Pattaya Drink Prices - Too High!

[maninthailand]

my wife has a restaurant/bar just outside of pattaya she sells all small bottled drinks... ie san mig chang tiger etc etc at 55 baht each big leo at 65 baht wine from 80 by the glass she makes a handsome profit on day time opening only so why why why do these bars rip people off there is no need !!!!!

she pays 34 for sam mig and sells it at 55 hence profit of 21 baht

@fakename it is next door to green valley golf course about 12 kilometers from banchang heading towards the 36 road

[jbrain]

my wife has a restaurant/bar just outside of pattaya she sells all small bottled drinks... ie san mig chang tiger etc etc at 55 baht each big leo at 65 baht wine from 80 by the glass she makes a handsome profit on day time opening only so why why why do these bars rip people off there is no need !!!!!

she pays 34 for sam mig and sells it at 55 hence profit of 21 baht

@fakename it is next door to green valley golf course about 12 kilometers from banchang heading towards the 36 road

Just outside Pattaya

[jbrain]

my wife has a restaurant/bar just outside of pattaya she sells all small bottled drinks... ie san mig chang tiger etc etc at 55 baht each big leo at 65 baht wine from 80 by the glass she makes a handsome profit on day time opening only so why why why do these bars rip people off there is no need !!!!!

she pays 34 for sam mig and sells it at 55 hence profit of 21 baht

I would like to know where she gets it for 34, i get mine direct from San Mig and i pay 890 per box, in Macro its 895 per box, so where does she buy for 816?

In Cuckooks land of course. Some people can always do much more than others with the same money .......then suddenly disappear.

[wump]

So how about all the bars (around 20) in Soi New Plaza (opposite Beach Road Soi 7/8). There is also girls working there, the area is roughly the same and you used to get Singha in there for 35 baht in many of the bars, I think it is 40 now. Heineken is 45-50. So you don't have to go to Baan Chang for these prices.

Of course anything over 80-90 baht for a beer is a complete rip-off outside of walking street.

Please try comparing that to prices and wages in Europe. How can the beer be cheaper in Germany than in a third world country where people in the service sector get maybe 1/5 of the wages? That is right, because they can get away with it.

Go to any town outside places where Farangs go and you will find that in these places and bars there is mostly only large beers offered and they average from 50 (Chang) to 90 Baht (Heineken), excluding night clubs.

Now start defending 4 Euro for a small beer again because they payment to the police is so high (any exact figures?) or because the rent is so high (how much higher than Europe actually?) or because the girls have to earn so much (strange that they don't have to earn that much in the other places - where local Thais work who naturally want more money than the working girls from Isaan who make most of their money with other ways anyway)

Edited March 4, 2013 by MaikB84

[lemoncake]

So how about all the bars (around 20) in Soi New Plaza (opposite Beach Road Soi 7/8). There is also girls working there, the area is roughly the same and you used to get Singha in there for 35 baht in many of the bars, I think it is 40 now. Heineken is 45-50. So you don't have to go to Baan Chang for these prices.

Of course anything over 80-90 baht for a beer is a complete rip-off outside of walking street.

Please try comparing that to prices and wages in Europe. How can the beer be cheaper in Germany than in a third world country where people in the service sector get maybe 1/5 of the wages? That is right, because they can get away with it.

Go to any town outside places where Farangs go and you will find that in these places and bars there is mostly only large beers offered and they average from 50 (Chang) to 90 Baht (Heineken), excluding night clubs.

Now start defending 4 EUR beers again because they payment to the police is so high (any exact figures?) or because the rent is so high (how much higher than Europe actually?) or because the girls have to earn so much (strange that they don't have to earn that much in the other places - where local Thais work who naturally want more money than the working girls from Isaan who make most of their money with other ways anyway)

I seriously doubt bars selling Singha for 35 baht would stay in business for long when the cost price is 29 baht.

Heineken is also 38-39 baht cost.

Yeah sure they doing it, just to survive and have a cash flow,with hardly any profit at all.

Standard retail practice is 100% mark up, so if the cost is 29 baht, the cheapest price should be 58 if one is serious about the business.

Of course this rules do not apply when the boyfriend pays rent,wages and buys stock, while the girlfriend keeps the money from sales.

As for the rest of your post, especially asking about the tea money, its clear that you have no clue how things work around here.

