Starbucks Thailand Tells Teachers "Order More Coffee Or Get Lost"

[nosatisfaction]

From my experience it usually a bunch of kids studying on their own, with one drink between them. True Coffee opened up areas with big tables specifically for these groups. Maybe Thailand should get some librarys/study areas going.

I like to get my Starbucks to go anyways

why dont u sponsor? why does a mobile phone Comp need to compete with small coffee shop owners?

[nosatisfaction]

Might be a good Idea to write it in English

why?

[Whidbeyboy]

Totally agree with this move!

People who do not like their products ...please just don't bother...we didn't ask for your personal coffee taste!

Starbucks seems to be doing well enough so what ever your taste, many must like it. Maybe the people who don't have bad taste?

[KKvampire]

Its many Thais doing this, not just private tutors. Students in groups who hold the table for hours maybe just a couple of them having a beverage and it;s not just in Starbucks, True shops also have the same problem.

Edited July 25, 2012 by KKvampire

[Semper]

Wow, the mention of Starbucks really fires up the posting numbers!

I think the word "teacher", has something to do with it.

Edited July 25, 2012 by Semper

[Thailand]

Now that Starbucks has taken this action we will no doubt see others doing the same thing.

It's their choice and obviously had become a major problem and they have made a good business decision.

And simply if you don't like their product or their prices I do believe it is not compulsory to go there?

I do not like either their product or their prices and vote with my feet but respect their right to do whatever they wish.

[givenall]

Good move.

i always get upset when I go to sit after getting a coffee and i see all these student taking all the seats and they do not have any coffee in front of them. i personally think they should limeit the time they can sit there even if they buy coffee, like no ore than 20 min

Edited July 25, 2012 by givenall

[tragickingdom]

American hospitality in Asia.... Never mind there are so many nice Thai owned coffee shops with better coffee, lower prices and with real nice people serving it.

[TechnikaIII]

Starbucks has boring, mediocre coffee. They are trying to buy up some good cafes in Norway, "Kaffebrenneriet" to name but one chain they have tried to get hold of, and fortunately, to date they have not been successful with this one. Norway has good coffee, and Sweden even better.So "Get lost" Starbucks.

Edited July 25, 2012 by TechnikaIII

[catweazle]

Shouldn't the approach have been to educate Starbucks staff on how to detect freeloaders and - in a nice and mannered way - tell them that seats are only for guests who create income?

Free WiFi at a Starbucks? So far I have been in only ONE Starbucks branch, where WiFi was free and that was in a huge shopping center on Orchard Road in Singapore. I'm a Starbucks fan and have never been in a Thai STarbucks with free WiFi. I guess that the translation was incorrect, as otherwise Starbucks Thailand - with that letter - did not shoot itself in the knee just once, but twice

In any case I find it a rather drastic and unprofessional way of dealing with such a trivial matter.

Perhaps in the future there will be a police crackdown on freeloaders in Starbucks branches all over Thailand with some freeload students being escorted out of a Starbucks at gunpoint? I would not be surprised since they are suckers here for crackdowns and for putting up a show...

Have an idea for a cool Starbucks coffee cup design featuring these stupid bulletholes people like to stick onto their cars along with the sentence "Order a coffee or face the consequences!"

[sydneyjed]

Good - and can they also tell those kids who buy a drink and sit on a 4 person table by themselves for 6 hours to 'get lost' too (although, personally, I'd say it more strongly than that!)

You are so right. I live near Chiang Mai University and this is a universal problem at every coffee shop around here, but especially at Starbuck's. Some students will sit there all <deleted>' day studying...actually I wonder how much studying they actually do because it seems that they spend more time talking or playing with their mobiles!

They sell the best Mango cheesecake at Starbucks Chiang Mai....can't find it anywhere else in Thailand!

Edited July 25, 2012 by sydneyjed

[TechnikaIII]

American hospitality in Asia.... Never mind there are so many nice Thai owned coffee shops with better coffee, lower prices and with real nice people serving it.

Yep!

[skilebow99]

Didn`t know starbucks sold coffee...thought it was hot mud...

[nosatisfaction]

About time. Every Saturday and Sunday at the Starbucks on Silom, an older Thai guy with a Mahidol jacket is teaching about 4-5 kids. In addition to occupying the large table, the students also take up 2-3 small round tables. He is there from early afternoon till closing time. Also on Sunday a farang teacher was teaching a Thai student. It really is not bad with just students alone, it is the teachers that they need to get under control. On Saturday, some tourists could not find a spot to sit.

do u think tourists come to Thailand to have a coffee in some multinational?

it's like eating fish & chips in UK or steak & fries in Belgium

[Morakot]

Wow, the mention of Starbucks really fires up the posting numbers!

I think the word "teacher", has something to do with it.

The OP surely knows what tickles the readership's fancy.

[Konini]

I went into a coffee shop yesterday (in England) and was given a password which expired 30 mins later. Wasn't automatic, I had to ask for it even though the free WiFi signs were displayed, if I wanted more than 30 minutes I could pay for it (or presumably buy another coffee). Obviously not only a problem in Thailand.

