Ripped off at Soi Cowboy

[rak sa_ngop]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Ooooohhh... that narrows it down.... NOT!

Google "The Arab bars soi cowboy", I just did.

 

Lots of reports about the rip-off bars with names of the ones to avoid.

 

 

[davidst01]

On 4/1/2017 at 10:49 AM, Billy Sweets said:

I was advised by Thai Visa not to mention the bar directly by name as Thailand has defamation laws. 

ha ha. How are they going to sue you for defamation? Its an anonymous forum. Are they going to look into a crystal ball and find your name and address? 

[smokie36]

44 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

?

 

If you have been in Bangkok long enough to get a credit card sorted out you should have the sense to avoid this type of scam.

[toofarnorth]

If the OP is kosher I can understand why he used a credit card , not many folk carry 15,000B in their back pocket. 

[KhonKaenKowboy]

You all should watch this episode of American Greed, about the Russian bar rackets at Miami Beach.  Bottle service charging 600 Dollars for a four Dollar bottle of wine and worse.  When people contest the charges, an off duty police officer tells them they will go to jail.  When their cc company investigates, they are presented a video clip of the patron having a ball with a few hot Russian models.  One guy spent 40000 us and two years to get a charge of a similar amount reduced.  He signed it...Amex.  I will post a link later.  Still a good size segment of tourist don't ask about prices that should be posted.  Heck, If they aren't posted, I leave without asking.  Any respectable restaurant has a menu at the front podium.

[Docno]

Maybe about 15 years back, on one of my first trips to Thailand, I went into a 'tiger show' bar in Patpong with my then gf from Singapore. The tout outside hustled us to go in, said there was no entrance fee, and even quoted drink prices (I think I must have done some advance research and been aware of some of the pricing scams). Anyway, we had some drinks as we watched the 'entertainment' (some of which I wish I could unwatch) then called for the bill. The amount they asked for made no sense ... much more expensive. When I asked them why, they said that the price quoted downstairs did not include watching the show... I guess we were supposed to look at the floor. Anyway, not know how dangerous Thailand can be in those, I refused to pay the extras--only amount for our drinks--and we walked out. I think some words were exchanged, but that was it. Guess I was lucky that night ... I now know it could have ended much worse.

[jenifer d]

5 hours ago, mstevens said:

First post and mentioning a ripoff at Soi Cowboy that those who have been visiting for decades have never experienced nor ever heard of?  I don't wish to be a cynic or a disbeliever, but this does not sound right...  Patpong used to be known for ripoffs like this in what they call the upstairs bars but at Nana and Cowboy this sort of thing is basically unheard of, hence I am scratching my head about it all...

actually a quick google of arab bars soi cowboy will list- and name- several specific venues all owned by the same  man known as "the arab", all known for inflating bar tabs egregiously by various methods- even if one pays drink by drink, suddenly as you leave a chit with additional charges of many thousand baht appears, even if no dancer's  time  engaged or talked with or bought drinks -these particular establishments, go go bars, are known for hinting that they are like the other bars, in that the girls will "go with you", but at the end you find out that this is not true

[jenifer d]

14 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

If the OP is kosher I can understand why he used a credit card , not many folk carry 15,000B in their back pocket. 

anybody using a credit card at a go go and/or prostitution bar in Thailand- or anywhere in the world for that matter- deserves whatever happens... 

 

 

[jenifer d]

2 hours ago, Spaniel said:

"trying to be clever by pretending to be stupid!!"   Great reply.  I don't know what you're talking about.      I guess you didn't understand  my question.     Several posts referred to  the "Arab's bars"  and I was wondering which bars that referred too.     What is it you don't understand?

google "arab bars soi cowboy" -if we name them here, we or TVF could be sued for  defamation- but the specific names of the 6 or so bars in question are listed in several of the first hits on google search-

you do know how to use google search, don't you? 

