Bad Haircuts

[Pablo H]

Is it just me who seems to receive bad haircuts in SE Asia? No, it cant be as Ive seen plenty of unshapely mullets on my travels.

Thailand has to be one of the worst places for bad haircuts. Although yesterday I had my hair cut in KL and I had to tell the lady I was not going to pay her or leave the shop until she sorted my hair out. She cut off very little at the top and left me with hardly anything on the sides, looking in the mirror I was horrified but can now laugh at myself the same time, nevertheless its still embarrising.

Why does this happen? The last time I had a cut in Thailand, I was fed up with the barber shops 'short back and sides' so I went to a salon where a guy cut my hair. I kid you not, I walked out of the place looking like Liberace!

Ive been to the places full of pretty girls with pink uniforms on, down Sukumvit but they to dont seem to have a clue what there doing.

I am a simple guy, I like to go to a barber, tell him or her what I want and be in and out of there as fast as possible. I went to one place in Chonburi where the 'haircut' lasted 90 minutes. The hairdresser was a katoey and just kept taking little snips while circling around me. After he noticed I was getting extremly pissed off he quickened up and finished. I ended up with a near skinhead. After paying him, he told me he loved me and would I like to go to a disco with him. I was out of there like a shot.

I am back off into Thailand tomorrow with another bad haircut. Maybe I should just buy one of those shear packs and do it myself. I could go for the German mullet look.

Anyone else have similar problems?

[ProfessorFart]

Pablo, sounds like you have an uncontrolable mop! Shave the lot of but don't go down the mullet path. They are dark waters indeed!

[Pablo H]

As you can see on my avatar, I do not have a mop top, admittedly it is rather curly and I must confess that it blond is not my natural coulour.

Can anyone recommend a decent barber in Bangkok?

[astral]

With hair like that I suggest the ladies hairdresser!!

Seriously I have no trouble getting a decent haircut,

nothing snazzy, just a general trim, with the added bonus

of trimming the ear and nose hair........

all for 60 baht.

A lot may be down to your ability to explain what you want.

If you have photo, taken just after a good trim, that might help.

[Gazza]

With hair like that I suggest the ladies hairdresser!!

Seriously I have no trouble getting a decent haircut,

nothing snazzy, just a general trim, with the added bonus

of trimming the ear and nose hair........

all for 60 baht.

A lot may be down to your ability to explain what you want.

If you have photo, taken just after a good trim, that might help.

I had my nose and ear hair shaved a few years back. Now I've got to trim them every two weeks. Never had a problem before.

If you don't have a problem now, DON'T trim them. If you do, they'll just grow back longer.

[erasmus]

She cut off very little at the top and left me with hardly anything on the sides,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You have to excuse them, this is just a question of habit with farangs.

A lot of them living in Thailand have litlle hair on the top, everything on the side.

You cut on the top, nothing left.

They just make the haircut "balanced".

In conclusion, if you still have hairs on the top, do not get your hairs cut in Thailand...

[davethailand]

As you can see on my avatar, I do not have a mop top, admittedly it is rather curly and I must confess that it blond is not my natural coulour.

Can anyone recommend a decent barber in Bangkok?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

From what i heard before about your bird, I thought that was her on your avatar.

[tuky]

I have found a hairdreser on soi assumption in Sriracha that does a good job, well actually it is the guy that cuts it that does a good job. I went from place to place to place and finally found this guy, I always feel good after getting ti done.

[Boon Mee]

Pablo~

There's loads of good Barber Shops in Pratunam! Last time I was there I got a great trim, manicure, back massage and could have had the "extra" which I declined as the missus was waiting for me!

[wrksysact]

Hmmmmmm.

[Pablo H]

davethailand, is that you and your missus in your avatar, just cant figure out if she is the one with the beard or is that you?

[jackr]

davethailand, is that you and your missus in your avatar, just cant figure out if she is the one with the beard or is that you?

[350torana]

Pablo, if that is your hair do in the pic then I think the main reason u are having problems with your hairdo is because it is curly. I am sure Asian hairdressers/ barbers are not used to dealing with curls .

[ThaiFarang]

Try Emporium department store many of the hair cutters have education in America or Europe.

Emporium charge around 1.000 Baht up to 1.500 Baht for hair cut.

Local hair cutters charge from 50 Baht up to 200 Baht.

“You get what you pay for”.

[Pablo H]

Try Emporium department store many of the hair cutters have education in America or Europe.

Emporium charge around 1.000 Baht up to 1.500 Baht for hair cut.

Local hair cutters charge from 50 Baht up to 200 Baht.

“You get what you pay for”.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats true. However am not really concerned about the price, though I would never pay 1000 baht for a haircut, hair replacement maybe, but not for a cut.

I just like to use a traditional barber and am not into the salons where people are fussing over you. Just like to go in, get a cut, maybe a quick massage and then get out.

[Sophon]

Local hair cutters charge from 50 Baht up to 200 Baht.

“You get what you pay for”.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My "hairdresser" in Bangkok only charges 30 Baht. But I am happy with his work, and generally round up to 40 or 50 Baht.

I think the problem is that the texture of farang hair differs from asian hair, and if you use a local hair cutter they don't have much chance of practising on farangs. They really don't learn their trade until after finishing hairdressing school (if they indeed go to school). The only practical experience they get in school is on a decapitated mannequin - the head part of course (I guess that's where all the heads from headless mannequins go).

