Ripped off at Soi Cowboy

[smotherb]

10 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.

 

 

 

 

So, if you drank a Jack and soda and bought her a whisky coke the bill may be B1,000 or B1,200 for one drink each. Some people may spend more than a drink or two at a bar. If the bar offers a good time; it could be ten or twelve drinks--if you have trouble seeing that, try three or four guys buying ladies' drinks and drinking two, three or four drinks.  So, why would it be so out of line to have a bill of B15,000. 

[ericthai]

On 4/1/2017 at 9:20 AM, whoareyou said:

Neve happened to me or any of my expat friends in over a decade of visiting soi cow boy.

Most definitely the truth is often stretched in these reports or the writer was so drunk he rang the bell thinking it was for service.

You've been lucky, I too have never had it happen to me in the last 20yrs, but I know some friends that had problems so just because it never happened to you dont mean it dont happen or the truth is being exaggerated. 

[JimCrane]

its very common for bartenders or staff to approach you without offering a menu. most people will simply order because they are too timid or irritated to ask for a menu (makes you feel cheap).

 

i used to think this was a stupid staff issue, but over time im seeing it as a way of concealing high prices.

 

whenever i have to ask staff for a menu its a big red flag for me now.  sometimes i ever get up and leave.

 

i always know a place knows what they are doing when they offer a menu when i walk in.

[pattayahenry]

you went with your wife and paid drinks for prostitutes? thats the most serious loss of face for your wife. 1000% sure, she wanted to teach you a lesson, half of the profit went to her, she convinced the staff, you will not go to police.

[George Feedback]

On 4/1/2017 at 8:20 PM, whoareyou said:

Neve happened to me or any of my expat friends in over a decade of visiting soi cow boy.

Most definitely the truth is often stretched in these reports or the writer was so drunk he rang the bell thinking it was for service.

I would agree, I've been to Cowboy hundreds of times and never ripped off like that. Since the OP has a Thai wife he must know what ringing the bell means, and would have to be extremely drunk to do it and not realize.

Police are easy to get hold of in Cowboy, he should have got them as soon as he saw the bill.

All a bit late now, but a police report might help with the credit card double charge.

 

I'd like to know which bar it was, Katoys?

[Enoon]

10 hours ago, buick said:

 

i realized another bar name is actually quite easy:

 

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

 

And last but not least, a song by CSNY with these words in it:

 

"We have all been here before"

[lamyai3]

18 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.

Living in soi 23, you are one of the key beneficiaries of the Arab's business practices, which involve posting hordes of baiting bikini clad girls outside his bars. If you're just walking through or having a drink in an outside bar, it definitely adds to the scenery without costing a satsang.... 

[madusa]

On 2017/3/31 at 9:27 PM, petermik said:

This soi is well known for rip off,s at certain bars(same nationality of owners-non thai BTW) pity you did not discover beforehand....lesson (expensive) learned

When you said " same nationality of owners-non thai BTW" you mean farang ripping off farang?.

[wprime]

File a police report saying you were threatened with violence, then use it along with the reviews of other people to get your bank to issue a chargeback.

 

The 2nd charge will be refunded, the 1st should be (if they accept your evidence).

[buick]

11 hours ago, smotherb said:

So, if you drank a Jack and soda and bought her a whisky coke the bill may be B1,000 or B1,200 for one drink each. Some people may spend more than a drink or two at a bar. If the bar offers a good time; it could be ten or twelve drinks--if you have trouble seeing that, try three or four guys buying ladies' drinks and drinking two, three or four drinks.  So, why would it be so out of line to have a bill of B15,000. 

 

i think you might have got a little off track here.  no offense meant, it is a long thread and easy to forget the main theme when you are on page 5 of an exciting thread !!!  of course i know how a 15,000thb bar bill can be generated when you have a group of guys in a fun bar, etc...  and keep in mind i know these bars well as i've spent alot of time on cowboy (i live walking distance from there).

 

i'm talking in the context of this group of 3 people (the OP group) and what i've read on the internet and heard on the beer drinking circuit around sukhumvit about this particular group of bars.  what you have to realize is these bars are not fun.  i can say with a high level of confidence that no one stays in these bars long.  a round for you and a girl is about 800thb.  if it is you and two girls it is 1,400thb.  the girls don't leave the bar with customers.  the girls only speak thai (which most tourists don't).  the girls don't really dance on the stage, they just kind of stand there.  the music is probably not to the taste of most customers.   people are out of there after the first or second round as they realize they've made a mistake.  and they are a bit angry because they feel ripped off.

