Creative City Chiang Mai

[Adman Cando]

For once I find myself unable to spend the time required to turn this piece into something that holds the potential to both engage and amuse - please note my deliberate use of the word 'potential' - I'll cut straight(-ish) to the point at hand.

Since my last post I have become aware of the 'Creative City Chiang Mai' project, a marketing project with the admirable intention of raising the profile of Chiang Mai to foreign business as an investment location and give the city a much needed economic boost.

Now, and this is the tricky part as it's entirely possible that George Orwell's anti-hero is reading this... If you ran Chiang Mai FC and Lionel Messi's agent randomly telephoned with the news that his client had become bored with life in Catalonia but wasn't feeling returning to Argentina quite yet, and that as annually turning over Manchester United was no longer a challenge a different pace of life in a new region really appealed to him, could he pop in for a private chat? - Would you suggest he waited until preseason tried out with the rest of the lads? I think not.

So my issue is as follows, Chiang Mai FC has the chance to sign a world class match winner on a great deal but the Chairman isn't taking the offer seriously, any ideas as to what Messi's agent should do?

[Adman Cando]

114 readers and zero replies suggests one of three things are happening here - either no-one gets the analogy (in which case I doubt you'd be of any assistance anyway), no one has any decent contacts within Chiang Mai FC, or no one cares about the mid/long term viability of this city.

Whatever.

I posted this on the off chance that some (even one!) of you might have used some of your time here to develop a professional network... Guess not. No worries, like everything else I've achieved I'll do it myself from scratch.

I'd hoped it didn't need to be this difficult but on top of relocation, learning a new culture, language and pace of life setting up my own network of influential people within Northern Thailand isn't that big a task.

Apologies if this sounds a touch frustrated, but I've got quite a lot on.

[Bower]

Are you a schizophrenic ?

[Stinky]

[Marmite the Dog]

or no one cares about the mid/long term viability of this city.

Nail - head.

[Adman Cando]

Despite the temptation to roll over & simply agree with the pair of you (though I do like that poster) I'm still young enough to be interested in making money and Thailand is a market where success is possible if you posses the right mindset and skills. I'm aware of most of the obstacles and how tough its likely to be, but making real money is never easy.

This is a good site with a decent sized membership that has the potential to provide a superb (& localised) business networking tool for ex-pats and it's a real shame that some of you are simply too old, selfish, or stupid to appreciate it.

[Adman Cando]

or no one cares about the mid/long term viability of this city.

Nail - head.

Old & selfish it is then.

[9999]

or no one cares about the mid/long term viability of this city.

Nail - head.

Well I care and plan on sticking around for a while. I travelled all over Asia and South America to find a city to live in for a while and chose Chiang Mai, and don't plan on leaving any time soon. It's a great city to live and raise a family, big enough to have everything and small enough to not be a shitfest like BKK.

Adam, I admire your ambition and how cool would that be for CM FC, having Messi onboard.

Don't mean to be negative but the leagues in Japan, Korea, Malaysia, China are much stronger and if the guy wanted Asia he'd probably go to one of those. Heck even the Aussie A-League is of higher standard.

If CM FC sign a superstar such as that it would be massive news all over Thailand and full credit due to whoever could put that together.

[Marmite the Dog]

This is a good site with a decent sized membership that has the potential to provide a superb (& localised) business networking tool for ex-pats and it's a real shame that some of you are simply too old, selfish, or stupid to appreciate it.

Most here have already made their money and rely upon TD as a place to network socially, not for business.

Thailand is a very difficult place to make money as nearly all mainstream jobs either pay peanuts or aren't available.

It'd be interesting to see where your midset & skills have got you in a year's time.

[Stinky]

or no one cares about the mid/long term viability of this city.

Nail - head.

Old & selfish it is then.

I guess that leaves me with stupid then

[Adman Cando]

Ok. Time to get off the soapbox I somehow talked myself on to & front up to what's really going on.

My skills are in marketing businesses and their products with particular focus on Advertising & PR. My specific expertise is the conception and delivery of cross-media engaged creative solutions and my personal network of experts in all aspects of media is arguably second to none.

