Getting ripped off in Thailand

[cat handler]

How many people on here actually realise how badly they are and can be ripped off in Thailand (hence the title). 

Ive been going to Thailand a few times a year over the last 10 years and always wondered why I can drink Johnny Walker Red Label and Coke (Led Coke) all nigh and not get drunk. A perfect example occurred in Pattaya a few years back at a popular Walking Street night club when I had 7 glasses while my girlfriend had 1 bottle of beer over 2 hours (or less). We got a taxi home and I breath tested myself with my new breath tester and I was 0.00 BAC while my girlfriend was 0.04 BAC. 

I have now finally found out why, in Australia the standard “shot” of spirits is 30ml, in the US I believe it is higher, however in Thailand it’s 15ml (a half shot) and they only use a full shot for Thai Whiskey. So the other night I ordered a Double Shot at just a regular beer bar and got what is a standard 30ml shot in Australia and was charged the equivilant of over AUD$13, twice the price I would have paid back home at a pub and still $3 more than if I bought it at an up market night club.

 

 Now the BIGGEST ACT OF BASTARDRY I have ever witnessed and the biggest ripoff ever seen occurred in Chang Mai a little over a week ago, I was travelling by bike with 2 mates and my girlfriend around Thailand and stopped into Chang Mai for the night, my girlfriend stayed at the hotel and I went out drinking with some mates. After the bars closed around 2 my mates wanjted more and to get a couple of ladies so I tagged along, the Tuk Tuk Driver said he knew where to get some so more drinks and girls so we let him take the lead. We ended up in a Karaoke Club, the ones where you get a private room to have a sing, drink and some food. 2 girls joined us as I said I’m not interested I have one waiting in my hotel.

One mate ordered a bottle of Top Shelf Scotch Whiskey and paid for it up front and we started drinking it, his plan was to take the bottle with him after a couple of drinks and after negotiating a price with the ladies. After about 20 minutes and after a couple of drinks and a couple of plates of food for the ladies he says to me the girls were saying they can’t leave until 4am, it was around 3am. He says he’s not going to wait around until then and asked for the bill to leave, this is when the ripoff started, the bill comes and it’s over 18,000 Baht , yes that’s right, 18,000 Baht for 2 songs, 3-4 plates of food, a few mixes for the whiskey and the girls to sit with them. Of course I refused to pay it, so did my mates. After about 30 minutes and suggestions from me that we each just pay 1000 Baht (3000 all up) my mate agreed to pay 5000, 2000 for each of my mates and 1000 from me to avoid what could have become an ugly  confrontation, sure there we 3 of us but you don’t know how many Thai guys are waiting outside. So lesson learned about Chang Mai, avoid the dump, I just wish I had done 3 key things.

1. Marked the location of the bar using google maps for future reference.                                                                                               2. Had the phone number of the Tourist Police stored in my phone.

 

3. Had taken a photo of the bill.

 

Anyone in Chang Mai know the bars name leave me a message.

 

[sanemax]

16 minutes ago, cat handler said:

So lesson learned about Chang Mai, avoid the dump,

Yeah, I will  not go to Chiang Mai because you thought your bar bill was too high

[puchooay]

So you are drinking after 2am, which is illegal. Your mates have ladies tagging along. Your bill is a bit high. You want call the tourist police???

 

Funny.

[pgrahmm]

There are supposed to be some legit karaoke places in CM - but damned if I'd venture out into any based on all the horror stories consistently coming to the fore about this year after year....

[baansgr]

Bill padding is the norm in Jomtien and Pattaya. Pay as you go they even try charging for 2. Ask prices first. No wonder the bars are empty. 

[cat handler]

22 minutes ago, puchooay said:

So you are drinking after 2am, which is illegal. Your mates have ladies tagging along. Your bill is a bit high. You want call the tourist police???

 

Funny.

 

Can you you try writing that in English, and since when was it illegal to drink after 2am? I’m guessing you’re related to the rip off filth in Chang Mai if you think a gill of 18’000 Baht is “a bit high”, I can just imaging you picking you’re nose and having a feast while you wrote that.

 

[cat handler]

10 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Bill padding is the norm in Jomtien and Pattaya. Pay as you go they even try charging for 2. Ask prices first. No wonder the bars are empty. 

 

Thats the norm in Thailand, buy 1 lady a drink and all of a sudden all her friends have drinks in their hands, I’m on to that scam so always check only one lady drink goes into the cup. This however was downright attempted theft.

[zzaa09]

Poor Farang.

Always a victim.

[samsensam]

sounds like your complaint is due to your involvement in the sex industry,  the solution is obvious.

 

 

[puchooay]

22 minutes ago, cat handler said:

 

Can you you try writing that in English, and since when was it illegal to drink after 2am? I’m guessing you’re related to the rip off filth in Chang Mai if you think a gill of 18’000 Baht is “a bit high”, I can just imaging you picking you’re nose and having a feast while you wrote that.

 

There is a 2am curfew. Why do you think you ended up in a private room? I don't pick my nose and don't eat after 6pm. 

[sammieuk1]

Great news was you only stayed one night?

[SteveK]

Haha, they must have seen you coming!

 

Half drunk at 2 in the morning asking taxi drivers for an illegal boozing den with prostitutes! You forgot to ask the prices so I'm afraid it's really your fault, this happens in Tokyo, London, New York, Rome, Prague etc.......