 

i was really hoping the OP would come back with addtl info.  i'm wondering if a new scam is to charge a 'bar fine' that is really a 'sitting fee'.  maybe a guy offers to pay a bar fine (doesn't realize the girls don't go out of the bar) and the bar says 'sure'.  and then you find out all that does for you is allow the girl to skip her turn to stand on stage every 20 minutes or so.  instead, she sits with you and rack ups double lady drink charges of 600thb !!!  that scam would generate a big bill amongst a small group of people.

[scorecard]

8 hours ago, George Feedback said:

I would agree, I've been to Cowboy hundreds of times and never ripped off like that. Since the OP has a Thai wife he must know what ringing the bell means, and would have to be extremely drunk to do it and not realize.

Police are easy to get hold of in Cowboy, he should have got them as soon as he saw the bill.

All a bit late now, but a police report might help with the credit card double charge.

 

I'd like to know which bar it was, Katoys?

 

You think every (repeat every) Thai woman knows what 'ringing the bell' means. How insulting.

 

You need to expand your horizons a little, 99.9% of Thai women have never been in a bar

 

However on this occasion the OP says he took his wife to Soi Cowboy, so maybe (repeat maybe, just maybe) on this occasion she did know.  

[mrfaroukh]

On 4/1/2017 at 0:09 PM, thedemon said:

If this happens and you feel that you have no choice but to pay, you need to demand a receipt. They must provide that by law and it is unlikely they won't. If they insist on payment without a receipt, call the police on the spot.

 

Assuming you do get a receipt, take that receipt to the local Police station, not the Tourist police (in this case it would be Thonglor station) and file a complaint stating that you were forced to pay under duress. Normally the police will take action but even if they don't the police report should be enough to have your bank reverse the Credit card charges.

 

The chances are high that simply asking for a receipt will cause them to back down. It is a game of bluff and you can be sure that they don't want the police involved.

I totally agree with you. I once see that a bar guest sign on the bill every time when he order to avoid over charging by being told he had more drinks. Myself I always check price of the drinks I want to buy and even if I want to buy a lady drink I first ask how much it cost and check my bills every time they put it in the wooden bowl and check the total before I ask for the final bill. 

[catman20]

27 minutes ago, mrfaroukh said:

I totally agree with you. I once see that a bar guest sign on the bill every time when he order to avoid over charging by being told he had more drinks. Myself I always check price of the drinks I want to buy and even if I want to buy a lady drink I first ask how much it cost and check my bills every time they put it in the wooden bowl and check the total before I ask for the final bill. 

agreed and add the bill up in your head to make sure when they come back with the final bill its the same as you calculated it to be. thats what i always do.

[JimCrane]

2 hours ago, catman20 said:

agreed and add the bill up in your head to make sure when they come back with the final bill its the same as you calculated it to be. thats what i always do.

seems like a worthwhile endeavor if its an oversight, but how does that work if its a scam?

 

your going to get a bogus charge anyhow if thats what someone is intent on doing

 

seems like you have a doubt somewhere whether you are really being conned or not

 

[Salerno]

8 hours ago, scorecard said:

You need to expand your horizons a little, 99.9% of Thai women have never been in a bar

So only 27,954 (approx) Thai females over the age of 15 and still alive have ever been in a bar in their life? 

 

73.4% of stats on the net have been plucked from the posters arse.

Edited April 4, 2017 by Salerno

[Wake Up]

Went to Cowboy last night and avoided Arab bars. 

 

However one cowboy nonarab bar wants 1200 baht bar fine and their excuse is the bar across the street has a 3000 baht bar fine. I don't buy lady drinks if there is no chance of taking the girl home and with these type of bar fines I see no reason to ever return to those bars. Went to two more popular bars (one was crazy ) if you know what I mean. Very disappointed unless you like overweight older woman which I do not. Each person has his own taste but to me I see no reason to ever go back to soi cowboy as I am not a fan of older overweight women on stage or a fan of trying to avoid the rip offs of the coyote girls and Arab bars cheating customers. 

Nana is better although one Nana bar also wants 1500 baht bar fine and another 1000 baht. 

But still not the young attractive thin girls that used to be all over Nana.  Except there are some younger thin girls on one third floor bar at Nana and on the second floor Nana bar that wants 1500 baht bar fine. 