For starters, your thai bars do not run aircons, and do not pay nearly as much as local bars in tea money

Any nice bars for locals drinks cost even more, i suggest you visit something different to a road side seller in isaan

Thai Clubs in BKK, drinks are 210-220 baht, some clubs 350 baht.

Just for your info, tea money run anywhere from 30 000/month-250 000/month, plus few more here and there

Edited March 4, 2013 by lemoncake

[Yo Sup]

Forgot to say....

I have decided to go back to the days when I thought bar prices were too high at music festivals in the UK; I'm going to start carrying around a wee bottle of vodka in my wife's bag and do it the cheap charlie way! Kee Neeow!!

Make a still and do it really right. Potato vodka!

[wump]

Still your points don't justify hiking the price up 4 times as much as these other bars who by the way have been there for years and years. After all, they would have to pay tea money in approx. the same range since they employ bar girls and aren't too far from the other places and most of them are also Western-owned.

I don't know how much you pay for your electricity but the last time I checked mine it was 3.5 Baht/kWh. A normal A/C unit uses 0.9 kW per hour, or about 3 Baht, so even if your bar has A/C and you have a few units in a month it won't add up to more than the salary of a single girl.

160 Baht for a beer in some random beer bar on the street (was it Second Road?) is just outrageous and just taking the piss. I didn't say a beer should cost 40 but was pointing out that apparently some places do charge that and I didn't know how prices higher than 80 or 90 could be justified. Pattaya is not Phuket and even there you are generally not paying more than 100 for a Singha on Soi Bangla, excluding gogos and discos.

Edited March 4, 2013 by MaikB84

[lemoncake]

Still your points don't justify hiking the price up 4 times as much as these other bars who by the way have been there for years and years. After all, they would have to pay tea money in approx. the same range since they employ bar girls and aren't too far from the other places and most of them are also Western-owned.

I don't know how much you pay for your electricity but the last time I checked mine it was 3.5 Baht/kWh. A normal A/C unit uses 0.9 kW per hour, or about 3 Baht, so even if your bar has A/C and you have a few units in a month it won't add up to more than the salary of a single girl.

160 Baht for a beer in some random beer bar on the street (was it Second Road?) is just outrageous and just taking the piss. I didn't say a beer should cost 40 but was pointing out that apparently some places do charge that and I didn't know how prices higher than 80 or 90 could be justified. Pattaya is not Phuket and even there you are generally not paying more than 100 for a Singha on Soi Bangla, excluding gogos and discos.

Bars been there and will stay there , because as soon as one runs out of money, the next one takes it over .

Bars in new plaza do not pay near as much in rent and tea money.

I never said that 180 was normal for beer bar with no entertainment . I did say it sounded little too much.

160-180 is normal price for clubs.

No one has to justify themselves to you or anyone else, people run business and charge the price punters are willing to pay.

This is why there are bars selling beer for 40 baht, 90 baht and 180 baht.

In your home you run 1 ac 9-18000 btu while in the clubs they run a number of them double if not triple btu's at full power. I pay 3000 baht for my house , air on for 8 hours per night but pay 30 000 for my hotel's bar/restaurant where air is on for 12 hours but very different btu.

Sure I want to have cheap prices and cheap drinks, but no one cares what I want , so no point complaining what prices should be or what price is justified because again no one cares and will continue to charge what they charge .

Edited March 4, 2013 by lemoncake

[meatballs]

That's ridiculous. You can stop in at new plaza and get yourself a beer for 40-50 baht. 180 baht is fine for a gogo but not for a beer bar.

Edited March 4, 2013 by meatballs

[Exsexyman]

They obviously saw the OP coming. The average price for a beer in Pattaya is probably 70 baht, many many places where it is less than that, 40, 50, 60 baht. OK, Walking St is a bit more expensive,especially if you go to one of the Russian run clip joints. But i haven't been down there for a while. Nothing there that you can't get in LK Metro, at half the price. And no Russians. Yet!

[davethailand]

Hardly Pattaya is too expensive just that you got stung by the separate mixer, spirit crap that some bars pull.

A lot of Thai owned bars on walking St do it also.

So, in your experience, how can one avoid the separate mixer/spirit 'sting' (!!!)

Thats the big question, maybe you can't, Apart from asking first it depends on the bar.

I know the excuse is normally that they have to open a separate can or bottle, on diet coke I can understand as it normally only comes in cans but with lipo theres no reason why you can't give a shot then screw the cap on the bottle. Thats what my bar does included in the price for the spirit.

