Some Bars Just Can't Give Good Service

[Ling Kae]

Is it so hard for some bars to serve cold beer? I drink in a few and find that about half of them sell beer that isn't quite cold enough and not only that charge almost double the price. Nearly every bar that sells beer for 45 or 50 baht seem to have plenty of customers whilst some others try it on for 75 baht and wonder why they are empty and eventually close down.

I went from a cheap bar in soi 8 to soi 2 the other day. I went from freezing cold 45 baht beers to 75 baht beers that were warm, how can anyone survive if they can't get their prices right and the beer cold? I don't mind paying 75 baht or even 120 baht per beer as long as the band is good and the beer is cold but some bars are good at charging and giving nothing in return.

Why do they do it? Don't they realise they will go broke?

[wolfmanjack]

Is it so hard for some bars to serve cold beer? I drink in a few and find that about half of them sell beer that isn't quite cold enough and not only that charge almost double the price. Nearly every bar that sells beer for 45 or 50 baht seem to have plenty of customers whilst some others try it on for 75 baht and wonder why they are empty and eventually close down.

I went from a cheap bar in soi 8 to soi 2 the other day. I went from freezing cold 45 baht beers to 75 baht beers that were warm, how can anyone survive if they can't get their prices right and the beer cold? I don't mind paying 75 baht or even 120 baht per beer as long as the band is good and the beer is cold but some bars are good at charging and giving nothing in return.

Why do they do it? Don't they realise they will go broke?

what country was the owner from ? Could have a bearing on the beer temp.

[TopDogger]

pass the beer back if its warm, they soon get the message

[PhilHarries]

Some friends of my ex set up a beer bar, I helped them out a bit and used to frequent the place to try and boost trade. For the first few months I was always complaining about warm beer. Their reason was that if they turned the freezer temperature down low ice would form quicker and they'd have to clean it out more often.

So I introduced them to one of the facts of bar business in the tropics. Cold beer + more work = customers = good business. Warm beer + less work = no customers = out of business. Glad to say they got the message and the bar still operates 10+ years later.

[funfun]

Is it so hard for some bars to serve cold beer? I drink in a few and find that about half of them sell beer that isn't quite cold enough and not only that charge almost double the price. Nearly every bar that sells beer for 45 or 50 baht seem to have plenty of customers whilst some others try it on for 75 baht and wonder why they are empty and eventually close down.

I went from a cheap bar in soi 8 to soi 2 the other day. I went from freezing cold 45 baht beers to 75 baht beers that were warm, how can anyone survive if they can't get their prices right and the beer cold? I don't mind paying 75 baht or even 120 baht per beer as long as the band is good and the beer is cold but some bars are good at charging and giving nothing in return.

Why do they do it? Don't they realise they will go broke?

Its extreamly hard to get someone to understand you, cold beer everytime, cup mat for glass, water in ashtray, when ashtray full empty.

this is a resort with high turnover of staff and just when one starts to shine and make everyone welcome and comfy , they leave to go back to mamma pappa.

I totally agree with you and its so annoying if a warm beer comes and you rightly point this out sometimes they try to put ice in which i dont like, so best bet every time you order ask always cold! they get used to it, it wont stop but they will try a bit harder!

if they dont move the stock around this is the other side of the coin you dont see!

[sohn]

Is it so hard for some bars to serve cold beer? I drink in a few and find that about half of them sell beer that isn't quite cold enough and not only that charge almost double the price. Nearly every bar that sells beer for 45 or 50 baht seem to have plenty of customers whilst some others try it on for 75 baht and wonder why they are empty and eventually close down.

I went from a cheap bar in soi 8 to soi 2 the other day. I went from freezing cold 45 baht beers to 75 baht beers that were warm, how can anyone survive if they can't get their prices right and the beer cold? I don't mind paying 75 baht or even 120 baht per beer as long as the band is good and the beer is cold but some bars are good at charging and giving nothing in return.

Why do they do it? Don't they realise they will go broke?

Hi All

Some how I don’t think its a good idea to pay 120 for a beer in this town

we need to keep it cheap. ( kao-jai)

If the beer was to warm you should have sent it back, they would have replaced it.

