To go back with one's tail between one's leg means to go back embarrassed.
To a certain degree, they all do go back embarrassed.
When you fail at something and lose money, you rarely feel proud about it.
I've known a couple of these guys.
Nothing really interesting to say about them though.
Two brothers in Patong. They failed because the younger one was a junkie.
A biker in Hua Hin. He failed for no reason. Just bad business.
A guy in Pattaya. He had a bar + hotel business. Got wrecked by covid.
Honestly you have people failing in the bar industry all the time.
Especially now.
Too much competition, too much inflation, a change in girls' mentality...
The good days are long gone for this kind of business.
My first time in a thai bar was around 2009-2010.
Some say the industry was already on the decline by then.
It's very possible. I don't know.
But I can garantee you, it is far worse now.