How the Indians can redefine and grow Thailand’s Nightlife Scene (Interview)

By Dan Cheeseman

 

 

With the strength of the baht so high at the moment and the Western tourist and expat market in decline, it would appear everything is doom and gloom but that is not altogether true.

 

 

Much has been written about the growth in Indian tourists arriving in destinations like Pattaya, but many have written them off as ‘cheap charlies’ and so of little importance commercially. That could not be further from the truth.

 

Sometime ago now I was with a bungee jump operator in Pattaya and he said the Indians were not only his best customers but also the best payers.  Since then increasingly I am hearing the same stories from different business operators.

 

Recently I spoke with Mike Weller, an entrepreneur in Pattaya who has been working with Indians within the entertainment industry and not only bucking the trend of doom and gloom but smashing it.

 

His company Buvado put together VIP Batchelor packages in Pattaya and Bangkok and there has been no shortage of affluent Indians booking up with him.

 

 

I put some questions to Mike about the current nightlife scene in Pattaya and also the increasing importance of the Indian consumer.

 

What’s happening in the Pattaya nightlife scene?

 

“For the Indian market it is booming. The average Indian is out in full force and Walking Street has its 4th Indian club on the way complete with 6,000 bottle bar and swimming pool. The Indians are tarnished with the Cheap Charlie brush but that is clearly not the case.

 

Full story: https://danaboutthailand.com/2019/09/04/how-the-indians-are-redefining-and-saving-thailands-nightlife-scene/

 

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Must have changed a bit from the 6 Indians one hooker days I remember can they all afford one each now Mike????

Although I looked on their website. sadly the 'Sushi-girl' experience that they offer is not available... ????

Ohh here we go with the same nonsense but now it’s indians who will save and change Thailand ????

 

keep reading about these rich Indians but keep seeing totally opposite.

 

yes 4th club being built and first 3 up for sale ( not a joke, serious )

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

put together VIP Batchelor packages in Pattaya and Bangkok

I recall a few Europeans and Americans getting into a whole heap of woe for organizing booze cruises for blokes including the extras that a stag night typically demands.

52 minutes ago, RotMahKid said:

Can also be fake new, as much of it about tourists in Thailand is.

Yep. Doesn’t fit your narrative so it’s gotta be fake news, right?

10 minutes ago, BestB said:

Ohh here we go with the same nonsense but now it’s indians who will save and change Thailand ????

 

keep reading about these rich Indians but keep seeing totally opposite.

 

yes 4th club being built and first 3 up for sale ( not a joke, serious )

You don’t see it because, as stated in the article, they cater private cruises and villas. 

1 minute ago, MadMuhammad said:

You don’t see it because, as stated in the article, they cater private cruises and villas. 

So the 10 out of 100000 will save and redefine, got ya????

You have to laugh at this nonsense..........

Wake up white people. It is over. 

 

Just now, NCC1701A said:

Wake up white people. It is over. 

 

Denial isnt a river in Egypt, lol

there has been no shortage of affluent Indians booking up with him. 

 

How many actually paid their bills?  ????

Read it but don't believe it. I see the same packs of Indians roaming beach road hitting up hookers 4 guys to one lady. I've NEVER seen just one Indian on a motorbike. Always have two or three to a motorbike. The undoubtedly bunk up 4 to a 500baht guest house room. This is fake news, got to be promo for "Mikes" so called booming business.

 

It got so bad that some of the Soi Bukuoa clubs don't allow Indians in. They buy one drink and nurse it for hours taking up space staring at the ladies but never bar fining one.

3 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

there has been no shortage of affluent Indians booking up with him. 

 

How many actually paid their bills?  ????

Why would you presume bills are not being paid ? 

Let me fully understand, they are Indian so therefore they book private villas and cruises and dont pay ?

Is there a history of well off Indians doing this ?

Maybe they even have credit cards, then again maybe not, What bank would trust an Indian.

 

1 hour ago, grollies said:

So he's a pimp then?

And ThaiVisa is running ads for him.

