Thailand - up close and personal

Availability of certain items in Thailand
Small business start-up suggestions - of interest to entrepreneurs

ISSUES	SOLUTIONS	COMMERCIALLY VIABLE?
Pure fruit juice is difficult to find in Thailand. Currently, nearly everything has sugar and/or corn syrup added. Even a popular orange juice that says '100%' on the label has salt added. Three reasons Asians are loosing their naturally nice complexions and slim shapes is sugar, sugar and more sugar.	Pineapple, grape, orange, apple, plus many indigenous fruits make excellent refreshment. Fruit ices and dried 'fruit leather' would also be cool. A few roadside stalls already sell natural juice, but the potential for more activity is large. Carbonating juice would add another dimension.	Yes! In a country with abundant fresh fruits, it's a sin to not have ample natural fruit juice available.
Thai students study mightily to speak English but it's a hard row to hoe. Many educated Thai people can read passably well, but conversational English eludes them - in large part for fear of making mistakes.	For an English speaking foreigner, start an 'English Club' - a place where Thais can mix with native English speakers in an informal environment. Suggest; a cafe-type setting. Offshoots could be bicycling / hiking / climbing clubs.	Not necessarily a commercial venture, but a great way to assist and meet local folks.
Like other Asians, Thais see second hand things as low class. Though a person can find some used items for sale, such as vehicles and appliances, the potential for more is vast. Buying & selling 2nd hand items would help the environment by lessening trash disposal	Thrift stores and/or specialty-item outlets are needed. Similarly, garage & yard sales are never seen in Thailand but would be a great way for people to make and save money. Plus it would be advantageous for the Thai economy by weaning people away from feeling compelled to buy only retail.	Yes indeed! Big multi-item outlets or smaller specialty shops. The only resistance would be from angry retailers.
There are not many parks in Thailand and scant few geared for kids. In my city of Chiang Rai (population: 1/4 million) there's not one public park with playground equipment.	Though playground equipment is available for sale, it comes in one flavor: cheaply made, minimal sized iron tube type. Suggested add-on: Rent out roller blades and/or roller skates.	Yes. Especially cool would be to design & fabricate innovative kids' stuff from re-cycled material.
Black mildew that's visible on every building in Thailand. A mildewcide additive to paint is nowhere to be found.	Wood or ceramic moulding placed on top of wall edges that would divert some water away from (rather than down the side of) walls.	Yes! Plus a new paint additive that inhibits the growth of mildew could be patentable.
Unsightly electric/phone wires that line nearly every street & building. Linemen must have a Degree in Tanglology in order to string wire.	Thin walled PVC pipe could be split to cover running wire. Major entanglements could be disguised with plastic leaves/flowers.	Yes.
ISSUES, continued	SOLUTIONS, continued	COMMERCIALLY VIABLE?
Most farmers say they need to use toxic chemicals because of insect problems.	Beneficial insects, that prey upon harmful ones, can be bred and sold.	Yes, though expert guidance would be needed to get started.
Every day, tractors denude vast tracts of land. Grass seed is not available for sale in Thailand.	Thais will say 'nature will re-seed itself', which is true if you don't mind a large measure of prickly weeds in the mix.	Yes. Wild grass seed can be harvested by hand. A pillowcase can be filled in about 20 minutes. (est. Bt.300 retail value)
No hemp growing allowed in Thailand. The main reason: the Thai government is overly-influenced by its U.S. counterpart who continue to describe hemp as a drug. It's not.	Thai government authorities seem to pay little heed to (or not be cognizant of) the fact that hemp is successfully grown in many other countries worldwide; China and eastern Europe legally export large amounts worldwide.	See added details about how commercially viable this easy-to-grow crop could become if allowed to be grown.
Neither self motorized mobile homes nor hitched trailers are seen on Thai roads. Same story for simple haul trailers hitched behind cars or pick-ups. Don't know why.	Perhaps because some Thai drivers are erratic, and trailers would only exacerbate the problem. See Driving in Thailand section for more about Thai driving habits.	An entrepreneur could see about manufacturing and/or marketing travel trailers.
Alternative energy is not in its infancy here - it's not yet been born. How accessible, in Thailand, is research and educational material regarding solar heating & cooling? Where are the budding inventors & innovators?	Don't buy the tired excuse of "can't be done, it's all too expensive". Not true! If you can attach a garden hose to a pipe on a metal tank (a hot water heater core, for example), you can put together an alternative energy system.	Yes. Plus find a supplier of wind-up dynamo contraptions that can power fans, radios, music boxes, etc.
Unless I'm mistaken, there are only two types of nut trees grown in Thailand; cashew and coconut. For some reasons, there seem to be many more types of commercially grown nut trees in countries with cold climates.	For Thailand's semi-tropical climate, there are at least two other types of nut trees that would flourish: macadamia and brazil nut. At right are listed two advantages that commercially grown nuts have over fruits.	1. When dried, nuts are much less perishable, and 2. they command a higher price per kilo.
Real sandwiches are a rarity. Slim pieces of lily white bread covering a paper thin slice of something - does not a sandwich make.	In tourist towns, you may sometimes find an outlet outlets for decent bread - even passably good French bread. However, when talking sandwich, it's what's inside that counts	Anyone interested, can learn to make a real good sandwich. Hint: think THICK - so thick you can barely get your mouth around one side of it.
Pillows and other items stuffed with "down" are not available. Indeed, nearly all mattresses, pillows and stuffed furniture are made from plastic foam which emits debilitating formaldehyde gas.	If one searches diligently, however, one can find pillows stuffed with cotton wadding material, which is healthier. Wool (untreated by chemicals) or buckwheat hulls are also healthy as fillers.	There's a money making gig here, I can just feel it.
Virtually no bicycle paths in Thailand. Of the few miles that currently exist nationwide, none are motorcycle-free. A bike path could be tied-in with 'fun-runs', triathlons, and benefit/charity events.	Organize construction of a bike trail. Ok, it sounds outlandish - but not impossible for the right person. Get assistance from locals - especially bike clubs and college students. Donations, sponsors and matching-fund programs could be forthcoming.	Not a money-maker, but a great way to meet people and get the satisfaction of doing a good deed for the community.
ISSUES column	SOLUTIONS column	COMMERCIALLY VIABLE?