[davethailand]

Hardly Pattaya is too expensive just that you got stung by the separate mixer, spirit crap that some bars pull.

A lot of Thai owned bars on walking St do it also.

Dave (and Lemoncake), I have been here 40 years and have purchased a shitpot full of LD's in that time--not a novice and so of course understand the practice especially in high rent areas such as walking str, but in Soi 6 this I believe is over the top especially since a huge % of the patrons are British guys who will be living on a pension at an exchange rate of 43/44 baht/pound soon. By the way I wasn't complaining about the soda price. Also the lady in question gets only 30 baht per drink.

Also I do understand the expensive Wine Cooler/bacardi breeze lady drink, but this wasn't the case.

So to end I was answering the OP with one of my own experiences in one SOI 6 bar and giving my own thoughts. (Sorry I was so EXPANSIVE Lemoncake).

Also I must say that many other bars on Soi 6 charge in accordance with some of the other charges on Soi 6.

Not disagreeing 180bht for a Vodka Lipo in a beer bar is taking the piss IMO.

I understand lady drink prices in Soi 6 being slightly higher as they have to put up with being groped but unfortunatley some bars charge high lady drink prices and as you see give the girls a measly 30bht.

[davethailand]

my wife has a restaurant/bar just outside of pattaya she sells all small bottled drinks... ie san mig chang tiger etc etc at 55 baht each big leo at 65 baht wine from 80 by the glass she makes a handsome profit on day time opening only so why why why do these bars rip people off there is no need !!!!!

she pays 34 for sam mig and sells it at 55 hence profit of 21 baht

I would like to know where she gets it for 34, i get mine direct from San Mig and i pay 890 per box, in Macro its 895 per box, so where does she buy for 816?

I pay 870bht per box at the moment.

[BoonToong]

They obviously saw the OP coming.

I award you this month's prize for the wildest assumption this side of Mars for this month (and your assumption is incorrect).

[meatboy]

Do the "Russian-style" approach. Go to Seven Eleven to get your alcohol then drink it along the beach prominade or while you're walking.

Actually I don't drink (coke, soda etc) but last week was in a bar at the top of Soi 6 (one back from the Corner)and while sitting with a lovely lass purchased a lady drink.

Came to pay and my bill for soda and LD was 230 baht (160 for LD and 70 for soda).

Of course you must pay otherwise problems, but these prices are just taking the piss. No wonder some of these places are empty.

Of course I won't go back (unless it's straight upstairs), but many owners (thai or falang) don't seem to care about repeat business.

the price included the bar fine

[Yahooka]

Plenty of good and cheap places around New Placa,Soi Bukhao etc.And with quite a "normal" clientelle in many of them !!

After nearly 20 years in Phuket I almost get a religius feeling when it comes to drinking here in Pattaya......cheap beer,most ladies don`t pester me for lady drinks and I can relax with my beer here without a bargirl checking my beer every second minute asking "One more.......and one for me ?" !!

Im in beer heaven !!!

[Radar501]

my wife has a restaurant/bar just outside of pattaya she sells all small bottled drinks... ie san mig chang tiger etc etc at 55 baht each big leo at 65 baht wine from 80 by the glass she makes a handsome profit on day time opening only so why why why do these bars rip people off there is no need !!!!!

Your wife's bar is obviously outside of Pattaya if she makes a handsome profit. Correct spelling in central Pattaya is hansum.

[lemoncake]

my wife has a restaurant/bar just outside of pattaya she sells all small bottled drinks... ie san mig chang tiger etc etc at 55 baht each big leo at 65 baht wine from 80 by the glass she makes a handsome profit on day time opening only so why why why do these bars rip people off there is no need !!!!!

she pays 34 for sam mig and sells it at 55 hence profit of 21 baht

I would like to know where she gets it for 34, i get mine direct from San Mig and i pay 890 per box, in Macro its 895 per box, so where does she buy for 816?

I pay 870bht per box at the moment.

From where?

[lor]

Hardly Pattaya is too expensive just that you got stung by the separate mixer, spirit crap that some bars pull.

A lot of Thai owned bars on walking St do it also.

So, in your experience, how can one avoid the separate mixer/spirit 'sting' (!!!)

No need to! It's not a sting. My bar in Jomtien always provides a separate mixer. Or do you like flat coke or sprite etc from a large bottle that's probably been opened for hours. Instead we provide a new/fresh can or bottle which will last you for about 2 or three drinks and costs only 20 baht. Works out much cheaper and better than paying for the flat, warm stuff.

