hi guys new venture any help please

[kays_siam_boutique]

hi guys new here so if i post or say something i shouldent please feel free to tell me

ok here gos im based in thailand im from the uk and iv been here 5 years now and im a peace loving eco friendly person
a few weeks ago i visited northern thailand and visited the hill tribe people

far out i mean it was amazing to see people living such simple lives with not to much in the way of things that we take for granted no showers as such straw for roofs ect ect you know basic way out living maxed

it was a totaly way out experiance anyway to cut a story short
i had some people show me around thse peoples homes and you wouldent believe the skills these people have with threads ect

far out eco friendly designs and fabrics amazing hippy retro gypsy boho styles that iv never seen before some bordering our fashion trends but hey stuff hand made at a fraction of the price we are willing to pay for hand crafted items and these people work in there homes not factories or sweat
shops iv never seen a place so far out i was almost wasted on the
on the idea of what these people are doing anyway
i befriend a litlle boy name pung and he was showing me around the village
and i invited him and his family to my home for a couple of days
the children were able to come but the parents wouldent come because thay cant afford to stop work .i mean these people live with almost nothing but in amazing health there is no sprays no bleach for cleaning nothing all and every thing is done with sheer work and sweat and done by hand no tv no radio
nothing totaly a differant world from which we know
any way when these children stayed with me thay came to the beach
which thay had never seen or never even know about far out really far out
anyway i had to explain about the sea and why it gos in and out ect ect
which wasent easy as i speak reasonably good thai but this was behond me with pictures ect i managed to explaine and some help
anyway these people work hours on these threads thay still use treddle machines the ones that are slightly better off in other words the ones who have bigger family to support hence more people working

so iv decided to try and give these kids an education well i cant afford to do
so im starting to sell the products thay make at a fraction of there worth to me and you
i will be setting a website up sometime soon when i can find some free help to design and upload as i have no idea i can had pictures ect and write but as for anything else i havent got any idea so theres the request for help

also if anyone would like to see and maybe purchase some of these far out designs please email me this will be the email address for the up and coming web site when it is built also

kays-siam-boutique@hotmail.com

any suggestions for a name for the sight mite be off help also
at the min it will be kays siam boutique
hippy boho gypsy and ethnic clothing
with designs and ideas you wont be able to find any where

peace and love
kay

[sleung]

so u starting a home base company and getting underaged kids to do all the labor and all the work for a marked up price

mmmmmmmmm i heard of this before

i think it is called nike

lets see the product and pictures of what you are talking about

[Hippie Staff]

Well she said adults working...nothing wrong w/ that.

The concept to build a school in nobel - very '3 cups of tea'.

I know of a woman gemologist, who for many years traveled to the hills of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is very rich in gems. She found villages in these hills that had nothing, and were kept poor by the Taliban. Over the years, she taught them how to mine, cut stones, and make jewelry.

She sends the jewelry back here, sells it at private shows (and she does a lecture), and then sends ALL the money back to this area in Afghanistan. They now have a school, a medical facility, a market , and other structures to support a city. All funded by jewelry they make, that she orchestrated. She has been shot, had to dress like man to get into the country, and now can't go back because there is a 'hit' on her. I will find her link - she's super inspirational.

So.. please give us more info on your set-up. I think if the sales benefit the laborers directly, and they receive a fair wage, then let's see the biz plan here. Additionally - A solid plan on how funds raised will be used to build a school, how much it will take, where, etc. would def. get you some interest here. It would be nice if those parents could go to the beach w/ their kids.

Please continue..fill us in.

Cheers.

[Hippie Staff]

Here is the link. http://www.insideafghanistan.org/about.html

[sleung]

Well she said adults working...nothing wrong w/ that.

The concept to build a school in nobel - very '3 cups of tea'.



ATo the thread starter ill see it when i believe it, every good intention has an under lining meaning

"very 2 girls 1 cup of me"

[hedgewitch]

I would be willing to help with the website.
You would have to pay for the domain name AND the hosting so if you look into that and then you still want to go ahead with it then let me know.

I have sent you an email.