Had this happen plenty of times in Pattaya and always the beer was replaced.

some other guy will get the same beer latter.

[Ling Kae]

Is it so hard for some bars to serve cold beer? I drink in a few and find that about half of them sell beer that isn't quite cold enough and not only that charge almost double the price. Nearly every bar that sells beer for 45 or 50 baht seem to have plenty of customers whilst some others try it on for 75 baht and wonder why they are empty and eventually close down.

I went from a cheap bar in soi 8 to soi 2 the other day. I went from freezing cold 45 baht beers to 75 baht beers that were warm, how can anyone survive if they can't get their prices right and the beer cold? I don't mind paying 75 baht or even 120 baht per beer as long as the band is good and the beer is cold but some bars are good at charging and giving nothing in return.

Why do they do it? Don't they realise they will go broke?

what country was the owner from ? Could have a bearing on the beer temp.

No not really, it's happened in all different run bars, doesn't seem to sway to any particular nationality.

[Ling Kae]

pass the beer back if its warm, they soon get the message

I've done this a few times, the one in soi 2 knew I was pissed off and the mamasung said you can have for free. I said no, I want cold, you put in ice box and I will drink later, then she went next door and got me a cold one. I have never been back there since.

I have seen bars open and 6 Months later closed again. Can't the owner work out what's wrong? Surely they walk about and see successful bars, all they need to do is drop in have a couple and see what works.

Problem usually is:

Warm beer

Too expensive

Terrible music

It isn't hard to please the customer, just cool the beer and sell it at a reasonable price and have friendly staff, that is all you need.

[helicoptor]

I think the correct term is 'cutting your nose off to spite your face'

[Mighty Mouse]

Aussies love their beer icy cold and finding a bar that constantly serves cold beer is not easy.

Bar staff stack the bottles into the 'fridge and always take the next bottle from the top of the stack. The top bottles may have only been in there for 30 minutes and although the bottle may have a chill to the touch, the beer inside the bottle is still warm.

I make a practice of ordering the beer and then walking with the girl to the 'fridge, making sure that she take the bottle from the bottom of the stack. I then need to feel the bottle before it is opened. That way I get a cold beer every time.

My other gripe is the draught beer coming from beer lines that have not been regularly cleaned. The beer comes out flat....cold, but flat.

Bar owners assure me that they regularly remind their staff on how to provide cold beer every time and how to properly maintain equipment but their staff rarely follow instructions.

[colino]

Only thing in a bar that should be hot ,,,,,,, is the women .

[wolfmanjack]

Is it so hard for some bars to serve cold beer? I drink in a few and find that about half of them sell beer that isn't quite cold enough and not only that charge almost double the price. Nearly every bar that sells beer for 45 or 50 baht seem to have plenty of customers whilst some others try it on for 75 baht and wonder why they are empty and eventually close down.

I went from a cheap bar in soi 8 to soi 2 the other day. I went from freezing cold 45 baht beers to 75 baht beers that were warm, how can anyone survive if they can't get their prices right and the beer cold? I don't mind paying 75 baht or even 120 baht per beer as long as the band is good and the beer is cold but some bars are good at charging and giving nothing in return.

Why do they do it? Don't they realise they will go broke?

what country was the owner from ? Could have a bearing on the beer temp.

No not really, it's happened in all different run bars, doesn't seem to sway to any particular nationality.

i was thinking about the reasons behind the warm beer. Some Europeans insist that the beer should be at a temp considered warm by americans. Most thais serve warm beer to save money on electricity and to sell ice. They make more money by selling ice than they do selling the beer. This would not be the case for a bar selling beers at 75 baht though.

Personally, if i had a bar I would have an ice chest that i kept beer in. I like a beer on ice instead of ice in the beer.

[libya 115]

If I get served warm beer in a Pattaya bar, then they are blacklisted and I never return.

The three bars I visit most often, 2 in Pattaya, 1 in Jomtien all serve ice cold beer.

Prices:Pattaya: Large Chang 60 Baht, Jomtien: Large Chang 35 Baht.

