I Can Pour My Own Beer Thank You.

[rbrooks]

If you cannot see them top off your beer glass I would be more worried about what extra ingredient they can add to your beer!

[transam]

Want a laugh. We went to the now best hotel in Ubon with my pal and his Mrs for something to eat and a chat. My pal brought a bottle of Baily's Coffee liqueur for the ladies and a bottle of Captain Morgan Rum for us with him. The staff removed the bottles to a thing a few metres away and poured out the booze.

We were served with a tot of Baileys and the Rum mixed together ...... , a curdled mess. My chum was not amused as it had to be binned.

[Minnehaha]

I like it.

especially when its red wine. they cant fill the glass fast enough.

its great at weddings or big events, especially when I am a guest

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

I like it.

especially when its red wine. they cant fill the glass fast enough.

its great at weddings or big events, especially when I am a guest

Me too but not if they chill the red wine first or put ice cubes in it !

[fxe1200]

I prefer some foam on top but a lot of staff seem to pour without foam.

- froth sounds better -

[laislica]

As said by the OP:

Its a minor grate but when I go for a beer I like to relax and take my time drinking it. I tell the server I'll pour my own beer thank you, but unless I'm watching my glass like a hawk, one of the other staff will invariable sneak up on me and top my glass up.

As I said, a minor annoyance when I'm drinking alone or with a small group, but it gets dangerous at large gatherings where its impossible to keep an eye/count of the bottles stacking up at the end of table.

^^ Indeed it does.

I don't go out often but when I do it's usually to small restaurants in the countryside.

I am usually the only Farang and I am surrounded by Thai family, kids and all.

The restaurants usually have some stunningly lovely young ladies who wear the slinky Chiang dress and it is there job to sell as much booze as they can and, IMHO that is the real reason they top you up so often.

Fortunately, I don't drive so drunk driving is not an issue - for me, but what about the others?

One of my brother(s)-in-law is usually the driver and they do watch their drinks like a hawk and, when necessary, with a simple, but effective wave of his hand with a smile, he indicates that he want's no more beer, never a problem.

More for me I say and then I can get stuck into the rest of the Chiang only to be invited to have another bottle - and why not!

When it's our turn to pay, my wife "takes care" and if she thinks that the service was especially good, she will give a tip of B 20, but only after the Bin has been thoroughly checked and approved, by at least two people.

On a side note, it seems that many Thai's don't have the gene that allows them to metabolise alcohol and this may explain the many drunks to be seen at Thai traditional celebrations like weddings and Songkran.

[SunsetT]

I agree 100%, it is also of putting that they stare at you and wait for you to nearly finish. I nearly told one bar man to stop the other day. From a business point of view it makes sense- perhaps you will keep drinking and buy more!

Yes, I hate it , especially when Im having a quiet contemplative beer on my own, when a waiter or waitress just stands there hovering in the background. They sometimes bring another opened bottle before you've even finished the previous one without even asking if you want another one. I prefer to go native now and drink outside the minimarts watching the world go bye. I take my Archa from the fridge, open it and help myself to ice from the ice chest. They just bring the glass. Trouble is, it is highly probable a Thai drunk will insist on joining you cos he thinks your lonely, and then persists with a friendly one-sided animated conversation in Thai regardless of how many times you say 'Kor tot kap' 'Mai kao jai kap!'. Perhaps the hovering waitress is not so bad after all!

[SunsetT]

This thread is a joke...right?......Please?

IT'S A SERVICE! If you don't like it, just tell them politely "Mai Pen Rai Khrap"/Hand over your glass or "xx chin nahm keng, khrap" (how ever you might like it...a squeese of lime maybe?).

Jesus, the things cranky old geezers can complain about in here

I have never visited a restaurant in Thailand, where the drink "pouring/top-up service" wasn't meant as a SERVICE!

The only place ever, where it wasn't a service, was a shitty karaoke bar in CM - two sentences in Thai explaining that i knew what they where trying to do, and that they could keep the tab, at the table - put a stop to it immediately!

I think i'm getting to know why some Thai people resent even us youngsters her, until they get to know us....the rudeness of some bitter old men - i lack words to describe how sorry i feel for you guys, you must be living in hell if you distrust the world around you like this.

And/or things meant as a service, ruin your day so much that you have to complain about it, in a internet forum?!?

I think the old phrase "Get a life..." is most suited for this.

Next time you're passing through, try any of the Oriental's Bamboo Bar where (for the price of a beer in a go-go) you can have a local beer and you can pour it yourself. Same goes for any other none beer-jam venue.

Thais laugh tip-begging.

I don't get you post?!? - yes I frequent Bamboo bar, as i also quite frequently eat at Le Normandie - and I like that the Hotel was originally build by a fellow countryman.

