Bars/HappyHours....New, New Lows......

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Is there an App that can serve a cold beer in a clean glass, without charging more than the Ritz Carollton?  As far as ASEAN...been approached by a number of Filipinos girls in BKK that were more than willing to earn their keep for cheap, and were way better looking (for the time being) than any of the BG up here.  We keep hearing about the rich Chinese, but anecdotal reports seem quite a bit different, let alone that simply eliminating the free tours cut their numbers in half, just about overnight.  Koreans?  No one likes them, including themselves.  Viets?  Well known gold diggers going back to pre Reagan days.  Fortunately there are Indonesian girls to keep the HK girls from turning into gold digging Viet girls.  Singapa?  If I want all style and no substance I can stay right where I am...no need to pay sin taxes down there, while wearing a gas mask.

[amexpat]

KKK (how appropriate) just couldn't hold it in any longer.  He's again venting his racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, homophobic, right-wingnut fantasies.

 

I wonder what his next username will be?  Neo Not See?  

[KhonKaenKowboy]

4 minutes ago, amexpat said:

KKK (how appropriate) just couldn't hold it in any longer.  He's again venting his racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, homophobic, right-wingnut fantasies.

 

I wonder what his next username will be?  Neo Not See?  

Liberals playing the race card is almost as out of style as Janet Reno's Fred Flintstone haircut.  The truth is now the in thing.  What's bad for Chapiqua, is good for mankind.  I am working on a new book, about my dealings with the Left; it will be called My Struggle, LOL.

[moe666]

1 hour ago, Squeegee said:

About the short, fat women...

 

One thing you need to understand is ASEAN has indeed had an impact.

 

After the Thaksin years, curfews and crackdowns, internal stuff, plus social media and the general market decline, you really are now grubbing round the dregs in the bars.

 

Check out various smart phone chat apps with social networking features, life updates and meet-me-now or who's-around functions and you will see Vietnamese going to Singapore for a long weekend; Thai ladies off to do a few weeks in a resort doing massage, escorting and hostessing in Malaysia; Thai ladyboys, Filipina ladyboys in Viet Nam for days, weeks or months pretty much establishing a circuit.

 

There's a new generation of flying sisters out their, or rather, up there, not high class women living jet-set lifestyles, they are the hot ones that moved with the times and have empowered themselves.

They are the new go-go dancer that was probably making somewhat more than your average English teacher; they're increasingly decked out in genuine designer gear, gifted by their often Japanese or Korean sponsors.

 

 

There's some of the picture. Go see for yourself across the social media.

 

 

 

I'm amazed nobody has really been observing this yet.

This has been going on for years you just catching up, about 15 years ago there was a hot ladyboy called Lucy Mustang website and on the few dating sites at the time. The young girls are just catching up

[Squeegee]

38 minutes ago, moe666 said:

This has been going on for years you just catching up, about 15 years ago there was a hot ladyboy called Lucy Mustang website and on the few dating sites at the time. The young girls are just catching up

 

Sure it's not new, but it's exploding and a further coffin in the nail of the bar industry and the end of Thailand as we know it.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

For less than dinner for two at Dukes, you can go online and get a real escort as quick as a dominoes pizza.  www.smooci.com

[Dipterocarp]

Count your blessings. A couple  years ago we were told Happy Hour, promotions, beer pretties, having name of product on a tap were all "illegal". Then 300 meter craziness.

[stament]

28 minutes ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

For less than dinner for two at Dukes, you can go online and get a real escort as quick as a dominoes pizza.  www.smooci.com

I prefer dominoes ?

[KhonKaenKowboy]

1 hour ago, Dipterocarp said:

Count your blessings. A couple  years ago we were told Happy Hour, promotions, beer pretties, having name of product on a tap were all "illegal". Then 300 meter craziness.

Unfortunately, it lasted about two years longer than the crackdown on traffic offenses, with the exception of the increased DUI crackdown, which is actually more of a crackdown on the bar business.

[cyberfarang]

1 hour ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

For less than dinner for two at Dukes, you can go online and get a real escort as quick as a dominoes pizza.  www.smooci.com

And as usual not in Chiang Mai and have you noted the prices they are charging?

 

We know of a Thai woman living in our area who leaves Chiang Mai and visits Colombo and Kandy in Sri Lanka for 1 month, then returns to Thailand for 1 month and repeats the process throughout the year.

