Another crackdown on Pretties

[heybruce]

I was out in the Nimmanhamin area last night and noticed there were none of the usual beer pretties. One place, Club Cafe, operated without the women, and service suffered for it. Another, Neighborhood, had the pretties in 'civilian' clothes, and they put the beer or drink company they represented on their name tags. That was a much better solution, the young ladies knew how to dress to impress. One of them explained that the police told them they couldn't wear their usual drink promotion outfits.

I was surprised by this. Does anyone know when this started and why?

[MaeJoMTB]

Not allowed beer advertising on associated products.

(Beer mats and ashtrays have also disappeared)

If you go to the outlying bars, the girls still wear the uniforms.

Overly keen enforcement by the BiB looking for 'tips' in the town.

Edited June 13, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[bangmai]

A lot of that stuff has been on again/off again over the last year. They put the empty liquor bottle display back up on soi 11, but banned smoking (outside bar) for the second time in six months. Also, closing time has been more strictly enforced than ever before; "Gettout!" BTW, that bar on Soi 11 is now charging more than Tesco for the first time in 9 years (when they opened). Now 3 for 169....I hope the Doomsdayers aren't reading this.

[true blue]

months ago first thing the junta did,when come to power was stop the prompting of beer ie banners, beer mats,promotions, flags and girls in company gear,ect ect,club café though only used to have one tiger girl there ever,always seemed to have blokes working there,bit of a shock after blar blar bar.

[Seligne2]

See ThaiVisa http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/755046-tough-new-crackdown-on-alcohol-promotions-in-thailand/

[bristolgeoff]

that started last year I know that.all plain stuff no beer names glasses and condoms plain.but if you look in bkk they is plenty of beer signs and anything else.that always make me wonder when I visit bkk

[PostmanPat]

The no names on beer in bars was a local bylaw introduced some years ago but largely ignored until some bright (?!!) spark presumably seeking to curry favour with the new government brought it back into play about 18 months ago.

The Police, as with almost everything else here it seems, "play" with it, making occasional raids and visits to certain bars establishments etc, who are then required to comply until the coast is clear a few days later. "The Game" went through this the week before last, it was farcical, even the draft beer pumps, of which there are half a dozen, were covered up, and could only be identified with a letter eg "L" for Leo, "T" for Tiger, etc etc !! All back to normal now though !

[xen]

If i wasn't so cynical and suspected the BIB is interested in whatever they do best then i would suspect that somebody has associated the promotion of alcohol with the incidence of deaths and injuries on the roads .

Nah .... stupid idea........ interfering with the free flow of commerce and money changing hands.

[DDbkh]

The advertising of beer such as you see in air-conditioned Farang style pubs has nothing to do with the mayhem on the roads. 85% of fatal accidents involve drunks on motorbikes - and most occur outside Bangkok. The reason for the ban on advertising is always blamed on the ultra conservative wing of Buddhism.

[MockingJay]

Leave the beer pretties alone!!! Thailand is slowly becoming a boring totalitarian communist rules only no fun place and I hate that!

My vote goes to Leo

[recycler]

All in an effort to make Thailand more attractive for tourists......

[torpedo1970]

All in an effort to make Thailand more attractive for tourists......

Yes, the so called "quality tourist" that don't drink, run after ladies or fornicating in any other way.

Let's see how that works out, eh.....

TIT

[arunsakda]

If harm reduction is the goal here maybe Thailand can learn something from Japan? Where we have summer Beer Gardens everywhere now, with beer girls, who make more by selling more with similiar friendly sales tactics (at least at sport events as far as I know for sure). Establishments open until 3-5AM even at suburban train stations. Also alcohol sold 24 hrs per day at every convenience store, supermarket, and even vending machines running 24/7 in Hotels.

Oh yeah, but they have effective policing and a real courts system with severe penalties that are uniformly enforced. Never mind.

Edited June 14, 2015 by arunsakda

[TechnikaIII]

Leave the beer pretties alone!!! Thailand is slowly becoming a boring totalitarian communist rules only no fun place and I hate that!

My vote goes to Leo

" ... Thailand is slowly becoming a boring totalitarian communist rules only ... " Totally ludicrous comment.

You hate it ? I'm happy with it.

I take it you know the whereabouts of the airports, and the several land borders.

[micmichd]

Leave the beer pretties alone!!! Thailand is slowly becoming a boring totalitarian communist rules only no fun place and I hate that!

My vote goes to Leo

Nice.

Don't like beer so much, where are the pretties?

