Going Down: Businesses on Phuket’s famed Bangla Rd suffer as clientele dries up

[cekipa]

Record tourist arrivals deserting entertaining venues. That's how the chinese market works

[LivinginKata]

Isn't all this happening because there is a glut of similar businesses?

Everyone only seems to want to open a bar, togo, massage, beauty salon.how many of these scan customers support?

Obviously the good ones will remain, the bad ones vanish.

Sounds pretty fair.

I would add 7-11s & Family Marts to that list. For many years the 'cake' has been increasing so every new business has a share of the growing 'cake'. Now the 'cake' is shrinking and businesses fail. Even a 7-11 here in Kata closed last year.

Edited January 24, 2016 by LivinginKata

[NamKangMan]

Isn't all this happening because there is a glut of similar businesses?

Everyone only seems to want to open a bar, togo, massage, beauty salon….how many of these scan customers support?

Obviously the good ones will remain, the bad ones vanish.

Sounds pretty fair.

In my opinion, it's not the individual businesses that are not providing a good product and service, it's all the BS on Phuket that surrounds each business here that now makes Phuket a less attractive holiday destination . Eg. the transport mafia.

Then, due to greedy Thai landlords, you have high rents here, which is passed onto the consumer, and your Singha beer on Phuket is double the price than other tourist destinations in Thailand.

This combination does not make for a value for money and pleasant holiday, and we are now seeing their effects on revenue.

[NamKangMan]

Record tourist arrivals deserting entertaining venues. That's how the chinese market works

Phuket should be catering for all markets, but the western market has had enough of the BS here.

[mcfish]

Vietnam is free entry up to 14 days. Just been some bars 15bt a beer

And the beer in Laos and Indonesia is far cheaper, and far better too. Thailand is not the tiger it once was. And it has to come to terms with the fact that their neighbors are trying harder, and doing a better job. Sooner or later they will learn. But will it be too late? Thailand has to learn that they need the world, infinitely more than the world needs them.

Apart from the beer, I can't think of a single reason to stay long term in those countries

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[mcfish]

Been to Phuket loads of times from my first time in 1992 as a teenager till 2012.

Up until the 2004 Tsunami I really enjoyed my time in Phuket, after that it went down hill.

This place is just down right dangerous. Too much unnecessary crap to deal with for a relaxing holiday.

Lawless, the modern day Wild Wild West is what I have heard other tourists refer it as.

It does have spectacular natural beauty as one of its draw-cards but it is surpassed by its evil, atrocious business owners and locals

whom main objective is to get as much $$$ out of each tourist and flaunt their power.

While booking my 2016 holiday, a travel agent even warned me about holidaying in Phuket and Thailand altogether after all the negative media attention

and suggested other countries nearby which I could get a similar experience for a cheaper and safer deal.

What really happens in Thailand has been exposed and honest money spending tourists are frightened.

More likely that travel agent was pushing you into a better kick back for himself or you just made that up to push your Anti thai agenda

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[Peter Strand]

What will break the neck of Thailand is developing Myanmar in the North, a longer coast, much better and more beaches, a ready to learn population with good knowledge of English language and an international community which will pump money in the country because of resources and a growing market. The first interesting thing would be to see what will happen to the real estate market when Burmese labor start to move back home to Myanmar ( the process already started ). I give it 10 years than the game is over in Thailand.

[sead]

Well. Simply overpriced. 700-1000bht barfine. 300 in Pattaya. Beers 160bht and 120 in Pattaya. If you compare bangla road with walking street. Ofc you can find cheaper if you live here. But as tourist you dont know nor think about those places

[Johnsy]

After touring around the north recently on my bike to places like Doi Mae Salong, Chiang Rai, Mae Sai, Golden Triangle etc it was pretty dead. Drinks, food, accommodation, everything was 30, 40, 50% higher than usual and the "skin tax" was levied on us almost everywhere we went. Eventually no one will come to a risky third World country where you get charged western prices for poor quality food, dodgy accommodation, the high risk of death on the roads or by violent crime, or where you’re treated as an idiot with a fat wallet. You need to have a long hard look at yourself Thailand, you are destroying yourself with ignorance/arrogance, greed and corruption while the rest of SE Asia is opening up and taking from you what you once had.

[beechbum]

I like living here.

