phuketrichard wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 5:15 pm Phuket low season is
Indians, Middle easterners, Chinese

haven't been in a Patong go go in decades>
bars here in kamala, beers happy hour 60 baht, ( some beach side places as low as 40 or 2 for one at 90) regular 90
drinks 120-150
lady drinks 150

I quite liked Phuket, but not so much Bangla road after a few days.

What is the beach area that has been taken over by the Russians? I took your advice a drove down to Karon and Kata but both were fairly deserted last September.

armchairlawyer wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 4:42 pm I interrupt this tittle-tattle to bring you more hard research data.

The team has moved to Patong Beach on Phuket.
About half of the (about 10) gogo bars there offer time unlimited promotions of decent (specific) beers priced at 99. One offered Leo, another served M. Otherwise beers cost 160-180.
Lady drinks 250.
Barfine, forgot to ask. Did not see any girls going out or coming back in.
Demographic - 10% falang. The rest Asian with a heavy Indian presence. And I mean heavy - these guys have been overdoing the stuffed parathas. And a lot of them smoke too but way behind our friends from China of course.

Another facet of the Phuket gogo bars is they mostly make the customer pay as he orders each round of drinks. When the change comes, 30 baht of it is generally in coins. The expectation is that the customer leaves a 30 baht tip, and this is per round. I reckon either the boss syphons off some of that tip money or those service girls are paying to get those jobs and still working for nil wages.
BTW, our researchers found that scooping up all of the change including all of the coins induced a facial expression from the service girl that was not fully conducive with the "land of smiles" policy of the tourist authorities.

Doc67 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 8:25 pm

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 5:15 pm Phuket low season is
Indians, Middle easterners, Chinese

haven't been in a Patong go go in decades>
bars here in kamala, beers happy hour 60 baht, ( some beach side places as low as 40 or 2 for one at 90) regular 90
drinks 120-150
lady drinks 150

I quite liked Phuket, but not so much Bangla road after a few days.

What is the beach area that has been taken over by the Russians? I took your advice a drove down to Karon and Kata but both were fairly deserted last September.

Kata/Karon are the touristy ghettos where the Russians have moved in>
Those cashed up are in Laguna,
Kamala seems to get lots of russian familes, as the preschool where my gf works, 70% of the kids ( 2-6) are Russian

Another facet of the Phuket gogo bars is they mostly make the customer pay as he orders each round of drinks. When the change comes, 30 baht of it is generally in coins.

This goes for many bars and where as if i had gotten paper money i would have left a tip, BUT when they pull the shit with coins, i leave nothing. I only frequent 2 bars here and thats cause i like the food

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 7:29 am

Doc67 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 8:25 pm

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 5:15 pm Phuket low season is
Indians, Middle easterners, Chinese

haven't been in a Patong go go in decades>
bars here in kamala, beers happy hour 60 baht, ( some beach side places as low as 40 or 2 for one at 90) regular 90
drinks 120-150
lady drinks 150

I quite liked Phuket, but not so much Bangla road after a few days.

What is the beach area that has been taken over by the Russians? I took your advice a drove down to Karon and Kata but both were fairly deserted last September.

Kata/Karon are the touristy ghettos where the Russians have moved in>
Those cashed up are in Laguna,
Kamala seems to get lots of russian familes, as the preschool where my gf works, 70% of the kids ( 2-6) are Russian

Another facet of the Phuket gogo bars is they mostly make the customer pay as he orders each round of drinks. When the change comes, 30 baht of it is generally in coins.

This goes for many bars and where as if i had gotten paper money i would have left a tip, BUT when they pull the shit with coins, i leave nothing. I only frequent 2 bars here and thats cause i like the food

It's a good point on the change thing. Beyond what you mention, I wonder what the impact of people paying via QR code these days has had on bar / restaurant staff getting tips? I imagine tips have dropped substantially both in KH & TH. Given that adding an amount to the bill when you punch in the amount you are going to pay (as per the bill) via your app simply goes into the owners bank account...Not sure the staff would get it.

WildAlaskaKen wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 6:48 pm
You cant compare what you pay in a tourist town, especially a tourist hole like Phuket.

