I’d start an organic farm because I’m an environmentalist and Chiang Mai’s weather is suitable. An organic farm would not pollute the city, and would let it stay as it is. If Chiang Mai becomes as developed as Bangkok, I don’t think it would be such a nice place to stay anymore.
I would love to start an event production organisation that would involve combining the new vibrancy of music festivals from home and the old cultural traditions from Asia. I believe this would connect the younger Thai and expat community both socially and culturally.
I would open a Chinese restaurant because I love cooking, which I learnt from my mom. Chinese people always come to Chiang Mai and I have a lot of friends here who would enjoy it!
I love nature because I grew up in the countryside. If I had enough money to set myself up I would look for somewhere to grow organic vegetable and distribute them on the internet.
Speaking from a business standpoint, I would open a big hotel combined with a large restaurant, preferably in a touristy area by the water. I’ve always wanted to open a restaurant in a great location and I know this area will always be filled with tourists, so opening a hotel there will generate lots of business and lots of money!
I would start a gourmet sandwich and coffee shop. The sandwiches here in Thailand are absolutely dreadful but there are so many really delicious kinds of bread and fillings that we have in Ireland that people never see here. Also it might be a chance to show Thai people the hundreds of varieties of sandwich available and to persuade them to try a sandwich for lunch instead of always eating ‘som tam’ and ‘mama’. To make it profitable I think it would have to be takeaway only at first but maybe I could expand it later as the business grows.
My vision is to make Chiang Mai a centre for the cinema industry and attract big budget movie producers from around the world. Chiang Mai has so many beautiful locations, charming local talent, and all at a great price. To begin with, I would run an Agency for Actors and gradually build the business to a movie studio. These are the reasons why I think Chiang Mai can be the Hollywood of Thailand!