What Is E-tax? Hyatt Spasso

[mangoman007]

Bought some drinks last night at Erawan Hyatt Spassp and noticed bill this morning carried the usual 10% SC and 7% Vat but also an "E-Tax" of about 12%. Have never seen that before. Does anyone know what it is? My bill is attached.

[theoldgit]

Dunno, but I cannot afford to drink there.

[Alwaysright]

Dunno, but I cannot afford to drink there.

Entertainment tax?

[sorensen]

EXCISE TAX

This tax is imposed mainly on luxury items such as gasoline and petroleum products, tobacco, liquor, soft drinks, playing cards, crystal glasses etc. Excise tax will be computed according to the Excise Tax Tariff on an ad valorem basis or at a specific rate, whichever is higher. All goods subject to excise tax also remain subject to VAT. The excise tax is collected by the Excise Department and usually imposed at the time of delivery of the goods from factories

How is Spasso these days? lots of people? Music?

I live next door, so give me a buzz next time you go there.

Robert

[soundman]

Looks like another place amongst the hundreds I've walked out of before for not including all costs in their advertised price.

Ribe Eye Steak 599B +++

[mangoman007]

Same scene: Guy-gal ratio 40:60

Thai-Farang Guy ratio: 0-100

Working vs non-working girls: 80-20

Average age girls: 26

Average quality girls (0-4 drinks): 7.5/10

Average quality girls (5+ drinks): 12/10 (ho ho)

Average age guys: 45

Mood: Quiet (for Spasso)

Value for money: Nope!

[kyb789]

Looks like another place amongst the hundreds I've walked out of before for not including all costs in their advertised price.

Ribe Eye Steak 599B +++

We had an excellent reply and explanation above about the E-tax. Now, can someone please explain why some establisments charge (no +), some (+), some (++), and some (+++). Why all the confusion? Is it a scam in some cases to pad the bill?

[Old Man River]

EXCISE TAX

This tax is imposed mainly on luxury items such as gasoline and petroleum products, tobacco, liquor, soft drinks, playing cards, crystal glasses etc. Excise tax will be computed according to the Excise Tax Tariff on an ad valorem basis or at a specific rate, whichever is higher. All goods subject to excise tax also remain subject to VAT. The excise tax is collected by the Excise Department and usually imposed at the time of delivery of the goods from factories

Robert

Out of curiosity, don't sellers just gross up the items being purchased to include the excise tax instead of breaking it out as Spasso's has? If not, then it is time for me to change my glasses as I have never noticed it this way before.

[luisparis]

Yes , I can't remember having paid that E tax before. Is it new or I just had didn't notice it yet?"

[mangoman007]

It was a great explanation indeed. I have also never seen it before: not at Bed, not at Q Bar, not at Vertigo. My suspicion is that it allows them to list drinks at one "low" base price and then pad the final price with the add-ons.

[ronz28]

Thanks for posting the bill. At US$11+ per drink, we won't be drinking there. Amazing prices.

[Hawkup2000]

It´s not that expensive. Those prices is the norm among "better bars". And after all, a longdrink usually cost about 180 baht in a "normal" place. I prefer to pay 100 baht extra to be able to sit in 360 or V9 instead of a scruffy bar in Narathiwat. That 100 baht extra also gives me Bombay Sapphire instead of Ploy gin in my drink.

I understand that 300 baht seems expensive if one is used to (small) 50 baht happy hour drinks in Cowboy.

By the way Sirocco recently changed the price for a standard drink to 500 baht. How do you guys feel about that?

[soundman]

To me it is not the actual price of the product, it is the marketing ploy of trying to say "gov't taxes aren't our fault - so you have to pay them on top of what we think is a fair price for our product" that pisses me off.

I'm quite happy to pay 300B for a scotch in a nice establishment, however, the moment I see partially hidden costs in small print at the back of the menu, I think twice about giving that establishment my patronage, especially when the pre-tax and service charge price is at the high end of the pricing envelope for the quality/service/ambience of that particluar type of establishment.

High end price gouging IMO.

[luisparis]

It´s not that expensive. Those prices is the norm among "better bars". And after all, a longdrink usually cost about 180 baht in a "normal" place. I prefer to pay 100 baht extra to be able to sit in 360 or V9 instead of a scruffy bar in Narathiwat. That 100 baht extra also gives me Bombay Sapphire instead of Ploy gin in my drink.

I understand that 300 baht seems expensive if one is used to (small) 50 baht happy hour drinks in Cowboy.

By the way Sirocco recently changed the price for a standard drink to 500 baht. How do you guys feel about that?

I feel OK about that, you've actually quoted some of my favourite bars in BKK, to which you can add all posh riverside hotel bars. Yet this E tax still seems like a dodgy trick to inflate the bill, plus the more I pay for my drinks the less <snip> I expect to have around, and Spasso definetely doesn't succeed in that regard.

Edited February 3, 2009 by soundman
Removed deragotory comments towards lao women. No more please.

[jfchandler]

Of course, the 10% service charge is optional based on the wishes of the business. Has nothing to do with any government tax or regulation. So some do...and some don't...

[jfchandler]

I've been around Thailand for about 5 years now, including having dined and drank at Spasso in past years, and I don't ever recall seeing an "E-tax" added onto my check as a separate item.