With online dating and girls with jobs looking for extra money and some good freelancers on soi 4 and ground floor bar near soi 13, the days of walking into a go go and buying lady drinks and then taking one home are over. Too bad as I really enjoyed a night out and enjoyed buying lady drinks but with the selection of girls and bar fines that exceed the total price of a freelancer the go gos are killing themselves.

If a go go bar owner is reading this my friends and I for years spent lots of cash in your bars and paid 600 baht bar fines and took girls home a lot. Why did you change the game to rip us off and drive us away?

Edited April 4, 2017 by Wake Up

[Billy Sweets]

On 03/04/2017 at 6:51 AM, geriatrickid said:

It has been going on and will continue as long as the protection  needed is provided  by some people who are legally allowed to carry guns and who make a living through shakedowns.

First of all I would like to thank those that have come back with useful or relevant info., this is much appreciated.  There are a few <deleted> on here that are replying with nothing useful and just shooting off their mouths, it's not appreciated or required. Definitely shows your character though, <removed> To say that something like this is a fantasy to happen in Thailand is just stupid, this is hardly a perfect world.  I hope something like this happens to you so you can learn a little understanding and respect.  <removed>

 

I have lived in Asia for 14 years, 8 of which have been in Thailand so I'm well aware of scams and other issues to be wary of.  To be honest I have been very lucky up until this incident that I have not had many issues while living here.  But I have certainly heard of a ton!!  I had to use my credit card because I did not have 15,000 THB cash, I did not expect something as crazy as this to happen.  In hindsight I wish we had taken our chances with the cops, but it was just so uncomfortable having girls screaming and carrying on that we wanted to get out of there.  We were literally in there for 15 minutes.  The bar was quite empty and perhaps they were really hungry.  We had our drinks and a couple of the girls were sitting with my friend which he bought them a drink each.  When I went to pay they took the cup and came back with the bill for 15,000.  I was like, obviously there was a mistake but they started off very aggressive.  I said I wasn't going to pay and that was nonsense.  1 girl and the mamma son got really aggressive and it took me by surprise actually, I was shocked!!!  I really didn't expect something like this to happen and I made split second decision to defuse the situation and pay and get the hell outta there.  I have heard that some of the bars on Cowboy have changed ownership to Chinese and this type of behavior is not uncommon in cities in China.  It was on the right side coming from Asoke and I will say it was pretty sad, we should've turned around and walked right back out.  They did not give me a detailed bill either, that is a lesson learned on that one.  Well the major lesson is not to bother going back to Cowboy anyway, it's in a steady decline from what I can see.

 

I would like to say the name of the dump but do not want any more grief from this already stressful experience.

 

If anybody has any constructive advice I would love to hear it although i'm pretty sure there is nothing I can do.

 

I'm sure Karma and Buddha will take care of scum bags like this but it certainly would be nice if a little justice was handed out so this type of thing does not continue to happen.

[RandolphGB]

On 01/04/2017 at 5:05 AM, smutcakes said:

Forget about it, move on. Inform people you know but don't beat yourself up over it. You won't get any money back and you are just likely to cause yourself issues if you go trying to create problems for them. Chalk it down as a bad night and move forward.

And that response, right there, is why the corruption and scams in Thailand continue. 

[AdmiralWest]

Just a quick background I am Billy's friend who went to Soi that night. None of us are kids, uneducated, or troublemakers. We were directed to this website by expats who thought we might receive some help with our issue. We appreciate the constructive thoughts and hope some people can further enlighten us. I guess the old saying goes that unless something bad happens to you then you don't have a clue what you are talking about. I am mystified with some of the childish comments from a few who think they are geniuses and have never been scammed in any way in their entire life. You all must be billionaires!!

 

We had gone to a late dinner that evening and since I had never been to one of the 3 main redlight districts in Bangkok Billy and his wife suggested that I visit Soi  Coyboy. I live on Soapy road so I am not completely naive to the ways of Bangkok but also far from an expert. We entered Soi from the Asok side and walked around a quarter or so the way down. We were approached by a girl out front and she convinced us to come inside by saying there are pretty girls inside. Once we got inside the 3 of us sat in the back of two rows.  There were only a couple other people in the bar when we entered beside the girls. We ordered drinks for ourselves and then a couple of girls came to us and sat down. I did not even know Billy ordered them drinks at the time. They stayed next to me for maybe 5-10 minutes and a few other girls were walking by and on the stage. Billy's wife was trying to make sure I was having a good time but it was a little lame so after we ordered a second drink Billy had gone up to pay. He was talking for a little while with the cashier and then begain arguing. His wife and I went over to see what was going on and that is when I found out the scam bill they wanted to charge.  I said there is no way possible and we should not pay that scam.  Then the drama started to enflame and at that point Billy thought it was best to avoid a potential disaster and try to fight another day knowing how corrupt things tend to be. So Billy paid because I only had 4k Baht on me thinking there is no way the bill should be more than that. I assume the second scam bill he received may have the real one albeit still inflated. 

