I've been to Vientiane several times. It's a really cool place to relax and get away from Bangkok for a few days.
Nightlife is minimal, but it is there. Lao people are very shy and reserved, even compared to Thais. Very traditional.
My Thai ex was from a wealthy family and she loved Lao people. She would always says "Lao people so cute!" in a way that you'll only understand if you've ever dated a Thai.
I think an eco/boutique resort catering to the upper middle class Thais and expats in Thailand would be a good way to go. Especially if your land is on the river.
A lot of French tourists go there from what I understand. It is also supposed to have some great French restaurants, though I never ate at one.
The last time I was there I met the owners of a coworking space. Locals. They both worked for a large bank and traveled often to Bangkok. Obviously from money. They told me there was a lot of money coming into Vientiane. They took me to a restaurant and you could tell by driving around there were definitely some new trendy restaurants popping up. Same type of thing you would see in Bangkok. It seems like there is some opportunity for restaurants.
The good thing about markets like this is you don't need to reinvent the wheel. There is so many things they DON'T have yet that I'd imagine any type of good sushi place, pizza, Mexican, etc. would probably be a big hit.
This sounds awesome man. Vientiane is a cool place. I think you'll like it if you go there to check it out.
Nightlife is minimal, but it is there. Lao people are very shy and reserved, even compared to Thais. Very traditional.
My Thai ex was from a wealthy family and she loved Lao people. She would always says "Lao people so cute!" in a way that you'll only understand if you've ever dated a Thai.
I think an eco/boutique resort catering to the upper middle class Thais and expats in Thailand would be a good way to go. Especially if your land is on the river.
A lot of French tourists go there from what I understand. It is also supposed to have some great French restaurants, though I never ate at one.
The last time I was there I met the owners of a coworking space. Locals. They both worked for a large bank and traveled often to Bangkok. Obviously from money. They told me there was a lot of money coming into Vientiane. They took me to a restaurant and you could tell by driving around there were definitely some new trendy restaurants popping up. Same type of thing you would see in Bangkok. It seems like there is some opportunity for restaurants.
The good thing about markets like this is you don't need to reinvent the wheel. There is so many things they DON'T have yet that I'd imagine any type of good sushi place, pizza, Mexican, etc. would probably be a big hit.
This sounds awesome man. Vientiane is a cool place. I think you'll like it if you go there to check it out.