[smotherb]

3 hours ago, Cranky said:

Stick to the left hand side of Cowboy as you walk with your back to Asoke and you'll 'probably' be OK.  The other side is well known for dodgy stuff.

Ah, but you miss the Cactus that way

[jenifer d]

4 hours ago, buick said:

 

are you saying you read something that supports a bill amount of 15,000thb ?  the bills that these bars present to patrons are generally accurate, it is just the menu prices that are high and then the drink trick where the 300thb drink is really 600thb because they order a whiskey/coke which is then presented as a wiskey AND a coke.  so it is 600thb plus 200thb for your drink.  so a round for a guy and girl can be 800 instead of something below 400 for all the other bars on cowboy.  that is the rip off that gets talked about on the internet and in the bars around sukhumvit.  let's face it, folks in bangkok complain over 30thb when it comes to drink prices !!!  it isn't a 15,000 bill. 

 

i've never read or heard anything approaching a 15,000 bill or attempt to collect such an amount.  these bars aren't even fun so it is almost impossible to order more than 2 rounds.  i go to these places every now and then just to see what is going on inside.  the 'rip off' is really just normal course of business.  i know in advance that it'll likely cost me 1,000thb but i try to avoid buying the lady drink but usually i have to as i succumb to all the pressure.

 

 

 

 

actually several of the things i read on a few blogs and several reviews on tripadvisor mention EXACTLY that same scam, and similar amounts, happening, with regularity at several specifically named bars (not named here, but once again, a simple google search for "the arab bars soi cowboy" will do it...

[smotherb]

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Not sure if you're trying to be clever by pretending to be stupid. If it said the American's bars or the Thai's bars or the Australian's bars would you question that? If so, why? What are you pretending not to understand, and why?

gee whiz, BKKBRRY, seems you're a bit rude; the poster says he hasn't been there in years; maybe he doesn't know about the big signs in Arabic and English that proclaim this is an Arab-owned bar.

[hawker9000]

Google "The Arab bars soi cowboy", I just did.  

Lots of reports about the rip-off bars with names of the ones to avoid.

 

 

 

Not hard, was it. Just amazing how many here just yammering on & on being dismissive of the OP and the fact that these bars exist without the slightest CLUE what they're talking about. "I've been going for 30 yrs", etc., etc. etc., yadda yadda yadda. You'd think ignorance was a mystic virtue. The down low on this group of bars is so widespread you almost have to work at it to be unaware.

 

[smotherb]

3 minutes ago, jenifer d said:

actually several of the things i read on a few blogs and several reviews on tripadvisor mention EXACTLY that same scam, and similar amounts, happening, with regularity at several specifically named bars (not named here, but once again, a simple google search for "the arab bars soi cowboy" will do it...

I have to admit, I have not been to Soi Cowboy for at least two years. However, if things have really gotten that bad; why don't you gather your cronies and give them the STIF.  STIF stands for Saigon Tea Is Fini. In Saigon during the war the ladies drinks were called Saigon tea, and it really was tea--a tiny plastic cordial glass of Chinese tea, which could not have cost $0.10/ ten cents; Chinese tea was served free almost everywhere. So when the Saigon tea went from P80 (about a dollar at the official rate, but more like 40 cents at the black market rate) to over P200; and in some places up to P1,000; we locals took action. In large groups we would simply occupy a bar; maybe even buy beers at the cheap normal prices and politely ask patrons to not buy Saigon tea; period. Our numbers kept physical reactions minimal and within a few weeks, Saigon tea came back down to P80.  

[SiSePuede419]

"Do you have any advice what I should do or what I can do?   Obviously not go to this bar again is the first thing"

 

Ya think? ?

[bartender100]

1 hour ago, jenifer d said:

google "arab bars soi cowboy" -if we name them here, we or TVF could be sued for  defamation- but the specific names of the 6 or so bars in question are listed in several of the first hits on google search-

you do know how to use google search, don't you? 