[Johnnie99]

If a business depends on the magnificently mis-named 'pretties', it cannot be much of a place ...

[Tywais]

If a business depends on the magnificently mis-named 'pretties', it cannot be much of a place ...

Let me ask you this. If there are two bars side by side and all things being equal about them but one had pretties serving and the other one did not which one would you think punters would prefer to enter?

[peterb17]

Have learnt something new today- was not sure that pretties was a real word- think it might be one of those new things- like selfie.

Anyway - the girls in their Tiger or Chang outfits seem to have disappeared in most restaurants- of course I would have much preferred a hunky young man flogging me beer.

But must admit always admired how the girls managed to get themselves into the ten square inches of work outfits that the sponsors provided .

I rather miss them.

[bangmai]

There is still the devout Catholic girls in Mexico.....

[coulson]

Such a shame!

What is the harm?

Edited June 14, 2015 by coulson

[alanrchase]

Yes, the beer girls are nice. Can still enjoy the odd drink without them. Possibly some of the rougher beers on sale would be unpalatable without eye candy.

[Anthony5]

Leave the beer pretties alone!!! Thailand is slowly becoming a boring totalitarian communist rules only no fun place and I hate that!

My vote goes to Leo

Is that picture taken from a " point out the lady" contest?

[Anthony5]

If a business depends on the magnificently mis-named 'pretties', it cannot be much of a place ...

Let me ask you this. If there are two bars side by side and all things being equal about them but one had pretties serving and the other one did not which one would you think punters would prefer to enter?

I would think the bar without the pretties, because foreigners like the ladies that can be bar fined.

[micmichd]

Guess it was a good job for some students.

Not so sure if they would like to make their money in the bar fine area.

[alanrchase]

If a business depends on the magnificently mis-named 'pretties', it cannot be much of a place ...

Let me ask you this. If there are two bars side by side and all things being equal about them but one had pretties serving and the other one did not which one would you think punters would prefer to enter?

I would think the bar without the pretties, because foreigners like the ladies that can be bar fined.

Perhaps the more sensible foreigner would like to try their luck with a lady that will not accept a bar fine?

[heybruce]

The no names on beer in bars was a local bylaw introduced some years ago but largely ignored until some bright (?!!) spark presumably seeking to curry favour with the new government brought it back into play about 18 months ago.

The Police, as with almost everything else here it seems, "play" with it, making occasional raids and visits to certain bars establishments etc, who are then required to comply until the coast is clear a few days later. "The Game" went through this the week before last, it was farcical, even the draft beer pumps, of which there are half a dozen, were covered up, and could only be identified with a letter eg "L" for Leo, "T" for Tiger, etc etc !! All back to normal now though !

That sums it up well. I rode down Nimmanhamin soi 7 last night and saw pretties at the Blar Blar and Lism end, no pretties at the other. Laws being enforced arbitrarily in Thailand, who would have thought that?

I assume this is a temporary thing, and the pretties in uniform will return soon. In the meantime, as mentioned in the OP, the smart places still have the pretties in civilian clothes. They're still very pretty, but a little difficult to distinguish from the pretty customers.

BTW, places are no longer being required to close at midnight on Nimmanhamin. Most still close at or before 1 a.m. I haven't checked to see if Tawan Daeng and Infinity are back to staying open all night.

Edited June 14, 2015 by heybruce

[alanrchase]

Not allowed beer advertising on associated products.

(Beer mats and ashtrays have also disappeared)

If you go to the outlying bars, the girls still wear the uniforms.

Overly keen enforcement by the BiB looking for 'tips' in the town.

Was in a bar for lunch in BKK yesterday, not a girlie one, beer mats were on each table.

[fred Kubasa]

It started last year due to many pictures of " pretties" & not many of the cars. Thailand's only

unique product/service are it's many " pretties " & I think they'll be back as more of literally

anything is sold when a pretty girl is in the picture. This is not limited to advertising as I see 100

or more very pretty Thai women, every day, at the bank, grocery store, on the street.

[micmichd]

The real sensitive foreigner would know that beer and sex don't go together too well...

[Monkeyrobot]

Have learnt something new today- was not sure that pretties was a real word- think it might be one of those new things- like selfie.

Anyway - the girls in their Tiger or Chang outfits seem to have disappeared in most restaurants- of course I would have much preferred a hunky young man flogging me beer.

But must admit always admired how the girls managed to get themselves into the ten square inches of work outfits that the sponsors provided .

I rather miss them.

Yes Pretties is a common word spoken by Thais in reference to pretty girls mainly at promotional events.