Bangkok nightclub has special booth to vet and upcharge foreigners

[webfact]

Bangkok nightclub has special booth to vet and upcharge foreigners

By Caitlin Ashworth

 

 

A Bangkok nightclub has set up what resembles an immigration counter outside the venue to check foreigners’ IDs and make them pay up before entering. At BarBarBar in Thong Lor, Thais get in free, but foreigners are asked to step aside to the booth and either pay 500 baht or buy a bottle of alcohol before entering the venue.

 

Bouncers outside BarBarBar check everyone’s IDs before they enter, making sure they’re at least 20 years old. But foreigners are pointed to the booth and are basically vetted before entering.

 

An employee sits behind a clear barrier to check IDs and collect cash. A sign reads: “In this situation of epidemic Covid-19, ALL tourists must stay in Thailand 14 days without any symptoms before entering the club. Also, real passport are only granted entry to our club. We kindly request our guest to co-operate.”

 

Foreigners have 2 options at BarBarBar: Pay 500 baht or cut a deal for a group of foreigners by purchasing alcohol. Menus are at the counter listing some alcohol packages priced at 15,000 baht and 17,000 baht.

While the club has an advisory for foreign tourists, only around 200 foreign tourists have been able to enter Thailand since travel restrictions were put in place in March. The first group of visitors on the new Special Tourist Visa (just 39 people) arrived last month and were recently released from quarantine.

 

Also… who takes their passport to a nightclub? The nightclub has taken other forms of identification, like a digital work permit, but apparently the club has turned people down for not having their passport. A man left a review on Google saying he was an old customer at BarBarBar, but the last time he tried to get in the bouncers turned down him down because he just had a photo of his passport. “Really racist,” he wrote.

 

Here’s what some of the reviews say on Google…

 

“Didn’t let me in because I was a foreigner… Racist bar. Will never go back.”

 

“A great bar. But if you are a westerner, you’re not welcome there.”

 

“This place clearly doesn’t want foreigners. Middle of a pandemic, zero tourists in the country, and they want to charge 500 baht while Thais are free. I guess it’s free if you buy a bottle, which I was going to do, but the rudeness I experienced at the “foreigners counter” along with the foreigner charge was a no go for me. Walked 30 metres to another club, bought a bottle and enjoyed my night.”

 

The Thaiger reached out to BarBarBar for comment, but they did not respond.

 

Foreigners in Thailand are familiar with duel pricing. The upcharge for foreigners at tourist destinations like temples and national parks led local blogger Richard Barrow to start the initiative 2PriceThailand. Since then, the Tourism Authority of Thailand announced they would start discussions with national park officials and the Wildlife and Plant Conservation department about ending dual pricing for foreigners.

 

While dual pricing is nothing new in Thailand, some venues and events started banning foreigners after the coronavirus outbreak. Back in July, Fullmoon Terrace and Bar in Lat Phrao, the northeast suburbs of Bangkok, refused to serve foreigners. Blogger Yan Marchal posted a video of himself visiting the bar and being asked to leave almost as soon as he sat down.

 

Source: https://thethaiger.com/news/bangkok/bangkok-nightclub-has-special-booth-to-vet-and-upcharge-foreigners

 

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2020-11-09

 

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[Chelseafan]

They really do have an amazing habit of shooting themselves in the foot.

 

 

[unamazedloso]

Foreign lives matter! Perhaps the country needs more mass protests????

[OneMoreFarang]

As usual people have the choice if they want to go to that place.

I am sure many of their customers are happy that new Thailand arrivals are not allowed to enter.

[sungod]

26 minutes ago, webfact said:

Foreigners have 2 options at BarBarBar:

 

 

They have 3 actually............ends in off!

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

As usual people have the choice if they want to go to that place.

I am sure many of their customers are happy that new Thailand arrivals are not allowed to enter.

If they're foreigners. If they're repatriated Thai arrivals no one would be any the wiser.

 

[ukrules]

Everyone has been here for a minimum of 14 days due to quarantine requirements.

 

[sammieuk1]

They were hoping for barbar black sheep but were amazed to find no one here was following for 500bt ????

[Techno Viking]

Thats actually pretty awesome, would happily to pay the  500 to sit in a club that vets people before entry.

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, Techno Viking said:

Thats actually pretty awesome, would happily to pay the  500 to sit in a club that vets people before entry.

As long as the 'vets' aren't there to undertake any neutering.

[timendres]

7 minutes ago, Techno Viking said:

Thats actually pretty awesome, would happily to pay the  500 to sit in a club that vets people before entry.

 

Unless the vetting excludes you, I assume.

[hasitha77]

Just go to another club. there are hundreds of clubs which will not ask your original passport. ez 

[Chelseafan]

8 minutes ago, Techno Viking said:

Thats actually pretty awesome, would happily to pay the  500 to sit in a club that vets people before entry.

 

If only you could vet stupid.

 

[Techno Viking]

7 minutes ago, timendres said:

 

Unless the vetting excludes you, I assume.

 

Iam not the type of clientele that would <deleted> and moan about about an entry fee so there should be no reason  to deny me entry.

[Neeranam]

I'm going there as soon as I get my Thai ID car this year! 

[Neeranam]

27 minutes ago, Techno Viking said:

Thats actually pretty awesome, would happily to pay the  500 to sit in a club that vets people before entry.

Good point. 

[charmonman]

34 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

As usual people have the choice if they want to go to that place.