I googled as you say in quotes, it brought up a total of 6 results

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, Spaniel said:

"trying to be clever by pretending to be stupid!!"   Great reply.  I don't know what you're talking about.      I guess you didn't understand  my question.     Several posts referred to  the "Arab's bars"  and I was wondering which bars that referred too.     What is it you don't understand?

You wrote ' What is the "Arab's bars" as mentioned in several posts?' If you had written 'Which are' instead of 'What is' then I would have understood you better. Maybe English isn't your first language, in which case I apologise.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, smotherb said:

gee whiz, BKKBRRY, seems you're a bit rude; the poster says he hasn't been there in years; maybe he doesn't know about the big signs in Arabic and English that proclaim this is an Arab-owned bar.

He/she wrote What is instead of Which are, which is apparently what he/she meant. All is now clear.

[brewsterbudgen]

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Ooooohhh... that narrows it down.... NOT!

Sorry if it's tricky for you.  Perhaps you need to google how to use Google?

[buick]

5 hours ago, buick said:

i don't know if this is allowed but can we say something like:

 

name of bars are:

 

think of a city in brazil (or brasil for some !!)

 

think of a time of day/night

 

another word for a 'peck' on the cheek

 

a desert in africa.

 

the last two are a bit tougher to get across like this.

 

but a real simple way to avoid them is this, if you walk in and the menu says a beer is 200thb.  you walk out.

 

 

 

i realized another bar name is actually quite easy:

 

all female british pop group from the 90's (mel b, victoria beckham, etc..)

[smotherb]

6 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

He/she wrote What is instead of Which are, which is apparently what he/she meant. All is now clear.

So now you're playing grammar police? If so, you'll soon get tired on TV. 

[rak sa_ngop]

I googled as you say in quotes, it brought up a total of 6 results

Google without quotes and the whole google world will open up to you!

[Straight8]

2 hours ago, toofarnorth said:

If the OP is kosher I can understand why he used a credit card , not many folk carry 15,000B in their back pocket. 

At the same time not many folks expect to go into a bar and drop 15,000 baht on drinks, probably explains why they don't need to.

 

 

[Skeptic7]

On 4/1/2017 at 3:32 PM, ukrules said:

What bar was it, could you please PM me the name so I can avoid it in future ?

If me, I would publicly expose the bar on TV and every other possible forum. You definitely should have gotten a receipt detailing the bogus and outrageous charges. I've found additional drink charges in my bin almost everywhere and certainly missed a few along the way.

 

LOS used to stand for Land Of Smiles, nowadays and for closing in on a decade already...Land Of Scams.

 

Sux! 

[catman20]

On 4/1/2017 at 11:20 AM, Peterw42 said:

In the future pay as you go, and paying with a credit card is just asking for trouble.

It does seem beyond any normal padding of the bill. Most bars will put the dockets for the drinks you buy in the wooden cup at your table and provide an itemized account when paying, This was not the case ??

What were the drinks, 100 baht beers or 800 baht cocktails ?

very wise words

[fruitman]

5 hours ago, lvr181 said:

Whats the problem?  

 

I quite often walk (slowly - some lovely eye candy) thru there on my way to my hotel in Soi 23, but usually, never stop except at Country Road for a drink and some loud enjoyable music. Or go into the Old Dutch restaurant at the other end for a bite to eat.

If i want to see nice girls (not katoeys) there are plenty of them in the malls and better restaurants...those even have brains and money as well....no need to go see the rentals.

[fruitman]

5 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Why comment then?

Did you read my tip?? So why comment on me?? 

[brewsterbudgen]

Ah, but you miss the Cactus that way

And there are at least 3 of his bars on that side of the soi...

[Kabula]

As soon as it happens tell the Manger you are calling the Police and a news reporter.  

 

Look to see if a security camera has filmed you and asked for the film to be examined.

 

Many times their posture will change with the above tips.

 

Cash is always King in Paradise!

[smotherb]

2 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

And there are at least 3 of his bars on that side of the soi...

Yeah, but the Cactus has special memories