Most expensive drink in a Pattaya gay bar?

[blueboy]

I was last night in Cartier and already had a few drinks beforehand, so ordered ONE water (singha glass bottle) - bill came to 200 Baht!!!
Of course, I did not even ask the off fee.

[Patexpat]

Yup - I tried this dive out with a few friends a couple of months ago. OK, it does have a slightly naughty show but when we were there it was dirty, unappealing, rude staff and a complete rip off at B200 for any drink .... never again.

[allieb]

200 Baht for a drink is still 50 baht cheaper than many Bangkok showbars. Its only 40 Baht more expensive that the average Pattaya showbar.
What the fuck has the fact it was water have to do with it? It costs a bar just a much to serve water as any other drink. If you don't want any more booze because you've had enough or too much else where,then its not the fault of Cartier. Would have been better to have gone home

[cdnmatt]

Yeah, prices have definitely went up over the past couple years. I remember before it was 80 baht for a drink in a go-go bar.

I don't bother with the gay bars much anymore, as it's just a waste of time and money. I'm usually out 500 - 600 baht just to have a beer. Sit down in a bar, and order a beer, so there's 150baht. Then there's always some shithead smiling at me, or someone I'm acquantancies with, so call them down for a drink to give them a break, and there's another 150. Then I tip them, so another 200, then I tip the bar a little, so another say 50 - 100. Yeah, about 500 - 600 for a beer.

That, and it's just one of those things in life that's fun at first, but gets old pretty quickly. Especially when I go in knowing full well I'll never off anyone.

[Patexpat]

200 Baht for a drink is still 50 baht cheaper than many Bangkok showbars. Its only 40 Baht more expensive that the average Pattaya showbar.
What the fuck has the fact it was water have to do with it? It costs a bar just a much to serve water as any other drink. If you don't want any more booze because you've had enough or too much else where,then its not the fault of Cartier. Would have been better to have gone home


FYI it's actually B120 more than you would pay for a water in at least one major show bar here .... in much nicer surroundings, that's all. And please don't compare Pattaya with Bangkok ... if you want to do that then let's compare Pattaya prices with London's West End ... which do you think is the most expensive?

[stevehadders]

Compared to West End?? In Soho and Earls Court last night I paid no more than 3.30 sterling for a pint of lager - and went to several establishments. I understand that the bar has its overheads but 200 baht does seem steep to me.

[Patexpat]

Compared to West End?? In Soho and Earls Court last night I paid no more than 3.30 sterling for a pint of lager - and went to several establishments. I understand that the bar has its overheads but 200 baht does seem steep to me.

Thanks Steve - that was my exact point. It's cheaper to drink in London's West End than in certain places in Pattaya.

And what type of entertainment was included with your 3.30 pint of lager?

[Impulse]

And what type of entertainment was included with your 3.30 pint of lager? Yes,I would gladly pay more to see some young Thais than some older British bloke dancing about with a hula hoop.

[Beachlover]

Compared to West End?? In Soho and Earls Court last night I paid no more than 3.30 sterling for a pint of lager - and went to several establishments. I understand that the bar has its overheads but 200 baht does seem steep to me.

Thanks Steve - that was my exact point. It's cheaper to drink in London's West End than in certain places in Pattaya.

So what? If 200 baht is steep then go elsewhere. There must be dozens of cheap bars in Pattaya to drink at.

So you're telling us there aren't places in London's West End with drinks costing more than 200 baht?.... 400baht even? Even in Sydney, Australia, most drinks are around 180-220 baht and there are plenty of places going up to 300 baht... and London is supposed to be more expensive.

[allieb]

200 Baht for a drink is still 50 baht cheaper than many Bangkok showbars. Its only 40 Baht more expensive that the average Pattaya showbar.
What the fuck has the fact it was water have to do with it? It costs a bar just a much to serve water as any other drink. If you don't want any more booze because you've had enough or too much else where,then its not the fault of Cartier. Would have been better to have gone home


FYI it's actually B120 more than you would pay for a water in at least one major show bar here .... in much nicer surroundings, that's all. And please don't compare Pattaya with Bangkok ... if you want to do that then let's compare Pattaya prices with London's West End ... which do you think is the most expensive?

If I was a bar owner in pattya, (Thank god I'm not to have to deal with such difficult queens) I would'nt want some asshole coming in taking up a space, watching the show, drinking a bottle of water and then complaining. It cost just as much to service a customer drinking a bottle of water as it does a gin and tonic. I agree with you I shouldn't compare Pattaya with Bangkok. Bangkok is bit up market where as Pattaya is a seedy sex supermarket. If everybody ordered water at 80 Baht a throw in these bars you talk about , I wonder how long they will stay in business.

Re Beach Bunnys' comment And what type of entertainment was included with your 3.30 pint of lager? I would imagin some dirty assed Soho British rent boys at 120 pounds a go for short time.

