I want to write a few words in defense of the tuk-tuk drivers in Chiang Mai. I have taken a lot of rides in tuk tuks, and nobody ever took me for "a ride", except one night when I was very drunk and handed the driver 2000 baht,instead of the already overly-generous 200. He thanked me and drove away. I heard he went back to the bar and they were all laughing about it. I was too embarrassed to ever complain.

One driver more than once picked me up on time at 7:00 AM, took me to Immigration, and waited the whole 2+ hours to take me home. Total bill: 150 baht.

In Chiang Mai, if you have no car or motorbike, it's either a tuk-tuk or a songteaw, and those make me paranoid. I've often wondered why there isn't a motorbike taxi service here. I liked getting around that way in BKK.

i have no experience of Karaoke bars, but was warned early to avoid them.

(Never mind.. this topic went a lot faster than I thought it would; removed one comment directed at a fairly new forum member. This topic sure brought them out! )

I'm happy I'm getting my kicks in a safe place like Pattaya, relatively speaking.

(No tuk tuk drivers, and no need for desperate end-of-the-universe spots like karaoke bars.)

I for one would help. Extortion is a bullsh*t racket, and anybody who tries it, especially with a fellow ex-pat would get the living crap beat out of them. I would have dared the tuk tuk driver to have tried that with me. I'd beat his as* in front of the BIB.

Couldn't help but notice you have only posted 4 times.

You seem pretty new in Thailand.

The Thais are not into fighting one on one.

I hope you have good medical insurance.

If the guy had a bottle of Dom Perignon, 4000 instead of 17000 is a real good deal

I hope he enjoyed it...

A long-term expat in a karaoke ? well,well well !!

for sure, it is 100 % a prostitute bar girl for thais who goes there to get drunk like a hell ,get a tender love for a "chua khao" and have fun their ways ....they normaly dont speak english and dont like the farang too much.

this dum person knew where he was going and for sure something hapenned in the bar that we dont know.

the rest is pure story.

if you dont want ANY trouble ....all over the world FROM PARIS TO BANGKOK it is always the same .....never go alone in funny places. for you.

This is simple exploitation 101. Find foreigner, hopefully old, and take him to a place outside of his comfort zone. Then give him a few beers, threaten him, go to the nearest ATM, and, unfortunately, beat him up. You feel powerless in another country, and they know it. You trust strangers more in a foreign country, and you shouldn't. You thought everyone would love you and paradise would last forever. well, wake up call.

so, before you go out next time......train like Tyson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpHNmL9hs_I

Off topic baiting posts and replies have been removed. The topic is not about hotels that have 2 exits, the topic is about a foreigner beaten by tuk tuk drivers after not paying extortionate fee at a karaoke bar.

Never mind. Mod just beat me to it as I was writing.

.....and the government have announced a(nother) crackdown on fare cheating taxi drivers......some chance

I don't know what country you come from, but I can assure you that Thailand is very safe to walk about in. I have done it for 7 years and never had a problem. I do not blame you for carrying a weapon as I carry a weapon with me when I go back to the UK, and if anyone as much as threatens me with violence I won't hesitate to use it, and I have, I also carried a hammer in my car, but never had to use it. I do not care what the law says, my safety comes first. If Thailand was as unsafe as the UK, I would not live here.

I was involved in a situation where I was minding my own business, and it was two to one so I used my weapon (not a knife) and when the first guy went down, his mate carried him away. I reported it to the police in case the guy was seriously injured and had to go to hospital. The police took my particulars and told me if the assailents reported the incident, I would be arrested and charged with assault, so If I never carried a weapon I could have been dead.

There is no need to carry a weapon here in Thailand, it is very unlikely you will be attacked if all you are doing is walking down the street and minding your own business, although there are exceptions, the Thai people are very non confrontational.

Always a bad idea to go to these bars. especially by tuk tuks who are on the bars pay roll

I do not have an ideal solution to these incidents. Fact is - they do happen.

Maybe if the perpetrators knew that the retribution is likely they would think twice?

These drivers are not hard to find, er?

The 13,000 you saved on bar bill could be used wisely. Be generous...

- A word of warning if you ‘want to do it your way’

...What's that all about, buddy.....???

....what are you implying....

....are you blaming the victim.....

(Are Westerners always to blame.......and Thais blameless in the countless crimes they perpetrate, especially against foreigners ...)

(We are greatly outnumbered, as it is...with virtually no rights or recourse...)

Steps to minimize the probability of getting into trouble with Thai people:

- Stay away from dodgy places too late at night

- Stay away from hookers too late at night

- Learn the language

- Make a positive attitude, make jokes and stuff often but be humble

- Get some Thai friends

But who gonna explain that to all those tourists who are booking their first holiday to Thailand ?

Maybe insert a flyer into the travel brochures ?

Never had any problems at the Karaoke bars. just check prices before you go in. Like : Vip private room , girl per hour , drinks , lady drinks , mama san fee (for some places its just only a drink). Last party i had with a friend we spend 800.-THB per person for 2 hours of fun , incl 2 ladies in a private vip room who drunk our beers ( no lady drink charge ), lots of beers and good food. Cheaper than Loi Kroh ! Just don't get in those places alone a specially not when you are already pissed. Have fun !

Always a bad idea to go to these bars. especially by tuk tuks who are on the bars pay roll

Thais are well known as being cowards. They will only fight in packs.

This sort of thing happens on a regular basis, they are just "low lifes"

It is not the 'Land of Smiles' it is the 'Land of Scams'

Sadly folks thats the way it is in Thailand my daughter went there for a holiday but was so tormented my these Tuk Tuk drivers and others she headed to Cambodia and spent all her holiday there. Now she said she hates Thailand. Its about time the tourism board woke up did something to protect tourists as the bloody police only help these scumbags to rip you off

How was the fee made overboard to 17000 baht, cant you pay as your go & ask price before the drinking or order is taken?

