Opportunities in Bangkok’s second-hand business market have never been better Prices of small and medium businesses for sale already plummeting, creating some rich pickings for investors taking a long-term view of prospects for the Thai economy.

Brokers say that the asking prices of going concerns like restaurants, bars, pubs, small hotels and hostels have dropped significantly since the COVID-19 virus outbreak. “There’s never been a better time to buy a business,” said one of Bangkok’s most experienced brokers. “Bargains are
everywhere and more are coming.

“Last month I sold a European restaurant in Bangkok for under 50% of the listed price. The buyer, also from Europe, has got a great deal.

“A bar in the Central Business District was last week reduced from 5.5 million baht to just 3.5 million baht. That’s potentially another fantastic deal – if you’ve got the money,” he cautioned.

Among the other bargains right now is a recently refurbished pub in the CBD and a go-go in Nana Plaza, which has been reduced in price from 12 million baht to just two million baht. Nightlife areas like Nana have been told to close under the new government lockdown of Bangkok. Restaurants have also been forced to shut until the middle of this month, or maybe longer, depending on the effectiveness of the new regulations.
​
Meanwhile, brokers are witnessing a big increase in the number of businesses for sale. “It’s an unusual situation which will see a correction in the not too distant future. For now, though, it’s bargain time,” remarked one middleman.

Klanarong Chanthik, current member of the NCCC and past secretary-general of the organisation, strongly believes that corruption can be beaten if it is placed high on the national agenda and every citizen participates in finding a solution.
 
Though he is easily recognised as a tough talking graft buster, very few people know Klanarong Chanthik also as a family man who loves music, animals and sports. And despite all the attention he receives almost daily from Thai and foreign media, the 63-year-old barrister-at-law is a rather shy man. During a two-hour interview at his home, Mr Klanarong’s naturally polite and attentive demeanour never deserted him. Although his English is passable, he preferred to give the interview in his native language, through an interpreter.
 
Mr Klanarong’s white terrier, Khao Suay (Steamed Rice), provided a noisy welcome and the only noticeable security, staying close by his side as she kept an eye on her master’s visitors. One of ten dogs at Mr Klanarong’s residence, Khao Suay is his favourite.
 
“I came from a middle-class family,” he began. “My father was a civil servant who retired as deputy comptrollergeneral of the Ministry of Finance. My mother was a nurse. I have been married to Ms Panthipa for 38 years and we have one son and two daughters.”
 
The youngest one, Sunissa, joined the interview and helped translate. Her mother, who also joined the interview, is a businesswoman. The family lives in  compound of three buildings located off Phaholyothin Road in Bangkok with 16 other family members. “I have been here for 52 years,” Mr Klanarong declared.
 
Articles that mention his name and accomplishments have been published in many countries around the world, including Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Vietnam.
 
Mr Klanarong explained how he began his anticorruption crusade: “After the Office of Counter Corruption Committee (OCCC) was established, the chairman at the time asked me to join the organisation. I started as young official and worked right up to secretary general. Later on, His Majesty the King appointed me secretary-general of the newly-established National Counter-Corruption Commission (NCCC).”
 
In all, Mr Klanarong has spent 35 years working for the government, 27 of them specialising in exposing and punishing corruption. He retired in 2003, but was reappointed as a member of the NCCC after the September 19 coup under the new government.
 
“I love this job and believe that I have achieved a lot of good for the people of my country. Of course, after so many years of investigating corrupt people, I have made and I still have enemies. But I don’t worry because I’m just doing my job,” said Mr Klanarong, adding that “no one ever offered me a bribe. Never!”
 
 He said that during his tenure many people have bothered and tried to intimidate him. “I was followed, received threatening calls and someone even sent me an envelope containing excrement. At the same time, however, many people called and encouraged me on my mission to expose corruption.” Mr Klanarong continued: “I used to have two military bodyguards assigned to me by the government. They came from the Armed Forces Security Centre (AFSC).
 
He then explained that under NCCC regulations, as the secretary-general he was eligible to have bodyguards provided for him, but the protection was not extended after his retirement in 2003. Since his reappointment to the NCCC he has declined security personnel. “Recently the AFSC offered me protection, but I refused. I don’t need bodyguards,” Mr Klanarong said.

