Thammasat Area

1. Café Velo Dome

Café = Coffee Café + Velo = Bicycle + Dome = Thammasat University

A newly open cafe located in front of Thammasat University, Tha Prachan campus, 'Café Velo Dome', is an exotic cafe that able to draw cyclists all around Thailand to stop by. The business model of the cafe is not entirely new, but its purpose and benefits is far beyond anyone can imagine.

Café Velo Dome was found in September 2012 by two co-founders, Miss Nan Nonlanee and Mrs. Neung. The idea was initiated from Miss Nan's inspiration to completely change her life into a new pace. She just wants to have her bike travel to places that she wants to go and also encourage other to do the same by turning the non-experience cyclist to love cycling. Her dream is to create a new culture where she can see people riding bicycle around Bangkok. It will help Bangkok people to become healthier, save their money and reduce air pollution they have to breathe in the city. 

The idea of creating cycling culture nearly became true when she met Mr.Parinya Thewanaruemitkul, Assistant Director of Thammasat University, in the meeting at Bangkok Metropolitan Administration,where they both attended and have acknowledged their similar passion toward cycling. Many months later, Mr.Parinya told her that he has a space for a bike café and ask if Miss Nan wants to do it. Miss Nan who only loves cycling has no experience in making coffee, then, turned to her sister, Miss Neung and her husband who are coffee lovers and have experienced in retail business. Eventually, they became business partners where Miss Nan’s objectives of a bicycle café remain strong in order to lead inspire and educate non-experience cyclists while her sister runs the café.

Once you walk inside the café, you can see a cork-board on the left where people have pin up lots of beautiful scenic photo from their cycling trip and when you look around you can see people spent their time reading their favorite book, working on their important group project, and sharing great stories while having large piece of cake. Outside the cafe is also a great place for those who want to have some peaceful time sitting under the shadow of the tree and feeling the breeze gone by while freshening up with sweet iced chocolate and having a casual meeting with friends. When you look around, there are group of cyclists park their bicycle and get some drinks as resting before reaching their next destination. While you are cherishing your moment outside the café, you can always hear cyclists boasting about their journey, which will make you wonder if it’s really an exotic experience they had.

The fame of Café Velo Dome has garnered the media attention domestically and internationally such as Green World Magazine, Wong Klom Magazine, and many website for foreigner who want to know what is there in Bangkok. Furthermore, there are many events that carry on Café Velo Dome intention such as Bike Fest and China Town cycling trip. If you click into Café Velo Dome facebook page, you will see that they set the trend which allow people to form a larger circle of friends through this activity by gradually penetrating the cycling culture into people lives.

Let’s check out this place ,bring your own cup to get discount and don’t forget to tell us about your cycling journey.

Credit: Cafe Velodome Facebook

Nan Nonlany's Blog

----------------------------------

2. Coconut Guy 

We believed that most Thammasat students and most Thammasat officers at Thaprajan know him, the coconut guy. Because he always  smiles and looks happy while he sell the coconut near Thaprajan gate.

How does he start the business? 

He has worked as an officer at Thammasat for many years. In the beginning he sold some coconut to his colleagues at Thaprajan and he did it for fun and hobby. But the number of consumer has been increasing continuously. Even though he has working at Rangsit campus these days,  he has still been selling coconuts to customers on every Saturday and Sunday at Taprajun campus.

What values does he create?

• High quality product: his coconut water and coconut meat taste good. Coconut water is a very refreshing health drink to beat the thirst. The longer a coconut stays and ages on the palm, the stronger and sharper its flavor gets. He said that Just picked it at the right age. Moreover, the coconut water has many benefits such as detoxification. Especially,young coconut water is nutritious and easy to digest and it helps flush our body of toxins and keeps us hydrated. 

 

• Competitive price: the price is only 15 baht per coconut. Because he can buy coconuts directly from the coconut farmers so he got the low cost and high quality of product.

• Service minded: he is very nice, polite and friendly with his customers. The customers look happy when talking with him. Furthermore, he takes care all customers in every activity by himself such as chopping coconut.  

  Mix product: he also sells tamarind mix, sprout of coconut and etc. to create variety of products.

Who are his customers?

His customers are the regular customers that study or work at Thammasat university at Taprajan campus and they like to drink fresh juice or are the healthy group. 

 

At these days, he has no direct competitor in this area becuase he is the only one who has the right to sell coconuts in Thammasat university. Normally, he sells 200  coconuts per day. By the way, he does not have any plans to expand the volume or the branch because he said that he love to do it as hobby and want to maintain the quality of product and service to his royalty customers.