We were robbed by local partner!
(If you care about Spicy Hostels please take time to read this. Click "Going" if you agree with us or "Maybe" if you think we should be more generous and let them do whatever they like to our hostels)
Why and How?
I create these hostels with my own hands and budget. The first year in Luang Prabang everything is going so well. We have hostel...
[read more] We were robbed by local partner!
(If you care about Spicy Hostels please take time to read this. Click "Going" if you agree with us or "Maybe" if you think we should be more generous and let them do whatever they like to our hostels)
Why and How?
I create these hostels with my own hands and budget. The first year in Luang Prabang everything is going so well. We have hostel in Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang and they were both voted from Hostelworld's customers to be number one hostel in both countries.
As Thai person I can't own hostel in Laos so I got Mr. Oudalon to be my partner and the hostels is registered in his name. He decided to quit his job as the tour driver and work full time at Spicylaos and got pay by salary. We agree that we will be business partner (Sharing 50/50 of profit we made after 2 years contact) and make Spicylaos to be the best hostel of the country. Things went so well I left Spicylaos LPB to him to take care of then I take off to Vang Vieng where I created another Spicylaos. Here Ou decided to put some money in (one third) as partner. All the income from my first Spicylaos in the second year was put back into hostel to add on facilities so I didn't have any save since Mr. Ou managed the hostel but I still trust him and believe that he realized how important that we should work together, he know lots of people in town who can help him with any local issue and I know exactly how to run backpackers hostel.
After the contact ended and the hostel in Vang Vieng finished and run smoothly that was when the lightning struck on me! Ou asked me to go to Luang Prabang for a serious discussion. He want to fully in charge of both Spicylaos and take 80% of the profit when I still have to work for him as marketing staff and take 20%. He said if I didn't take it I won't get anything and I can't take anything with me neither. There are his tourist police friends outside ready to sent me out of the country if I didn't take his offer. What kind of deal is that!!
I was so angry but you know me, I am not kind of person who let angry destroy everything. I try to explain to him how is Spicy hostels work and how important he need me and spicy team to support and work together and for that we need a fare deal. I put in so much and I can't just throw it away. The best I could do is to safe the deal for Spicylaos in Vang Vieng and I have to leave Spicy in Luang Prabang to him which I never get anything from only old story that he have to do many things for the hostel and don't have enough money left to share. I knew this is not good but I need time to at least get something back from Vang Vieng and really hope things might get better. I was wrong things getting worse. I earn less and less but that is not as important as people complain a lot about the hostels... It used to be the best hostel in the country but now even hard to stay as a good hostel. I can't let it be like this so I think this is time to cut off bad arm to safe life. I lost.. and so many of you who had good memory about Spicylaos also lost.. We will keep it that way..as a good memory.
That is the reason why Spicylaos was loosing its reputation in the last couple years. And that is why I left Laos with broken heart, lost my time, my money and my trust. Being in my own country, Thailand, start up Spicypai and recently Spicytao with my friends keep me busy and I am more happy than I was in Laos. It is not the place, it is not the country, it is just a few people that I really need their honest to take care of my trust that really ruin my soul.
I just what you to know that what is really happen with Spicylaos. The hostels is still there but it is not the kind of the hostel I like it to be, Spicy Hostels. We are taking care of everyone, we get and we give, caring and sharing.
I'm not gonna live forever to own and run the Spicy but I do expect Spicy will be a good home and always the place where good people be for now and for much longer...
Jeerapong Prathomsup
Spicy Hostels Managing Director
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