The Thousand Baht Rule

[ThaiPauly]

When we had a Thai restaurant here it was the norm for people to bring their own whiskey....but not beer.

At least you can make a bit of money selling soda and ice to go with their whiskey.

Bringing beer is deffo taking the piss...litterally.

Someone tried it once but we would not give them a bottle opener and they did not know the lighter trick !!

They were not happy ...but so what

[BlackArtemis]

I don't mind the 100B corkage fees at all, I mean the different between a bottle of red or black at &-11 vs Warm up is under 200B. The only time I would bring in a bottle would be one that was gifted to me, so then i only paied 100B for the bottle not 1200...

Honestly, think of all the stupid things you have laid out 100B for... How many times have we spent and extra 50B for an overcharge taxi ride cause it was too hot out and we just didn't care.

BB: You are right, 3 people. That makes it even WORSE. I glanced over it and must have caught the "2"... Under 350B for 3hrs of drinking, food, and the chance to see something I wouldn't see elsewhere only because the owner was nice enough to open early when he didn't have to? Yes Please.

[lioness]

Were they Australian? If so, there's no further comment needed...

Australian or not, he wouldn't have gotten away with it in Australia, you cannot by law take outside liquor purchases into licensed premises for consumption, nor can you purchase from the same esablishment takeaway alcohol and then open it to drink whilst there.

It shouldn't be allowed here either, if you are enjoying the comfort, tv or any other things offered in the establishment, you should respect that, it takes money to set up a bar and money to run it.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

If they were not causing paying customers to be turned away then really seems like a non issue.

if the establishment was full and turning away paying customers then yeah they should be booted. I doubt that was the case and having more people in the place probably helped business by creating a festive atmosphere. (caveat unless they were obnoxious etc). They came in a spent some money on food and drink and that what the business is about right? If they just chose to sit there and watch and not buy anything else because they had enough food, drink then should they be charged rent or asked to leave?

Even with the lost revenue on beer sales its still a possiblity of them wanting more food at some point. Running them out would be shortsighted because they are unlikely to return again and work themselves up to their strange 1000 baht limit.

[Blinky Bill]

TASMANIANS.

There is a big difference between Australians and Tasmanians and fortunately there is the Bass Strait to separate the two.

last time I checked, Tazzie was part of Aussie

Im glad the Tasman sea is a greater distance to swim to NZ

Tasmanians are much more closely related to New Zealanders than they are to Australians.

It has something to do with being able to swim and ovine heritage.

[F4UCorsair]

endure and Ian Forbes, I find your comments offensive. If you qualify it by saying "An Australian I know" etc., but by suggesting ALL Australians is like suggesting all Irish are stupid. I could generalize and suggest that all Poms are a miserable lot, or Americans, or indeed any nationality, but I wouldn't be so foolish.

I've spent quite a lot of time in Thailand, and foreigners who live there assure me it's OK to take your own spirits, as ThaiPauly says. At least the establishment then makes some profit out of selling mixers and ice. When I've been out with them, I ensure there is a hefty tip left to at least give them something for their consideration in allowing drinks from elsewhere into their establishemnt.

[samuibeachcomber]

endure and Ian Forbes, I find your comments offensive. If you qualify it by saying "An Australian I know" etc., but by suggesting ALL Australians is like suggesting all Irish are stupid. I could generalize and suggest that all Poms are a miserable lot, or Americans, or indeed any nationality, but I wouldn't be so foolish.

I've spent quite a lot of time in Thailand, and foreigners who live there assure me it's OK to take your own spirits, as ThaiPauly says. At least the establishment then makes some profit out of selling mixers and ice. When I've been out with them, I ensure there is a hefty tip left to at least give them something for their consideration in allowing drinks from elsewhere into their establishemnt.

you should acquire a thicker skin mate,everybody enjoys having a go at different nationalities,its only in fun,no harm done.and while it is acceptable in thai restaurant establishments to allow patrons to take in their own booze,try doing that in a thai bar or go-go bar and see what happens,and as you well know ot is not acceptable to do this in a western run bar here in thailand or any other country.

[IanForbes]

Good on yer fer gettin a hot one going, Kevin!

My first wife was a Tasmanian. I've met LOTS of Aussies and visited the country many times for extended periods of time. I know some funny stories and mine are based on personal experiences. There IS some basis for the comparison between the "cheap Charlies" in Kevin's story and many Aussies that visit Thailand.

When I was a young man in Canada I met a lot of Australian travelers. That is how I met my first wife. Virtually ALL of the Aussies I met were traveling on a shoe string and a prayer. The Aussie blokes were always working angles to save money, and it was no secret that they seldom paid their share.

A typical story was at a few of our campsites where we had to pay. The Americans paid the fee without even thinking. So did the Brits. Many of my Canadian friends were tightwads, but they would go somewhere else if they didn't want to pay. And, that included myself. But, the Aussies would always find some way of using the facilities and sneek off without paying. I see some comparisons here. Lots of Aussies visiting Thailand don't have a lot of money and are trying to stay as long as they can on as little as possible.