Yes the 'leagues' are far stronger in the US, England (London - where my clients were Director level marketeers at all the big multinational videogames and toy companies), Japan, and Oz, and perhaps the Messi tale was a mistake, but I've just had a daughter over here (yes, she is mine) and being from a fatherless home myself have absolutely no intention of going anywhere, at least not until I've given it everything I can to succeed.

I completely appreciate that most members have made their money and TD is a more of a social network than a business one, I'm also aware that several readers will think I've no chance & should give up now before I bankrupt myself - but I made myself a promise many years ago that I wouldn't desert my children so this is where I am.

I've budget for a comfortable life here for at least the next three years but then I start to really eat into my reserve capacity, and as I've been on holiday for 18 months my mind is pressing me to get busy again sooner rather than later.

There is a project to market Chiang Mai internationally that's tailor made for me but my issue is being taken seriously by the incumbent quango. That's what I need help with. If anyone can help - particularly with introductions - please send me a private message as I'd be grateful for any assistance. If not I'll have to do it alone, it'll be difficult but it won't be the first time I've achieved the seemingly impossible.

So in short, in a year I'll be in Chiang Mai having a very nice life indeed. I'll be a year closer to speaking a version of Thai fluently and I'll have made some progress with building a network of Thai-based clients. It's even possible that the UK may start to recover enough for my old clients to be able to pass me the work they've promised as their budgets return to close to their pre-recession levels.

Apologies for the not-so-subtle insults above.

Soapbox officially dismounted.

[9999]

I'm also aware that several readers will think I've no chance & should give up now before I bankrupt myself

Only the bitter failures. You need something unique; your own idea, to succeed and make good dosh here and I don't think many people are trying to do the same thing as you.

Maybe Messi is a bit far fetched, but signing a semi big name, maybe towards the end of their career where they want an easy gig, is doable.

Anyway worse case is you 'fail' and have a great 3 years experiencing life in Chiang Mai, and around for your daughter in the first few critical years. Need to take the risk to reap the reward. I think your plan is high risk but feasible enough and you relise what you're getting into. Just ignore the nay sayers - most of them are probably TEFLers or pensioners that have tried and failed.

Go for it I say.

Sorry can't help with contacts I'm not really a networker and rarely leave my cave. All the best with it and interested to see this thread develop into a success story, or at least an interesting read of someone having a go of it.

You'll likely cop a lot of flack about working legalities, visas etc. The law is pretty flexible in Thailand and if you're on a true money spinner you should be sweet as long as you cut the right Thais into the equation.

[terry57]

Time to get off the soapbox I somehow talked myself on to & front up to what's really going on.

Yes, top idea mate, no one really gives a fuk.

Raving Homo's are a dime a dozen on " The Door " so join the end of the line.

[Marmite the Dog]

There is a project to market Chiang Mai internationally that's tailor made for me but my issue is being taken seriously by the incumbent quango.

And this is where you'll come unstuck. Thais believe they are completely capable at anything because they slept through college for 4 years and don;t need a bloody farang to tell them how to do it.

Of course, they're all completely useless and I'm sure you'd be a big benefit to them, but it won;t make them look great having a foreigner show them how it's done.

I hope you prove me wrong.

[9999]

You'd need a Thai to be the front man taking all the credit (and a big chunk of the profits), but I don't see why a farang couldn't be working it behind the scenes. Perhaps that technique of having an idea and making someone else think it's their own would help out. Though the OP should understand that if this all goes through he'd not likely get the Lion's share of the spoils.

[rickschoppers]

This is about the 10,000th thread regarding trying to make money in Thailand. Even though I admire those who think this is doable, maybe, maybe 0.5% of those 10,000 succeed. Then once you succeed everyone else starts doing the same thing, so I am not so sure Thailand is the best place for your intellect. No doubt you are well education and a go getter, but that gets you fuk all here in the los. Make your money somewhere else and live here, if that is what you want. It has been said plenty of times, but looking at your total posts, you may not have heard this before.
Good Luck

[harrybarracuda]

Phuket sounds like a better place to exercise your undoubted talents.

Or perhaps even Pattaya.

I'm sure you'd be the first person ever to approach the TAT brimming with ground breaking ideas.

Thailand is a market where success is possible if you posses the right mindset and skills.

Perhaps if you are Thai. If you are farang, it should read:

Thailand is a market where success is possible if you posses <sic> the right Thai partners.