[dageurreotype]

Nothing could be better than to send these former prostitutes back to their villages and start building up their future once and for all, and at the same time these low income lazy doers should return back to their home countries as well.

No wonder why this place has become a stinking pig.

Aren't you just a little ray of sunshine. Your world must be a very sad place to live.

No. I truly believe you and your twenty odd 'likers' are no longer welcome here. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

[Jiggo]

2000bht bar fine.....u avin a f......ing laugh

Asked a girl at "Mistys" in Soi 15, near Walking St...how much is a bar fine now (just ot of interest)...answer 1500 baht (or bath)...my reply, so no one wants to be bar fined then...are these places just money laundering establishments now?

[MadMuhummad]

Well, many of these go-go bars can shutdown and die anyway, since they are prostitution venues and don't really attract anything positive. The best case scenario for Thailand is to transform its tourism industry to a more family oriented hub, instead of being a pedophile paradise for old western men. Nothing could be better than to send these former prostitutes back to their villages and start building up their future once and for all, and at the same time these low income lazy doers should return back to their home countries as well.

If Thailand is going to transform its economy for the better, it must do what is right and take the medical pill asap. Thais are basically one of the worst people to do business in terms of understanding economics and this transformation is indeed necessary.

Many of you guys are complaining that the Chinese aren't spending any money. They do in fact spend money and if you look in comparison how much they are making that makes them big buck spenders. They are also enjoying their vacations much better than an old westerner who much of the time only spends their holidays drinking cheap boos. No wonder why this place has become a stinking pig.

I wonder if Shroud becomes a one hit wonder?. Maybe he has the bible concession for the whole of the country. I look forward to his future ministries after a beer or two. Bible thumpers like the rest of us have two sides to them. I sure would like to peek into his other side.

He? This has got twisted, frumpy, ignorant white woman written all over it. Probably works for an NGO.

Go back to your knitting forums and leave people be.....

[colonialboy]

There are the needy & the greedy Thailand has become very Greedy .

The Chinese will not donate the steam off their poo. Jews of the East

[tomacht8]

gamini,where do you get off calling all British bar owners pimps?

A pimp is a person(male or female) who lives off the immoral earnings of a person(male or female)

engaged in providing sexual services for money.

It doesnt work like that,as any bar owner will tell you.My place was a straight,non rip off bar for all

the years we had it.All the lady drinks were charged at bar price + 30 baht for the girl,so all we ever

saw was the bar price paid.All the girls were free to decide if they wanted to extend their time with a customer

off the premises.Yes!we charged a bar fine,and that was for the loss of the girls attendance in the bar

for the time she was away.The maximum bar fine was ever only 300 baht.That was a very small part of our

profit.And i might say very inexpensive to the customer.What agreement the girls came to with the customer off the bar

was entirely up to them,we never got any commission or percentage.If we had,then that would have been

living off immoral earnings.We had some very popular girls,the proof being the returning customers.

And your remark about being so ugly they cant get a girl back home.Thats an insult to people who may not be

'Tom Cruise'or 75 kilo's.Do you think these people should be disallowed a sex life then? Our bar was a good

place to visit,we never had any body kick off,or ripped off by a girl or for drinks.Reading your post

i get the impression that you are a sanctimonious,holier than thou person,who has suffered in the past

for one reason or another.You should join the Salvation army.I'm so happy we never met.

KKD

Maybe you was some of the better bar owners.

But i know also some gogo bars, where the girls have a quota in ladydrinks and barfines per month to get the full salery..

For example: To have 60 ladydrinks and to have 9 barfines a month.

So there starts pimping.

If the girls do not make the quota, there are reductions on there monthly salarys.

Even if they come to late for work, every 5 minutes delay means a reduction from there salarys.

No wonder,that the service in the bars goes shity.

There are to many greedy bar owners in the business.

Edited January 24, 2016 by tomacht8

[TheCruncher]

gamini,where do you get off calling all British bar owners pimps?

A pimp is a person(male or female) who lives off the immoral earnings of a person(male or female)

engaged in providing sexual services for money.