 

It doesn't make Chiang Mai a dump because you got duped.

[lanng khao]

Count yourself lucky, at least you got the little fella wet when you got back the hotel, more than the other 2 did..

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[sanemax]

35 minutes ago, cat handler said:

 

Can you you try writing that in English, and since when was it illegal to drink after 2am? I’m guessing you’re related to the rip off filth in Chang Mai if you think a gill of 18’000 Baht is “a bit high”, I can just imaging you picking you’re nose and having a feast while you wrote that.

 

Since about four years ago , well, it always has been illegal, its just that now they are enforcing the law

[zzaa09]

7 minutes ago, pr9spk said:

Haha, they must have seen you coming!

 

Half drunk at 2 in the morning asking taxi drivers for an illegal boozing den with prostitutes! You forgot to ask the prices so I'm afraid it's really your fault, this happens in Tokyo, London, New York, Rome, Prague etc.......

 

It doesn't make Chiang Mai a dump because you got duped.

Naivete is as naivete does.....

[moose7117]

34 minutes ago, cat handler said:

 

Thats the norm in Thailand, buy 1 lady a drink and all of a sudden all her friends have drinks in their hands, I’m on to that scam so always check only one lady drink goes into the cup. This however was downright attempted theft.

 

You might think this behaviour is normal for Thailand, i don't, and it hasn't happened to me yet.

 

This is such a horrible country so maybe you should just go home to mummy and never come back here.

[sanemax]

2 minutes ago, moose7117 said:

 

You might think this behaviour is normal for Thailand, i don't, and it hasn't happened to me yet.

This is such a horrible country so maybe you should just go home to mummy and never come back here.

Its the normal behavior in karaoke bars

[cat handler]

22 minutes ago, puchooay said:

There is a 2am curfew. Why do you think you ended up in a private room? I don't pick my nose and don't eat after 6pm. 

 

A private room with a private bottle of scotch.., now what laws were broken again? I think you were eating it, come on, admit it.

[SteveK]

3 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Its the normal behavior in karaoke bars

I think most people on here know not to walk into a karaoke bar/brothel at 2am, especially when it's at the taxi driver's recommendation!

 

Whether someone was eating their bogeys or not is another question..........

 

Still should have checked the prices!

[cat handler]

7 minutes ago, moose7117 said:

 

You might think this behaviour is normal for Thailand, i don't, and it hasn't happened to me yet.

 

This is such a horrible country so maybe you should just go home to mummy and never come back here.

 

Post a subject and I get bed wetters like this replying.

[sanemax]

2 minutes ago, cat handler said:

 

A private room with a private bottle of scotch.., now what laws were broken again? I think you were eating it, come on, admit it.

Purchasing alcohol after midnight is the law which was broken

[Lacessit]

Oh please. If you don't want to be ripped off, buy a bottle of 100 Pipers or Bells for about 400 baht, add a six-pack of Coke, then take it back to your hotel/apartment. You can get thoroughly plastered for about 500 baht.

Or if the object of the exercise is sex, there are several well-known establishments in Chiang Mai where you can buy about an hour of congenial female company for around 2000 baht.

If you are trying to combine the two activities, IMHO you are getting everything you deserve.

[SteveK]

1 minute ago, cat handler said:

 

Post a subject and I get bed wetters like this replying.

You got robbed because you were careless. I think he is justified in his response.

[The manic]

1 hour ago, cat handler said:

 

Can you you try writing that in English, and since when was it illegal to drink after 2am? I’m guessing you’re related to the rip off filth in Chang Mai if you think a gill of 18’000 Baht is “a bit high”, I can just imaging you picking you’re nose and having a feast while you wrote that.

 

Bars close 11pm CM. Anyway the CM karaoke bars are a well known ripp off. It's common knowledge.

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, The manic said:

Bars close 11pm CM. 

No they dont , they close at 12 .30 am

[The manic]

50 minutes ago, pr9spk said:

Haha, they must have seen you coming!

 

Half drunk at 2 in the morning asking taxi drivers for an illegal boozing den with prostitutes! You forgot to ask the prices so I'm afraid it's really your fault, this happens in Tokyo, London, New York, Rome, Prague etc.......

 

It doesn't make Chiang Mai a dump because you got duped.

It is a dump but not because a loser got suckered there.?

[The manic]

Just now, sanemax said:

No they dont , they close at 12 .30 am

When I was there Autumn 2017 the police and army closed the bars around 11pm and we gathered secretly in a lock up with the shutters closed.

[The manic]

32 minutes ago, cat handler said:

 

Post a subject and I get bed wetters like this replying.

Pot calling the kettle black! On a drunken night out in a strange city with two girls you didn't know, in an establishment you were not familiar with, drinking after hours at 2am you got overcharged.  Could happen anywhere. Get over it. Put it down to experience. 

[zzaa09]

42 minutes ago, moose7117 said:

 

 

 

This is such a horrible country so maybe you should just go home to mummy and never come back here.

This could easily apply to discontented residents as well as the usual frustrated sexpats and casual traveler. 

If they're truly uncomfortable living here/visiting, why might they continue to be here? 

 

Bizarre contradictory, to say the least.

[FritsSikkink]

42 minutes ago, cat handler said:

 

Post a subject and I get bed wetters like this replying.

You made all the first time tourist mistakes there are and now you want to play keyboard warrior?

Ask the price before you buy, it isn't that difficult.