1 hour ago, Puchaiyank said:

there has been no shortage of affluent Indians booking up with him. 

 

How many actually paid their bills?  ????

Booked for one, showed up 4. No need to pay extra , all 4 will share the same spot and sit????????

 

a bit like ibar, take up 2-3 tables 6-8 of them to share 1 bottle of sangsom, cheapest bottle available 600 baht includes ice and 4 cokes. 

So, they are landing in Pattaya. ????

 

 

 

 

An inflammatory troll post has been removed

2 hours ago, petermik said:

You have to laugh at this nonsense..........

The OP is the owner of TV so it must be true.

35 minutes ago, BestB said:

now you admit to not knowing any Indians but yet somehow you managed to gather knowledge of their typical behaviour and spending habits ?

here we go again, I didnt say either of those things.

 

I questioned why people think rich Indians dont pay their bills, nothing more, nothing less.

 

What I may or may not have said in another thread, topic, issue is irrelevant. (As far as I can tell. I think you may be referring to a thread 6 months ago about independent Chinese travellers). I could find out of context comments you have made in other threads and quote them, I usually dont troll though.

Mother taught me that if you can’t say something  nice, say nothing at all.

So I have no comment about the Indians. 

 

The Indian moon landing wasn’t successful because they actually turned off the radio and detoured to Pattaya. 

I live in N Pattaya since my job is 20 minutes away. I choose to take the baht bus around the city since I hate driving in the tourist ghetto.

The past three years I have noticed more and more Indian families and couples vacationing in the city. They are definitely middle to upper middle class professionals so have money to spend. They are always polite and enjoying Thailand. ( Note: I have Indian friends in the USA so I am not “stuck” with a negative stereotype that many Westerners seem to have. ) True, one will see the cluster of single Indian men trying to pick up an “escort” along the Beach Rd promenade at night but this is true of all nationalities. For some Indian tourists ( first time to travel outside their country???) they have difficulty “queuing” up behind a 7-Eleven counter but I politely give them directions how to line up and they understand. India just like China has many inexpensive flights to Thailand so these numbers will increase. Westerners in Australia or North America have a long, expensive flight to take besides the limited vacation time. 

 

Andrew Biraj / Reuters

Walking Street is  the lap luxury compared to the seamy red light districts of India where more than 650,000 women and many underage girls spent their lives selling their bodies to survive.

8 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Andrew Biraj / Reuters

Walking Street is  the lap luxury compared to the seamy red light districts of India - like this waterside slum in Faridpur - where more than 650,000 women and many underage girls spent their lives selling their bodies to survive.

yes that would never happen in Thailand wake up

 

Klong Toey slum, Bangkok, Thailand

It's home to about 100,000 people, all crammed together in a pile of ramshackle constructions near the city's main port. “I didn't really have any opportunities,” he tells me. ... I was pretty much limited to what could happen inside the slum.”

Various inflammatory troll comments and responses removed.

Given that tourism is one of the few places where the average Thai benefits, happy to hear it.  Westerners are better off going to Vietnam anyway.

4 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Must have changed a bit from the 6 Indians one hooker days I remember can they all afford one each now Mike????

Saw a lovely young lady walk out the door of a bar with a minibus load following her .  Wish I could unsee that. 

14 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

 

Andrew Biraj / Reuters

Walking Street is  the lap luxury compared to the seamy red light districts of India - like this waterside slum in Faridpur - where more than 650,000 women and many underage girls spent their lives selling their bodies to survive.

Not saying that India is not replete with red light districts (particularly as I have been working there, off and  on for the last 20 years), but I think you will find that you  are referring to a  place in Bangladesh...... 

8 minutes ago, dabhand said:

Not saying that India is not replete with red light districts (particularly as I have been working there, off and  on for the last 20 years), but I think you will find that you  are referring to a  place in Bangladesh...... 

I stand corrected. 

3 hours ago, petermik said:

You have to laugh at this nonsense..........

the sad thing, they don't know how stupid they look from the outside world perspective..... LOS king of fake (flake) news and contradictory information, half a step forward 3 steps backwards