It doesnt work like that,as any bar owner will tell you.My place was a straight,non rip off bar for all

the years we had it.All the lady drinks were charged at bar price + 30 baht for the girl,so all we ever

saw was the bar price paid.All the girls were free to decide if they wanted to extend their time with a customer

off the premises.Yes!we charged a bar fine,and that was for the loss of the girls attendance in the bar

for the time she was away.The maximum bar fine was ever only 300 baht.That was a very small part of our

profit.And i might say very inexpensive to the customer.What agreement the girls came to with the customer off the bar

was entirely up to them,we never got any commission or percentage.If we had,then that would have been

living off immoral earnings.We had some very popular girls,the proof being the returning customers.

And your remark about being so ugly they cant get a girl back home.Thats an insult to people who may not be

'Tom Cruise'or 75 kilo's.Do you think these people should be disallowed a sex life then? Our bar was a good

place to visit,we never had any body kick off,or ripped off by a girl or for drinks.Reading your post

i get the impression that you are a sanctimonious,holier than thou person,who has suffered in the past

for one reason or another.You should join the Salvation army.I'm so happy we never met.

KKD

Maybe you was some of the better bar owners.

But i know also some gogo bars, where the girls have a quota in ladydrinks and barfines per month to get the full salery..

For example: To have 60 ladydrinks and to have 9 barfines a month.

So there starts pimping.

If the girls do not make the quota, there are reductions on there monthly salarys.

Even if they come to late for work, every 5 minutes delay means a reduction from there salarys.

No wonder,that the service in the bars goes shity.

There are to many greedy bar owners in the business.

What that has to do with pimping, that are practices that are applied in many businesses all over the world.

Many sales man work on that kind of principle, that they have to make a number of sales to get the full salary, and get penalties for their errors.

[tomacht8]

gamini,where do you get off calling all British bar owners pimps?

A pimp is a person(male or female) who lives off the immoral earnings of a person(male or female)

engaged in providing sexual services for money.

It doesnt work like that,as any bar owner will tell you.My place was a straight,non rip off bar for all

the years we had it.All the lady drinks were charged at bar price + 30 baht for the girl,so all we ever

saw was the bar price paid.All the girls were free to decide if they wanted to extend their time with a customer

off the premises.Yes!we charged a bar fine,and that was for the loss of the girls attendance in the bar

for the time she was away.The maximum bar fine was ever only 300 baht.That was a very small part of our

profit.And i might say very inexpensive to the customer.What agreement the girls came to with the customer off the bar

was entirely up to them,we never got any commission or percentage.If we had,then that would have been

living off immoral earnings.We had some very popular girls,the proof being the returning customers.

And your remark about being so ugly they cant get a girl back home.Thats an insult to people who may not be

'Tom Cruise'or 75 kilo's.Do you think these people should be disallowed a sex life then? Our bar was a good

place to visit,we never had any body kick off,or ripped off by a girl or for drinks.Reading your post

i get the impression that you are a sanctimonious,holier than thou person,who has suffered in the past

for one reason or another.You should join the Salvation army.I'm so happy we never met.

KKD

Maybe you was some of the better bar owners.

But i know also some gogo bars, where the girls have a quota in ladydrinks and barfines per month to get the full salery..

For example: To have 60 ladydrinks and to have 9 barfines a month.

So there starts pimping.

If the girls do not make the quota, there are reductions on there monthly salarys.

Even if they come to late for work, every 5 minutes delay means a reduction from there salarys.

No wonder,that the service in the bars goes shity.

There are to many greedy bar owners in the business.

What that has to do with pimping, that are practices that are applied in many businesses all over the world.

Many sales man work on that kind of principle, that they have to make a number of sales to get the full salary, and get penalties for their errors.

LOL

Love your analogy.

This is probably the same.

Just like many high-pressure salesman go on my nerves, having to sell something to the compulsory;

it's the same with many working girls, unfortunately.

[Stargeezr]

If Thailand does not modernize and start treating the tourists better

only Thailand will suffer even more. It is time to modernize like some other countries

and give the tourists a longer stay without all of the nonsense of having to leave to

get their visa renewed. The fact that I can go to places like Mexico and quite a few other

countries for 90 days without having to buy a visa makes me wonder why I keep going

back to Thailand at all. Wake up Tourism of Thailand and I would hope that the

government of Thailand realizes that times are change, as well as the type of

tourist is changing as well. The world economy is in bad shape, and the fewer people that

still can afford to travel are getting smarter.

[Stargeezr]

I spent some time in both Hua Hin and in Jomtien, near Pattaya, I also noticed

less business at the bars that I visited during my stay.

Is it because us baby boomers are way older now and don't boom boom as much?