It happened to acquaintance of mine & he was only buying a girl a drink, but before it arrived he demanded the price and it was a glass of champayne. We were told 5000 baht & canceled before it arrived, left our remaining bill and got out of the place... Tuk tuk drivers even make a situation worse unless you know them & pay them well for there time NO BS made clear in the agreement..

C’mon guys what happened to your lenience towards a little example of Thainess and Thai tradition? As long as the Tuk-Tuk drivers don’t topple the government, what is the problem?

C’mon guys what happened to your lenience towards a little example of Thainess and Thai tradition? As long as the Tuk-Tuk drivers don’t topple the government, what is the problem?

Eh. ..........................

This is the future, everywhere in Thailand.

Relates to the government saying, you can have everything.

The extortionists, CM, PTY, BKK have also noticed, no customers. Steal while we can.

Reference, Soii 6, 7, 8, Pattaya, and Bkk's empty tourist areas.

B4 Thailand was fun. Now they all think they can be rich, courtesy farang.

Goodnite and byebye to yer spending tourists.

Enjoy the Indians and Chinese.

.

<< Off topic post deleted from reply >>

just pay the 100B as each drink comes....

just pay for the 100 baht drink as each one comes. lol you've never been to karaoke before have you?

Every night my wife owns 1 now, but you don't read posts properly do you? he is talking about a bar in Patpong not a karaoke....

Off topic posts and replies have been removed.

18°46'31.90" N 98°59'56.19" E

I walk by there sometimes. Pause like I thinking of going in.

Mumble about BIG MONEY and GOLD

Then right before going in I say

have to go sorry. Next time. Tomorrow. Thanks. Bye

It's fun to check out the girls in front. Can never have enough images for the spank bank.

Just imagine how many Thai people get beat up or robbed? and it never makes our English news.

Tell them the cash is in your hotel room at any 5 star hotel. Once safely inside, the hotel will help. Happened to a thwarted jet ski scam attempt in Pattaya.

How and why hotel will help?

How would they help? I suspect the hotel management would take a dim view of a foreigner getting beaten up on their premises.

If you not a hotel guest, why would management take any view? You see many people running over to help when people get belted?

Obviously it's not guarantee not being whipped, but bringing them "out of the darkness" so to speak will give a far greater chance of not being beaten than letting them take you to a place of their choosing. Instead of being stubborn, let's ask this... You're in the same situation, where would you rather end up... At your hotel, or in the alley of their choosing? Now you're been enlightened.

This is the future, everywhere in Thailand.

Relates to the government saying, you can have everything.

The extortionists, CM, PTY, BKK have also noticed, no customers. Steal while we can.

Reference, Soii 6, 7, 8, Pattaya, and Bkk's empty tourist areas.

B4 Thailand was fun. Now they all think they can be rich, courtesy farang.

Goodnite and byebye to yer spending tourists.

Enjoy the Indians and Chinese.

.

No problems with wanting to be rich, if they play it right they surely can be.

The problem with the Thais is that they want to be rich overnight.

And no, it is not just a few bad apples, virtually every tuk tuk driver in the country is a scumbag!

....Yup, the cockroaches of the motorway.

(Are Westerners always to blame.......and Thais blameless in the countless crimes they perpetrate, especially against foreigners ...)

Yup, it's their country,they have the given-right to rip-off non-Thais

This may be a bit "off topic", but I hope the mods will allow it.

People say Thailand will never change, and that this type of thing will only get worse. I both agree and disagree, but not for the reasons you might think. My reason? Myanmar. Now that I have you thoroughly confused, scratching you head and asking yourself "&lt;deleted&gt; is he talking about?" I'll explain.

When the government of Myanmar held elections, fair or not, and opened their doors, their tourism jumped over 100% in the first year. They quickly realized they don't have the infrastructure to handle the numbers, nor do they have people qualified to do the things required, so the showed no hesitation in contracting with a Dutch firm to come in to plan and develop hotels and other things. They turned to other American/European countries for assistance in other areas. These are things the proud, superior Thai would rather slit his own throat with a dull knife than do.

Look at a map of Myanmar and see how much totally undeveloped beach front they have on the Adaman Sea and Bay of Bengal. If they do it right, which means not the Thai way, and develop this, and keep out the various "mafia" and "scammers", offering tourist good, same accommodations and attractions, it will be a knife in the heart of Thai Tourism.

At the same time, as numbers drop, the Thai will become even more desperate, more aggressive, more demanding, and we probably will see more examples of what the OP is talking about. Thai philosophy - If they have less business, raise the prices to gouge what customers they do have even more. There's a good definition of "Thainess" for you. lol.

But the increase in violence will only worsen the image of Thailand (if that's possible for those 'in the know'), and even fewer tourists will come. So, maybe in 10 years, when their tourism numbers have dropped to a fraction of what they are now, they might actually wake up and realize it was their finger, on their trigger, of their gun, that shot themselves in their foot.

On the other hand, knowing how they think, they'll find a reason or excuse to blame it on someone else.

I had this happen to me in a Karaoke bar in Bangkok a few years back. They basically overcharged me for drinks but I refused to pay the full fee. I saw a couple of guys around me but not being totally wasted I knew I would have given them a very bad beating and they could tell it was not going be an easy profit for them. They threatened with the police and I told them to call. I ended up giving them less than what they asked for and quickly made my way out the door with no damages. Lesson learned since it was the first time in a karaoke bar in Thailand and last.