Won't/can't mention the shop but went in today to try a more expensive hair cutting experience by Thailand's standards. Not 100 baht. More like 300 baht.

So expecting a more pleasant experience, or at least professional.

The place's website in English advertises expert personal consultations pre-cut (the type of place where you need to book in advance) but when I went in the guy I got didn't speak any English and looked like a high school kid.

I should have politely announced an acute episode of irritable bowel syndrome and fled the scene. 

But I really needed a cut badly and heck maybe the kid was some kind of hair wunderkind.

So somehow communicated an idea that I had and first he didn't want to do it. It wasn't clear if it was because he didn't know how or thought it was a bad call for my head.

Anyway, he eventually started doing something that might have been close to what I had suggested and the result wasn't great, but wasn't bad either.

The problem was that his hands REEKED of cigarette smoke. I don't recall that happening ever in my life but again once he started, I was committed.

10 hours later I still smell his smoky hands.

Sadly can't really trust that shop at all again. 

Oh well. 

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Won't/can't mention the shop but went in today to try a more expensive hair cutting experience by Thailand's standards. Not 100 baht. More like 300 baht.

So expecting a more pleasant experience, or at least professional.

The place's website in English advertises expert personal consultations pre-cut (the type of place where you need to book in advance) but when I went in the guy I got didn't speak any English and looked like a high school kid.

I should have politely announced an acute episode of irritable bowel syndrome and fled the scene. 

But I really needed a cut badly and heck maybe the kid was some kind of hair wunderkind.

So somehow communicated an idea that I had and first he didn't want to do it. It wasn't clear if it was because he didn't know how or thought it was a bad call for my head.

Anyway, he eventually started doing something that might have been close to what I had suggested and the result wasn't great, but wasn't bad either.

The problem was that his hands REEKED of cigarette smoke. I don't recall that happening ever in my life but again once he started, I was committed.

10 hours later I still smell his smoky hands.

Sadly can't really trust that shop at all again. 

Oh well. 

No smelly hands on my wife, who cuts my hair. And it is free.

"I should have politely announced an acute episode of irritable bowel syndrome..."

 

Were you looking in the mirror and saw yourself for what you really are? Rhetorical question. 

2 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

"I should have politely announced an acute episode of irritable bowel syndrome..."

 

Were you looking in the mirror and saw yourself for what you really are? Rhetorical question. 

No but I do try to be polite.

Maybe try a female hair dresser next time. Always used them back home but do not have one local that will cut an old man's hair. A hairy problem

5 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

Maybe try a female hair dresser next time. Always used them back home but do not have one local that will cut an old man's hair. A hairy problem

I have of course.

The shop in question is a specialized shop for "advanced" styles for men and all the barbers happen to be men (plus that one boy). 

The next day the smokin' cut is better than I first thought. 

I had been to the shop once before a long time ago and don't even know if the guy then is still there.

Anyway, I'm now feeling that as it generally seems to a very good shop offering much better skills than the typical off the street one size fits all Thai style cut, I want to give them at least one more try. But NOT smoky.

So I'll try this.

I'll make a booking by text and mention the name of Smokes and ask to this time please book me with a barber who can speak English because I want a consultation before the cut. That way I don't have to make anyone lose face over the smelly hands and with any luck I'll get good service without the stench. 

It's a shame that I can't just complain with the truth as you can in the west, but oh well, cuts like that would be more like 2000 baht there.

Seemes he didnt want to do it as per your own words. Yet you went ahead and received a mediocre hair cut and stinky hands. Try a bowl next time if you want an advanced hair cut. Whatever that means.

 

Lesson learned time to move on. 

 

 

Just now, blaze master said:

Seemes he didnt want to do it as per your own words. Yet you went ahead and received a mediocre hair cut and stinky hands. Try a bowl next time if you want an advanced hair cut. Whatever that means.

 

Lesson learned time to move on. 

 

 

Honestly I don't know what he was trying to tell me as he didn't speak a word of English. Weird in a shop that seems to cater mostly to foreigners.

5 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Honestly I don't know what he was trying to tell me as he didn't speak a word of English. Weird in a shop that seems to cater mostly to foreigners.

 

Should have been the red flag you needed for a hard pass. 

 

 

Usually, women cut my hair. It's been several years since I had a male barber.

A bit off topic but there used to be a "salon" in Soi Post Office in Pattaya that offered a haircut and a BJ performed simultaneously.😁

Used to be quite a naughty soi, with the famous/infamous "smiling tables" place further up the street.

32 minutes ago, KwaiSabai said:

Usually, women cut my hair. It's been several years since I had a male barber.

I don't discriminate but in the US I usually went to gay men for cuts. The women I tried were mostly Latino immigrants and usually couldn't communicate well with them. Probably the most loyal I ever (many years) was in the U.S. was to a Vietnamese gay man who was real bossy, just roughly pushed my head around (poor chairside manners), but he knew what he was doing 100 percent. I used to drive 75 miles for him after I moved to another city!