I'm almost a 100% certain, that i'm at Bamboo bar more often than you as my office is in Silom, and as i mentioned that my nationality has a "thing" with this Hotel, because of the history. (Plus i know the previous manager at Le Normandie, which also made me come often - though he is now at restaurant Water Library in Thong Lor, i still like Le Normandie for a french dinner and the good view over the river)

But what the hell, does it have to do with thread?

I do think we all know, we are not discussing western-style hotel bars right now?

You must miss the manager terribly if he made you come often !

[Donnie Brasco]

You should see them try to pour champagne at any of the big Thong Lor clubs. Even with a bottle of Dom they'll pour it out like whiskey.

Had a bottle of Dom at the 4 Seasons. The wait staff opened the bottle before they put it on ice... needless to say we got the manager and requested a new bottle. Don't wanna know who's paycheck that came out of. Best to just keep the bottle away from the wait staff.

One must take unusual precautions here when ordering a decent drop.

Ever wonder why the heavy reds like Amarone, Cab Sauv, or some of the heavy Australians and Chileans taste like sherry ? Well, it's probably a storage issue. The air-con goes off at night. And a few weeks of roller coaster temperature regulation plays real havoc with the reds.

You can bet that you'll be getting the bottle that's seen the most storage abuse.

A properly chilled Chablis or Sauvignon Blanc is a lost cause from waitstaff who have already tried to tell you that the Baramundi you have in front of you is sea bass.

Your carafe wine will be of the bagged variety and your waiter will be jamming that witch's p1ss into your class at every opportunity.

Then there's the non-stop affirmative noddie-bobbing to get you to accept some barstewardized concoction of cane whiskey, carmel and vanilla is the Bourbon you ordered. He'll even bring over the bottle to persuade you to accept this nonsense.

It's insulting.

Just ask yourself. Would any well-travelled Thai be put through this ordeal. And be expected to swallow that all this pushy jamming behaviour was "service" ???

If you have been made to bend over backwards in homage to some arcane wai-ing gesture or some other "Thai culture" nonsense rule but made to put up with this kind of cr@p it's time to grow a pair and shut this jive-@ss double dealing down.

Just keep smiling and speaking quietly and requesting to speak to the European in charge. (Always works)

There's Yelp as well.

Pull out your phone and let that screen come up in a Five Star hotel and your legitimate complaint will be addressed.

You are in control here; not some skiing, lying, drink-pushing, fool without the sense to realize that a patron who can pay upwards of 15K baht for a bottle of Dom knows how it should be served.

Did the guy shake it vigorously before firing the cork into the ceiling fixture?

[smokie36]

@transam.....It was your fault that.

You still owe me a bottle of rum and a new parrot. I managed to find a new wooden leg at last ye'll be glad to hear.

[DGS1244]

If you frequented the clip joints the OP uses you wouldnt have that problem,

rgs has no idea where I drink the above statement is based upon his own baseless assumptions.... Doh!

Personally I think your whole post a total waste of time if that is all you have to complain about. Just be thankful that you have a waiter and don't need to go to the bar each time to get a beer.

[JCaligula]

Rubbish....all nonsense,the reason why they keep pouring your beer is because they want you to drink faster and you could keep ordering and when you're drunk then you'll give bigger tips then 20 baht or chances are you'll get cheated on your bill,this happens mostly at Thai bars and also tricky ice bucket refills,if you're not aware they can charge you 50 baht per bucket,this is where they make money most. New tourist would love to mobile bars along Sukhumvit area.It's common to reap new comers.. And about the tips,yes it's nothing wrong by tipping 20 baht if they are generously nice to you and of course it's also the service is good but don't be naive if the service is otherwise especially with rude mannered staff,you still want tip..oh come on..

[itchybum]

If you do not like it, go home.

I mean really, a pretty young thing takes care of you and pours your beer and you get all upset over it.

Drink out of the bottle then if you cannot handle the pressure.

[laislica]

If you do not like it, go home.

I mean really, a pretty young thing takes care of you and pours your beer and you get all upset over it.

Drink out of the bottle then if you cannot handle the pressure.

OK newbie, we never heard that on this forum before

so, just to please you

we're all going home.

Turn the lights off when you leave......

[smokie36]

Just sit at the bar and order bottles.

Job done.

Frankly my only problem arises when my glass is empty.

Not worried about beer to ice ratio as long as I have something to wash down the grub.

[Khunangkaro]

Drink straight from the Bottle, use the ice bucket as a cooler.

.....and guard the bucket staying within reach.

Then, in case you prefer your cooled beer from the glass, poor as much as you like in one go and guard your empty glass. (upside down?)

[StreetCowboy]

Drink straight from the Bottle, use the ice bucket as a cooler.

.....and guard the bucket staying within reach.

