sglad (December 8th, 2018)
What kind of manager do you think a Chinese-owned bar would hire? The Chinese are not showy - they just want to make money and have some control of the area as it's too risky owning just one business entity without your family, kinsmen or at least fellow countrymen owning other businesses in the area for mutual protection and benefit. If the Frenchman is the one whom they feel would be the most loyal (ie do as he's told) and be able to bring in the most customers, then he's the one they would hire. They are not (yet) interested in being the face of the businesses they own in Thailand as they're aware that local attitudes towards them are still ambivalent. Therefore most mainland-Chinese-owned businesses are still being fronted by Thais or other foreigners. Another possibility is that the bar is owned by a company of which the Frenchman is one of the partners/shareholders.
Eddie (December 16th, 2018)
Think gerefan2, think https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6CKSW9I1cA
Both Ambiance and Cafe Royal are Chinese owned.
Me to Boyz Music manager. "Is that the owner?"
Manager to me. "Yes."
Me to Boyz Music manager. "He doesn't look Chinese."
Manager to me. "He's French."
That's all I have on the issue. A direct conversation with the manager of Boyz Music.
It's probable that the confusion comes from differing definitions of the word. The money is Chinese even if the management isn't. Both Ambiance and LCR have had vast amounts spent on them over the past few months....the origin of this money is China and there are two different Chinese investors or investment syndicates (if that's the right word). When you think of it, people who have such vast sums to invest are unlikely to be around the premises much.