[Prakanong]

Warm beer actually makes me physically gag (and I am english so its not a national thing ;-0 )

"Bar staff stack the bottles into the 'fridge and always take the next bottle from the top of the stack. The top bottles may have only been in there for 30 minutes and although the bottle may have a chill to the touch, the beer inside the bottle is still warm."

Fat Dave who had Jools bar in Bangkok fo all his faults actually used to have them take out all the beers from the fridge when re-loading - put the new ones on th bottom then the cold ones on the top.

Only way to go.

[Mid]

'fridge ??????

there in lies the problem ,

beer is served ICE cold , not difficult .

[begsaresponse]

Cold one every time in Tropical Berts just off second road. Opposite Bangkok bank, Discovery Park.

[Pattaya_Fox]

Cold one every time in Tropical Berts just off second road. Opposite Bangkok bank, Discovery Park.

I can second that.....great cold beers....good food......nice people

[karazyal]

Is it so hard for some bars to serve cold beer? I drink in a few and find that about half of them sell beer that isn't quite cold enough and not only that charge almost double the price. Nearly every bar that sells beer for 45 or 50 baht seem to have plenty of customers whilst some others try it on for 75 baht and wonder why they are empty and eventually close down.

I went from a cheap bar in soi 8 to soi 2 the other day. I went from freezing cold 45 baht beers to 75 baht beers that were warm, how can anyone survive if they can't get their prices right and the beer cold? I don't mind paying 75 baht or even 120 baht per beer as long as the band is good and the beer is cold but some bars are good at charging and giving nothing in return.

Why do they do it? Don't they realise they will go broke?

I like cold beer too! When I was stationed in VN 30 years ago a lot of the beer was warm back then, to cool it off you put ice in it.

I have been drinking beer with ice in it ever since.! Every beer I get ends up cold - until the ice melts anyway!

[suiging]

The great thing about Patters is choice.

Warm beer will be a thing of the past if you just refuse to drink it, explain politely why, and move to the next bar with " cold ones" to spend your hard earned cash.

If you put up with, them cheap practices will prevail as you can always find cheap owners. Luckily if you pass them by, they will not be owners for long.

Edited May 26, 2007 by suiging

[Mighty Mouse]

Warm beer will be a thing of the past if you just refuse to drink it, explain politely why, and move to the next bar ..........

The main problem with this practice is that the person who takes your complaint is not usually the owner thus your complaint falls upon deaf ears.

Pattaya will always be host to a wave of first time drinkers, many of whom won't be returning to the City as regular visitors. Many bars therefore are able to survive by serving less than perfect beer to first timers who mainly want to sit in a comfortable chair and watch the passing parade. They aren't too concerned about what they drink.

If complaints such as you suggest are made directly to the Farang bar owner, improvements may be made however, some of the Walking Street bars where I have experienced warm beer being served, are owned by Thai women with Farang husbands. Staff at these places won't take instruction from the husbands and the Thai owners don't seem to appreciate the importance of serving beer at the correct temperature.

Walking Street bars usually have a high turnover of beer sales (depending on season) so at many bars, beer doesn't get much of a chance to chill sufficiently before it it served.

Walking Street bars owned by Aussies, or frequented by regular Aussie drinkers, always serve icy cold beer. You can pick these bars out by the rowdy yobbo drinkers with short pants and rubber thongs on their feet swilling the amber fluid with gay abandon and frequently dropping the "F" word.

Some of my favourite beer bars are small bars along Beach Road and/or Second Road, that cater mainly for regular or ex-pat customers. Beer is always cold, sometimes frozen in the bottle.

[bmanly]

Mighty Mouse you won't believe this but on Wednesday 8 of my mates and I went to the Boxing Roo bar on 3rd road (Aussie Bar and Aussie Owner) to watch the State of Origin game, the bar was totally packed to the brim, standing room only. The beer was not really cold enough and as Aussies we couldn't believe it. We thought the bloke might have had a couple of Eskys with ice cold beers at the street end of the bar but they were getting them out of the fridge. Needless to say we have decided that we are looking for a new venue for the next game.

edit: sh!t game too, we lost

Edited May 26, 2007 by bmanly

[Humphrey Bear]

edit: sh!t game too, we lost

No - we won!!!

