, just arriving again, sitting in my favorite bar in Bangkok near Nana, I decided to stay here forever. I had no special relations in Estonia neither in Thailand. But I have been falling in love with this country, with this people, with this special attitude. I decided to fly back only for completing all my businesses, collect some financial resources and to arrive for the rest of my life.

I did not worry about finding friends or girlfriends here either; sooner or later I will undoubtedly find a good partner, I thought. Surprisingy, it happened in less than two weeks, when I met my dead Lord in Pattaya. Right now we are married and we have a baby named Lili.

The first and half year we were doing nothing. I mean, in terms of business. Indeed, there were some ideas, but we didn’t start anything actually. We had only plans, ideas and dreams a lot.

At last, the decision was made to buy a bar. The most suitable bar happens to be located near Walking Street, the always crowded and busy street in the town. The asked price was only 250 thousand baht.

Introduction

If you happen to be a male in your fifties and frequently visited Thailand, especially Pattaya or Phuket, you might be sitting in your favorite beer-bar, consuming drinks, chatting with ladies and thinking: why should I leave the Land of Smiles in next couple of days? Why not stay here, for rest of my life? And then, staring the sign on the next bar: „FOR SALE”, you realize, that exactly this will happen. Why not buy a bar, sit in your own bar, consuming drinks, chatting with ladies – and not pay for anything, on the contrary, your friends visiting your bar, paying to YOU. What a great idea, isn’t it?

For me, personally, it seemed to be the most stupid idea in the world, demonstrating only total lack of fantasy, and creativeness, and …

And so I am running a beer-bar in Pattaya.