[kays_siam_boutique]

ok iv already sent somebody here pics and pricing which isent expensive
i dont buy from children or exploit them if this is the way the whole world thinks now i mite as well give up before i start
you know i expected a few more post from people who care about others
you know this is supposed to be a loving peace freternity
you know love and peace or is all that by the way side now
im just a normal person here im semi retired i dont need
money if thats what your implying with your remarks
iv given much iv my hard earned to charitys in the past and now offer
help not money to people in this case a place for kids to learn
and improve there standard of living im not trying to make a million
im simple trying to make about £10.000 which will provide them with a school
of sorts with a kitchen and clothes and books and things and a couple of computers for them to learn about the outside world

fact
these familys live on earnings of around £50 a month that has to support maybe 5 people

fact the outside world is unknown to most of these people why
ok only a few have tv ect and the tv thay have is thai tv not sattalite
no cable no internet tv some of these people dont even know this stuff is around no phones as such maybe a phone supplied by someone exploiting there wears ect

thai tv cuts of most of the world its millitery run and goverment run
so nothing is seen from the tv

thay cook on wood fires because its free thay dont have micro waves ect
ect

fact
there education is crap thay cant even write there own name
there conversation is very basic

fact
thay dont have cars or lorrys
factories sweat shops there family communitys
who spend there evenings by the fire talking and singing ect thats the way thay spend there life
thay fish for food pick rice ect

thay drin k of course thay do the rice whisky thay make
which taste a little like old fashioned lemonade but very strong

there is no hygine in the preperation of food thay cook and can still be eating the same stuff 3/4 days later yuk

there isent anything there that would tempt you to live like it
yes its a bit like going to glastonbury and camping but every day of there life nothing changing pretty cool in the fact that thay dont suffer
the daily b*** s**** we put up with and taxes ect ect
and polotics this is all over there heads

so your post are totally unfounded and wound me up im only trying to help some kids get an education that thay will be passed down the family tree so to speak

any more comments that deserve an answer

[hedgewitch]

Kay chill out and calm down. This was your first post, it might have been a better idea to get to know a few of us first and then we would have gotten to know you as well.
It's unfortunate but there are a lot of people ripping off people over the internet so you can't blame a bit of skepticism.

I will reply to your email later.

I LOVE those red trousers!!!

[kays_siam_boutique]

i havent got a splan yet i havent told them im not going to start something and cant produce the goods so to speak initally ill sell stuff from them to see what sort of reaction i get from the first few customers
buying from them at a fair price example on post 3 pictures the one with the cardi and skirt example people are takking the micky at the price thay pay them for this stuff that item is hand made how much would that be worth iv not got any ideas the skirt you cant see all of it its also hand made
the baggy trousers is there design it in its orig design its thai fishermans pants there is shorts all sorts in simmler design but this as been changed around to there style patchwork i wouldent go as far to say every item is done by hand thay some do have hand or tredle machines ect but not all
any crotched work is done by hand embellishment is done by hand tie dye done by hand not machines

embroidery is done by hand most fabrics are organic the item are brought in a raw state no packaging no lables most items are onesize
my ideas
from my marketing skills yes iv been in sales most of my life
importing exporting but now retired from that to much cheap crap from india
and people working in sweat shops which i dont agree with
and my work was in furniture from denmark and asia with bamboo
not clothing i have no idea about clothing i know about priceing and know these people are working there ass off for peopel to exploit the tourist trade here in thailand
and making very big profits while people are sitting working togeather
in there homes upto 18 hours a day with nothing to show for it
the bottom line i buy from them at a better price than there trading it now probably almost double selling it cheap no big profits i dont want to rip people off either ok maybe someone wants to buy loades for a shop ect thats upto them i cant control a whole chain then as the profits grow it will go back in the form of building a school with kitchen ect ect

not a school like we know it a school with a roof and books like open air if you like with proper floor
and a block built kitchen with toilets ect and 1 or 2 computers land will be there land already up in the hills owned by them no thay diddent buy it and its not worth anything its land given by the king of thailand to the people not the present king as far as i know i havent gone into the history that far
all i know is these people have a basic life but have some really nice craft skills and not a bad bone in there body an example that some others should take from them not directed at anybody but just a gen term

like i said no exact plan untill i know i can do this i dont want to spend years doing it i just want to help a little

so there you have it in a nutshell

any comments on the clothes pricing thoughts
i dont have an idea as such well i do i just want somebody to give me an idea to see if im thinking along the right lines and this is only an example of whats available

regards
kay

[kays_siam_boutique]

not jumping down anyones throte just never think about scammers ect ect im not one and iv never come across one yet i suppose i will sooner or later
so i appologise but i like i said i dont have a plan as such just an idea in the making i dont want loades of money from it ill take a little of course but mostley used for travaling to and from there to my home which is 12 hours away by car or almost 2 by air and still 2 hours by car after that
and any expenses i have regards packaging ect when stuff is sent
or web expenses if any
and maybe my food and cups of coffe ect when im out and about sorting things for this as i will be away from home for a few days at a time
but not anything for my own gain or pocket
unless it becomes big then i think i would form a company in thailand with the people who make these things or there younger family like the teens so thay benafit and control it i cant run or own a buiness here in thailand
as it takes work from thai people so that should resolve any of your thoughts