 

How it works:

 

Providing the women are young enough and reasonably attractive, there are agencies openly working from facebook and other social networking sites that arrange jobs for foreign women to work as escorts or as prostitutes working under the cover of spas and massage parlours. The woman we know travels by plane from Chiang Mai to Sri Lanka as a tourist. Not a problem because Thai citizens do not need to apply for visas if they visit Sri Lanka as tourists for a maximum of 30 days and it only costs about 7000 baht return to fly from CM to Sri Lanka. Once she arrives this woman begins working illegally as a prostitute that has been arranged for her by the agency. They usually work from the 5 star hotels, resorts or casinos, as pick ups in the lobbies or from the hotels spas. Some work as mobile escorts or call girls, but will only meet clients from the best hotels being hired by businessmen, high ranking government workers or high end tourists. This is actually promoted by the hotel owners because they believe it`s good for business. It`s only the lower end back street brothels that get raided and closed down on occasions by the police. We know there are many Chiang Mai women who are participating in these schemes and if the woman is very attractive she can earn up to 500000 baht a month as a high class escort or call girl. Malaysia is also a favourite destination for these women. Some of these women can work in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and other countries simply as hostesses and still earn much more than could ever dream about earning in Chiang Mai, so why would any young attractive woman want to work in LK serving backpackers and ugly old men on budgets.

 

Times have changed and unfortunately these entertainments are becoming under the controls of criminal gangs, corrupt business people and corrupt officials that are using the advantages of the Internet and now more freedom of movements between countries to their advantage and so are the girls.

 

What this means is; the action that used to attract some tourists to Chiang Mai in the past has been taken elsewhere and all that is left are the third rate venues offering poor service that would not be considered as acceptable standards anywhere else.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Check out CL in Kolcuta and you will find some pretty classy escorts value priced...Jakarta same/same.  Smooci starts at 1500 THB....I've heard of bar fines that high.  For a business man that doesn't have the aptitude to find them at the bus stop or the Nana car park, it is actually a more secure and discrete way to punt.  Whether it suits you or not; I think it is obviously on its way to CM (escort apps).  Bar fine, taxi ride, 2 drinks...you've put a large dent in 1500 right there, and you are likely walking out of the bar more sober than when you walked in.

[Chicog]

Chiang Mai seems to be turning into an enormous Darby and Joan Club.

I think someone should open a Crown Green bowling club, they'd mint it.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

 

3 minutes ago, Chicog said:

Chiang Mai seems to be turning into an enormous Darby and Joan Club.

I think someone should open a Crown Green bowling club, they'd mint it.

Thank God for the visa crackdowns or there would be an extra 3000, farang girls, bigger than Sergeant Shchultz walking around the moat with an axe to grind on farang men.

[lkn]

10 minutes ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

Thank God for the visa crackdowns or there would be an extra 3000, farang girls, bigger than Sergeant Shchultz walking around the moat with an axe to grind on farang men.

 

Farang women here have an axe to grind, the female posters responding to you are feminazis, the girls in LK are uninviting, Koreans are all unlikeable, there seems to be a pattern.

 

Perhaps the problem is not with your surroundings, but rather with yourself, you do sound like a sad excuse of a man!

[KhonKaenKowboy]

14 minutes ago, lkn said:

 

Farang women here have an axe to grind, the female posters responding to you are feminazis, the girls in LK are uninviting, Koreans are all unlikeable, there seems to be a pattern.

 

Perhaps the problem is not with your surroundings, but rather with yourself, you do sound like a sad excuse of a man!

No, the farang woman is a ferminazi, who responded to my post that was mainly about getting a cold beer.  The statement about the Koreans applies to all of them...decent airline though..  You also conveniently overlooked my compliments of the women from HK, Indonesia, and the Philippines...

[cyberfarang]

12 minutes ago, Chicog said:

Chiang Mai seems to be turning into an enormous Darby and Joan Club.

I think someone should open a Crown Green bowling club, they'd mint it.

It`s all ready turned and has been this way for several years now. That`s because there is nothing much here to attract younger expats and tourists that has become a haven for old introverted retirees on budgeted pensions that suits them down to the ground. The city does nothing to promote Chiang Mai for younger expats and tourists, in fact it`s just the opposite with crack downs and virtually shutting down the nightlife. Chiang Mai is the only city I know or have ever known in the world that doesn`t have a seedy area, including the terrible immigration service the worst process in the whole country. Then there is the lung nashing pollution at certain times of year that I know deters many people from visiting or living in the city.