 

As for one genius member who thinks that Billy's wife should know better, well I assume you must be living in fantasyland with your blow up doll. Most Thai women would never have a clue that this could happen.  They may be acutely aware of some low end scams but never something to this extent. If I were to take your argument, lets assume she worked at a bar in the past - and this is not the case but lets assume. She would probably be the most shocked person since other bars might run some minor scams but she would never invision that the scam could be so egregious.  

 

Once again we appreciate those members who have offered some constructive advise. We apologize for not responding earlier but we have businesses and don't have the opportunity to monitor this site hourly. I hope you all understand. If anyone has an idea on how to approach Bangkok police to get a police report, how to contact the consulate and apprach them, and any other thoughts please let us know. 

 

We would like to help make Bangkok as safe and fun for all of us

[RandolphGB]

12 minutes ago, AdmiralWest said:

Just a quick background I am Billy's friend who went to Soi that night. None of us are kids, uneducated, or troublemakers. We were directed to this website by expats who thought we might receive some help with our issue. We appreciate the constructive thoughts and hope some people can further enlighten us. I guess the old saying goes that unless something bad happens to you then you don't have a clue what you are talking about. I am mystified with some of the childish comments from a few who think they are geniuses and have never been scammed in any way in their entire life. You all must be billionaires!!

 

We had gone to a late dinner that evening and since I had never been to one of the 3 main redlight districts in Bangkok Billy and his wife suggested that I visit Soi  Coyboy. I live on Soapy road so I am not completely naive to the ways of Bangkok but also far from an expert. We entered Soi from the Asok side and walked around a quarter or so the way down. We were approached by a girl out front and she convinced us to come inside by saying there are pretty girls inside. Once we got inside the 3 of us sat in the back of two rows.  There were only a couple other people in the bar when we entered beside the girls. We ordered drinks for ourselves and then a couple of girls came to us and sat down. I did not even know Billy ordered them drinks at the time. They stayed next to me for maybe 5-10 minutes and a few other girls were walking by and on the stage. Billy's wife was trying to make sure I was having a good time but it was a little lame so after we ordered a second drink Billy had gone up to pay. He was talking for a little while with the cashier and then begain arguing. His wife and I went over to see what was going on and that is when I found out the scam bill they wanted to charge.  I said there is no way possible and we should not pay that scam.  Then the drama started to enflame and at that point Billy thought it was best to avoid a potential disaster and try to fight another day knowing how corrupt things tend to be. So Billy paid because I only had 4k Baht on me thinking there is no way the bill should be more than that. I assume the second scam bill he received may have the real one albeit still inflated. 

 

As for one genius member who thinks that Billy's wife should know better, well I assume you must be living in fantasyland with your blow up doll. Most Thai women would never have a clue that this could happen.  They may be acutely aware of some low end scams but never something to this extent. If I were to take your argument, lets assume she worked at a bar in the past - and this is not the case but lets assume. She would probably be the most shocked person since other bars might run some minor scams but she would never invision that the scam could be so egregious.  

 

Once again we appreciate those members who have offered some constructive advise. We apologize for not responding earlier but we have businesses and don't have the opportunity to monitor this site hourly. I hope you all understand. If anyone has an idea on how to approach Bangkok police to get a police report, how to contact the consulate and apprach them, and any other thoughts please let us know. 

 

We would like to help make Bangkok as safe and fun for all of us

 

You're a <removed> for paying. Letting Thais walk all over you . No wonder they keep pulling stuff like this knowing they can get away with it. You've done a disservice to tourists everywhere. 

 

My first trip to Thailand a street food vendor tried to charge me 20 baht for pork balls after previously charging my gf 10 baht in Ratchada. I flipped out and caused the biggest scene there was a crowd of 15 Thais gathered round.

 

Nobody has done anything to me since in more than five years. They can sense it when you approach. They know who will stand for it and who wont. People need to stand up to them. 

