Warning Re:shamrock Bar Khao San Road

[baden511]

I used to be big fan of the Shamrock Bar on Khao San Road. The surroundings are nice and the bands are often excellent, but now I find myself having to warn people to stay away from there.

The staff have taken to ripping off customers in a big way. The three major scams I have come across are:

1. "Forgetting" to give change.

2. Overcharging for drinks.

3. Telling you that if you don't buy alcohol you have to give the barman a major tip to let you stay.

Beware, if you object to any of this, you may find yourself being banned!

Anyway, you have been warned. If enough people stay away maybe they'll clean up there act. Pity to see what was a nice place ruined by scams.

Edited July 12, 2008 by baden511

[Thaifan2]

>>3. Telling you that if you don't buy alcohol you have to give the barman a major tip to let you stay.<<

That sounds fair enough to me .There are so many skint backpackers on KSR ,i think that this rule would indeed be necessary .

Not giving change or wrong change is bad though .

[boiledegg]

1. "Forgetting" to give change.

2. Overcharging for drinks.

3. Telling you that if you don't buy alcohol you have to give the barman a major tip to let you stay.

Beware, if you object to any of this, you may find yourself being banned!

No worries you can go to the next bar which is next door id imagine, anyone who goes to them awful Irish bars in whatever country deserves to be ripped off.

You ought to get yourself over to Sukhumvit, no scams there, only friendly people who'd give you the shirt off their back.

[cobra]

3. Telling you that if you don't buy alcohol you have to give the barman a major tip to let you stay.

That would be because it's a business, not a free entertainment venue for CC's,

Don't have to buy alcohol, but you better buy a coke, juice, whatever,

Every seat needs to generate $, margins can be thin,

If you think your being over charged go somewhere else, forgotten change ? that's a function of the help and it happens, your responsibility to stay on top of your $,

[DP25]

If enough people stay away maybe they'll clean up there act. Pity to see what was a nice place ruined by scams.

I don't know. There must be thousands of new tourists who arrive every week in Khao San. I think there are enough of them that long term customers wouldn't matter too much.

[Super Hans]

Is it just me who thinks KSR is the purest form of hel_l on the planet?

[Thaifan2]

Is it just me who thinks KSR is the purest form of hel_l on the planet?

I nearly always visit at least once on a Bangkok visit ,just for an hour or so .Its great for people watching .

[Spee]

Is it just me who thinks KSR is the purest form of hel_l on the planet?

Kinda sorta like the ping pong show. Never had any desire to check it out.

[Jimjim]

You ought to get yourself over to Sukhumvit, no scams there, only friendly people who'd give you the shirt off their back.

Overstatement of the day?

[Moonrakers]

If enough people stay away maybe they'll clean up there act. Pity to see what was a nice place ruined by scams.

I don't know. There must be thousands of new tourists who arrive every week in Khao San. I think there are enough of them that long term customers wouldn't matter too much.

Which is likely to be the reason that Tony's in Pattaya does well.

1,500 Baht-ish for a bottle of sangsom yet the place is still packed........ Not to mention the watered down beer.

Edited July 12, 2008 by globalj

[boiledegg]

Is it just me who thinks KSR is the purest form of hel_l on the planet?

Everyone who never went to some 2 bit university and those that would never wear a Che Guevara T-shirt as he is a murderer and a terrorist think just the same as you.

Its good for books and winding up champagne socialists who hate America.

My ex-bird once told me Thais go there as its chic, i almost spat out my Shepherds Pie in amazement when she said it.

Edited July 12, 2008 by boiledegg

[DP25]

My ex-bird once told me Thais go there as its chic, i almost spat out my Shepherds Pie in amazement when she said it.

It kinda is, depending on the venue. It's right next to Thammasat University and there are clubs there that are 90% Thai, with hardly a farang in sight. Some young Thais are also interested in talking to people their own age from other countries, and that's one of the few places they are able to.

[baden511]

3. Telling you that if you don't buy alcohol you have to give the barman a major tip to let you stay.

That would be because it's a business, not a free entertainment venue for CC's,

Don't have to buy alcohol, but you better buy a coke, juice, whatever,

Every seat needs to generate $, margins can be thin,

I bought two non-alcoholic drinks from the menu and when the bill was brought round I was asked for double. If you want to help them with their margins feel free to go there and make your charitable donation.

[GaiYaang]

3. Telling you that if you don't buy alcohol you have to give the barman a major tip to let you stay.

That would be because it's a business, not a free entertainment venue for CC's,

Don't have to buy alcohol, but you better buy a coke, juice, whatever,

Every seat needs to generate $, margins can be thin,

I bought two non-alcoholic drinks from the menu and when the bill was brought round I was asked for double. If you want to help them with their margins feel free to go there and make your charitable donation.

Is Shamrock Bar one for your competitor.

Thanks for the warning.

[farang555]

i have seen a ping pong show once. it is horrible. the performers are not exactly ez on the eyes!

[poshthai]

Thats disgusting as there are plenty of teatotal people about and a soft drink can be more expensive in some bars also.Afraid irish bars dont do anything for me and are very boring ,as they are full of irish lol.

[rixalex]

My ex-bird once told me Thais go there as its chic, i almost spat out my Shepherds Pie in amazement when she said it.

A Thai who knows the word "chic"! Yes i would have spat out my food too! Why did you let that one go?

Or perhaps you misheard and she actually said "Thais go there as it's full of chicks"?

