Oh Man! Foreign tourist racks up 50K bar tab after ringing the bell 20 times!

[Ebumbu]

3 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

They were probably expecting me to bribe my way out of my now predicament, but, instead, I called a highly influential lawyer in Khon Kaen, and passed the phone over to the officer. To this day I do not know what was said, but on handing me the phone back, he told me I was free to go, and the matter was closed.

 

This is one of the most fantastic stories I've read on this forum. I must put some "powerful attorneys" in my contacts. 

 

 

[sunnyboy2018]

3 hours ago, batata said:

he's from Oman, muslim country..... muslims don't (are not supposed to) drink alcohol and don't frequent bars quite surprised with the post

There are bars in Oman.

[mikeymike100]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Maybe I go to the "wrong" places. But where I go if a customer would ring the bell he would get the bill for that right away. And if he does it again he would get another bill.

And if he does not notice his bill they would probably tell him that he just got another 2000B bill.

Are there any bars where you can ring the bell 5 times and nobody explains the rules? Maybe 2nd floor Patpong but otherwise I don't think so. But please correct me if I am wrong.

You are correct. Any bar, would not ley you ring the bell 20 times without making sure you pay up, or have the ability to pay up. Maybe because he was an Arab, they thought he was rich.??

[kensisaket]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Maybe I go to the "wrong" places. But where I go if a customer would ring the bell he would get the bill for that right away. And if he does it again he would get another bill.

And if he does not notice his bill they would probably tell him that he just got another 2000B bill.

Are there any bars where you can ring the bell 5 times and nobody explains the rules? Maybe 2nd floor Patpong but otherwise I don't think so. But please correct me if I am wrong.

I don't even drink; but, I know damn well they would not have allowed anyone to ring up a 50k bill without making sure they got paid long before it got to that amount.  

 

[Vacuum]

51 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

Some places have 2 bells - one buys everyone in the bar a drink

I guess the 'Oman' man rang the the wrong bell...

[Colabamumbai]

Ring my bell. 

[White Christmas13]

1 hour ago, Nyezhov said:

They have them in bars in the USA

even in local pubs in Australia

[DougSunee]

I lived in Oman for 12 years nice place and people, drinking is legal there and if your in the Intercon or any other bar your just as likely to find your self standing next to an Omani as any other nationality.

[somnumna]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

So he was right then, overcharged by nearly 40Kbht.

Police made him pay 14,500bht. 

 

Nice girlfriend too, he didn't know what ringing the bell meant, and she didn't tell him.

Why would she?? Most of them are on commission anyway and think of the Admiration she gets for bringing him into the bar

[Beggar]

Perhaps they have several bells on one rope. If you pull they all ring and you pay per bell. 

 

[somnumna]

1 minute ago, Beggar said:

Perhaps they have several bells on one rope. If you pull they all ring and you pay per bell. 

 

He pulled their bells and they pulled his leg.. I bet they thought they had landed a right sucker hey.. Oman Rich and money Easy pickings 

[laocowboy2]

4 hours ago, batata said:

he's from Oman, muslim country..... muslims don't (are not supposed to) drink alcohol and don't frequent bars quite surprised with the post

I visit Oman several times a year. Some hotels have alcohol licences - and Omani customers will also take a drink. Generally very pleasant guys.

[BigC]

It should  be clearly signed  that ringing the bell means  you buy  a round

 

Also get the bill after each bell ring

 

 

[spidermike007]

I don't buy it. He rings the bell and everyone gets excited. And thanks him for the drinks. And he does not know what he was Doing? Total BS. 

 

Anti Pavlovian science at work here!

[moe666]

If he is dump enough to ring the bell 20 times he is dumb enough to pay the bill. I have been in bars where a guy runs up the bill and then claims no have money, bulls--t he needs to pay just for being dumb

[tifino]

1 minute ago, spidermike007 said:

I don't buy it. He rings the bell and everyone gets excited. And thanks him for the drinks. And he does not know what he was Doing? Total BS. 

 

Anti Pavlovian science at work here!

he wasn't quibbling about the Tab per se... 

 - just the inflated quantity... only starting to actually complain when he saw how inflated it was.

