Hi all, I've been lurking on the side for a while now trying to figure out what I want to do in Thailand. I am pretty sure I want to run my own guest house in Chiang Mai, so now I am looking at how to do that.
Is it practical to lease a guest house in Chiang Mai? Do they come up for lease very often? I have friends who have done this in Western China. It's easier than trying to buy something as a foreigner without a Thai wife!
Has anyone on the forum tried to get a lease on a guest house? What issues did you come up against? What are the pitfalls to look out for? Are owners trying to sell guest houses likely to be interested in a lease option instead? Are we likely to get kicked out as soon as the place is successful?
FYI I am not after a particularly big place, but I would prefer something reasonably nice, about 6-8 rooms. I'd like to have a small bar in the guest house as well, but from memory this could be a problem in Thailand? Not many people seem to do this (except for Mr Whisky Trek)? Is it really complicated to get licensing?
Any advice or tips would be really appreciated. We are seasoned travelers with lots of Thailand experience and have lived in Asia before. We also have another couple who are interested in sharing the running of the place with us.