[gwm4asian]

Last night I had the chance to experience first-hand the "buy a bottle of scotch, get the mixers free" phenomenon - twice over in fact - and it raised a question in my mind.<br>
<br>
In the first bar, where the party members knew most of the waiters (but not in the biblical sense I hasten to add) the behaviour of the waiters was quite restrained and polite. Many of them stopped by our table for a chat, but none demanded a drink. When a drink was offered it was gratefully receieved, with the party members being thanked, especially the one paying the bill.<br>
<br>
When the party moved to a second bar, for a change of scenery and song selection, the behaviour was noticeably different. 3 waiters decided to take in in turns to pour the drinks, after a few minutes one would walk off holding his full glass and another would take his place with empty glass. Waiters not in any way connected with the party would appear with an empty glass, help themselves, and walk off. Full glasses would be passed to other people in the bar not even in waiters uniform. Waiters would appear out of nowhere and encourage us to drink with "cheers" and clinking of glass. All in all it seemed a well orchestrated campaign to increase our acohol consumption growing in audacity as the Thai hosts (bill payers) got more under the inmfluence. Waiters would also appear from everywhere else in the roomn just to help themselves to "free" cigarettes.<br>
<br>
Now I know which behaviour pattern I preferred, and which bar I will avoid in the future, but my question is: Which of the 2 bars exhibited the most usual behavoural pattern?<br>
<br>
I would welecome enlightenment from those with more experience that I in this area. <p></p><i></i>

[TheDingo]

I can only presume that, by wink, nod or otherwise not observed by you, your Thai hosts gave the OK at the second bar, and once that's made know, everyone'll drop by for their share.<br>
<br>
If you're the host then it's important (if you don't want a free-for-all) to gently (and with a smile) stop the first freeloader - and the message will get across. But when your the guest you really have to just let the Thai's do it there way. <p></p><i></i>

[chai1240]

I do agreed with Dingo.<br>
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[wowpow]

I think both bars need naming!<br>
<br>
I bought a botle of Scotch at Future Boys Bangkok once. I was told that I could keep it at the bar and would get free mixers. When I went back for the first time I was told "You have to pay B200 for first 'free' mixer and after that they cost nothing". As I nornally only have one drink per visit there it was and expensive education.<br>
<br>
In some places like the lovely Dick's Cafes you can buy a bottle of 100 Pipers for B700 and get totally free mixers. <p></p><i></i>

[gwm4asian]

In talking with my hosts, they did not give any indication, as far as they knew, that it was "open house" at the second bar.<br>
<br>
The first bar charged 900Bht a bottle, the second bar 700Bht a bottle, both bars supplying 100 Pipers. Both bars provided unlimited soda water coke and ice at no extra charge.<br>
<br>
Is it etiquette to name the bars? <p></p><i></i>

[Doug]

During my holiday, my Thai friend of 13 years and his friends spent 3 entertaining nights at the Issan live-music and dance place right on the corner of Pattaya Tai and Third Road. On my own I wouldn't have been attracted to the music but the excitement and enjoyment of my friends was infectious and I became hooked. There I always asked our server to keep a glass going for themselves, even sit at the table a share our food. The entertainers and cute male dancers would wander among the tables and were pleased to be asked to sit and have a drink. None were pushy and none went further than what was offered.<br>
<br>
On the other hand, a few times we ended the evening at a half open - half enclosed karaoke bar with pool table and food located at the south end of Monty's B&B soi next to the Koenig Hotel. It was mainly straight but very accepting. But one evening I noticed the waiters doing just as described...passing the drink around and refilling every few minitues. We enjoyed using this place as a meeting point as it was right across from my apartment at the Yensabai Mansion. My longtime friend could keep an eye on the entrance to the apartment and play pool while waiting for the boy god to leave after a shorttime. The staff also relished in gossip and tell the longtime friend of my visitors...they did not understand our relationship and, for our own entertainment, we didn't tell them. On one of the last evenings the god joined us for some pools and when he began a preplanned smooch fest with my longtime friend, the expressions on the faces of the staff was a hoot.<br>
<br>
I got upset one night when 4 of us had been there for a couple of hours. My longtime friend had been playing pool with his friends and people from other tables around the pooltable. Often he sat down while others used the table exclusively. On previous occassions I had never noticed a pooltable charge on my bill and wouldn't have objected if there had. On this night I paid our bill then noticed another cup was brought and put in front of my friend. I asked what this was for and was told it was for the pool. Why him and not on my bill? Why only him and not the other tables? Why now and not before? All questions that produced the face-saving smile but with not explanation and no backing down. I didn't leave a tip that night and we didn't return.<br>
<br>
By the way the Koenig Hotel has a beautiful air-con room with a smaller type pool table and inexpensive drinks and it never seems to be used. We called it our private, VIP room and had a few good parties there. <p></p><i></i>

