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

[tonysilly]

I can't study at Starbucks, I can't study at the ladyboy bar, what's next, I can't study at the ping pong show lol Thailand

[toenail]

You members that keep saying SB coffee is "over priced garbage" fine, go to another coffee shop. I live in Thailand and know which local cafes have good coffee at a less price also. BUT!!! If you are a tourist from another country and want to take a coffee break with dependable, good service, you most likely will choose a international chain over a local one (until you have a good local one like us expats who live here). If you are in Shanghai and want a decent coffee and cake where the employees are trained with good service and can speak English, will you go to Starbucks or an unknown such as Ching Chang Wang coffee shop?

[BookMan]

You members that keep saying SB coffee is "over priced garbage" fine, go to another coffee shop. I live in Thailand and know which local cafes have good coffee at a less price also. BUT!!! If you are a tourist from another country and want to take a coffee break with dependable, good service, you most likely will choose a international chain over a local one (until you have a good local one like us expats who live here). If you are in Shanghai and want a decent coffee and cake where the employees are trained with good service and can speak English, will you go to Starbucks or an unknown such as Ching Chang Wang coffee shop?

I would know Starbucks coffee is universally bland worldwide, so i would take a chance with Ching Chang Wang.

[McHow2]

Unbelievable - The world has seen bigger problems...

[Ulysses G.]

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

Try the Upper Crust next to the CM railway station. That is who makes it for Starbucks and it is much cheaper at the source.

[thaigold]

Common...in our neighborhood I've seen university girls come in, sit for two or three hours after buying one coke between them. Adding insult, they brought in ice cream from the 7/11 next door. The Thais are just too non-confrontational to tell them to pay or go. Au Bon Pain cured the problem by putting up table signs. Additionally, a lot of these students are from the upscale schools and feel they can do as they please. They just don't know any better.

Edited July 25, 2012 by thaigold

[JSixpack]

Worst coffee in the world !!!!!! I go to my local beach coffee house which is Thai they make a wonderful coffee at half the price have free wifi and a much much better view !!!!

Well--and this always comes as a shock--it's not ALL about YOU, including this thread. Your local beach coffee house just isn't available in Bangkok, for example.

[Suradit69]

Good move.

Agreed, far too many of these one glass of water or a one cup of coffee a day bludgers here. Take a look around, they are clearly visible.

As for being teachers the jury is out on that too.

It's not only Starbucks. The food court in the basement of Central Festival Pattaya Beach has some moderately comfortable seats that seem always occupied by retirees (at least judging by their appearance) reading paperbacks and backpackers taking naps and quite often they don't even bother to buy a single item. It probably doesn't make much difference much of the day, but during meal times when things can get crowded it's galling looking for a place to sit to eat while they occupy tables intended for 4 people without any apparent sense of causing inconvenience to others.

Edited July 25, 2012 by Suradit69

[GentlemanJim]

At the end of the day, when you have a business and are paying anywhere from 50K baht per month to 200K baht per month (or more) rental, then you want people in your premises to be eating and drinking your product, that's what pays for the place. If they just want to come in and sit down for a chat or study (with one drink between 6) then it's not on. That is why many Starbucks have gone from free wifi to 150 baht an hour to get rid of the free loaders. I say it is a sensible business decision as it will attract much more of the type of customers they want (as they will get a seat) and get rid of those customers they don't want.

[HowardV]

How can this be enforced? Are they going to call the police? If there is no official allocated time for drinking your coffee i really don't see how anyone could be evicted.

At the Last Exit on Brooklyn in Seattle (one of the oldest coffeeshops there and one which Starbucks modeled themselves after), they had a problem with loiterers too, young poor students and a lot of hangers. Irv the owner finally implemented a policy where if people were there longer than an hour, they were asked to buy something else. The cheapest menu item was $1, and if you bought something for a dollar, that kept them happy for another hour. Quantify it like that and it's easy to enforce.

[keestha]

It doesn't feel right to me to sit somewhere for a very long time and hardly order anything, I have spent enough time at the other side of the fence, being a restaurant or bar owner. Last year I had to kill an hour and a half in between buying stuff and picking somebody up from the airport, so I settled down in a coffeeshop, where I had just one coffee. But I left 50 Baht tip on top of a 45 Baht bill, didn't want the people working there see me as kind of a freeloader.

[me313]

Starbucks is called "stealbucks" in America.

[Semper]

No problem with this one way or another. If I see a bunch of folks just bumming around at a table without drinks or just empties, I politely ask them if they are done. Most of the time they get up and go. When they offer me some lame excuse, I ask to sit and join them and promptly sit thanking them profusely. Then I engage them in annoying conversation and leave it hanging awkwardly... they leave, and if they don't I'm usually done before it gets really bothersome. Of course, I thank them when I go.

Edited July 25, 2012 by Semper

[Pseudolus]

If only they could put signs in the public toilets as well .....

[GeorgeO]

Free wifi ?? really ? since when ?

Well it's almost free; the cost is just extracted form the cup of froth that they sell you under the name of a 'cappuccino'!