[cyberfarang]

6 minutes ago, lkn said:

 

Farang women here have an axe to grind, the female posters responding to you are feminazis, the girls in LK are uninviting, Koreans are all unlikeable, there seems to be a pattern.

 

Perhaps the problem is not with your surroundings, but rather with yourself, you do sound like a sad excuse of a man!

Or maybe you are one of those elderly expat pensioners on a limited budget I mentioned and living in deadsville suits you fine. Some of us still like to do more then potter about in the garden or play on the computer all day as there is more to life then that and calling the OP a sad excuse of a man is probably reflecting on yourself. All he is saying; is that the quality of what there is, is poor and there should be more options available for those of us who are more extroverted and not ready to lay down and die just yet.

[lkn]

46 minutes ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

You also conveniently overlooked my compliments of the women from HK, Indonesia, and the Philippines

 

This is what you wrote about women from the Philippines:

 

5 hours ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

been approached by a number of Filipinos girls in BKK that were more than willing to earn their keep for cheap

 

And that just adds to why I said you sound like a sad excuse of a man. It sounds like any nationality who do not want to sleep with you for cheap are gold diggers or worse.

 

[KhonKaenKowboy]

3 minutes ago, lkn said:

 

This is what you wrote about women from the Philippines:

 

 

And that just adds to why I said you sound like a sad excuse of a man. It sounds like any nationality who do not want to sleep with you for cheap are gold diggers or worse.

 

So prostitutioin is ok as long as it meets a price set by you?  Guess again..same with age differences..what you think ain't worth a rat turd.  Those HK girls sure as heck ain't cheap, and thanks to the India for keeping them in line.  Just a game..to them and most of us.

[lkn]

8 minutes ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

So prostitutioin is ok as long as it meets a price set by you?  Guess again..same with age differences..what you think ain't worth a rat turd […]

 

I think that you, an old man on a budget, having problems finding young attractive women, and coming here to complain about it, indicates that you have a self-perception problem, not a problem with Chiang Mai, or the women who do not want to sleep with you.

 

There are still many bars and clubs in Chiang Mai with a good atmosphere and lots of young attractive girls, but they do not cater to old Western men, although if you are rich (and probably in decent shape), I am sure you can get the attention of some of the girls.

 

Likewise, if sex is all you want, there are plenty of options that include attractive young girls and priced from around 1,200 baht, but it helps a lot of you speak Thai.

 

For your cold beers, well, as you should have learned by now, the tradition here is to serve a bucket of ice with lukewarm drinks, that’s just how they do it in Thailand, although most modern style places have proper beer fridges, but they tend to charge you more than 7-11.

 

As some other poster already said, it sounds like you decided to retire in the wrong place. Why did you not retire in Pattaya? You have been here for 10 years, surely you should know that Chiang Mai is not known for beer bars catering to old western men.

[LivinLOS]

Just tried to get through the OP.. 

 

Remember kids.. Its 'down the street.. Not across the road'.. 

[balo]

After living here for a few months I agree it's boring if you're looking for night life. I knew about this before I relocated from Pattaya , I am planning to stay for a year and then move back o the south .  I have lived in Bangkok, Pattaya and now C.M. What strikes me is that this is a big city that attracts a lot of tourists interested in Thai culture, they want to see the temples, markets and all that, but the rest of it is missing , a big part of a modern city is the night life scene. Yes lots of hostels and back packers on a limited budget but they are not sticking around for many days.  

 

 

[KhonKaenKowboy]

2 hours ago, lkn said:

 

I think that you, an old man on a budget, having problems finding young attractive women, and coming here to complain about it, indicates that you have a self-perception problem, not a problem with Chiang Mai, or the women who do not want to sleep with you.

 

There are still many bars and clubs in Chiang Mai with a good atmosphere and lots of young attractive girls, but they do not cater to old Western men, although if you are rich (and probably in decent shape), I am sure you can get the attention of some of the girls.

 

Likewise, if sex is all you want, there are plenty of options that include attractive young girls and priced from around 1,200 baht, but it helps a lot of you speak Thai.

 

For your cold beers, well, as you should have learned by now, the tradition here is to serve a bucket of ice with lukewarm drinks, that’s just how they do it in Thailand, although most modern style places have proper beer fridges, but they tend to charge you more than 7-11.