By Agneta Bekassy De Bekas

American photographer Daniel Herron tells the BigChilli about his life in Thailand over the past ten years

Most people have heard of Nicholas Cage, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Christopher Lambert and Mike Tyson but, who has actually met them, let alone worked with them?
​
Photographer Daniel Herron has just done that. I had a chance to sit down with Daniel to listen to his unique story. Daniel left the US in 2010 when the economy crashed. He decided he wanted to explore another country while at the same time challenging himself. His thinking is that we grow and accomplish the most when we are “out of our comfort zone” pushing ourselves and finding out just what we are made of.
 
Starting independently in a new country can be very challenging! There is the language, the culture differences one has to learn and adopt, in order to somehow fit it. It has taken him nine years in Bangkok of chasing work and finally landing some pretty interesting assignments. I know this, as we have been working together for most of the years Daniel has been in Bangkok.

Interviewing countless ambassadors has been fascinating. The events such as the opening of beautiful Park Hyatt and the huge shopping mall IconSiam, spectacular opening events on the Chao Phraya River, are great memories, Daniel says. Then Daniel connected with some Hollywood people that have relocated to Thailand. After establishing a warm friendship that leads to them asking him to work in a feature Hollywood film, starring Jean- Claude Van Damme, Mike Tyson and Christopher Lambert.
 
This is an opportunity that photographers rarely are able to get on, Daniel admits. It’s an insider track only possible by knowing people in the film industry and having the skills to work under such unique conditions.
 
Daniel was thrilled at the offer, but also knew the huge responsibility involved as the set photographers are what is used to promote the movie in advance of its release and must convey the director’s vision with impact! Long days and nights, sometimes no less than 12-14 hours, six days a week for at least 4-6 weeks. Filming in the heavy humidity in Thailand, Daniel said he lost around four kilos and was eating like a horse on the movie set.

CONFESSIONS OF A THIRD CULTURE KID
Chloe Mason, a recent graduate of Harrow International School Bangkok, on what it’s like when nowhere feels like home.
It’s always a challenge explaining to people where I come from. For my whole life I have never lived in my hometown, and being half British and half Chinese has made me feel like I don’t belong anywhere. I was brought up in Vietnam, where the native language sounded like gibberish, and having attended three different schools – moving from a school with a French curriculum to an American one and then to a British one – I spent my childhood and adolescence in places like Hanoi and Bangkok. 
Read more: https://www.thebigchilli.com/feature-stories/confessions-of-a-third-culture-kid
 
ANAND PANYARACHUN - THAILAND’S WITNESS TO HISTORY
A brilliant new book about the country’s two-time former Prime Minister gives the inside story on what really went on behind the scenes during some of the most unforgettable and turbulent episodes in Thailand’s recent past.
Called ‘Anand Panyarachun and the Making of Modern Thailand’, this monumental 600-page tome is an absolute must for anyone interested in the country’s political development and international relations over the past six decades. Driven, naturally enough, from Anand’s perspective, the book covers his personal experiences in all the major events of this period, including Thailand’s evolving relationship with China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and the US, the fall of Indochina, the Thammasat massacre in 1976, and the military interventions that led to his rise in national prominence in the early 1990s.
Read more: https://www.thebigchilli.com/feature-stories/anand-panyarachun-thailands-witness-to-history
 
BANGKOK’S AMAZING 26 BILLION BAHT ‘VILLAGE’ ON SOI LANGSUAN
Huge city centre condominium project by the Crown Property Bureau will have more than twice the amount of open green space required by regulations.
AMID the surge of ever grander, taller and more luxurious condominium developments in Bangkok, the Langsuan Village project by the Crown Property Bureau (CPB) aims to stand out from all the rest. CPB says the eco-friendly development under construction in the centre of the city near Ploenchit Road will have residents thinking they are “living inside a park.”
Read more: https://www.thebigchilli.com/feature-stories/bangkoks-amazing-26-billion-baht-village-on-soi-langsuan

Towering above Sathon Pier, the empty high-rise scares locals who fear it might fall on them unleashing ghouls. Braving zealous ‘guards’, Nicholas de Gersigny decided to climb this infamous edifice anyway.

