The Value of Thailand.

[bucknaway]

There was a time when I considered Thailand to be of great value. That was many broken "Fake Rolex's" ago. Sure it can be a great bargain if you are thrifty and in the know. Taxis are a good deal if you get one with a meter. Street food is cheap if you don't get sick from it. Clothes are cheap if you can find your size and are good at bargaining.

Yes, Thailand was a bargain when I got 40 something Baht to the Dollar, but now it is about 31 baht to the Dollar. Still a bargain? Not if your a partier/gogo bar hoping/entertainment venue visitor.

Lets start here.

35b = $1
100b = $2.82 us
500b = $14.12 us
1000b = $28.24 us

In a gogo bar in the USA, I can tip a gogo dancer 35b, cop a feel and everyone is happy. I dare you to go into Dreamboys and tip a dancer 35b and cop a feel without being looked at as being sticky with your money! 100b please....

Here in the USA they have many $1 stores. I have never seen a Thai 35b store.

Food is cheaper in Thailand. Well not so fast! There are deli's, vendor stands with near equal pricing. You can still find places that sell a can of coke for 50 cent (17 baht).

The Bars are the real rip-off... Even here in the USA the bars are the real rip-off. But here we don't go out every night, just 2 nights a week at most. Want a beer here? $3. Want a mixed drink? $4 Entrance? $5

The only difference in barhopping in the USA as opposed to Thailand is that the cost can be higher on drinks and you are pressured to buy the staff drinks at a higher rate.

But if your savvy, you can have a very enjoyable and inexpensive vacation in Thailand if you have an open mind (Not so open that your brain falls out). and limit your bar visits.

[markie1]

There was a time when I considered Thailand to be of great value. That was many broken "Fake Rolex's" ago. Sure it can be a great bargain if you are thrifty and in the know. Taxis are a good deal if you get one with a meter. Street food is cheap if you don't get sick from it. Clothes are cheap if you can find your size and are good at bargaining.

Yes, Thailand was a bargain when I got 40 something Baht to the Dollar, but now it is about 31 baht to the Dollar. Still a bargain? Not if your a partier/gogo bar hoping/entertainment venue visitor.

Lets start here.

35b = $1
100b = $2.82 us
500b = $14.12 us
1000b = $28.24 us

In a gogo bar in the USA, I can tip a gogo dancer 35b, cop a feel and everyone is happy. I dare you to go into Dreamboys and tip a dancer 35b and cop a feel without being looked at as being sticky with your money! 100b please....

Here in the USA they have many $1 stores. I have never seen a Thai 35b store.

Food is cheaper in Thailand. Well not so fast! There are deli's, vendor stands with near equal pricing. You can still find places that sell a can of coke for 50 cent (17 baht).

The Bars are the real rip-off... Even here in the USA the bars are the real rip-off. But here we don't go out every night, just 2 nights a week at most. Want a beer here? $3. Want a mixed drink? $4 Entrance? $5

The only difference in barhopping in the USA as opposed to Thailand is that the cost can be higher on drinks and you are pressured to buy the staff drinks at a higher rate.

But if your savvy, you can have a very enjoyable and inexpensive vacation in Thailand if you have an open mind (Not so open that your brain falls out). and limit your bar visits.


I have to agree ,when these bars start charging more than West end London prices you have to Question it ,and when places Like the Ambiance hotel charge ┬г1.47 for a cup of tea,it has to be Questionabale in thailand ,and ┬г1.83 for a glass of water small bottle , you can surely understand why the taurist are not flocking in to thaialnd ,at one time it use to be cheap ,but now the forang ownership of the bars have gone way over the top with there prices ,and untill they bring them down i can not see any buisness improving there ,it makes it a very expencive these days ,andyou have to think twice before you book it .