[spidermike007]

From my experience it usually a bunch of kids studying on their own, with one drink between them. True Coffee opened up areas with big tables specifically for these groups. Maybe Thailand should get some librarys/study areas going.

I like to get my Starbucks to go anyways

Are you suggesting that the Thai government would actually spend money and do something to enhance the scholastic achievements of the Thai youth? Very little of that has been happening in the LOS. Thailand is falling way behind on education compared to many of their neighbors, who consider educating the youth not only important, but essential. Here it is business as usual.

[notime]

Good - and can they also tell those kids who buy a drink and sit on a 4 person table by themselves for 6 hours to 'get lost' too (although, personally, I'd say it more strongly than that!)

Don't have to be rude and tell them that. It would be enough to ask the staff to come to those tables and ask if they would like to order anything else every 3 minutes. The next step should be cleaning up the table so they would have to move their stuff from it. After few "rounds" there won't be anybody sitting there. Simple. Starbucks should look at any given Chinese restaurant to see how it's done :-)

[nosatisfaction]

Might be a good Idea to write it in English

why?

u forgot, it's Starbucks TH

[sprq]

You have to buy coffee to sit in Starbuck's? I didn't know that. I've occasionally looked at their vastly overpriced drink lists, and even bought one or two food items, then wondered how they had the nerve to offer such inferior food at such high prices. And -- the absolute killer -- expect you to fetch everything yourself.

So ever since I've just used the place as a lounge. Quite handy, really.

[HEVTA]

This is great. McDonald's and other fast food stores should do the same thing!!

[belg]

super overpriced coffee... go to black canyon, half cheaper, better taste, plenty of room

[foolforlove]

Well I can see both sides of this.

I have seen (not at Starbucks) but another similar place in the Siam Square area...on several consecutive Saturdays, there has been a tutor (a Thai person) with 12-15 Thai teenage students. They take over about 6-8 tables and this tutor walks around "her area" checking their work and talking to them. She occupies about 40% of the shop's space for about 3-4 hours.

On the flip side of this... there really is a huge lack of suitable public space in Bangkok. I've lived in cities such as San Francisco and Paris, and I really notice this. Sure, there are lots of malls if you want to shop, and a park if your activity is not bothered by the vagaries of weather, but otherwise there isn't much. If you are someone who just wants to be "out and about" reading your book in a coffee shop, or writing in your journal, or having a game of chess with a friend... say after about 8pm, you are "S.o.L." in BKK.

[ajarnpot]

maybe this can be applied to the efl's in general, spend more baht and contribute to society or sling your ook

[nosatisfaction]

Good move.

i always get upset when I go to sit after getting a coffee and i see all these student taking all the seats and they do not have any coffee in front of them. i personally think they should limeit the time they can sit there even if they buy coffee, like no ore than 20 min

start your own business

[Roachiebkk]

Well done Starbucks, but who and how will they enforce it in a country where you wouldn't dare offend anyone?

[yeeowww]

While I do think SB makes a great cup of coffee, I haven't been to one literally in years and haven't missed them. With all the great local coffee brewers, roasters and growers (and I don't mean Doi Chang, Black Canyon or Waywee), I wish everyone would tell Starbucks to "get lost". They don't need 1 Baht of my money. I urge everyone to support the small homegrown Ma & Pop shops. Better coffee and a much better thing for everyone all around.

[capt_canada42]

Man what short memories, the people who started Starbucks were students at UC Berkeley years ago and they used to go to a coffee shop named Mr Peets Coffee shop which was one of the most successful business's in Berkeley so they copied Peets business right down to copying how the shops were laid out. Now Peets was small so we all hung out outside and drank our coffee and smoked our pot (it was legal in Berkeley not like Thailand which used to export it now is uptight about it) nothing better than a hot one with a cuppa Java.

Anyways there never was any room in Peets we all hung out outside whats the matter with people can't they be creative any more.

Oh Starbucks bought Mr Peets coffee shop out in the end. I was going to set my own shop up here in Phuket that was way before Starbucks were here.

Edited July 25, 2012 by capt_canada42

[techboy]

Teacher should tell Starbucks, "When you start to sell coffee, I'll order one."

Sad but what you say is at least now partially true. Around a year ago when coffee commodity prices surged, Starbucks pledged not to increase their coffee drink prices- And they stuck with it. Unfortunately they cut back on the measure that they put into the brewing filter. Then they offered a great deal! Get an extra jolt by adding an extra shot of jo in your drink for a small cost. The cutting back on coffee measure was a company edict, according to SBUX employees that I have spoken with in Thailand and Singapore. My heart is nearly broke. I have been with SBUX since the original store in Seattle's Pike Place Market when I was a student in 1979.

However if someone is paying the high wifi price the charge to stay online in a Starbucks store I do not see how that can be considered to be loitering.

[PingManDan]

Great move for them, now someone has to have the balls to do the talking, which Thai's are hard at