As we cruised along the Chao Phraya enjoying the sights on a balmy November night, my friend asked: “What’s with that big derelict building – it looks like it’s been empty for a while?”
 
“It’s the ghost building,” our guide said. “It’s a hotel they were building but had to abandon their plans when it was half built during the Asian financial crisis in the late 90s – the money just ran out.
 
“Now the structure has too much exposed concrete rot to continue building and will cost too much to pull down so it just sits there – and is haunted – according to locals.”
 
“Can we climb it?” we inquired, our interest intensely piqued.

​Our guide told us it was reputed to be notoriously unsafe. He said he had heard of some “not so friendly” vagrants who inhabit the lower floors, and some “undead” folk on the upper floors.
 
“But if you guys want to I reckon you might as well try – just be careful.”
 
My companion and I, having spent many nights of our misspent youth finding ways into abandoned buildings to scribble on walls and whatever else, had a certain curiosity and a strong affinity with abandoned buildings – and with no disapproving, sensible wives to talk us out of it and no fear of ghosts or vagrants - our minds were made up.
 
We disembarked from the boat, grabbed a couple of beers and headed to the ghost building. 

Thailand’s most famous model and beauty queen Lukkade Metinee Kingpayome opens academy ‘Muse By Metinee’ and reveals the secrets for success
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Ms. Metinee ‘Lukkade’ Kingpayome, Thailand’s first supermodel, actress, entrepreneur and title holder of Miss Thailand World 1992, is officially revealing her secrets to success and stardom with the recent launch of Muse by Metinee.
 
With almost 30 years in the industry, Lukkade has garnered many awards and accolades for her success, learned the pitfall and secrets to make it in the industry and put all her learnings together in a well-crafted Muse by Metinee curriculum taught by Metinee herself and handpicked professionals. Courses at Muse by Metinee will help those that want to build their skills to become a top model, an actress, a beauty queen, an entertainer or simply how to bring out the best version of yourself.
 
Muse by Metinee is an inclusive learning grounds open to all genders and races from ages four and higher and is held at the state of the art and newly opened Minizize Dance Studio located at The Street on Ratchadapisek Road, starting from March 2020 onwards.

Like all media companies, The BigChilli has gradually built a substantial social media platform that includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and our own website (www.thebigchilli.com) featuring regular updates and news on issues affecting Thailand’s expat community. Thanks to the services, our online presence here and around the world has grown significantly.

At the same time, we continue to produce a printed edition of the magazine every month of the year. This highly popular version is available through bookshops or via subscriptions (see below).

To ensure the widest possible readership, we also distribute complimentary copies of The BigChilli to people or institutions in Thailand that play key roles in the life of expats here.

They include VIPs in government and commerce, Ambassadors and Embassies, Business Owners, International Schools and Universities, Hospitals, Medical Centres, Chambers of Commerce, Banks, Airlines, Cooking Schools, key members of the Media and a host of clubs, specialist groups and international women’s groups.

We also distribute the magazine to Hotels and their General Managers, Restaurants, Pubs, Bars and small/medium enterprises.
And we are a member of Thailand’s leading and most exclusive clubs:

• The Royal Bangkok Sports Club
• The RBSC Polo Club
• The Royal Varuna Yacht Club
• The British Club Bangkok
• The Foreign Correspondents Club
• The Rotary Club
• The British Chamber of Commerce

In short, we are Thailand’s most widely circulated and best read magazine for expatriates and members of the international community.
The BigChilli. Now celebrating its 20th Year of Good Reading.

+ Subscribe to The BigChilli only 1,400 baht for 12 issues. Free delivery. Available to Bangkok residents only. Outside that area, please add the cost of postage.

Like most of us, Bangkok expat John Sheehan wanted to know more about his family’s past and was determined to find out. After many months of independent research that took him on a journey of many surprises to Ireland, Australia and England, he eventually compiled a comprehensive and eye-opening history of his descendants which will be published in a special book. Here’s what that research entailed and the secrets it uncovered.

​Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels

Arecent court order which required Michelin-star restaurant in Bangkok to make a number of changes in its operations following a neighbor’s complaint is a strong message to commercial establishments that locate in residential areas, as well to local district officials who grant the operating licenses.