Anyway - when I had a bar in Patong I followed basic principles - bottled beer - non of those tinnies. All stacked upright - either one shelf or half a shelf per brand.

Load in from the left, serve from the right.

Proper glass-fronted bottle fridges.

Good music, not too loud - no techno-crap.

Good bar-maids, other staff.

Bloody brilliant cashier.

No prob's.

[bmanly]

edit: sh!t game too, we lost

No - we won!!!

Anyway - when I had a bar in Patong I followed basic principles - bottled beer - non of those tinnies. All stacked upright - either one shelf or half a shelf per brand.

Load in from the left, serve from the right.

Proper glass-fronted bottle fridges.

Good music, not too loud - no techno-crap.

Good bar-maids, other staff.

Bloody brilliant cashier.

No prob's.

Sounds like my kind of bar, too bad you don't have it anymore, I would have dropped in when next down that way. About 10 year ago there was a great beer bar down that way on Patong beach road, it was run by a Canadian, good bloke, nice bar and cold beer. I think it was called Paradise Hotel, it's closed down now and they put in markets, last time I was there was about 5 years ago.

[Humphrey Bear]

No - we won!!!

Sounds like my kind of bar, too bad you don't have it anymore, I would have dropped in when next down that way. About 10 year ago there was a great beer bar down that way on Patong beach road, it was run by a Canadian, good bloke, nice bar and cold beer. I think it was called Paradise Hotel, it's closed down now and they put in markets, last time I was there was about 5 years ago.

Only had it a short time - made some money out of it, left it to my then g/f to run while I went to work on a good-paying job in Libya.

She ran it into the ground in six months - but it was the low season.

So both bar and g/f had to go!

Lion Bar in Soi SeaDragon. Saw it later, full of old tarts chatting to old farts.

The only Paradise that I knew was on Rat a Tutit and was very pink.

[gburns57au]

The Roo Bar on Walking Street....serve beer from the esky of ice every day and night.....never had a warm one there yet...

Mainly Oz and UK customers....Golf is always on the go there...Oz sport on TV and good food...they also have rooms.

And a lot of the girls they have had working for them are now living in Oz.

[bkkmadness]

pass the beer back if its warm, they soon get the message

I've done this a few times, the one in soi 2 knew I was pissed off and the mamasung said you can have for free. I said no, I want cold, you put in ice box and I will drink later, then she went next door and got me a cold one. I have never been back there since.

<snip>

It isn't hard to please the customer

It's bloody hard to please you isn't it? The mamasan knew you had a complaint with the warm beer, told you that you could have it for free, since you were still not happy with that solution she went next door to get you a cold beer hoping that you was satisfied and in return you never go to the bar again.

Have I missed something here?

[Barryz]

Are you guys aware that drinking ice-cold 'anything' is not good for the system? The Chinese know this well.

The problem as I see it is that most beer just doesn't taste too good. It's just something to wet your throat. The coldness of the beer tends to disguise its lack of taste. Try red wine instead .

[Pattaya_Fox]

Are you guys aware that drinking ice-cold 'anything' is not good for the system? The Chinese know this well.

The problem as I see it is that most beer just doesn't taste too good. It's just something to wet your throat. The coldness of the beer tends to disguise its lack of taste. Try red wine instead .

.and that brings me to another point of discussion which I had recently in Pattaya about red wine.

As we all know red wine is always said to taste at its best if served at room temperature.

The strange thing is I have found that some red wines taste better in hot climates if they have been chilled.

So should red wine be served chilled or at room temperature in Pattaya?

[Barryz]

So should red wine be served chilled or at room temperature in Pattaya?

In a tropical climate, I'd say cooled a bit but not too much. If the bar is air-conditioned then room temperature should be fine.

[Ulysses G.]

Are you guys aware that drinking ice-cold 'anything' is not good for the system? The Chinese know this well.

The problem as I see it is that most beer just doesn't taste too good. It's just something to wet your throat. The coldness of the beer tends to disguise its lack of taste. Try red wine instead .

Good, cold beer tastes better than any kind of wine.