Then, in case you prefer your cooled beer from the glass, poor as much as you like in one go and guard your empty glass. (upside down?)

Subtle; you have my full support...

[HeavyDrinker]

I just don't get the fuss.

There are few greater pleasures in life than having a pretty young lass topping up your ale every 10 minutes or so, especially by 'Big Tits' (as she has become endearingly titled - by me) in my local...especially when one is married.

She got 50B tip last night but I'd had a few as Spurs won thus handing Man United a 20th title should they beat Villa (the wife's team) in the wee small hours of tomorrow....

[VocalNeal]

Happened to me on Saturday evening with a learge group.. Waitress cam by tried to take my glass so I said Mai ow Kap!, Then a guy came by same result, Then she came agian so I covered the glass with my hand, then the guy came so I covered again. When the glass was empty I attracted their attention and got my glass filled.

Then the senario repeated with the same servers . Again! and again!

By now you think they would get it.

Then I lost my concentration, and sure enough the half full glass was spirited away and returned full with ice in it.

How many times does one have to tell a server before they understand?

[David48]

For some reason beyond me, draft beer is plain awful in Thailand

Must admit I agree with you ... being an Australian ... we like a drop of the Amber Fluid.

The Draft beer here that I have drunk always tastes 'watered down'

.

[itchybum]

Happened to me on Saturday evening with a learge group.. Waitress cam by tried to take my glass so I said Mai ow Kap!, Then a guy came by same result, Then she came agian so I covered the glass with my hand, then the guy came so I covered again. When the glass was empty I attracted their attention and got my glass filled.

Then the senario repeated with the same servers . Again! and again!

By now you think they would get it.

Then I lost my concentration, and sure enough the half full glass was spirited away and returned full with ice in it.

How many times does one have to tell a server before they understand?

It is a game for them.

They need to relieve their boredom somehow.

As for how many times to tell, well, I'd try with drawings first.

[aboctok]

I prefer some foam on top but a lot of staff seem to pour without foam.

They will almost invariably pour you a beer with no head, because they have no (functional) idea what the "foam" is.

[sirchai]

Must be very difficult to tell them that you're doing it alone. ( Didn't mean having fun without your wife, her sister, Mia Noi, etc..)

Phom/Chan tamm eng, khrap/ka.// Phom/ Chan tamm kondiau,khrap/ka. /Phom/Chan Mee Au khun tamm service, khrap/ka. would do the trick. It's Thailand.-

Edited April 23, 2013 by sirchai

[itchybum]

Next thing he will be jumping out and wanting to fill up his own car at the petrol station.

[GuestHouse]

Next thing he will be jumping out and wanting to fill up his own car at the petrol station.

Not at all, but if I ask for Bht1000 of 95Gasohol, I don't want one attendant giving me the fuel I asked for and another taking it upon him/herself to fill the tank to full.

I certainly don't want the attendant deciding to give me Diesel where I asked for Gasohol.

It's all about something you seem to have difficulty getting your head around....... When I pay for a service, I want the service I'm looking for, not the service someone else decides I should have.

(Whether that be bar staff trying to serve me more beer at a rate I don't want, put ice in my beer when I don't want ice or some Internet Warrior deciding what the limits of my choices should be from behind his keyboard).

[StreetCowboy]

Next thing he will be jumping out and wanting to fill up his own car at the petrol station.

I quite enjoy filling my car up. I've got nothing else to do at the time.

Perhaps I should take up smoking, to occupy these occasional idle moments in the bar or at the filling station

SC

[itchybum]

Next thing he will be jumping out and wanting to fill up his own car at the petrol station.

I quite enjoy filling my car up. I've got nothing else to do at the time.

Perhaps I should take up smoking, to occupy these occasional idle moments in the bar or at the filling station

SC

It is rather selfish to think like that.

You would be doing a minimum wage employee out of a job.

[BradinAsia]

@Funfon -- "These people are on automatic pilot, learn everything by rote and that's the way they'll do their job until they day they drop."

Can we nominate this for the dorkiest statement ever made on TV?

[Khun Watchaporn]

@Funfon -- "These people are on automatic pilot, learn everything by rote and that's the way they'll do their job until they day they drop."

Can we nominate this for the dorkiest statement ever made on TV?

Your keyboard is broken.

t = d

r = o

u = r

e = k

s = i

t = e

s and t must have been tourettes.

[Khun Watchaporn]

Next thing he will be jumping out and wanting to fill up his own car at the petrol station.

I quite enjoy filling my car up. I've got nothing else to do at the time.

Perhaps I should take up smoking, to occupy these occasional idle moments in the bar or at the filling station

SC

It is rather selfish to think like that.

You would be doing a minimum wage employee out of a job.

Probably illegal to do without a WP.