The neighbor sued the top-rated restaurant, complaining about late night smoking and noise and smells from its kitchen exhaust. The neighbor agreed to withdraw the suit after the restaurant owners consented to six conditions in a court-supervised compromise.

They included, moving its exhaust system away from the house by extending it by 10 meters, and properly maintaining exhaust filters, refraining from taking kitchen order after 10pm, turning off all outside lights and moving all customer cars from a parking area adjacent to the house by 11pm.

The Court said violation of any one of the conditions would be considered a violation of its order, and that it could lead to confiscation of property, jail term and fine. The neighbor could resume legal action to seek remedy in the court.

The Court order should make local districts more vigilant in issuing permits to commercial establishments that want to locate in residential areas. Noise, congestion and pollution problems are on the rise in metropolitan areas, and they risk public health particularly in communities densely populated with homes.

Most victims quietly endure the nuisance, or find themselves helpless after complaining to local authorities. Some victims have taken the matter into their own hands against their perpetrators.

There is the famous – or the infamous – case of axe-wielding ‘aunties’ who smashed a pickup truck that had blocked her driveway. She had complained to the authorities for years about the illegally constructed markets which had overrun her residential village and caused noise and congestion.

It wasn’t wise for the two elderly sisters to resort to such a recourse, as they were fined and given a suspended prison sentence for their act. But they also won much public sympathy, and a court case against the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Prawet district for a court-ordered demolition of the illegal markets. The Court also found that local authorities were negligent in performing their duties.

Name: Tori Rogers.

Nickname: Lately, I’ve noticed that people I meet here call me ‘Tori Talks’ - which is my profile name on Instagram. So, that’s pretty cool because that’s how I’ve met so many dope people over the last two years! You can find me on IG @ ToriTalks.

Born and raised: Houston, TX. #HTown

Education: I’m a Longhorn. I have a Bachelor of Science in Advertising from The University of Texas at Austin. Hook ‘Em!

Employment background: Marketing, advertising, PR and events. I’ve worked directly in media both on the radio side and on the other side pitching to media contacts. I’ve also worked on the corporate side with Fortune 500 companies, influencers and large brands.

What do you do here – and how long have you been in your present job? I’ve been a Marketing Consultant at an agency here in Bangkok for two years now. Even though I live here in Thailand, I still get the opportunity to virtually  consult clients headquartered in America.
When I first moved to Thailand, I was an English teacher. But that was short-lived because a) I realized that wasn’t my calling and b) there was something in my spirit that made me feel like Bangkok was my city for longer than the six months I planned to be here for.

How long in Thailand? I’ve been living in Thailand for 2.5 years. Crazy!

What brought you here? There was never a plan to live in SE Asia. Before I moved to Thailand, I was living in Houston and I had just gotten laid off from the oil and gas industry. If you’ve experienced a lay-off or a similar, you know what it feels like where you start reflecting.
So at this time, I decided that my next move needed to fulfil me and feel right. I knew that there was more out there that I wanted to explore. I was ready to learn more about myself. I knew that I had more inside of me that I hadn’t tapped into. I was considering relocating to LA or NYC but then I decided to think outside of the box.

What attracted me to Thailand is the fast city-life in Bangkok that feels like NYC lifestyle. And on the other hand, I also have easy access to beautiful islands. Best of both worlds.

What’s keeping you in Thailand? As most expats experience, moving overseas is life-changing. You grow. You change. You thrive. About a year ago, I was thinking about leaving Thailand. My friend, Travel Journalist Minority Nomad, gave me some advice that really stuck with me: “A place should be doing 1 of 2 things for you: 1) helping you grow or 2) helping you thrive.” Thailand has definitely helped me grow in so many ways. And now, I’m thriving.

Also - if something isn’t helping us grow or thrive or making us happy, then what’s the point? Be happy!

What’s the best part of living here? One of the most beautiful is the ‘Mai Pen Rai’ lifestyle I’ve adopted. Mai pen rai means no worries. Living here has shown me that most things aren’t as serious as we make them. No worries. It’s ok. Breathe. Chill. Be happy. Also, travel is more affordable in SE Asia than it is in the States. My friend’s flight to California from Texas literally costs 5x more than it costs to fly to China. Getting to travel is an opportunity to learn and experience different cultures. I also get the opportunity to share Black and American culture with other parts of the world.