Comparing Bangkok to Siem Reap, and then saying you're comparing Thailand to Cambodia, is fine?

ego bibere nimis wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 8:13 am

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 7:29 am

Doc67 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 8:25 pm

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 5:15 pm Phuket low season is
Indians, Middle easterners, Chinese

haven't been in a Patong go go in decades>
bars here in kamala, beers happy hour 60 baht, ( some beach side places as low as 40 or 2 for one at 90) regular 90
drinks 120-150
lady drinks 150

I quite liked Phuket, but not so much Bangla road after a few days.

What is the beach area that has been taken over by the Russians? I took your advice a drove down to Karon and Kata but both were fairly deserted last September.

Kata/Karon are the touristy ghettos where the Russians have moved in>
Those cashed up are in Laguna,
Kamala seems to get lots of russian familes, as the preschool where my gf works, 70% of the kids ( 2-6) are Russian

Another facet of the Phuket gogo bars is they mostly make the customer pay as he orders each round of drinks. When the change comes, 30 baht of it is generally in coins.

This goes for many bars and where as if i had gotten paper money i would have left a tip, BUT when they pull the shit with coins, i leave nothing. I only frequent 2 bars here and thats cause i like the food

It's a good point on the change thing. Beyond what you mention, I wonder what the impact of people paying via QR code these days has had on bar / restaurant staff getting tips? I imagine tips have dropped substantially both in KH & TH. Given that adding an amount to the bill when you punch in the amount you are going to pay (as per the bill) via your app simply goes into the owners bank account...Not sure the staff would get it.

Pay with a card / QR / Mobile wallet, but always tip in cash. Sometimes the staff pool the cash, sometimes not - but that is theirdecision (and the distribution of those tips should also be their decision).

Any restaurant that charges a service charge should be avoided, but that is getting harder. A service charge just tells me that the owners are muscling in on a hitherto private arrangement between server and patron and now demanding tips but keeping it for themselves to defray their wages and salaries expenses.

Doc67 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 9:17 pm Any restaurant that charges a service charge should be avoided, but that is getting harder. A service charge just tells me that the owners are muscling in on a hitherto private arrangement between server and patron and now demanding tips but keeping it for themselves to defray their wages and salaries expenses.

Service charges are a lousy means to make the items on the menu look cheaper. Its never meant to go into the pockets of the people doing the service. I usually also try to avoid those businesses. When there is a service charge applied I very rarely add a tip.

If I decide to tip I try to do it discretely in the hope that it does not go into the owners pocket.

truffledog wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 10:38 pm

Doc67 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 9:17 pm Any restaurant that charges a service charge should be avoided, but that is getting harder. A service charge just tells me that the owners are muscling in on a hitherto private arrangement between server and patron and now demanding tips but keeping it for themselves to defray their wages and salaries expenses.

Service charges are a lousy means to make the items on the menu look cheaper. Its never meant to go into the pockets of the people doing the service. I usually also try to avoid those businesses. When there is a service charge applied I very rarely add a tip.

If I decide to tip I try to do it discretely in the hope that it does not go into the owners pocket.

In a moment of madness this week, I ventured into the local Hooters (it was 4pm and it was the only bar with anybody in it).

I sat at the bar and ordered a beer. Their job was to take a bottle of beer from the fridge behind them, take the top off and put it in front of me. The did this 3 times when they bothered to come back behind the bar. They must have been exhausted. When the bill came up it included a 10% "Propina", which is Spanish for tip. (I had already come across this practice so was on the lookout for it).

I paid with my contactless phone wallet (after checking the bill agreed with the terminal amount). It got approved and I then closed the bill wallet and slid it back to her. Well... she looked like I had spat in it. She said "no tip for girl?" I said "Propina" is in the bill and pointed to it. She said, "this is for the house" not the girl! (while gesticulating toward the ceiling)

So, not only are they adding 10% to take a beer from the fridge while you are sat at the bar - (which is a piss take anyway) -but they were trying to embarrass me into being mugged off twice. "Ask the house for your propina back" I said. I hope she understood. I haven't been back.

I am not sure if this is a company-approved policy, but given Hooters is American, I wouldn't be surprised.

Since every bar/pub started selling food they too think they can play the service charge game. Why should I pay 10% extra to sit at a bar having a (overpriced) beer just because others are eating? I don't get it.

Doc67 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 11:47 pm HOOTERS