I didn't go to very many gay bars in Pattaya, but I'd say maybe Nab?
I ordered a heineken and it came to р╕┐320 (I think, I was pretty wasted at the time :tard: ) plus tip.
Not complaining though, it was an excellent night club and the music/entertainment was top-notch. :headbang:

[cdnmatt]

It cost just as much to service a customer drinking a bottle of water as it does a gin and tonic.

Huh? You do know that waiters get paid on an hourly, weekly or monthly basis right? You do know they don't get paid on a per-drink served basis, right?

[Brad the Impala]

It cost just as much to service a customer drinking a bottle of water as it does a gin and tonic.

Huh? You do know that waiters get paid on an hourly, weekly or monthly basis right? You do know they don't get paid on a per-drink served basis, right?

Which is why the cost of a drink is, in effect, a cover charge.

I was last night in Cartier and already had a few drinks beforehand, so ordered ONE water (singha glass bottle) - bill came to 200 Baht!!!
Of course, I did not even ask the off fee.


bill came to 200 Baht!!!

Singha glasses are not designed for water ! :occasion5:

I ordered a heineken and it came to р╕┐320 (I think, I was pretty wasted at the time :tard: ) plus tip.

I was just there on Thursday night. A round of Singha was 150 baht each. A bottle of Red label whiskey (that you can take with you if you don't finish it) and the mixers was 1300.

I was a rotten tipper on this trip, I'm sure...sometimes nothing and usually 20-30 baht. For a while I was tipping nothing since I'd read that tips weren't expected but that's obviously not the case. One of the guys in my hotel explained that he works 84 hrs/week for 6k baht and that the (pooled) tips that they receive are important...a lot of guys live on that and send their checks home.

At home I usually tip 15-20% but that would be excessive in Thailand. I'm thinking I could use 5% as a rule of thumb next year?

[allieb]

It cost just as much to service a customer drinking a bottle of water as it does a gin and tonic.

Huh? You do know that waiters get paid on an hourly, weekly or monthly basis right? You do know they don't get paid on a per-drink served basis, right?

Yeh I do, and if the bar was full of water drinkers expecting the prices to be much lower than booze there wouldn't be enough money to pay the staff and overheads at the end of the week or month. As Brad said the cost of a drink is a cover charge. If the water drinker objects to paying a cover charge then don't go to a show bar. Buy a bottle from 7/11, stand outside and drink it whilst watching the trafic.

I was just there on Thursday night. A round of Singha was 150 baht each. A bottle of Red label whiskey (that you can take with you if you don't finish it) and the mixers was 1300.

I was a rotten tipper on this trip, I'm sure...sometimes nothing and usually 20-30 baht. For a while I was tipping nothing since I'd read that tips weren't expected but that's obviously not the case. One of the guys in my hotel explained that he works 84 hrs/week for 6k baht and that the (pooled) tips that they receive are important...a lot of guys live on that and send their checks home.

At home I usually tip 15-20% but that would be excessive in Thailand. I'm thinking I could use 5% as a rule of thumb next year?

Hehe, don't worry, I normally gave a р╕┐20-30 tip too 'cause I was told that it was customary :tongue3:
The prices might have dropped by now (but why would they do that?), but I am so sure that that's how much it was for a heineken (I know that they're more expensive than singha beer 'cause it's their local stuff). I miss it to death though, it's the perfect place for a good night out. :occasion9:

[MARK]

Seem to me a good spot to remind everybody that all drinks customers and boys are 99bht at the Krazy Dragon and we only stock brand named spirit.
No need to cut corners.

Mark
:hello1:

[allieb]

Seem to me a good spot to remind everybody that all drinks customers and boys are 99bht at the Krazy Dragon and we only stock brand named spirit.
No need to cut corners.

Mark
:hello1:

Mark charges the same for all drinks be it premium shots or plain old water, quite right too. 99 baht is a good price and his bar is getting more customers than most in these hard times. By the way Mark had a great time in KD last month.

BTW If there any water drinkers out there that think Mark should charge less for water then stay at home.

99 baht? That's great! I'll definately pop in for a drink the next time I'm in Pattaya :rolling:

BTW If there any water drinkers out there that think Mark should charge less for water then stay at home.

The guy that ran my hotel thought it'd be best for someone like me to stay away from Sunee on my first trip, so I took that advice. I'm sure I'll get to KD on next year's trip.

It seems that mixed drinks are a much better value if you are anywhere other than a 7-11. :alc:

You are undoubtedly doing yourself a favor by ordering water or soda. I'm going back on a strict diet starting today...I couldn't stand looking at myself at the beach. lol.

I couldn't stand looking at myself at the beach. lol.

Give a thought for the other poor souls who were subjected to the sight of your corpulent profile basking on the sand like a beached manatee.