Chris

[ExpatOilWorker]

Where is this New Plaza located?

[MrRed]

Where is this New Plaza located?

Soi fat arse(new plaza) opposite soi 7 an 8 ..........2nd round

[gmac]

my wife has a restaurant/bar just outside of pattaya she sells all small bottled drinks... ie san mig chang tiger etc etc at 55 baht each big leo at 65 baht wine from 80 by the glass she makes a handsome profit on day time opening only so why why why do these bars rip people off there is no need !!!!!

Greed?

[Pattaya28]

Bar prices are far too high in most establishments. Thais do not understand economics. Beer prices, for example, vary so much from 1 GoGo Bar to another. Ranges from 70 Baht ----> 150 Baht. Madness. Problem is so many tourists, that prices cannot stabilize. Cant see the bubble bursting for some time yet tho, although with exchange rates at an incredible "low", maybe who knows what might happen. I always left a 20 Baht tip for a drink, whether it be 150 Baht a beer, or a 60 Baht cappacino. Now, I leave no tip. That probably saves me 500-600 Baht a week.

[gmac]

Hardly Pattaya is too expensive just that you got stung by the separate mixer, spirit crap that some bars pull.

A lot of Thai owned bars on walking St do it also.

So, in your experience, how can one avoid the separate mixer/spirit 'sting' (!!!)

No need to! It's not a sting. My bar in Jomtien always provides a separate mixer. Or do you like flat coke or sprite etc from a large bottle that's probably been opened for hours. Instead we provide a new/fresh can or bottle which will last you for about 2 or three drinks and costs only 20 baht. Works out much cheaper and better than paying for the flat, warm stuff.

Chris

The right way to do it in my opinion, but that "costs", is that what it costs you or the price it costs the customer when he buys from you? In the OP's case it appears that the cost to him for the Lipo was around 60-70 Baht.

[dogpoo]

Bar prices are far too high in most establishments. Thais do not understand economics. Beer prices, for example, vary so much from 1 GoGo Bar to another. Ranges from 70 Baht ----> 150 Baht. Madness. Problem is so many tourists, that prices cannot stabilize. Cant see the bubble bursting for some time yet tho, although with exchange rates at an incredible "low", maybe who knows what might happen. I always left a 20 Baht tip for a drink, whether it be 150 Baht a beer, or a 60 Baht cappacino. Now, I leave no tip. That probably saves me 500-600 Baht a week.

Why would anyone pay 150 bht for a beer which I assume is a small bottle? Fortunately for me I do not frequent girlie bars or any other bars that charge high prices, my local Mom and Pop store which is very busy and quite a few falang drink there charges 48bht for Large beer, there is a falang bar next door which is always empty, I wonder why that is!!

[brewsterbudgen]

Pattaya is an international tourist resort. It's not surprising that prices are higher, although as many have pointed out there are plenty of bars where the drinks are cheap. As most tourists seem to happily be paying the higher prices, it's unlikely to change and makes good business sense.

[willyumcr]

I have no problem with paying 150 baht for a beer "occasionally" to sit in an air conditioned bar with a young lovely and play touchie feely and enjoy an afternoon opposed to sitting at a mom and pop store for 45 baht beer. Quality of life I guess. To each his own. I am not saying I don't drink at the mom and pop places as I do but I also don't rule out "girly bars". After all it's what Pattaya is all about.

[dogpoo]

I have no problem with paying 150 baht for a beer "occasionally" to sit in an air conditioned bar with a young lovely and play touchie feely and enjoy an afternoon opposed to sitting at a mom and pop store for 45 baht beer. Quality of life I guess. To each his own. I am not saying I don't drink at the mom and pop places as I do but I also don't rule out "girly bars". After all it's what Pattaya is all about.

Yep everyone has a choice to make, I choose not to pay these inflated prices but I respect others that do!!

[BlackPuddingBertha]

Am I the only person here who always checks the price before ordering something in a restaurant/bar that I don't know?

[wump]

If it was raining and I would be in some random bar on 2nd road I probably wouldn't be, otherwise I think it makes sense to always ask for the menu. In Phuket there is quite a few places where Chang is more expensive than Singha and the price difference between the different small bottles can be as much as 80 baht: Stuff like Heineken 80 Baht, San Miguel 160 Baht etc.

Edited March 5, 2013 by MaikB84