Is it because a lot of the world's economy has tanked and most of us just cannot afford

the night life any more? I noticed that the bar scene in Hua Hin was way

quieter than it was 2 years ago.

Stargeezer

[Friendly Stranger]

Well they're trying to attract a different demographic so the one they're currently targeting are not into that scene.

What to say other than not being able to forecast and building these establishments at will.

[Friendly Stranger]

The record number tourists are Chinese tour groups. They don't spend any money in Thailand so that is just bummer. I remember that a teacher at prince of Songkla university where I was a student once said "we don't need you westerner tourists when we have Russians and Chinese." Hope that she is happy now.

You gotta love that arrogant quote. What would thailand be like without the first couple of waves of tourists? Yes, rely on ppl that don't contribute to local coffiers. That kind of thinking is the reason why certain businesses are what they are now.

[MauiSteveBKK]

Aloha,

I just closed a business In Honolulu (Oahu) Hawaii at the mammoth Ala Moana Center.

After just 6 months.

Chinese! Same Problem.

Hawaii wants "butts" and doesn't care if they are Chinese or Japanese.

Now -- businesses are hurting.

Same Issue: They come on "TOURS" led by a woman carrying a huge sign. They follow her and she

controls where they go. All food and hotels and transportation are paid for and they follow her like sheep.

Chinese don't spend any money here.

Japanese - little bit better.

Universal Problem.

Be careful what you wish for, Thailand.

You want Chinese - you get Chinese.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

Further to my last post,we never put a number on the amount of bar fines that a girl had to get.that would not be fair,

as some girls were more popular than others.We never cut their money for being late.My place was in

area that was predominately inhabited by expats on a budget.Our customers were mainly locals and locals.

Many of the guys would bring their wives and girlfriends with them for a night out.and at times,when a guys pension

wasnt due until the next day,we would allow them a tab for that night.All our customers paid the next

day,and i never had to chase any customer for payment.We didnt have an ST room and we never had any hassle

from the police.We paid over and above the normal salary and would often help a girl out if she needed a

a loan.We always made sure that the girls ate and often my wife would cook for them.We never employed

underage staff and we had a happy bar.

In would also like to get this thing straight about Pedophilia.There is a difference between

Pedophilia and under age sex.Pedophilia is the act of having sex with a child that is incapable of

making their own decision,due to state of mind or physical ability, normally a prepubescent child,and has a sexual encounter with a person who

is taking advantage of that situation.Some would put that age limit as 12 years old or younger.

Under age sex is described as having sex with a person who is under the legal age of consent.And we all

know that there are some very precocious 15 year old girls out there who would use this to their advantage

There are also some very unscrupulous parents who would allow this to happen.Take the USA,Uk,and anywhere

That a young guy has picked up a very sexy girl in a night club,taken her home and the next day,her mother

is banging on his door claiming she is 14 years old.And when it comes to court,the girl turns up in her

school uniform and no make up,not the dress she was wearing that night.So to all you,who,immediately

jump on the cart yelling sexual deviant and labeling a guy as a pedophile,get the facts first.

KKD

[spidermike007]

1. got too greedy and priced yourselves out of the market, same happened in walking street Pattaya

2. as above - price fixing cartels not allowing bars to drop their prices as they want too using threats and intimidation

3. The Chinese don't do bars, they might walk around looking but spend FA

Greed is destroying these places and the same patterns can be seen in Bangkok and Pattaya, as western visitors decline you will typically see the same destructive business pratice of increasing prices instead of rescueing tourism and the bar scene with reduced realistic pricing, supermarkets 7/11 and familymart are a good guide and a silid stake in the ground - if they didn't exist this country would be in ruins

fair pricing and your business will boom again

Thais just don't get the market strategy of under-cutting the prices of competition, investing in advertising, providing top-notch customer service which advertises itself, a go for volume.

But then again, I've never seen five stores selling the same services pop up around one successful business all essentially selling the same thing at the same prices either in the West. What mindset thinks that diluting the market is going to be successful instead of standing out as unique. <head shake>

You are referring to the application of common sense, reason and good business sense. And the laws of competition. I think the Thai people are not a competitive lot. They like to do the copycat thing, and when doing so, they will not take market factors into account, because that requires vision and analysis. Some provide good service to their customers, and fair pricing, and they are the ones I patronize. The others, I pretend they do not exist. I am on a lifelong "anti piracy" campaign. I just will not patronize rip off joints, that overcharge, nor restaurants, bars, hotels, or other establishments that know nothing about providing good service, or are too apathetic, indifferent, ignorant or brain dead to get the bigger picture.

