Are their any Sports Bars in CR?

[ChaangNoi 231]

I'm looking for a place to watch baseball or american football and have a beer. Are there any such place around?

I know there are a few Thai places that only have football but is there anything else? If not why?

[DonaldBattles 983]

The last count with friends there were only 27 resident Americans in Chiang Rai province. this disregards the teachers and missionaries. For sure we don't have any sports bars here owned by Americans. There are only a few girly bars on skid row.

[ChaangNoi 231]

I have been thinking about opening a sports bar for a while but wanted to make sure there was not something already around. My idea would be to have all the american sports and then all the aus/euro stuff too. No girls other than for serving beer or food. I'd like to have Guinness on tap but I'm sure I would never be able to sell enough to make that work.

Honestly I'm not sure I would even get enough business to cover operating costs, let alone recover my investment into setting the place up. After rent, staff and all the costs for the sports that will add up.

Maybe I should just install a tap in an extra bedroom and invite people over to my house:)

[piewarmer 430]

You'll find it tricky to get staff wanting to work at 5 am for live football and hockey.

Don't get a small place with big rent. the location isn't the main concern, hidden away may be better selling alcohol outside legal hours.

I started in the bar business for the same reason... nowhere to go in a big town.. it worked out fine.

[DonaldBattles 983]

If you have a lot of time and money that you want to piss away go ahead and do it. It is a serious mistake. Remember the entire province only has 700 resident farangs and 85% are English living on limited fixed incomes. Last check of Americans in the province was 27. Have you developed a business plan, what is your break even point, how many Americans do you have to get in the bar daily to break even. If all 27 came in one day you still could not break even. Now having said that, there are a number of young American teachers and missionaries that don't have much money. It is not my business and I am only trying to save you from losing your ass.

[onthedarkside 799]

^

Listen to Mr Battles business advice. He has a wealth of business experience here in Thailand.

[ChaangNoi 231]

It would be more of a hobby than a way to make money. I'm sure I will lose money, they only question is, how much?

I would have the location picked out and staff found before operating. I have had this idea for more than a few years and odds are it would be at least 6 months before I would even do something like this.

If I could only lose $1k to $2k US a month I might open something up. If it would cost me more than that, I would not bother. Flying to Phuket or BKK to watch some sports adds up as well.

[pastafarian 212]

If the OP's main aim is just to watch sports then why not just get cable tv at home and watch it there, why go through the hassle of starting a bar and being ok with losing $1-2k per month, very odd!

And I'd be interested to know where Khun Battles gets his stats from, only 700 resident foreigners in CR province with 85% of those being English on a limited fixed income...total nonsense! There are much more than that just in CR muang of many different nationalities and definitely more than just 27 Americans.

This is a very odd thread, almost as strange as the car one.

[villagefarang 15,761]

Buy a TV and watch from the comfort of home.

[rijb 4,091]

If the OP's main aim is just to watch sports then why not just get cable tv at home and watch it there, why go through the hassle of starting a bar and being ok with losing $1-2k per month, very odd!

And I'd be interested to know where Khun Battles gets his stats from, only 700 resident foreigners in CR province with 85% of those being English on a limited fixed income...total nonsense! There are much more than that just in CR muang of many different nationalities and definitely more than just 27 Americans.

This is a very odd thread, almost as strange as the car one.

It's an odd forum.

BTW, I heard Lena's near Mae Chan might be for sale.

[Rotweiler 472]

And, at last count, 7 Canadians.

And we're too polite to do bars.....

If you have a lot of time and money that you want to piss away go ahead and do it. It is a serious mistake. Remember the entire province only has 700 resident farangs and 85% are English living on limited fixed incomes. Last check of Americans in the province was 27. Have you developed a business plan, what is your break even point, how many Americans do you have to get in the bar daily to break even. If all 27 came in one day you still could not break even. Now having said that, there are a number of young American teachers and missionaries that don't have much money. It is not my business and I am only trying to save you from losing your ass.

[DonaldBattles 983]

Stats came from a friend via immigration about 3 years ago. Remember this only covers the resident farangs with retirement visa and not transit missionaries, teachers and tourist and other Asians. Now maybe there is a few more than what have died off. I am not sure. There are a lot of retired Japanese living in Chiang Rai. In Thailand it is reported that there are 1.2 million Japanese retired and living in Thailand. This is far more than any other nationality. How about a sushi sports bar. I know all of the 5 Canadians living in Chiang Rai and they are nice people. In population I believe that the Dutch are number 2.

[pastafarian 212]

Donald, surely this is a wind-up?! Five Canadians and two Dutch, really?

I still doubt those figures are correct even if just using retirement visa stats. And is there any reason you aren't including the thousands of other long term people on different visas such as marriage, work, tourist and business? Would they not be welcome in the OP's sport's bar?

[DonaldBattles 983]

I believe that the Dutch are number 2 in retirement population. Did you notice how clannish farangs are in Chiang Rai. I have no idea who would want to come and watch sports TV in a bar. I do notice that almost all of the bars on skid row have TV watching only one sport.

[piewarmer 430]

I do notice that almost all of the bars on skid row have TV watching only one sport.

That's Thailand all over