 

As some other poster already said, it sounds like you decided to retire in the wrong place. Why did you not retire in Pattaya? You have been here for 10 years, surely you should know that Chiang Mai is not known for beer bars catering to old western men.

What a pantload of nonsense.  1200???? Bwahaha. How about 3-500 in many places.  After 12 years in cm, I do know one thing, the people touting their Thai skills are usually full of themselves, including one guy I know, who has more difficulty doing a 90 report than I have circling the Globe.  Again, the post was primarily about doing a few beers...for most of the 12 years I've been coming here it has not been a problem.  I am young enough to have taken computer science ..in high school..don't really like being called old and neither do both my parents.  OTOH, if you aren't aware that a big niche in CM has been catering to older guys, try a periscope, because your head is jammed so far up your Bhutto, you can't see.  As far as ice in beer...yes, I'm an alcoholic, who only does beers unless I am on a 10 hour flight...but somehow I've been coming to los for 19 years and have managed to avoid this barbaric habit likely starting with same people who mix tobacco in their joints.  Wouldn't do it in prison...might use a page of a rice paper Bible..but their sure as heck wouldn't be any backy in there.  I have more money now than ever before...yes, retired at 50 and am on a budget...anyone not on a budget will soon be broke or on one.  Thanks to the election outcome, I'm making more than most Thai families....my cotton sheets arecworth more than most backpackers.  But, I'm not the one going out of business...and I will be around decades after these dirty, overpriced, warm beer bars are demolished.  Just maybe they should ask themselves why they don't have any customers....Goes for Thai and foreign owned places... Get some drinkers in there and the girls will come.

[NancyL]

11 hours ago, hml367 said:

 

 

A partial quote from a comment under a YouTube video of NancyL and her husband in relation to retiring in Thailand: "Once you've settled into your new life in Thailand, there are some important matters to consider. Here Nancy Lindley, Coordinator of Lannna Care Net in Chiang Mai, and her husband, Roger, talk about how to retirees can prepare for their later years in Thailand.
Stop wondering about money for retirement. You can live happily, comfortably, and easefully on $1200 per month."

 

So at least Nancy seemed to be supporting a 20% higher amount to live on. 

 

So you're admitting you're taking a quote out of context?  I agreed to do a video for this website -- one of these "retire in CM on the cheap" places, after I emailed them pointing out that they aren't painting the full picture when they fail to disclose that a retiree should have an emergency fund, health insurance, etc.  It was only after meeting with the business owner and contributing to his material on health care in Thailand that I agree to sit for his video on retirement in CM where I uttered the words you're taking out of context.

 

Has all the other material about the need for health insurance and an emergency funds disappeared from that website?  

 

If so, I have lost all respect for the guy and will contact him immediately and ask him to remove my image.  Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

[cyberfarang]

1 hour ago, NancyL said:

 

So you're admitting you're taking a quote out of context?  I agreed to do a video for this website -- one of these "retire in CM on the cheap" places, after I emailed them pointing out that they aren't painting the full picture when they fail to disclose that a retiree should have an emergency fund, health insurance, etc.  It was only after meeting with the business owner and contributing to his material on health care in Thailand that I agree to sit for his video on retirement in CM where I uttered the words you're taking out of context.

 

Has all the other material about the need for health insurance and an emergency funds disappeared from that website?  

 

If so, I have lost all respect for the guy and will contact him immediately and ask him to remove my image.  Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

Very good but this has nothing to do with the OP`s original points.  If some could live the lifestyles of my Thai neighbours it is possible to retire in Chiang Mai on 5000 baht a month per person, but this is not really about health care, insurance and cheap places, which is a whole different subject, this is about there being lack of options and limited social amenities in Chiang Mai, whereas for some it has becoming boring.

[rogeroc]

I have been coming to CM for over 10 years now and there is absolutely no doubt that the centre is dying and with an oppressive Police presence as well. Agree with it or not the old light hearted 'girlie bar' scene created a convivial, fun and social atmosphere a few years back. You didn't have to take a girl home, you could have good banter with the girls and others in the bar, buy a reasonably priced drink for you and girl (if you wanted) then stroll down to Hotshots listen to a good Thai band and watch and join in with people simply out to enjoy themselves.