Message to budding Thai entrepreneurs: Don't be afraid to be original! If any of the above-mentioned ideas interest you, or you have an invention, or your own unique idea for a start-up business, let me know via email. I offer free advice/comments, and may even invest in your plan. I've got a U.S. patent pending regarding a snooker-type game table called Snook Doggie Golf.

ť Certain food items such as; corn tortilla chips, 100% peanut butter, yogurt w/o sugar, and natural salsa are near impossible to find - even thought the raw ingredients are readily available.

ť It is difficult to find any beverage, other than water, that does not contain corn syrup, cane sugar or fermented sugar (alcohol). Likewise, salt and MSG are liberally used in many cooked dishes - MSG is especially unhealthy.

ť To their credit, there is an increasing awareness in Thailand of the qualities of organic produce. The down side is that most consumers are still inclined to opt for good looking fruits/veggies over organic ones that may not look as perfect.

ť De-caffeinated coffee and non-alcohol beer are virtually non-existent. Granted, purists will say; 'why drink coffee or beer without the 'buzz'?'. But those drinks are very popular in the countries where tourists come from. Perhaps some of those visitors should like the same drinks they enjoy back home.

ť Tee shirts or baseball caps without designs or logos. OK, not a food or drink item, but just wanted to add the notion that some people actually like clothing items without commercial images.

ť Solar panels or other alternative energy components. Last time I checked, there was a BP outlet in Bangkok, but their prices were double - for the same type panels in North America.

ť Tool rental outlets.

ť Roto tillers, whether front or rear tined. The closest is a very large tiller ('kwai lek' in Thai, which loosely translates to 'iron water buffalo') that seems to work well for rice paddies.

ť Good quality garden tools made with tempered steel, such as shovels. Same for decent drill bits unless one goes to a specialty tool shop. Several makes of power strips are sold, but I have yet to find one that works reliably. Rule of thumb: "If it matters, buy U.S., European or Japanese made tools. Korean-made are generally good also. Taiwanese and Thai tools are generally mediocre quality. Steer clear of tools made in China or India. ....same goes for most of building materials. I've learned the hard way: "spend a bit more for an item and avoid the frustration of a cheaper item failing too soon."

ť On more than a few occasions, when I've had to return an item because it was no good (an electrical breaker switch, for example) - I'd see the shopkeeper put the same returned item back on her shelf.

ť Hand cleaner, known colloquially as "goop". With the consistency of mayonnaise, it's sold in auto supply stores in western countries, and proven to be invaluable for mechanics cleaning their hands after work. It has other uses as well, such as spot-remover and tool cleaner.

ť Glue - really good stuff, that is. Here's what's currently available in Thai shops: (a) rubber cement-type glue that's good for some jobs (b) a white glue like Elmer's (3) super glue which is much less effective than its hype - is essentially very limited in usefulness, (4) imported epoxy which is very good, but limited in uses and, on rare occasions you may find (5) imported/expensive silicon glue that is also overrated and of limited use.

