In Defence of Starbucks in Bangkok

[californiabeachboy]

I recently was fortunate enough to have another visit to Bkk.

I always stay near Ari, so I arranged to meet a Thai friend at the Starbucks next to Ari BTS. But she was late (big surprise there), so I sat in the Starbucks for about 30 minutes and had a chance to survey the field.

There were so many 20 something Thai/Asian/Western people who were obvioulsy camped out there - they had their mobile phone, laptop, and God knows what else. And a cup of coffee, and from what I could tell, they never bought another. If they had a tent they would have camped out there.

I felt sorry for Starbucks, if that is possible. We all love to complain about the price of coffee at Starbucks, but in Bangkok I believe that they are not a coffee company, they are a company that rents air-conditioned space with good wifi and comfortable chairs.

Edited August 22, 2014 by californiabeachboy

[bkkjames]

So you are another free-loader?

[arunsakda]

Finally a California boy who spells "defence" properly. Well done!

[tonytigerbkk]

Starbucks should never be defended, no matter what the circumstances.

[waynethor]

It's interesting that you should start this topic today. I made comments in another topic about the Israel and Palestine conflict. They were not favorable toward Israel and I know there are a lot of people who boycott Israeli products. One of the first sites I saw about boycotting the Israeli economy was covered with different logos for companies we should not give our money to. The ones that really jumped out at me were Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's. There were other big companies as well.

I just thought of something! I wonder if the 'Star' in Starbucks refers to the Star of David, which is the main symbol of the Israeli flag.

Edited August 22, 2014 by waynethor

[ATF]

Welcome to Digital Nomad Bucks.

[Diplomatico]

Starbucks in Chiang Mai does not have free wifi so is it still free in Bangkok? Up here, Starbucks partners with a wifi company and - guess what - Starbucks will SELL you the access to that wifi by the hour/day/week/month.

[bkkjames]

Starbucks in Chiang Mai does not have free wifi so is it still free in Bangkok? Up here, Starbucks partners with a wifi company and - guess what - Starbucks will SELL you the access to that wifi by the hour/day/week/month.

50 baht last time i saw a sign here in Bangkok.

[Diplomatico]

Starbucks in Chiang Mai does not have free wifi so is it still free in Bangkok? Up here, Starbucks partners with a wifi company and - guess what - Starbucks will SELL you the access to that wifi by the hour/day/week/month.

50 baht last time i saw a sign here in Bangkok.

Yeah, here it's something like 50 thb/hour, 150 thb/week, and 300 thb/month. Each log on session times out at 90 mins.

[Ace of Pop]

Momnpopbucks Hua Hin Station do a nice Iced Nescafe for 12 Bht, and free Wi Fi, from nextdoors paper shop.Never been in a Starbucks, no VIP Parking outside..

[eeeya]

Star bucks (and true coffee) in Charmchuri square, bangkok, holey crap there are Jula uni students camped out there the whole time. 4 students and one cup. heaps of free seating in the downstairs cafeteria.

[californiabeachboy]

So you are another free-loader?

What! I spent 90 baht for a cup of coffee (twice what it costs here in the USA, by the way). My rule is that if I buy a coffee in Starbucks and spend less than 30 minutes simply for the air conditioning, I am NOT a freeloader!

[saramsland]

I recently was fortunate enough to have another visit to Bkk.

I always stay near Ari, so I arranged to meet a Thai friend at the Starbucks next to Ari BTS. But she was late (big surprise there), so I sat in the Starbucks for about 30 minutes and had a chance to survey the field.

There were so many 20 something Thai/Asian/Western people who were obvioulsy camped out there - they had their mobile phone, laptop, and God knows what else. And a cup of coffee, and from what I could tell, they never bought another. If they had a tent they would have camped out there.

I felt sorry for Starbucks, if that is possible. We all love to complain about the price of coffee at Starbucks, but in Bangkok I believe that they are not a coffee company, they are a company that rents air-conditioned space with good wifi and comfortable chairs.

A little off topic but I quite remember macdonalds having that issue of people 'camping out' and they brought in a '1hr Stay Rule'.. This would have been 1-2yrs back.

Anyone see that?

[Zeegator]

What! I spent 90 baht for a cup of coffee (twice what it costs here in the USA, by the way). My rule is that if I buy a coffee in Starbucks and spend less than 30 minutes simply for the air conditioning, I am NOT a freeloader!

So you were in there for about 30 minutes and bought 1 coffee, and in your OP you complain about others being there for about the same time as you and buying 1 coffee? Something special about you then?

[inbangkok]

Starbucks should never be defended, no matter what the circumstances.

Lol...that is so over the top....but I think I might actually agree with you.

I am actually a huge coffee consumer and my biggest gripe of all is that Starbucks coffee simply is not that good.

[smokie36]

Starbucks coffee sucks.

[HalibutJones]

Starbucks is a great example of how people are completely full of shit.

Every person you talk to will say they hate Starbucks, their coffee is awful and they know somewhere far better, and yet there are multiple stores in every town and city around the world with most of them busy. Go figure.

[smokie36]

Starbucks is a great example of how people are completely full of shit.

Every person you talk to will say they hate Starbucks, their coffee is awful and they know somewhere far better, and yet there are multiple stores in every town and city around the world with most of them busy. Go figure.

The world is full of sheep.

Go figure.

[AlexRRR]

Starbucks is a great example of how people are completely full of shit.

Every person you talk to will say they hate Starbucks, their coffee is awful and they know somewhere far better, and yet there are multiple stores in every town and city around the world with most of them busy. Go figure.