[NCW_Woodnymph]

I'm sorry you weren't openly welcomed. It may help to explain that we have had something of a rash of spam lately but it sounds like you have a very good idea. I love the stuff you've shown. Really beautiful!

I am a little concerned by your comment that you don't want to spend years on this. If you are going to raise enough money to build a school, I wonder if you have given any consideration into who you will have teach. I understand that you are thinking of something relatively informal, it seems like a library might be a better term, but if they can't even spell their own names they will need someone to at least teach a good portion of them to read. I don't mean in any way to discourage you because I think it is a wonderful idea. It just seems that it might do more harm than good if you aren't able to see it through. If there is anyway I can help please let me know.:)

:hippie:

[kays_siam_boutique]

the people there
have a very low standard of reading
school ids the idea there is a growing number of forign teachers in thailand who work also to stay here giving lessons ect thay can speak thai and english

which will also help support the teaching side of the program
its not hurting them in any way the idea is to teach them about the
the buisness side of what thay do and a basic understanding about the world outside of thailand or there community

the parents want there children to gain an education of descriptions
that will enable them to learn how to run a buisness and demand higher prices for the stuff thay produce which in turn will increase there standerd of living without harming the way thay are at the moment

maybe make them like a cooprative if you like and that in turn will
stop people taking the micky i can think of better words to use but think thats not a good idea
but i think you get my meaning
if nothing else it will provide like a small community with
the abilty to learn ect

the term years was ment i cant spend my whole life doing it i can overlook
im not a teacher
i can raise money to support it but in the long run it will be self supporting as thay will put there better buisness skills or nagotiations to work and then thay will fund it to teach the next generation down the line ect

when this thing starts to kick in i will go to work and try to find customers for there garments ect then will increase it with more customers so indirectley i will negotiate deals with small shops re sellers ect and as thay learn the skill
it will pass to them and only fgrow from there when there is a problem after that i will mediate for them

i meant i dont want to spend years kicking it off in such a large world the amount of money im trying to make to do this is very small
and in a way its not me raising it thay will be there selves with my help and skills on the selling side or promotion ect
the money will be raised by the sale of there goods
and a portion of that will go to there familys now and a portion into the prodject
so really only helped along by me and what sales i can generate doing this because at the moment there sales are to very few people direct
mainly thai people with big money driving round in new mercs ect from the daily profits turned over in the tourist trade living in out of this world houses not even considering the way these people live only worrid about there pockets in england we have what we call the north south devide if anyone knows about this
in thailand we have poor then we have people just surving
then we mafia run things and corruption
then we have the normal clever buisness people iv just spoke about
then we have the well off falang im not in this bracket im comfortable
tthe well off falang buying huge chunks of land for peanuts employing staff on peanuts to build
avarage building worker here brick layer 4000 bhat a month some 6000
a month not even £100 or $200 us and these are half women and half men yes ladies on a building site in the sweltering heat this also is run by the same people who exploite every thing else here
so i dont think my trying to help is going to harm anyone
all i will be doing is creating a situation where there is a market for this stuff outside of this ring of corruption and abuse
ok i wont stop it i wouldent try that would be any help to anybody me included
but it will expand open the market up a little and in the long run it will take its course in the buisness world and gradually up the price to a reasonable
standard for these people and the tourist wont suffer the goods will still be the same price the fatcats will suffer a little but who is worrid about them im not and for sure these people arnt iv had conversation with one or 2 people who broke away from the village life and went to collage after being taught by a falang english then went to the us to better her english she is now a lawyer
and agrees with me this is the way to go kick start it for them then let them build there way of life for themselves thats why you can only do a percentage of this stuff for them then thay have to do it or one or to children grow up and have the skill ect to do it for them when the hardest part the marketing already done by me and anybody that helps me then passed over to the people to do it gradually

ok book over lol

kay

[forrest]

ATo the thread starter ill see it when i believe it, every good intention has an under lining meaning

"very 2 girls 1 cup of me"

Isn't it? "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." John Ray (1670)
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/492392/John-Ray

[Adam Blanchard]

is it a bad thing that I was laughing hysterically when I saw 2 girls 1 cup?