It wasn't until I visited Australia and met the regular blokes that I saw a different side of the friendly Aussies, most of whom were a delight to be with. I learned you can't make generalities from just one segment of any nationality. Very often you can be dead wrong.

I doubt if there is any 1000 baht rule, but there certainly are a lot of odd visitors who take up residence in Thailand. I could include myself as one of them.

[ChouDoufu]

seems to be fairly obvious.

the one fellow promised his wife/girlfriend/significant other that when he and his mates went out,

they wouldn't spend more than 1000 baht in bars.

he's simply keeping his promise as the missus didn't mention beer from the 7-11.

[cmdream]

No matter where they come from you got to admire their panache !

[brahmburgers]

Maybe, as he's dying in an alcoholic swoon, he'll arrange to have his pickled liver donated to science - so some good might come of it.

[Donnyboy]

TASMANIANS.

There is a big difference between Australians and Tasmanians and fortunately there is the Bass Strait to separate the two.

last time I checked, Tazzie was part of Aussie

Im glad the Tasman sea is a greater distance to swim to NZ

Tasmanians are much more closely related to New Zealanders than they are to Australians.

It has something to do with being able to swim and ovine heritage.

haha good try mate, but NO who said they were Tasmanians anyway?

[Donnyboy]

No matter where they come from you got to admire their panache !

Aussies call them "Larrikins"

Edited September 27, 2009 by Donnyboy

[PeaceBlondie]

No matter where they come from you got to admire their panache !

Aussies call them "Larrikins"

Thanks for explaining, Donnyboy. I thought maybe the Panache was the new Rolls-Royce.

[RoastLamb]

Their motive was obvious. To spend less money. You could have used this incident to build rapport with some potentially regular customers. You could have acknowledged that the beer was cheaper at 7-11 while using stealth and light hearted comedy to get the point across that what they were doing was unacceptable. Then you could have entered into some kind of spirited haggling with regards to the price of their next round of drinks. Since they'd already spent 1000 baht and had made it clear they thought your prices were too high, you could have offered them a special rate to keep their custom at your bar. This could have put you and your bar in a good light and encouraged them to return. Saying nothing was not a bad thing to do, but kicking them out or trying to charge them for corkage wouldn't have benefited your business at all.

[piercefilmlid]

Kevin

I think you are too soft. You should have politely asked them to either buy their beer from you or to vacate your premises.

Regards

[KevinHunt]

Kevin

I think you are too soft. You should have politely asked them to either buy their beer from you or to vacate your premises.

Regards

You're absolutely right. No more Mr. Nice Guy. 'Viscious, but fair' that's my new motto.

And for the sake of expediency, I'll probably need an abbreviated version of 'could you please vacate the premises, Sir'.

Any suggestions? 

Edited September 27, 2009 by KevinHunt

[Abrak]

Never heard of this rule.

But 10 years ago I remember a Bt500 note was known as a 'PP' note - purple, pleasure, note. This obviously didnt include the beer.

[KevinHunt]

Sorry, I know it's slightly off topic but the title of this post just reminded me about an old boy who lived in Chiang Mai who had enjoyed the company of the local ladies in his time but didn't bother so much nowadays. I don't recall how it came into the conversation but he commented one day that his dick (can you say that?) was 12 inches but , 'he didn't use it as a rule'.

[endure]

endure and Ian Forbes, I find your comments offensive. If you qualify it by saying "An Australian I know" etc., but by suggesting ALL Australians is like suggesting all Irish are stupid. I could generalize and suggest that all Poms are a miserable lot, or Americans, or indeed any nationality, but I wouldn't be so foolish.

Well, I'm certainly a miserable Pom (I have been know to whinge on occasion too).

[junki3korean]

kevin maybe you need to stock LEO

[john b good]

Kevin

I think you are too soft. You should have politely asked them to either buy their beer from you or to vacate your premises.

Regards

You're absolutely right. No more Mr. Nice Guy. 'Viscious, but fair' that's my new motto.

And for the sake of expediency, I'll probably need an abbreviated version of 'could you please vacate the premises, Sir'.

Any suggestions? 

I think that you showed remarkable restraint.

And as a suggestion for an "abbreviated version of 'could you please vacate the premises, Sir" I think I would just say a simple "<deleted> off NOW, and don't come back"

Of course the wanke_rs would by this time have been getting a little tipsy and might not have taken kindly to your invitation to leave.

And they were probably St Kilda supporters and were not really happy with the state of play in any event.

I think I would have advised them that you were going to invoke the 100 baht corkage (per each and every bottle they brought in) and when they refused just called in someone from the BIB's and said they are refusing to pay their bill.

And finally their lack of taste is clearly apparent as only girls drink Leo

[Crow Boy]

I sometimes wonder why these threads happen.

Kevin - as an experience bar owner you know better than most how to deal with these situations.

To the Aussie bashers out there, interesting how several other mods have let the comments slide past. Can't help but wonder how they would have reacted to an anti Gay, American or Thai substitution.

As an Australian I am very aware that there are some of my compatriots who are less than shining examples of my coutry but they are the exception rather than the rule.