[Inn Between]

I cant hope feeling a sincere touch of sympathy for all involved.... I mean over the years you offered outstanding service to your customers, ferried them in absolute safety from airport to hotel and back , kept your prices reasonable and ensured that no price fixing or collusion was ever involved made sure violence and over enthusiastic security staff in bars and nightclubs were never employed,kept drugs and lowlifes out of establishments and kept the notion of " Good Customer Satisfaction is the Goal" as a key tenant with all your staff....... this is indeed scandalous that after all your customer focussed endeavours you get repaid like this .....

And to further add salt to the wound.. the Chinese tourists who you have courted and desired so much.. well turns out they have not played ball at all.. seems they just want to walk around a bit and not part with hard earned yen..... who could have foreseen that ........

Ha, reap what you sow......

I detect a bit of sarcasm here -- good one.

I just have to wonder why the Chinese are bringing yen to Thailand?

Edited January 25, 2016 by Inn Between

[b4n9]

Wonderful! Good time to change phuket and remove all that crap.

[LeungKen]

This topic is about Businesses going down, not Indonesia & not prostitution.

Please stay On Topic.

[soalbundy]

There are the needy & the greedy Thailand has become very Greedy .

The Chinese will not donate the steam off their poo. Jews of the East

We defecate in their general direction

[spidermike007]

The proposed 360 thb admission fee to Thailand which ostensibly goes toward improving tourism will no doubt give Bangla Rd a boost and enhance security measures around the place. So says Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand,

The Nobel prize committee is already studying Yuthasak, as one of the potential recipients for their award in 2016. He is considered a man of brilliance, ingenuity, innovation, creativity, and excellence. He may single handedly revive Thailand's tourism industry, if he continues to come up with such remarkable ideas.

[spidermike007]

I spent some time in both Hua Hin and in Jomtien, near Pattaya, I also noticed

less business at the bars that I visited during my stay.

Is it because us baby boomers are way older now and don't boom boom as much?

Is it because a lot of the world's economy has tanked and most of us just cannot afford

the night life any more? I noticed that the bar scene in Hua Hin was way

quieter than it was 2 years ago.

Stargeezer

It is quite a combination of things. I spoke to some of the same gals recently, no doubt. All said business was way, way down. First and foremost Prayuth deserves the greatest blame. He has single handedly sabotaged what was once a dynamic industry. The continued jawboning and implementation of terrible, unproductive policies, by a man of inferior intelligence, who knows nothing of PR, innovation, creativity, business, leadership, team work, productive policy, a vision toward the future, or his country in general, has done alot to reduce tourism nationwide. People around the world despise this tiny man, who knows nothing about anything, yet mouths off every opportunity he can, and always end up shooting himself, and his country in the foot, with his silly, childish and churlish pronouncements, and crackdowns. Perhaps he thinks he is Ceasar, with the level of proclamations he makes.

The world economy is also a factor. The middle class is disappearing in the west. Disposable income is dropping. As hard as Obama is trying, to convince his followers that the economy in the US is flourishing, what I see on the ground is a completely different story. I do not see much consumer confidence.

Also, the authorities seem to be trying to turn Thailand into more of a family destination. A little bit of Quaker type puritanism seems to be seeping in, and they now seem to prefer a cleaner image. So, most cities and provinces seem to be discouraging the bars, clubs and nightlife in general. That seems most pronounced in Chiang Mai and on Samui, where the bars and nightlife are dying a fast death. They are on life support.

And lastly, it is ignorant visa policy on the part of Little P., the lack of law enforcement in the LOS, the gross incompetence of the police and the judiciary, and the constant amount of attention this is getting in the press and online. In addition you have the traffic safety issues, and the astonishing lack of concern on the part of the authorities, the ongoing scams, the inflation here, and it all adds up. People have a choice. People now have the internet, and as hard as fascist fools like Little P. try to cover things up, the word gets out, and people talk. It has a cumulative effect. The Chinese people do not seem to care about these things, as they are accustomed to the monsters that run their country, and the authoritarian manner in which they operate.