Sophon

[ThaiFarang]

Local hair cutters charge from 50 Baht up to 200 Baht.

“You get what you pay for”.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My "hairdresser" in Bangkok only charges 30 Baht. But I am happy with his work, and generally round up to 40 or 50 Baht.

I think the problem is that the texture of farang hair differs from asian hair, and if you use a local hair cutter they don't have much chance of practising on farangs. They really don't learn their trade until after finishing hairdressing school (if they indeed go to school). The only practical experience they get in school is on a decapitated mannequin - the head part of course (I guess that's where all the heads from headless mannequins go).

Sophon

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sophon

That’s why I suggested Emporium.

30 Baht that was a cheap one!

Pablo H

Try Central department store they charge 150 to 200 Baht.

Got a hair cut and a quick massage and then get out.

[udon]

I've never had a problem in BKK until the day I left for Oz.

Luckily I can hide in the garden shed until it grows.

There is a good hairdresser down soi 22 on the left, 50m past the Queen's hotel. All girls. 70bt.

[pedro01]

Like anywhere - you get what you pay for.

90B hair cut looks like a 90B hair cut.

Lots of bar girls go on a short 'salon course' & then open up a salon to get out of bar work. Obviously this isn't going to get you a great haircut.

I'd second that Emporium is the best place to go.

Pedro

[ProThaiExpat]

Pablo: Your original posts asks "why" it is difficult to get a good haircut, I interpret the word "good" to mean a haircut the way you want it.

My experience has been similar to yours and I have concluded that Thai hair professionals are similar to other "certifcated" Thais that develop the attitude that they are the professonal in the relationship and therefore they know best. I have had Thais accompany me into shops and explain in detail what I wanted to no avail. They just cut it the way they want.

I even stopped having my hair cut, it got into a pony tail, before I had my Thai and my daughter cut it, at least it came out close to what I want. I have fo

[Blake7]

If you are not homophobic try "cutey beauty" in the Thaniya Plaza 3rd Floor off Silom. are trained by Toni and Guy and only 450 baht. They speak good english too. Is very gay there though...

[davethailand]

davethailand, is that you and your missus in your avatar, just cant figure out if she is the one with the beard or is that you?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How can that be her?

she'd never wear a green jumper!

[Jeff1]

With hair like that I suggest the ladies hairdresser!!

Seriously I have no trouble getting a decent haircut,

nothing snazzy, just a general trim, with the added bonus

of trimming the ear and nose hair........

all for 60 baht.

A lot may be down to your ability to explain what you want.

If you have photo, taken just after a good trim, that might help.

With hair like that may I suggest a hat

[donna]

Poor girl I saw today. She was farang. Got her hair cut at my local salon (but not my usual hair cutter). She looked like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music! She wasn't impressed at all.

But the good thing is that it's all dead cells (despite what we like to think about our 'lively' hair) and it all grows out eventually.

And hats are aplenty here!

[kat]

Pablo, rest assured, you are definitely not the only one. This has been one of my regular laments. The last haircut I got was 2 weeks ago after letting a bad haircut grow out for 4 months. Despite pictures, explanations in Thai, and a Thai friend that explains, I come out looking the same. They just follow the lines of the last haircut. Luckily my hair is slightly wavy, so most of the misfortune can be tossed around a bit after a week.

[ricklev]

I have also had difficulty finding a simple barber shop where I can get a reliable 15 minute haircut. It's not the money, I just don't want the whole 90 minute shampoo/blow dry etc. etc. experience every two or three weeks. My experience has been that you really DON"T get what you pay for when it comes to haircuts. A good barber can do a great job.

You might want to try the shop on Thonglor about 100 meters in from Sukumvit on the BTS side. The barber closest to the window has many years experience and seems to understand Farang hair. He is good at copying the last haircut I had anyway.

[Limbo]

I actually don't have anything to complain about, so my posting is a quite unnecessary one. I only ask for keeping the part in the middle and my bold barber does it. For the thirty Baht he cuts the hair in my nose and ears as well.

Great isn't it? Don't ask me for his name, I don't know. Don't ask me where his shop is, I forgot.

[gburns57au]

I too have a problem getting a decent haircut...the older barbers are usually quite good....the young blokes only seem to know one style and that is the Thai Cut. Fortunately they do grow out

[Limbo]

Oh yes, before I forget, my barber is a Muslim and he has children. He knows that I am not an American, so I have o fear.

[camerata]

Pablo, rest assured, you are definitely not the only one.  This has been one of my regular laments.  The last haircut I got was 2 weeks ago after letting a bad haircut grow out for 4 months.  Despite pictures, explanations in Thai, and a Thai friend that explains, I come out looking the same.   They just follow the lines of the last haircut.  Luckily my hair is slightly wavy, so most of the misfortune can be tossed around a bit after a week.

Kat, if you are in Bangkok, try Schwing at 99/20 Lang Suan Balcony, Soi Lang Suan (Tel 02 251-7727). The one staff there cut my hair so well that I never got around to having the owner do it. Nikki is the owner. Used to work in Hollywood and speaks English. The clientele is at least 70% foreign females. My half-hour cut with no extras by the staff is 400 baht. It's best to make an appointment so you don't have to wait.

After many years of problems with the 40-baht haircuts, and then the 200 baht haircuts, I finally found this place in the Bangkok Guide - the one published by the Australian-New Zealand Women's Group.