[mrdome]

As they are a business and the seats are theirs, I cannot fault them for this move. Doesn't matter if they have free wifi or not or if their beverages are not good/overpriced, etc.

[khunsiam]

Totally agree with this ..... sometime its really hard to find a seat . Leave space for everybody ....

Occupy Starbucks! The movement will grow by now.

[khunsiam]

Starbucks is called "stealbucks" in America.

that's the reason why Starbucks is a target of the Occupy movement.

[Colabamumbai]

If one did not frequent these places one would not have these problems, but then I am trying to simplify my life.

[JSixpack]

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

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

Something, but more so the very word "Starbucks." It's always caused a knee-jerk reaction for many of the members. The reasons are

• it's American, appeals to the vast America-bashing crowd here;
  
• it's global, anti-globalists hate it;
  
• it's not Thai, anathema to our Thaier-than-thou farangs;
  
• it's a chain;
  
• it's a corporation;
  
• it's relatively upscale for a mere coffee shop, many can't comfortably afford to go there;
  
• Starbucks coffee tastes like Starbucks coffee--not what some think coffee should taste like, not that they would know anyway;
  
• Starbucks isn't just about coffee but about the other products, service, and atmosphere--which many disingenuously ignore;
  
• some need to cling to a kind of reverse snobbery for illusory self-affirmation.
  

Me, I go to various coffee shops, but, having no political objections, I go to Starbucks sometimes, too. I've never had an unsatisfactory experience there. Starbucks will continue to appeal to a large global market (if not the all-knowing, superior YOU, so what), and I hope it stays profitable so that it won't be going away anytime soon. This new policy intended to get the squatters out should be helpful.

[Likenitstill]

Maybe it's culture or a lack of principle in general. It's true on any given day... Try navigating through the maze at the book store with kids sitting on the floor everywhere reading the books and magazines for hours. I remember back home a sign saying you read it you buy it. It's not a bloody library folks. Anyway again it is summed as a total lack of respect for others. People looking for a place to sit after ordering a full meal or trying to buy a magazine but cannot get through the isle. How about blatenly throwing garbage around, loud music everywhere driving like an idiot within inches of someone else or throwing fire crackers out the window of a vehicle during chinese new year in someones face.. Parents just aren't teaching kids anything here these days and it's a vicious circle

Edited July 25, 2012 by Likenitstill

[pgangeles]

Awesome. Anytime teachers get in trouble and more importantly, learning stops, its a good day for mankind. These teachers working hard trying to do good and make ends meet make me sick, how dare they take advantage of a multi-billion dollar company.

Kagan, business is business my friend. They are not teaching for free. They are getting paid. Therefore, teachers should envite them to there homes, sit on there chairs, drinking there coffee, using there wifi. Why should Starbucks provide those available services. Simple, they don't have to. Go get um multi-billion dollar company. Edited July 25, 2012 by metisdead
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[ThaiRich]

Can we in turn write a letter to Starbucks asking them to stop serving overpriced garbage?

No.. you can not. BUT, you can just not go to a Starbucks, because you are stating an opinion not a fact.

[ThaiRich]

considering the notice is written in Thai, I am guessing it is not aimed at foreign teachers. But there are many people of this forum that will take any chance or excuse to "America bash".

[TatarYahoo]

Can we in turn write a letter to Starbucks asking them to stop serving overpriced garbage?

Your free choice to go there or not....

+10 It's your choice wheter to drink Starbucks or other brands. The so-called "overpriced garbage" that you buy is not the coffee, it's the brand.

I beleive that there are a lot of good coffeeshops which are overlooked just because they are not STARBUCKS.

P.S. Who are to be blamed are the private tuitors, they take the students' money and Starbucks has to sponsor them space, chairs and tables.

If this keeps going on, I think one day, Starbucks has to offer them white board and pens. There are public libraries with outdoor area or the basement of the buildings in schools and universities for them to use.

[simple1]

Starbucks failed miserably in Australia as their coffee product was and still is awful. For those interested as why they closed so many outlets go to:

http://www.smh.com.au/business/starbucks-closes-61-shops-cuts-700-jobs-20080729-3mt1.html

[bristolgeoff]

i think also this is right if they are doing somnething in the shop and no drinks brought then what about the paying customers.seats are for customers

[QualityTouristNumberOne]

If you drink "coffee" at starbucks you deserve worse than seats being taken up by "tutors"...

a few homeless dudes reeking of urine asking for change and babbling to the voices in their heads would be appropriate but alas I think Thailand takes the "giuliani approach" to the homeless.

[Lifer]

Good for Starbucks. It really isn't right to sit in there and use the space, but not the coffee. I had a student who manages her restaurant. Some tourists, won't name the people, but from a neighboring country, comes in and eats a meal and then sits for several hours reading or using the wi-fi. She has to be ask to leave so people waiting to come in to eat can sit down.

[mucacho]

I agree certainly. Cheap thais on the move again.

But certainly I was using hotels fee internet when I was travelling.