I am sure many of their customers are happy that new Thailand arrivals are not allowed to enter.

There aren’t any new Thailand arrivals.

[richard_smith237]

26 minutes ago, Techno Viking said:

Thats actually pretty awesome, would happily to pay the  500 to sit in a club that vets people before entry.

 

But it's not vetting ‘people’ before entry....  its singling out and charging foreigners 500b entry and not performing any checks on Thai’s and not charging them.

 

The unequal treatment can easily be recognised as xenophobic behaviour. 

 

-------

 

Having to carry a passport to get into a Bar is ridiculous - every one in Thailand, Thai or Foreigner has been in the country long term or has gone through 15 night quarantine and been tested numerous times. 

 

 

I’m struggling to find any logical reason this bar would behave in such a manner other than racism and they don’t want foreigners in the bar but can’t make such an overt regulation.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

30 minutes ago, Techno Viking said:

Thats actually pretty awesome, would happily to pay the  500 to sit in a club that vets people before entry.

Good point. 

 

Is it ??? Who’s vetting all the Thai’s entering the Club ???

[Pravda]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Foreigners in Thailand are familiar with duel pricing

 

Oh dear

[Neeranam]

I lived in soi 49 before and there are many Japanese restaurants that don't let Thais in for any price. Stop moaning, Thailand has freedom to do as it wishes, you are not in Kansas anymore. 

[richard_smith237]

37 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

As usual people have the choice if they want to go to that place.

I am sure many of their customers are happy that new Thailand arrivals are not allowed to enter.

 

There are no new arrivals in Thailand, additionally, what’s the difference between a Thai who has quarantined for 15 nights and a foreign who has quarantined for 15 nights ????

 

 

Of course, people have the freedom of choice and can simply not go, but the attempts to excuse such a policy have thus far fallen short of offering any logical and viable justification for the bar instigating such a clumsy and seemingly xenophobic policy. 

 

 

The only excuse I could think of is that too many foreigners have been going to this bar and babysitting one beer all night while occupying tables which would otherwise be taken by those purchasing bottles of whisky, ice and mixers etc... so the bar is finding a way to ‘filter out’ the beer babysitter and replace them with those who would have a minimum spend of 500b - however, there is no mention of the 500b going towards drinks or foreigners getting entry with the purchase of a bottle etc...  and that still doesn’t explain the stupidity of the ‘passport’ requirement which is simply foolish. 

 

[tukadadoll]

12 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

I'm going there as soon as I get my Thai ID car this year! 

BMW?

 

[Pravda]

2 minutes ago, charmonman said:

You do seem to be the type that has no self-respect and does not mind being treated like a leper or a member of an inferior race.

 I would avoid this place because it seems to be managed by bigots.

 

Or just avoid Techno Viking. 

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

I lived in soi 49 before and there are many Japanese restaurants that don't let Thais in for any price. Stop moaning, Thailand has freedom to do as it wishes, you are not in Kansas anymore. 

 

None of that makes charing foreigners extra and refusing entry without a passport an acceptable policy. 

 

The argument that ‘it happens elsewhere’ only serves to highlight another set of establishments which operate under a racist policy. 

 

And.. those are not ‘restaurants’ they are Karaoke girly joints !!

 

 

 

 

[Peterphuket]

The fewer the farang are coming, the crazier the Thai.

[richard_smith237]

15 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

I'm going there as soon as I get my Thai ID car this year! 

 

Pink ID or Thai, Thai ID card (as in you’ve achieved nationality ?)

 

Would be an interesting experiment - You still Farang, you pay, you no Farang Passport you no entry !!!!! 

 

 

 

[Neeranam]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

None of that makes charing foreigners extra and refusing entry without a passport an acceptable policy. 

 

The argument that ‘it happens elsewhere’ only serves to highlight another set of establishments which operate under a racist policy. 

 

And.. those are not ‘restaurants’ they are Karaoke girly joints !!

 

 

 

 

It's not racist, it's nationalistic.

 

A good test of this would be me trying with my Thai ID card.(not the pink one, the real one)

[Antonymous]

Doesn't seem so bad actually.

 

Looks to me that they won't let any tourist in unless they can prove they have been in the country for at least 14 days. That's how I read it anyway.

 

So, if you are resident, you just have to prove you have been here for 14 days. The only way to do so is to show the stamp in your passport. Hence they won't accept other ID.

 

However not in favour of dual pricing or overcharging and don't understand the 500 baht element, unless perhaps foreigners have been known to go to the club for hours nursing a Leo all night. Not unheard of.

[Natai Beach]

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The unequal treatment can easily be recognised as xenophobic behaviour. 

Calm down, their country, they can do what they like.

 

Nightclubs around the world have rules about who they let in. Salon Bar in Melbourne years ago had a “no fat chick” rule. Other places were instructed not to let in Mediterranean looking people. 
One last year denied entry to a famous rapper, probably because he was black.
Good looking girls walk straight in, often get given drink cards,while the ugly have to line up and have to pay. 
Some places even refuse older people. 
Then there is the dress code rules. 

Gogos in Pattaya often refuse Thai people. Is that xenophobic also? 
Indians cop it a fair bit also being denied many places. 
 

Up to them. Equal rights doesn’t apply to privately owned nightclubs.
 

You have to ask yourself why they have this rule? Is it because of a pandemic that foreigners are not dealing with? Have foreigners caused trouble there before? Or is it an excuse to stop some particular foreigners from entering?
 

It is a private business.