[rixalex]

there are plenty of teatotal people about

Someone who drinks a lot of Lipton?

[Ulysses G.]

My ex-bird once told me Thais go there as its chic, i almost spat out my Shepherds Pie in amazement when she said it.

A Thai who knows the word "chic"! Yes i would have spat out my food too! Why did you let that one go?

Or perhaps you misheard and she actually said "Thais go there as it's full of chicks"?

Did she say, "Tay" (cool). ?

Edited July 13, 2008 by Ulysses G.

[Plus]

I was at KSR yesterday - the place is still the same, lots of the great unwashed, unshaven and generally repulsive people. They all look like they think the exactly the same and conversations you unadvertely overhear haven't changed at all.

BUT, there are bars and clubs there that are kind of out of place, they look "hip" and they attract lots of Thai youngsters. Then there are books and alternative travel options, and cheap falafel sandwhiches on the go - try to find that on Sukhumwit.

[poshthai]

Liptons,coffee,cola,orange.any more for anymore rixalex.Tea total is tea total,it means no alcohol if you didnt know.

[OlRedEyes]

Liptons,coffee,cola,orange.any more for anymore rixalex.Tea total is tea total,it means no alcohol if you didnt know.

Just hate tea... so thin and watery. No body.

[girlx]

i love khao san and i go there when i am bored to people watch. went last night in fact. for some reason there was a greater number of the repulsive type of backpacker there last night, but that hasn't been the case the last few times i have gone. especially on the weekends it becomes mostly thai art students- i don't know of any other place in bangkok where the hipper thais congregate! maybe near chatuchak? anyway it's always interesting. last night i watched the bible thumper guy be ridiculed by various people, a horrific junkie ladyboy trip all over herself going down the street, lots of kids running around, some eye candy.

i have been to shamrock a few times and i like it. the cover band there is really not too bad. the owner of the place (and khao san center downstairs) doesn't take any bullshit. and being smack dab in the center of khao san i am sure he gets a lot. i have not been overcharged there, but haven't been recently.

[LiveSteam]

Is it just me who thinks KSR is the purest form of hel_l on the planet?

Everyone who never went to some 2 bit university and those that would never wear a Che Guevara T-shirt as he is a murderer and a terrorist think just the same as you.

Its good for books and winding up champagne socialists who hate America.

My ex-bird once told me Thais go there as its chic, i almost spat out my Shepherds Pie in amazement when she said it.

Brilliant, just brilliant a first-rate observation of KSR.

LiveSteam

[rixalex]

Liptons,coffee,cola,orange.any more for anymore rixalex.Tea total is tea total,it means no alcohol if you didnt know.

Thanks for the English lesson Poshthai... i think you mean teetotal but i got your meaning - just having a laugh - feel free to join the fun.

[angiud]

It's not so clear for me why many people in TV consider backpackers "repulsive", "dirty", "unshaven", etc. May be also communists, gay, and wathsoever. I guess they are the same kind of people always complaining about Thai people, how they are lazy, how all the women think only about money, etc.

Talking of BP, seems nobody want them anymore, falang residents, TAT, government, but everybody forget that a BP usually spends more time of an average package tour tourist and, most of all, the money the BP spends don't go to to big companies but usually to local managed business.

May be, this is only my guessing, some of the people talking bad about BP are only envious of the freedom and the different way of life (or just of traveling) of the BP.

Ah, I'm not a BP myself.

[dotcom]

Its good for books and winding up champagne socialists who hate America.

555. Same as "Lear Jet LIberals"?

BP have a bad rep due to their poor hygene.

KSR? Never been there.

[Prakanong]

Is it just me who thinks KSR is the purest form of hel_l on the planet?

Everyone who never went to some 2 bit university and those that would never wear a Che Guevara T-shirt as he is a murderer and a terrorist think just the same as you.

Its good for books and winding up champagne socialists who hate America.

My ex-bird once told me Thais go there as its chic, i almost spat out my Shepherds Pie in amazement when she said it.

Which 2 bit university did you attend then?

Bet my 4 are bigger than yours

Ex-Bird - we can see you are a class act - she went back to the bar when you could not afford her then?

Edited July 13, 2008 by Prakanong

[Prakanong]

I was at KSR yesterday - the place is still the same, lots of the great unwashed, unshaven and generally repulsive people. They all look like they think the exactly the same and conversations you unadvertely overhear haven't changed at all.

BUT, there are bars and clubs there that are kind of out of place, they look "hip" and they attract lots of Thai youngsters. Then there are books and alternative travel options, and cheap falafel sandwhiches on the go - try to find that on Sukhumwit.

Agree - some of the conversations are timeless 0 my IT Directors daugheter is there at the moment and we have had Thai staff take them around - they are amazed they can get fried rice for 1 GBP ;-)

I still go sometimes - not backapackers but flashpackers

[Hawkup2000]

Different places sets you in different moods. I think KSR is nice sometimes. I go there when I want that "special holiday feeling" back. For a few hours I can disconnect from my daily life and routines and just be another touristfararng drinking a kamikaze at the station.

The big advantage of KSR is that is just so laidback. Everyone is accepted. In the other end of the spectrum we have Thong lor/Ekkami clubs. These locations are nice in their own way.

When it comes to Shamrock it is not the best of places but I love the coverband, BUT the DJ is terrible! Have you noticed how he play 10 seconds of a song then talk really fast for about 15 seconds (in thai) then play the song ten seconds again...cycle repeat...all night?