Nowhere in Thailand can one find good all-purpose glue. A glue that doesn't need mixing (epoxy), nor tiny drops with no body (super glue), nor over-priced weather-strip sealer (silicon) nor messy/stringy (rubber cement). Instead, Thai workers and householders could benefit mightily by being able to purchase a moderately priced glue that is squeezed out of a tube and firmly fixes nearly everything. It exists overseas but is not available in Thailand.

Other glues not available; yellow carpenters glue (the white stuff's not nearly as good) and tile setting mastic. Indeed, my workers and I have created our own special glue mixes for certain jobs, because the market can't meet our needs.

ť Sandpaper hand blocks (commonly made from rubber, not a rare commodity in Thailand) - could also be made from pieces of old tires.

ť Spacers for tile. Made of plastic and shaped like little crosses - they facilitate the spacing of tiles on floors, counters and walls.

ť Thick wax rings for setting toilets (with or w/o thin rubber aprons). Non Asian plumbers know what I'm referring to. In Thailand (and other Asian countries) the accepted way to secure a toilet to a bathroom floor is to set it in grout. It's not a terrible method, but it precludes removing the toilet for maintenance without destroying it. Plus, grout does not provide a decent seal for flushing water, and it does not allow for using a pair of double sided screws (also not available) for securing a toilet flush to the floor.

ť The most common roofing material in Thailand is undulating shingles. They're about 1 meter long by 1/2 meter wide and usually made from a non-flammable rigid substance - I guess asbestos with a binding agent. They're cheap and practical and come in basic gray or painted one side. However, one component is missing:

The underside of the roofing will naturally have large gaps where it meets the top of the supporting wall on the lower end. This is often dealt with by boxing in overhanging eaves - which goes hand-in-hand with the Asian habit of greatly overbuilding roofs - but is marginally effective with keeping out insects - though provides a great breeding place for all sorts of small denizens of dark places.

What roofing supply outlets need to offer for sale are ready made panels that can fit snugly in place to cover the gaping holes leading from the roof eaves into the building. When I've built in northern Thailand, my workers make such panels from 1/4" plywood. At 1' x 4' per panel, eight can be fabricated from one sheet - yielding 32 linear feet of filler. The horizontal straight lower ends of the panels can be secured to the uppermost part of the wall, whereas the upper undulating part is placed snugly against the matching underside of the roof tiles. Gaps can be filled by rope and glue. We make our own glue by mixing cheap white glue with white cement/grout - which gives a nice thick mix that does the job.

ť In a similar vein, the aforementioned roof tiles get very hot when the sun shines on them. Lots of heat gets dissipated directly in to the room. The Thai method of dealing with that is to build a hanging ceiling frame stocked with 'insulating' tiles. In reality, the thin chalk-like tiles, though attractive, offer only the tiniest bit of insulation - and the dead spaces are great for bugs, dust, mice, and who-knows-what else to proliferate.

My method is to glue styrofoam sheets directly to the underside of the exposed roof shingles. Styrofoam is sold at some stationary shops and comes in conveniently-sized 2 ft. x 4 ft. sheets. Thicknesses vary from 1/4" thru 1". There are several advantages to this. (1) it's cheaper (2) you gain an attractive open-beamed ceiling (3) basically need a cutter knife and glue to install, (4) adds nearly no weight to roof and (5) it's many times more insulating than wimpy ceiling tiles. Again, we concoct our own glue mix because nothing on the market works as well, except silicon caulk - and that would be expensive.

ť A few parting shots about foam; People spend about 1/3 of their lives lying on mattresses with their heads firmly on pillows. When a person buys a new mattress or pillow, it's likely made of foam which emits chemical gases that are not healthy. Mattresses and pillows are wrapped in plastic (as is everything that's sold in Asia), and the plastic seals in the debilitating formaldehyde until unwrapped at one's home. If you must buy such a mattress, it's suggested that you air it out in a well-ventilated outdoor space for several weeks before use.

Idea: next time your country hosts a visiting team for a sports event, offer them hotel rooms with spanking new mattresses and pillows. Your home team sleeps on natural materials. Could this add another dimension to 'home field advantage'?

Driving	Improving Quality of Life	Grow Hemp
Opinions	Noise Everywhere	Quirky things	*first-hand observations*

Improving 'Quality of Life'	Driving	Availability of certain items	Noise Everywhere
Opinions	Quirky things	Grow Hemp	Email

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