Starbucks make crap coffee........compared to what you can get in Australia, Thais/Asians coffee tastes are relativly new, the worst coffee ever that i drank was IN a Starbucks in HK, the second worst was very far north of Thailand something to do with honey, no sugar just honey for sweetener i had to buy a coke to kill the dreadful taste in my mouth.

The only Starbucks in Melbourne is a popular hang out for asian students, very few white people in there.

Ive never known Starbucks to offer free wifi in my time in BKK, though i use to hang out at one of there stores at Terminal 21waiting for the x TGF to Finnish work using the free T21 wifi, the trick was to order tea, eventually i learned if i ordered what here in Australia is a normal cup compared to the American super sized version the coffee was just respectable.

[eeeya]

Dean and deluca make a good coffee. At new central embassy

[tonytigerbkk]

Starbucks coffee sucks.

I'm very confused now, Starbucks have coffee.

I have often walked past Starbucks outlets and noticed a strange hot brew that they were selling but there is no way on this earth that i would have called it coffee.

There again I have problems understanding why 'Pizza hut' isn't just called 'soft doughy bread with a load of inedible crap piled on top hut'.

[inbangkok]

Starbucks is a great example of how people are completely full of shit.

Every person you talk to will say they hate Starbucks, their coffee is awful and they know somewhere far better, and yet there are multiple stores in every town and city around the world with most of them busy. Go figure.

Oh please! Do you know what a logical fallacy is? This one is called an "appeal to popularity". Just because something is popular does not mean it is good. Here are a few examples.......

McDonalds

Justin Beiber

Korean Fashion

I rest my case.........

[EmptyHead]

Worst cup of coffee imaginable for 120 baht (or there abouts).

[Sealbash]

My Starbucks stock has near doubled the last couple of years. No matter what opinions may be, they have a great business model.

[Jingthing]

It's interesting that you should start this topic today. I made comments in another topic about the Israel and Palestine conflict. They were not favorable toward Israel and I know there are a lot of people who boycott Israeli products. One of the first sites I saw about boycotting the Israeli economy was covered with different logos for companies we should not give our money to. The ones that really jumped out at me were Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's. There were other big companies as well.

I just thought of something! I wonder if the 'Star' in Starbucks refers to the Star of David, which is the main symbol of the Israeli flag.

Starbucks is not an Israeli product.

Neither are Coca-Cola or McDonalds.

The star in Starbucks has nothing to do with Israel or Jews.

Of course the star of David is on the Israeli flag and also an ancient symbol of Judaism.

If people are going to boycott Israeli or West Bank products specifically, at least bloody get it right!

Also if people boycott products because of ties to Jews, that's something completely different (in a bad way).

Edited August 22, 2014 by Jingthing

[Asiantravel]

Starbucks should never be defended, no matter what the circumstances.

Lol...that is so over the top....but I think I might actually agree with you.

I am actually a huge coffee consumer and my biggest gripe of all is that Starbucks coffee simply is not that good.

that's because Starbucks deliberately over roasts its beans.

I can never understand people paying through the nose to go to a coffee equivalent of McDonald's.

[HalibutJones]

Starbucks is a great example of how people are completely full of shit.

Every person you talk to will say they hate Starbucks, their coffee is awful and they know somewhere far better, and yet there are multiple stores in every town and city around the world with most of them busy. Go figure.

Oh please! Do you know what a logical fallacy is? This one is called an "appeal to popularity". Just because something is popular does not mean it is good. Here are a few examples.......

McDonalds

Justin Beiber

Korean Fashion

I rest my case.........

No. I do know what "I don't care what anyone else says, my opinion is the right one" is, tho'. It's a common belief found everywhere, and seems to be very prevalent on certain websites.

[inbangkok]

Starbucks is a great example of how people are completely full of shit.

Every person you talk to will say they hate Starbucks, their coffee is awful and they know somewhere far better, and yet there are multiple stores in every town and city around the world with most of them busy. Go figure.

Oh please! Do you know what a logical fallacy is? This one is called an "appeal to popularity". Just because something is popular does not mean it is good. Here are a few examples.......

McDonalds

Justin Beiber

Korean Fashion

I rest my case.........

No. I do know what "I don't care what anyone else says, my opinion is the right one" is, tho'. It's a common belief found everywhere, and seems to be very prevalent on certain websites.

You seem to be the only one pushing that attitude. The rest of us simply stated our dislike for Starbucks coffee and you seemed to take it personally......strange.......

[HalibutJones]

Starbucks is a great example of how people are completely full of shit.

Every person you talk to will say they hate Starbucks, their coffee is awful and they know somewhere far better, and yet there are multiple stores in every town and city around the world with most of them busy. Go figure.

Oh please! Do you know what a logical fallacy is? This one is called an "appeal to popularity". Just because something is popular does not mean it is good. Here are a few examples.......

McDonalds

Justin Beiber

Korean Fashion

I rest my case.........

No. I do know what "I don't care what anyone else says, my opinion is the right one" is, tho'. It's a common belief found everywhere, and seems to be very prevalent on certain websites.

You seem to be the only one pushing that attitude. The rest of us simply stated our dislike for Starbucks coffee and you seemed to take it personally......strange.......

Just 'cause you're a majority doesn't mean you're right. Ciao.

[HooHaa]

i dont complain about prices anywhere, i know what im willing to pay and i either do or i dont.

Starbucks thailand isnt any more expensive than starbucks anywhere.