[jolyjacktar]

I always used to stay in places like Ambience and Cafe Royle. I use to believe that although more exspensive than a lot of the other guesthouses i still got a clean room and nice bed. However these days my views have changed a lot. I also think that what they charge for drinks are over the top and the rooms now just arnt worth the money at the current rates of exchange.
Im a great believer that in hard times you lower prices a little to still pull in the customer. Im sure its not just the 2 Guest houses ive mentioned are guilty of over the top prices im sure there are 1 or 2 more gay places like it in Pattaya.
As for clubs and bars, forget it. Just pure greed in the gay sector. I cant justify sitting in a bar or club paying the prices they ask for a drink. I will rather go and sit at a girlie bar and pay less than 1/2 the price for a drink and also most girlie bars i go to have live music. Then at gogo clossing time i make my way to Boyztown or Sunnee and get a lad for no bar fine as they walk home. Now that not cheap charlie but clever Trever
I have no sympathy for any bar or gogo that closes due to lack of business.

[bucknaway]

Go to a girly bar? I did just that on my last trip. When I was in Pattaya, I went to walking street and sat myself at the bar that has Thai fighting and paid 100b or so and would tip the fighters when I felt like it and I tipped them 20b

Often the fighters would sit next to me to talk but I did not give them too much attention because I am shy. LOL

At the end of the night I would walk back to Boyztown just to see the frenzy! Then I would get a baht bus (for 10 baht), to take me back to Johmtien. but still my evening would not end for a few hours more and I am not going to say what I did with my time when back in Johmtien at 2am until 4 or 5am....

"The Value of Thailand"

Not in any particular order:

1 Warm winter getaway
2 Guesthouse rooms from around ┬г15/night
3 "Trade" can be had from not much over ┬г20.

If you can suggest any other country that can offer this nearer to home, I could be interested (at least while BKK airport is blocked by idiots).

[anakot]

At the end of the night I would walk back to Boyztown just to see the frenzy! Then I would get a baht bus (for 10 baht), to take me back to Johmtien. but still my evening would not end for a few hours more and I am not going to say what I did with my time when back in Johmtien at 2am until 4 or 5am....

Oh come on don't be a tease. Do tell. I promise I won't tell anybody...

[vnman]

I have to agree ,when these bars start charging more than West end London prices you have to Question it ,and when places Like the Ambiance hotel charge ┬г1.47 for a cup of tea,it has to be Questionabale in thailand ,and ┬г1.83 for a glass of water small bottle , you can surely understand why the taurist are not flocking in to thaialnd ,at one time it use to be cheap ,but now the forang ownership of the bars have gone way over the top with there prices ,and untill they bring them down i can not see any buisness improving there ,it makes it a very expencive these days ,andyou have to think twice before you book it .

key money for a go go bar in Pattaya Land 1: $80.000 USD for 3 years.
Rent : 10.000 baht per month.

1 mamasans 10.000 Bt
5 waiters 17.500 Bt
1 DJ 5000 Bt
1 Cashier 5000 Bt
30 boys 45.000 Bt

I'm not writing a business plan so i'll let you guess cost for Electric, water and miscellaneous.

Lowering prices for drinks to get more customers is still a sure killer for the owners. There's no way for them to make profit, or even break even. The only way is to jack up the prices and pray the crowd will still come.

I wish them good luck *with an evil grin on my face*

Me

I made similar comments earlier about a "famous" Bangkok Hotel and was well and truly lambasted for it. I felt that the value for money was not evident at this establishment. I quoted room prices converted to Aus$ and was told that it was the "sick" Australian dollars fault. I have for the last two years felt that Thailand was getting pricey and the value was disappearing.
Don't get me wrong, I love Thailand. Most of the Thai people are wonderful and the country is rich with culture and diversity but after my last trip ( February this year) I was glad to leave. The people are struggling, with that comes greed and crime. The bar boys have become annoyingly money grubbing compared to say 5-6 years ago.
That said all countries have changed it that time and sadly, few are better for it. I don't want el-cheapo pricing. I want value for money, same as want in every other country I have visited or lived in.
It'll be interesting to see if the same wankers get on this post's bandwagon!

...
The only difference in barhopping in the USA as opposed to Thailand is that the cost can be higher on drinks and you are pressured to buy the staff drinks at a higher rate.
...

Actually, the drinks are still not cheaper than in the U.S.
a bear at DJ is 100 baht...about the same as int he U.S.
But a cocktail is a different story. When you order gin and tonic, the bartender give you one glass of tonic water and a tiny drop of gin. How does anyone get drunk at DJ?