 

 

 

[Argus Tuft]

On 4/1/2017 at 11:05 AM, smutcakes said:

Forget about it, move on. Inform people you know but don't beat yourself up over it. You won't get any money back and you are just likely to cause yourself issues if you go trying to create problems for them. Chalk it down as a bad night and move forward.

 

14 minutes ago, RandolphGB said:

And that response, right there, is why the corruption and scams in Thailand continue. 

 

To agree with your statement, RandolphGB - one first needs to completely suspend any disbelief that the OP - who has reportedly lived in Asia for 14 years (with 8 years in Thailand), walked into a bar in Soi Cowboy, spent 15 minutes there, and managed to end up with a bill for exactly 14,861 baht.  (why the exact amount?  why not say you were ripped off to the tune of 15,000 baht?)

 

Which the OP then paid with a credit card. And then described it in detail on his first ever post.

 

and now the OP's friend has chimed in - also a first time poster - has corroborated the story, or so we are expected to believe.

 

If all is true and correct, then my opinion is that the OP has no business being here after 8 years - and then walking in to a girlie bar in a known seedy district, to part with some USD$430-odd in money.

 

Surely one has acquired some street knowledge after such a long period on the ground.

 

Just my two cents worth

 

Edited April 4, 2017 by Argus Tuft

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Yeah, reminds me of this lady's personal ad..."NO WANGER," apparently there are many out there.  And the way some of the bar owners dishonestly flame each other is sickening.  Spend twenty minutes with Tripadvisor and you be sorry you inquired.   

[Argus Tuft]

5 minutes ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

Yeah, reminds me of this lady's personal ad..."NO WANGER," apparently there are many out there.  And the way some of the bar owners dishonestly flame each other is sickening.  Spend twenty minutes with Tripadvisor and you be sorry you inquired.   

 

"NO WANGER"?

 

I guess she wasn't after male friends then.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

4 hours ago, Wake Up said:

Went to Cowboy last night and avoided Arab bars. 

 

However one cowboy nonarab bar wants 1200 baht bar fine and their excuse is the bar across the street has a 3000 baht bar fine. I don't buy lady drinks if there is no chance of taking the girl home and with these type of bar fines I see no reason to ever return to those bars. Went to two more popular bars (one was crazy ) if you know what I mean. Very disappointed unless you like overweight older woman which I do not. Each person has his own taste but to me I see no reason to ever go back to soi cowboy as I am not a fan of older overweight women on stage or a fan of trying to avoid the rip offs of the coyote girls and Arab bars cheating customers. 

Nana is better although one Nana bar also wants 1500 baht bar fine and another 1000 baht. 

But still not the young attractive thin girls that used to be all over Nana.  Except there are some younger thin girls on one third floor bar at Nana and on the second floor Nana bar that wants 1500 baht bar fine. 

With online dating and girls with jobs looking for extra money and some good freelancers on soi 4 and ground floor bar near soi 13, the days of walking into a go go and buying lady drinks and then taking one home are over. Too bad as I really enjoyed a night out and enjoyed buying lady drinks but with the selection of girls and bar fines that exceed the total price of a freelancer the go gos are killing themselves.

If a go go bar owner is reading this my friends and I for years spent lots of cash in your bars and paid 600 baht bar fines and took girls home a lot. Why did you change the game to rip us off and drive us away?

And standard drink here is 30 ml of booze.....that would sober up a lot of people I know...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

26 minutes ago, AdmiralWest said:

If anyone has an idea on how to approach Bangkok police to get a police report, how to contact the consulate and apprach them, and any other thoughts please let us know. 

 

We would like to help make Bangkok as safe and fun for all of us

 

This is one route you can follow:

Thai Government's Office of Consumer Protection Board

http://www.ocpb.go.th/ewtadmin/ewt/ocpb_eng/ewt_news.php?nid=30

 

There is lots of contact info on their website, and they also have a walk-in center in the Chaengwattana Government Center Building, in the basement there, the same building where Bangkok Immigration is located.

 

Re the Thai police, the local station responsible for Soi Cowboy is, AFAIK, the Thong Lor police station. In all likelihood, there are parties at that location that have financial interests in the area, so just know that going in. AFAIK, you're entitled to obtain a Thai police report. It isn't a judgment on their part that something wrong did or didn't happen. It's just their acknowledging that you've filed a complaint with them. Once they write up the complaint form, they should give you a copy of it, and AFAIK, it's going to be in Thai language.