.....Singha was 150 baht each..... I'm thinking I could use 5% (tip)as a rule of thumb next year?

Lets get this straight:

You would seriously give a 7.5baht tip?

Or would you round it up to 10baht to be the last of the big spenders and ensure the boys are fighting over you on your next visit?

:violent1: :violent1: :violent1: :violent1:

You would seriously give a 7.5baht tip?

Or would you round it up to 10baht to be the last of the big spenders and ensure the boys are fighting over you on your next visit?


Tips are usually proportionally larger on small purchases than large ones. Just because you tip 10 baht on a beer doesn't mean you'd tip the same percentage on a 2k tab at NAB.

I'm only interested in norms, I'm not interested in dating waiters.

.....Singha was 150 baht each..... I'm thinking I could use 5% (tip)as a rule of thumb next year?

Lets get this straight:

You would seriously give a 7.5baht tip?

Or would you round it up to 10baht to be the last of the big spenders and ensure the boys are fighting over you on your next visit?

:violent1: :violent1: :violent1: :violent1:

This reminds me of an American who gave a waiter a 3 baht tip for a 30 baht tab as he said that in the good old U.S.of A they usually tip 10%. Personaly I wouldn't embarrass myself. And I always thought it was you Jocks who had the reputation for being tight................. :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1:

This reminds me of an American who gave a waiter a 3 baht tip for a 30 baht tab as he said that in the good old U.S.of A they usually tip 10%. Personally I wouldn't embarrass myself.

I think as many people get laughed at on SGT for over-tipping as under-tipping. The point of fact is that nobody really knows what the "right" amount is and that's the problem with Thailand.

It's pretty clear what is expected in the US, 10-20% and that's because wait staff are damn-near not paid in the expectation of them getting tips. I haven't had anyone tell me that wait staff in Thailand don't have a reasonable base salary. The guys that did mention tipping stated that the tips are pooled so you aren't really rewarding your wait person for exceptional service. I'll add that overall service levels were so high that I'd be hard-pressed to define what 'exceptional' is...American restaurants could certainly learn a few things from the Thai.

i always leave a reasonable tip for the bar, and if I think a particular waiter has given exceptional service I fold a note up and secretly slip it into his hand on the way out of the establishment, that then goes into his pocket which I think is appropriate and always gets you a big, big smile which makes it all worth while.....

:hello1:

The point of fact is that nobody really knows what the "right" amount is and that's the problem with Thailand.



No...that's the problem with America, where a tip is more of an obligatory surcharge so that restaurant and bar owners don't have to pay their employees a living wage.

Only foreigners get uptight about tips in Thailand, where none is often expected (street stalls, simple restaurants, taxis, restaurants imposing a 10% service charge), or where 20-40 baht is all that is necessary otherwise.

[Patexpat]

Hate to agree with BB but he is right, in Thailand tip little and often ....

[thrillbill]

I am not here on holiday, I work in the area. I always want to vomit when visitors get on their "high horse" and start comparing prices of their Western cities to the ones in Thailand. Note: Expenses to run a bar is lower in Thailand than it would be in London or in San Francisco. Wages, utility bills, and cost of living for the locals are also less; thus I can accept ( or expect) that the drinks would be less expensive than back in a Western country. Also, why should drinks be less in a "girlie" bar down a soi in Pattaya compared to a gay bar? I have finally figured out why places like BoyzBoyzBoys is not continuously full like it use to be...the cost of their drinks is part of the reason. For me, I'll continue to go to BKK on weekends. For 200 baht, you get two strong drinks at DJ's and some good eye candy that may even BUY you a drink!

[DCbob]

I just left Pattaya on October 7 and returned to Washington, DC America. I would gladly pay $10.00 for a water (350 baht) if I could see what you are seeing, and I would not be complaining. And then I would give a tip too.

and some good eye candy that may even BUY you a drink!

Hahaha ... you've got more chance of taking a shit in Michelle Obama's handbag. :ssmile:

Hate to agree with BB but he is right, in Thailand tip little and often ....

The response from you and BB was what I was looking for, so thanks.

..........And I always thought it was you Jocks who had the reputation for being tight................. :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1:


Better to be tight than have a fanny like a horse's collar dear


:hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1:

Okay. Sounds like quite a fair bit of useful information.

I'm still a little confused though. please advise or correct my perceived 'rule of thumb' === a 10% tip for a drink that is at least above 100 baht would be fine right? but under that price, tip up to a range of 20 - 40 baht for our kind waiter would be culturally acceptable?

thanks! :headbang:

--------------
shawn
the GuideGecko travel bookstore (http://www.guidegecko.com)

10 baht for one drink is fine, 20-40 baht for anything over that will be more than welcome whether a bar or restaurant. Do not stress yourself out -- tipping is optional here, as opposed to in Amerika.