Not so much here. One gay man I was using for awhile in Thailand was just average but then one day when I asked him to do a cut like the picture I had of me cut at a better shop, he refused to even try and more or less kicked me out of his shop. 

Haven't been in awhile but I have found that Korean barbers or those trained in the Korean method (here and in the US) do the work differently almost like engineers and generally better quality (but not the cheapest last time I tried over 500 baht).

I was recently loyal to a woman here who did a little bit better than OK but was fluent in English but then she left. 

 

My lady Barber has a shop on the ground floor of my condo, so convenience is paramount at my age.  🙂

Well I'm older now and grateful to have plenty of hair on top as a cousin of mine was bald by 30. So might as well at least try to get a decent cut as long as there is still something to cut!

When I was a kid, my dad would give me $2 to get a haircut. I could go to the barber, or he'd cut it for me and let me keep the $2. I always let him cut it. 

 

The smokey fingers reminded me. 

 

 

Here's a funny twist on the gay men as hair cutters stereotype.

There's a very attractive young man who opened a hair shop in a gay district here. Frou frou salon name and trendy decor.

I tried him a few times and I would again.

Here's the twist.

He's straight and married. But definitely good at marketing! Oddly he charges less than he could though.

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Here's a funny twist on the gay men as hair cutters stereotype.

There's a very attractive young man who opened a hair shop in a gay district here. Frou frou salon name and trendy decor.

I tried him a few times and I would again.

Here's the twist.

He's straight and married. But definitely good at marketing! Oddly he charges less than he could though.

My "boy" has a teddy bear names Fru-fru

Why didnt you ask him if he could wash his hands ?

19 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Won't/can't mention the shop but went in today to try a more expensive hair cutting experience by Thailand's standards. Not 100 baht. More like 300 baht.

So expecting a more pleasant experience, or at least professional.

The place's website in English advertises expert personal consultations pre-cut (the type of place where you need to book in advance) but when I went in the guy I got didn't speak any English and looked like a high school kid.

I should have politely announced an acute episode of irritable bowel syndrome and fled the scene. 

But I really needed a cut badly and heck maybe the kid was some kind of hair wunderkind.

So somehow communicated an idea that I had and first he didn't want to do it. It wasn't clear if it was because he didn't know how or thought it was a bad call for my head.

Anyway, he eventually started doing something that might have been close to what I had suggested and the result wasn't great, but wasn't bad either.

The problem was that his hands REEKED of cigarette smoke. I don't recall that happening ever in my life but again once he started, I was committed.

10 hours later I still smell his smoky hands.

Sadly can't really trust that shop at all again. 

Oh well. 

 

After COVID, why would anyone return to a barber?

After several years, one might expect that most people had become accomplished barbers due to all that experience.

 

If one has any talent, and a mirror, then this is  all that is required.

There are no barbers near me.

Also, I used to use female barbers, and they rarely smoke anything.

 

So, either cut your own hair, or find a woman.

 

My best advice on this subject....

 

3 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Why didnt you ask him if he could wash his hands ?

 

A stiff brush would be required, plus some strong soap.

 

3 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

After COVID, why would anyone return to a barber?

After several years, one might expect that most people had become accomplished barbers due to all that experience.

 

If one has any talent, and a mirror, then this is  all that is required.

There are no barbers near me.

Also, I used to use female barbers, and they rarely smoke anything.

 

So, either cut your own hair, or find a woman.

 

My best advice on this subject....

 

Flowbee Infomercial - 1988

11 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Why didnt you ask him if he could wash his hands ?

I didn't want him to lose face especially in front of his co-workers.

My barber wears latex gloves. 

Should be vaping. Oh! I forget vaping is illegal and worse than cigarettes.

2 hours ago, BLMFem said:

A bit off topic but there used to be a "salon" in Soi Post Office in Pattaya that offered a haircut and a BJ performed simultaneously

 

Sounds dangerous 

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

I didn't want him to lose face especially in front of his co-workers.

 

Barbers, historically speaking, were always very reluctant to wash hands, even while delivering babies or performing surgeries.

 

I would not use a barber that refused to wash her hands, nor one who did not wash her hands without being told.

 

 

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

I didn't want him to lose face especially in front of his co-workers.

 

Bet they smelled like poo also, admit it you smelled poo poo fingers 

12 minutes ago, NickyLouie said:

 

Bet they smelled like poo also, admit it you smelled poo poo fingers 

He might have gotten aroused at that...

 

(just kidding) 

1 hour ago, NickyLouie said:

 

Bet they smelled like poo also, admit it you smelled poo poo fingers 

The smoke smell was so overwhelming that there's no saying what else may have been there.