 

You might also consider seeking to file a complaint, or get a report from, the Thai Tourist Police.

 

Lastly, as I mentioned in a prior post in this thread, given that your friend paid with his credit card, the FIRST thing you should do is contact the credit card company and file a dispute/challenge over the charge. The supporting documents like a police report and copy of any bill your group may have received can follow. But you really need to get into it with the credit card company first thing.

 

You might also consider contacting the Government's Hotline for foreigners.  The 1155 hotline is for the Tourist Police:

 

BTW, be prepared to have the Thai wife or another competent Thai speaker on hand, because lots of times, even in dealing with the authorities, you'll find their English poor to non-existent.

 

 

 

[lamyai3]

Sorry to hear about the OP experience, must have been a nightmare. Best to ignore personal posts that accuse you of screwing up somehow, you were clearly ripped off in a big way.

 

That said, the information in this thread is too vague. Everyone had assumed it's one of the Arab bars that's being talked about for instance, but a quarter way up on the right side doesn't sound like an accurate location for any of these. There's plenty of scams abound in cowboy, but they're generally well documented, and the extent of the bill padding in your case isn't typical in this district. The only way to identify the bad apples is to be clearer about which bar it is (indirectly is fine, as a few posters have done in this thread). Casting aspersions on the entire lower right side of the soi isn't helpful to anyone - at the moment they're getting away with it through this vagueness of information, as well as emboldened for next time an opportunity comes along. 

Edited April 4, 2017 by lamyai3

[RandolphGB]

2 hours ago, Argus Tuft said:

 

 

To agree with your statement, RandolphGB - one first needs to completely suspend any disbelief that the OP - who has reportedly lived in Asia for 14 years (with 8 years in Thailand), walked into a bar in Soi Cowboy, spent 15 minutes there, and managed to end up with a bill for exactly 14,861 baht.  (why the exact amount?  why not say you were ripped off to the tune of 15,000 baht?)

 

Which the OP then paid with a credit card. And then described it in detail on his first ever post.

 

and now the OP's friend has chimed in - also a first time poster - has corroborated the story, or so we are expected to believe.

 

If all is true and correct, then my opinion is that the OP has no business being here after 8 years - and then walking in to a girlie bar in a known seedy district, to part with some USD$430-odd in money.

 

Surely one has acquired some street knowledge after such a long period on the ground.

 

Just my two cents worth

 

Agree with you. Soi Cowboy is pretty straight, not exactly family friendly but definitely tourist friendly. The bar owners all know better than pulling that kind of scam. especially for such a large amount.. And if they did, it should never be ignored. Any Thai who tries to short change me, I flip out, even if it's 20 baht. They soon back track. If everybody did the same instead of just accepting it then it would soon stop.

[udomsook]

Could well be that some of the bars in Cowboy are desperate to find money to pay rent and pay staff and thus resorting to these hostile tourist scam tactics. Having walked through the area recently seems most of the foot traffic are simply Westerners, often female, gawking at the 'sex industry' in full operation. The truth is not many are participating nor spending enough to keep the whole operation functioning. These zones will close as the area develops and that will be a shame as the neon lights of Cowboy are on the exterior quite an impressive sight. Seems as the cost of land and rent rockets upwards in Bangkok Cowboy is going the way of the clip joints in London, Amsterdam, and Hamburg. A rip-off tourist attraction and little more.          

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Feed them and get them drunk, then they will give it all back, made Vegas the premiere gambling mecca on earth....then they made it family friendly....now it sooks.  I bought a condo for twenty five cents on the Dollar from Credit Suisse...., bailed after nine months.  Similar to the adult venues in BKK... Everyone is welcome, except the customers, who made it famous...now it is imploding....complete with imitation hookers.

[ukrules]

2 hours ago, udomsook said:

Could well be that some of the bars in Cowboy are desperate to find money to pay rent and pay staff and thus resorting to these hostile tourist scam tactics. Having walked through the area recently seems most of the foot traffic are simply Westerners, often female, gawking at the 'sex industry' in full operation. The truth is not many are participating nor spending enough to keep the whole operation functioning. These zones will close as the area develops and that will be a shame as the neon lights of Cowboy are on the exterior quite an impressive sight. Seems as the cost of land and rent rockets upwards in Bangkok Cowboy is going the way of the clip joints in London, Amsterdam, and Hamburg. A rip-off tourist attraction and little more.          

Sanction busting money laundering operation more likely.

 

I'll say no more.