 

But now it is as KKK says, there is barely a bar in the Moon Muang and Loi Kroh and Sois that i want to enter, many very expensive drinks and others with constant pestering to buy girls drinks. As for walking past Zoe in Yellow or Spicy they are full of boozed up, loud, yobbish younger folk and with the early closing hours and lack of alternative options making the congestion worse. Unpleasant areas much more so than LK.

 

What has truly caused this decline i am not sure. Not convinced it is entirely down to the newish draconian rules. I see a change in the customers as well. I know very few long or short term stayers that are interested in the girlie bar scene anymore. Most now just seem content propping up the bars and drinking and talking with male mates about football; all seems a bit pointless to me they may just have well stayed in the home country. Is it all about money and that locals and customers alike have less to spend or is that folk are turning more 'puritanical' again.

[Paul Catton]

In my opinion, Chiang Mai has never been touted as destination to get ones rocks off. Throughout the decades it has been marketed as a cultural retreat from the hedonism of more notable locations within the Kingdom.

Hence, the sporadic waves of backpackers trying to find themselves and engage in trekking through hills, ride an elephant, adopt a hill tribe etc.

Additionally, it was/is promoted as an affordable venue for the more settled of expat retiree as an escape from harsher climates.

There will always be a nocturnal activity element in Chiang Mai (and most provincial cities and towns)  but don't expect overtness and pole dancing on the sidewalk.

Chiang Mai attempted a foothold in adult tourism but it never really got off the ground.

Possibly the demise of the Black Cat and other notable bars gave indication to the writing on the wall.

May I suggest you carry two condoms, one to fill with ice to insert in your beer, the other should you strike lucky, or a second beer cooler in case of mishap, watered down beer is never pleasant.

[lkn]

9 hours ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

What a pantload of nonsense.  1200???? Bwahaha. How about 3-500 in many places.

 

Simply passing on what is well known information in some circles, I am not a patron myself!

 

But I refuse to believe that young attractive Thai women will voluntarily have sex with 50+ old western men for 3-500 baht, and I sincerely hope that it is not so.

 

[Scott]

Discussion of sex for pay is illegal, so let's stop it and avoid suspensions.  

[LivinLOS]

6 hours ago, rogeroc said:

I have been coming to CM for over 10 years now and there is absolutely no doubt that the centre is dying and with an oppressive Police presence as well. Agree with it or not the old light hearted 'girlie bar' scene created a convivial, fun and social atmosphere a few years back. You didn't have to take a girl home, you could have good banter with the girls and others in the bar, buy a reasonably priced drink for you and girl (if you wanted) then stroll down to Hotshots listen to a good Thai band and watch and join in with people simply out to enjoy themselves.

 

But now it is as KKK says, there is barely a bar in the Moon Muang and Loi Kroh and Sois that i want to enter, many very expensive drinks and others with constant pestering to buy girls drinks. As for walking past Zoe in Yellow or Spicy they are full of boozed up, loud, yobbish younger folk and with the early closing hours and lack of alternative options making the congestion worse. Unpleasant areas much more so than LK.

 

What has truly caused this decline i am not sure. Not convinced it is entirely down to the newish draconian rules. I see a change in the customers as well. I know very few long or short term stayers that are interested in the girlie bar scene anymore. Most now just seem content propping up the bars and drinking and talking with male mates about football; all seems a bit pointless to me they may just have well stayed in the home country. Is it all about money and that locals and customers alike have less to spend or is that folk are turning more 'puritanical' again.

 

My 2 satang would be that Thais have moved on and grown up / modernized.. 

 

The 'old days' when some terrible cover band crooning out songs they couldnt pronounce, followed by a wedding party level DJ playing 5 year out of date club / pop 'bangers' passed for entertainment has gone.. Any kind of urban dwelling Thais are looking for something a bit more sophisticated.. Now I readily admit, one seems to have gone, and the other hasnt taken its place (fabrique almost had a shot at it) but that format of band + disco type place has died a death everywhere but the provincial. 

 

Also agree zoe / spicy is dire.. a factor of the demographic of the visitor IMO.. Thais seem to favor the Tha Chang / JJ kinda scene currently it seems,  can be fun enough with a group, often rammed, but not much use for a solo bar hopper. A few open bar type places around Santitham.

 

Whats the status of the Mandalay area ?? I heard thats been spruced up and can even be late, but dont know what kind of crowd it gets, more Thai or just more of the Zoe / Spicy sameness..