[peaceseeker]

Props to you Kay! I think its wonderful that you want to help the people. And Hedgewitch is right, you cant blame people for wanting to protect themselves. I just have a few thougts on the matter, First of all, the pictures you posted are amazing, all 3 are stunning samples of the creativity and potential these people have. Now, you stated in your original post that the people of this tribe live very simple lives with very limited resources, right? Isn't that what more and more people in the United States and around the world are seeking? Peace, prosperity, and sustainability through Communal living, eco-housing, ect? If the people of this village are happy and content with they're lifestyle, than what gives you the right to march in and change everything? If they cant speak english or read, how will they understand that what you are doing for them is good? You going in there and changing somthing they have been doing succesfully for 100's of years im sure, is a culture shock. And that is what makes these tribes of people so beautiful and inspirational, the fact that they have always been able to live cleanly off the land, they live in peace and hormony because of the fact they AREN'T industrialized not to mention their enormous respect for mother earth. Like woodnymph stated, by no means is anyone trying to discourage you, as I said I think its great to HELP, but I wouldent go jumping in trying to make things better for them, cause it sounds like they are doing fine on their own, which is more than I can say for the general population of the REST of the world. Thanks for listening, hit me back w/ thoughts. Peace Out!
~Emili~**:hippie:

[NCW_Woodnymph]

I agree that living simply is good but it sounds like Kay agrees with that too. There is a difference between living simply and living in unsanitary conditions with no opportunity of improvement. I think they deserve the chance to make that choice on there own.:D

:hippie:

[kays_siam_boutique]

im not trying to jump in just give them the chance to improve there buiness skills and what thay do with the extra hard earned thay make is upto them the idea is to teach them buisness skills i cant tell them where to what to do nither can anyone else thay can only tell themselves that
all im trying to do is show them how to better there pricing
to earn more money and the only way to do that is with the children who learn quicker and can comunicate with there elders im
not trying to take them into a better place because if thay become industrialised thay will become the same as every one else
the idea is for them to choose what thay do im sure these people dont want to be living like thay do thay live where thay live because thay dont have the money for anything else dont you think thay go to nearby towns to sell there products to people and see whats going on around the place but nobody gives them the chance to earn the money thay are worth
sorry i havent replied quicker me and the other half are sick at the moment
i already sell there products not in big quantity
a little here and there
wheni go there its like im one of them thay offer me food to stay ectect
maybe because i pay them more but i dont think thay think like that thay see me as a friend
but i couldent live the way thay do day in day out
no hygine as such maybe if only to improve there life a little i cant do that but thay can if thay want i can only help by purchasing more from them or selling for them
iv given up on the school idea people dont seem to realise the idea so im not pushing it any further unless i get some real interest
ill just set up and start selling there stuff the way i sell now in a larger way and let them benafit from the better price i pay because every one seems to think im benafitting from the idea
im not if i do it my way ill have more expense it will push the price up ect ect i thought the idea of people pulling to geather with a web site and some support it would be cost effective and would produce more money for them
the idea would have been almost no cost to produce someone who knows about key wording to get up in serch engines as an imput someone who knows how to build a site ect ect
thought it was a great idea al ready had the offer to build a site
so the idea had srarted to flow thank you to that person for there offer of help and no disrespect to anyone here
but things like this need support so i dont know where to take it now maybe ill just carry on buying from them to help them a little to earn some extra cash for them and ill just pass the fantastic stuff thay make on and maybe it will
buid itself up with no person trying to change anyones life and no pressure for people to help just great clothes from nice people and regardless of what anyone thinks i dont make money from there stuff only just cover the cost of it because im not in need of the money
so from this conclusion of not trying to change things maybe you are all right and im wrong i dont know
please take a look at the pics i posted again
and put a value on items like this for resell
just give me your ideas maybe you have friends that would like some of this stuff maybe xmas presents ect or becuse i think thay will be chaper than you expect maybe you will want to buy some for yourself maybe this is the best thing to do

so please purchase price for these items of clothing then ill come back with the true price
regards
kay