[johnarth]

3 hours ago, petermik said:

She was probably on "commission" that`s why.....

yes many years ago I was with friends at a bar and a guy rang the bell, we got free drinks I asked what was going on then was told, with the added bit girlfriend work here get paid I thanked someone up there for the info

[sawadee1947]

4 hours ago, Vacuum said:

She should pay half of the bill, or 'work' it off.

Yeah, by ringing his bells ????????????

[sawadee1947]

17 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I don't buy it. He rings the bell and everyone gets excited. And thanks him for the drinks. And he does not know what he was Doing? Total BS. 

 

Anti Pavlovian science at work here!

As a muslim he might not have had any alcoholic drink. So it might be true that he didn't know about the meaning of ringing the bell. It might have been even his first time in a bar. Sure the girl at his side should have told him. But probably she enjoyed the evening. ????

[BestB]

2 hours ago, sanemax said:

The fact that the bar accepted the reduced amount doesnt prove anything , the bar may have accepted cost price or the Police may had strongly suggested that the bar resolves the issue by accepting the amount .

  YOUR first sentence doesn't make sense , but if you was asking wheteher it costs 1000 Baht to ring the bell , no it doesnt

Trust you an expert. Never realised bars were operating with 300% mark up. 

[paddyfield7]

How should he know? He was running camels so far.....

[JWRC]

The bill could well have been the correct retail amount, and the bar owner has settled for the actual cost. The girl was probably getting her cut as is usual and therefore never said anything.

It's a totally stupid bar thing (what would you call it, a rule?) and unless there are signs up to that effect how on earth would a visitor be aware of it.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, batata said:

he's from Oman, muslim country..... muslims don't (are not supposed to) drink alcohol and don't frequent bars quite surprised with the post

You've obviously never been to Oman... I worked there for a while, the law slightly changed in 2015 

The general perception is:

You can purchase alcohol in many areas, including the airport when you land in Oman. But, many laws are surrounding the consumption of alcohol. Any airport will limit you to two servings that are either two (small) bottles of wine, or two 12-ounce cans of beer.

There are many restaurants and even bars or nightclubs where you can get alcohol. You can also purchase alcohol from bottle stores which are usually located inside hotels. Although you can purchase alcohol from these places, public intoxication is against the law. So keep in mind that walking from a nightclub to your hotel could lead to a night in jail or worse.

That goes for locals as well as tourists.

[sanemax]

12 hours ago, BestB said:

Trust you an expert. Never realised bars were operating with 300% mark up. 

170 Baht a Ladies drink which consists of 10 Bahts worth of orange juice

[Bastos60]

4 hours ago, batata said:

he's from Oman, muslim country..... muslims don't (are not supposed to) drink alcohol and don't frequent bars quite surprised with the post

many muslims only care about their religion when it is in their best interest. Only hardcore muslims follow every single rule of an outdated religion.

[craigieboy1973]

Sounds like a group bar owned by a group on soi 6 padding over charging....stay away lesson pattaya has become worst then before

[30la]

If all future tourists are like this, what a gift for some bars!

[watcharacters]

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

instead, I called a highly influential lawyer in Khon Kaen,

 

Ahhh.   the old "I know someone important trick".

 

 

Well done..

 

 

[chang1]

If it was 2 or 3 rings I can believe this story but 20 no way. The bar deserved to lose money for letting it get so far out of hand. After researching many bars I have never heard bells ring more than a few times a night so to get 20 in one bar is plain absurd. Any time I get a free drink from someone ringing the bell I always thank them, as do many people. For him and his companion to not know what was happening is unbelievable.

I suspect it is much more a case of padding the bill than ignorance.

[AAArdvark]

I don't see how this is a scam.  53K divided by 20 bell rings divided by 25 ladies and customers.  Seems like a fair price to me.  I have personally witnessed several men who rang the bell many times and they knew.  It this guy didn't know and if his gf did not tell him that should be mostly on him.  There was a previous post about Muslims not being allowed to drink.  I guess the plane loads of Arab men coming to Thailand are for the to look at the Buddhist temples.

It was settled for a lower amount because there was no proof one way or the other.   And like most settlements there is give and take.