For the whole time I ran my bar in Samuii I NEVER had anyone even think of this and my clientele was predominantly Aussie and Kiwi with the smattering of English etc. It was an Aussie themed bar and stood out like the proverbial dog balls compared to the rest of the Premier League on the TV type bars that make up the majority.

In Australia in over 20years of working in and running bars I can only think of a rare couple of times some one has tried to sneak in a hip flask of whiskey and used it to top up glasses of coke.

To be blunt if this thread had been started by anyone else other than Kevin I would immediately suspect that it was a troll post intended to start a rant. The fact that it succeeded must make real trolls green with envy at how easy it was to do.

I have only blanked out one post that was off topic and contrary to the rules. However I am happy to take any member to task who thinks that they can continue.

Back handed compliments and friendly banter is one thing - many of the posts above are not.

Anyone wanting to discuss this further can send me a PM

Crowboy

Moderating Team

Thai Visa

[sassienie]

Bloke sounds like a real Leo wanke_r.

Well, I `m a lover of Leo beer, but had to cut down on my w--king since it was beginning to affect my eyesight. Now I use a set of jump leads to get me going.

As for the law, there is no ACT that imposes a customer has to spend a minimum or a maximum amount of money in any business establishment.

But the owner does have the right of choosing whom to serve, not to serve, allow on the premises and who not to allow on the premises.

What Kevin Hunt should have done, was to warn the customer that if he continues this practise on the premises, he will be asked to leave and banned in the future. Using this method may avoid a major confutation between him and the customer and educates the customer on how he should behave when dining at the restaurant. If this ploy fails to work and the message doesn’t get through to the customer, than there is no option but to ask the customer to leave.

I would have thought that after having a restaurant in Chiang Mai for many years, any experienced restaurant proprietor would have the expertise to know how to deal with these situations rather than asking on a forum.

Also there is a large demand for Leo beer in Chiang Mai, mostly as a cheaper alternative to other brands. So this may be a good hint and a lesson for Kevin hunt who may now want to consider serving Leo beer in his restaurant, or is serving cheaper beer bad for business, less profits maybe?

[KevinHunt]

I would have thought that after having a restaurant in Chiang Mai for many years, any experienced restaurant proprietor would have the expertise to know how to deal with these situations rather than asking on a forum.

Also there is a large demand for Leo beer in Chiang Mai, mostly as a cheaper alternative to other brands. So this may be a good hint and a lesson for Kevin hunt who may now want to consider serving Leo beer in his restaurant, or is serving cheaper beer bad for business, less profits maybe?

I wasn't asking for advice, I was merely relating an interesting episode in the pub. I think I handled it quite well. As regards to selling Leo, I already stock about 14 different beers so I'm afraid I don't have enough room in the fridge for more, and it wouldn't be so popular amongst my clientele - if I thought it was, I would stock it.

[OxfordWill]

As an experienced forum user, sassienie, I would have thought you had the expertise to know how to properly read the opening post.

He wasnt asking for advice.

[uptheos]

Bloke sounds like a real Leo wanke_r.

Also there is a large demand for Leo beer in Chiang Mai, mostly as a cheaper alternative to other brands. So this may be a good hint and a lesson for Kevin hunt who may now want to consider serving Leo beer in his restaurant, or is serving cheaper beer bad for business, less profits maybe?

I believe KH sells Singha and Chang (according to his website), both are cheaper beers.

I find both unpalatable, but they are on sale there and apparently people buy them.

If I were a pub owner, I wouldn't stock more than two crap beers either.

[sassienie]

I would have thought that after having a restaurant in Chiang Mai for many years, any experienced restaurant proprietor would have the expertise to know how to deal with these situations rather than asking on a forum.

Also there is a large demand for Leo beer in Chiang Mai, mostly as a cheaper alternative to other brands. So this may be a good hint and a lesson for Kevin hunt who may now want to consider serving Leo beer in his restaurant, or is serving cheaper beer bad for business, less profits maybe?

I wasn't asking for advice, I was merely relating an interesting episode in the pub. I think I handled it quite well. As regards to selling Leo, I already stock about 14 different beers so I'm afraid I don't have enough room in the fridge for more, and it wouldn't be so popular amongst my clientele - if I thought it was, I would stock it.

But you mentioned that the customer went and purchased Leo beer somewhere else and brought it back to your restaurant.

So it is popular amongst your clientele, only you don`t stock it.

Also I respect all nationalities here and I’m certain that you would not discriminate between an Australian customer’s baht and any other nationalities money when spending in your restaurant.

Edited September 28, 2009 by sassienie

[womblejamie]

I like heinz baked beans can you stock them too, just for me, also I like dry roasted peanuts can you stock them especially for me. He stocks what he considers to be the most saught after products for his establishment not what one man wants, if he stocked what every single person desired there would be complaints of warm liquor and cold food and nowhere to sit, you can't win with some people on here.

Edited September 28, 2009 by womblejamie

[samuibeachcomber]

why would any self respecting bar stock leo.............its weak as p-ss and a girlie beer,or for cheepskates.and is n't the thousand baht rule only applying to the purchase of a lady's time i.e "that is i'm not paying anymore" in fact in today's climate maybe it should be "the 500 baht rule" amen.