In the middle of the market (think 4 star hotel with pool and MYOB staff) I get far more bang for my buck in Bangkok than in Singapore, Hong Kong or Tokyo. OTOH in these other places the guy is more clearly a volunteer. Often he will be in Bangkok, but if we go for a decent Western meal it's not his wallet that is first out when the billl is called.

Sex with non-volunteers just doesn't cut it for me, but each to his own.

I am not going to say what I did with my time when back in Johmtien at 2am until 4 or 5am....


The 'real' value in Thailand lies in this mystery. Jomtien between 2 and 5?? Please, pretty please, do tell!!!

[bucknaway]

You can look up some of my old posts... I may have written about my late night adventures in Pattaya.

[Marsilius]

When you order gin and tonic, the bartender give you one glass of tonic water and a tiny drop of gin. How does anyone get drunk at DJ?

In some other places, you're lucky to get that...

A friendly ex-bar owner once told me that a very common scam is for the out-of-sight barman to take an empty glass and invert it in a saucer of gin. Pulling it out, the rim is soaked in pure gin, though there is none in the glass. Top it up with tonic and, hey pesto!, the customer gets the strong smell and even a slight taste of gin as they sip their drink. Even if they think it's a weak measure, virtually no-one - concentrating as they are on the bar's other "features" - complains.

You can look up some of my old posts... I may have written about my late night adventures in Pattaya.

Yes you did... thanks

...
The only difference in barhopping in the USA as opposed to Thailand is that the cost can be higher on drinks and you are pressured to buy the staff drinks at a higher rate.
...

Actually, the drinks are still not cheaper than in the U.S.
a bear at DJ is 100 baht...about the same as int he U.S.
But a cocktail is a different story. When you order gin and tonic, the bartender give you one glass of tonic water and a tiny drop of gin. How does anyone get drunk at DJ?

hmmm, I think you are going to the wrong bar in DJ, there are many to choose from. I always get heavy gin tonics there, almost half and half, not to mention their kemicaze :-), and yes I know how a real gin and tonic taste. For 100 baht a great deal in a disco.

Actually, the drinks are still not cheaper than in the U.S.
a bear at DJ is 100 baht...about the same as int he U.S.
But a cocktail is a different story. When you order gin and tonic, the bartender give you one glass of tonic water and a tiny drop of gin. How does anyone get drunk at DJ?

DJ Station?

Entry 200 baht and that gets you two drinks coupons for any drink. Before tip, that's just under $3 US. Other bars, 200-250 baht for a beer??? Ya, no..

DJ is one of the few bars that actually knows now to get people in and keep them thus they're usually quite busy.

Never had a problem getting a good buzz going after a couple rye there.

hmmm, I think you are going to the wrong bar in DJ, there are many to choose from. I always get heavy gin tonics there, almost half and half, not to mention their kemicaze :-), ......

yes, that's the thing. You do have to be very street smart in BKK. This aspect of life is also quite different than in the U.S. where things are more straightforward.
well...it's only my opinion.

hmmm, I think you are going to the wrong bar in DJ, there are many to choose from. I always get heavy gin tonics there, almost half and half, not to mention their kemicaze :-), ......

yes, that's the thing. You do have to be very street smart in BKK. This aspect of life is also quite different than in the U.S. where things are more straightforward.
well...it's only my opinion.

Well I am not in Copenhagen when I am in Bangkok, call it street smart, or maybe I have just good friends, who want me to show me to their friends. Same all over the world. I manage to have some very good drinks all over the world. To be pissed after 200-400 bath is not a bad deal. BTW I have never seen anyone been rejecter to have more gin if not happy. DJ is one of the best deals in BKK, think of Silom 4, it is almost water for 90 or more.
BTW I am back in late January.
Take care to you all.

... in these other places the guy is more clearly a volunteer. Often he will be in Bangkok ...Sex with non-volunteers just doesn't cut it for me, but each to his own.

So on those occasions when he is not a volunteer he is a rape victim? To each his own, indeed.