[Gone Fishing]

I have little experience of karaoke bars, as I can actually think of few places I would sooner less be, but a Thai friend of mine used to work in one and from what he told me the behaviour in both was typical as, like all bars, some are more pushy than others. The main difference between these two was probably not so much in the bars but in how "<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>under the influence</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->" your Thai hosts were. In most karaoke bars the waiters / hosts are available to be "offed" by customers (a lot of relatively young / not unattractive Thai girls, especially bar-girls, routinely off karaoke waiters and tip handsomely!), and the number of waiters going to the table could have been their chance to "show off their wares" - or maybe they just wanted the free drinks! <p></p><i></i>

[monkleigh]

Recently I offed a waiter form a bar in sunee, & took him to Hollywood for my sins!!<br>
<br>
I suppose I first made the mistake of telling the waiter in the bar where I was taking him. Then it must have spread around the bar like wild fire!! Here comes another sucker!<br>
So when buying a bottle of whiskey to take into Hollywood, I now know why he made me buy a large bottle. I am not a big drinker & knew he wouldn’t be able to finish what was left on his own. <br>
Anyhow after a few drinks in the disco, 1.10am came & he told me he was going to pee, & when he came back he had 3 mamasans from his bar & the small thai manager that stands outside the bar also with him! I though ‘ here we go’ as they started ordering mixers for our bottle of whisky, in multiples of 2, for themselves. When the Hollywood waiter return with drinks, I was then off course, being the only farlang face there, naturally presented with the bill!<br>
If that wasn’t enough, where I wasn’t even told they were meetings us later, or even asked if they could share my bottle, the manager of Hollywood, who was friends with the manager of e*r* bar already present, also joined us. When he made a 2 finger wave at the waiter, I knew I was in for another bill! Again without asking, it was just automatically assumed.<br>
Then later, 2 friends of one of the bars staff at my table, who were also drinking at Hollywood near to us, helped themselves to a drink each from my bottle, didn’t say hello even, & then went back to their table with full glasses in hand.<br>
<br>
I have heard of this happening before from reading it here, but none of these people asked me once if I would mind, nor was I even thanked at the end of the night for all the free drinks that I had supplied – a this was suppose to be my holiday. <br>
<br>
What I learnt from this is that if you off (how can I put it), a senior member of the gogobar staff, who is hence friends with the manager etc, keep you mouth shut, or lie to him as to where you will be taking him afterwards. Even this is not foul proof, as when he does find out nearer the time were you are leading him, he could still phone his friends, & inform them where the free parties at!<br>
Or even better maybe, to tell the lad that just the 2 of you only will be going to the disco.<br>
<br>
This happened on only my second day back in pty, & I though what a welcome back this ruddy is?!<br>
<br>
What would you do in this situation, & what would have happened if I only had taken with me enough in my wallet for the night, just to off a lad & have a few drinks alone….…….…….? <br>
<p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p092.ezboard.com/bsawatdeeforum.showUserPublicProfile?gid=monkleigh>monkleigh</A> at: 26/11/05 12:03 pm<br></i>

[colmx]

Hi Monkleigh<br>
Surely you have been coming to Thailand long enough to know that Thais are social creatures and prefer to drink in the company of many rather than 1?<br>
<br>
On my most recent trip we went to hollywood nearly every night...<br>
The cost of 3 hours entertainment for 5-6 people?<br>
1 x 1LT Jonnie Black 1000THB<br>
All the Soda, Ice and Cola to finish that bottle 1000THB<br>
So in total 2000 THB...<br>
<br>
I think this is pretty good value, especially compared to the cost of visiting Gogo bars!<br>
<br>
YOu weren't been taken for a sucker, this is just normal behaviour,(sharing) and you can be guaranteed that the boy will be invited to Hollywood by his "freeloading" friends the next time they have a farang...<br>
<br>
As to the waiters joining us in drinking, in Hollwood only the Managers with the Ties are allowed to drink, The Dicky-Bowed Supervisors or Jumpsuited waiters are not allowed to drink until near the end of the night...<br>
<br>
And if you still have whisky left at that stage they will gladly find some ababdoned mixers and help you finish the bottle!<br>
<br>
As to the original question with regard to the boy Karaoke Bars, believe it or not there are between 35-40 of them in Pattaya... the majority are on Soi Buakow, but the Day-night area is becoming more and more popular... we visited 2 of them on my last trip K-Boys and T&T karaoke...<br>
<br>
In K-Boys the waiters sat with us and helped to finish the bottle, but at 800 for the Whiskey and Mixers who cares!<br>
They can barely be making a profit at those margins...<br>
<br>
In T&T it was 900 for the whiskey and mixers, but no waiters joined us... T&T did however have around 50 customers at that stage.... Most were in the upstairs disco... <p></p><i></i>