200 baht for a standard drink in some Bangkok gogo bars is not new. Some years ago The Arab increased prices of some standard drinks to 200 baht. It barely raised an eyebrow \u2013 not because no-one thought anything of it, but because few locals \u2013 and almost no serious players \u2013 frequent The Arab\u2019s bars. But a good few bars are getting close to the 200 baht level now.<\/p>\n
In a once uber popular Soi Cowboy gogo bar, local bottled beers and other standard drinks now run 190 baht.<\/p>\n
In Bangkok gogo bars, 180 baht seems to be around the most common price for a standard drink.<\/p>\n
![\"Spanky\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.stickmanbangkok.com\/app\/uploads\/2020\/01\/S-pankee-bar-Bangkok.jpg\")
Spanky\u2019s Nana Plaza price-list, February 2019.<\/p><\/div>\n
When I first moved to Bangkok, standard drinks in Nana Plaza gogo bars ran 70 \u2013 80 baht. But that\u2019s 22 years ago and you can\u2019t compare prices with then and now. By 2000, most bars charged 90 baht until one day most bars in Nana Plaza \u2013 following a meeting amongst bar owners \u2013 jacked the price up to 110 baht. Bar owners had colluded on price and almost everyone agreed to raise prices to the same level. Nana Plaza was booming, Patpong was struggling and Soi Cowboy was a backwater so why not?<\/p>\n
In explaining the hefty price increase, at least in percentage terms, the official word was that service staff expect a tip and if drinks were priced 100 baht it would be awkward for customers to tip when they change was made up of 100 baht notes.<\/p>\n
Just like 100 baht, 200 baht is a round number so could prices somersault 200 baht and go up to 210 or even 220 baht?<\/p>\n
Would bar owners throw caution to the wind and make such a large price increase when customers are already complaining about prices. And just how will punters respond to the next round of price increases, be they to 200 baht or higher?<\/p>\n
My feeling is that price increases won\u2019t affect visitors too much. I imagine they will see it as a very small increase in the total cost of their trip. It\u2019s hard to see expats being quite so happy about it, especially when drinks generally cost much less in British pubs and the like than they do in gogo bars. It wasn\u2019t always this way. Go back 10+ years and drinks prices weren\u2019t much different between the likes of Nana and pubs on Sukhumvit.<\/p>\n
If we go back 20 years, the price of a standard drink in Nana Plaza was around 90 baht. If they go up to 200 baht this year, that would equate with an annual inflation rate of a little over 4% over that time, a bit higher than the official inflation rate. That shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise as prices in farang and tourist areas typically go up faster than the official rate of inflation.<\/p>\n
But what about from the bars\u2019 perspective? Drill down in to a bar\u2019s numbers and you\u2019ll find expenses have increased massively. Rents are up \u2013 in some areas hugely so. Some bars pay today monthly rent around 4 or 5 times what a bar in the same location was paying 20 years ago. Off the books expenses<\/em> are a lot higher. Labour costs are much higher and have effectively doubled. Tax on alcohol has gone up. With all of this in mind, it\u2019s easy to see why the price of a standard drink has jumped up.<\/p>\n Prices doubling over 20 years doesn\u2019t sound that<\/em> bad, but at the same time 200 baht for a standard drink does<\/em> sound like a lot.<\/p>\n I guess part of the problem is that there is still<\/em> an expectation that Thailand is cheap \u2013 and when a drink in Thailand costs about the same or more than it does at home, unless you\u2019re in a high-end hotel or a rooftop bar, it just doesn\u2019t seem right.<\/p>\n Some bars may have cheap draft beer on offer \u2013 usually a good deal \u2013 but I just can\u2019t help but think that at 200 baht a drink it\u2019s getting towards the limit of what many people will pay.<\/p>\n Or maybe it\u2019s just me who isn\u2019t willing to pay that much?<\/p>\n Speaking for myself, drinks over 150 baht in gogo bars just aren\u2019t worth it. Unless it\u2019s a really good bar and I am really in the mood. At this point in time I wouldn\u2019t pay 200 baht for a standard drink in a gogo bar. I\u2019ll happily pay more for a real drink in a hotel bar, but 200 baht in a gogo bar? To me, it\u2019s just not worth it.<\/p>\n There will always be bars that are outliers with lower prices so it\u2019s not like every bar will charge so much. And some bars have decent happy hours like Tilac and Shark on Soi Cowboy where most drinks are just 90 baht until 9:00 PM. And I doubt prices in Pattaya will follow Bangkok \u2013 expenses are lower and the local expat population are much more price-sensitive.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, bars want punters to buy drinks. High barfine prices is one thing \u2013 but high drinks prices is another. High barfines don\u2019t keep punters out of the bar. High drinks prices might mean losing some customers completely.<\/p>\n It\u2019s only a matter of time before 200 baht is the price for a standard drink in Bangkok gogo bars. Maybe I\u2019m just cheap, but in all but a few very good bars, 200 baht for a standard drink seems a bit much, and for me personally, it\u2019s more than I am willing to pay.<\/p>\n Despite being shot on Soi Cowboy, last week\u2019s photo<\/a> was difficult and just three people got it right. The strange neon characters in the photo are Japanese and say \u201cBangkok New-Half.\u201d New-half<\/em> is a Japanese term for ladyboy \u2013 which means the photo is of the frontage of a ladyboy bar and in this case, Cockatoo on Soi Cowboy. This week\u2019s photo was kindly provided by a reader and was taken a few days ago. It\u2019s in downtown Bangkok\u2026.but precisely where?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Stick\u2019s Inbox \u2013 the best emails from the past week.<\/strong><\/p>\n Expats or deathpats<\/em>?<\/p>\n Good column on the meaningless life of expats or for some, deathpats<\/em>. I just flew out of Vientiane where I spent 8 days. Too often without anything meaningful day to day, and nothing to do, the local expats get sucked into an alcoholic vortex. It\u2019s a bad daily habit usually reinforced by other expats. There is a drinking spot near the riverfront where these poor souls gather. You see them nightly at the same spot, stacking up beer bottles. It\u2019s sad that some of them use the price of cheap beer and cheap pussy as a determinant of where they will reside.<\/p>\n When all you\u2019ve got is the bottle and the babes.<\/p>\n In my opinion, the guys that have a minimalist abode are guys who\u2019ve given up. Those staying in 5,000 baht Pattaya apartments are guys who have nothing to live for but the bottle and the babes.<\/p>\n Change the music!<\/p>\n Occasionally I visit some Walking Street gogo bars to see how they are nowadays. Overall, my assessment would paint a pretty grim picture. We all know that standards have dropped over the years. It is hard to find more than a few decent-looking dollies among the line-ups but it is not just the looks. Most have lost their ability to dance. But is it all their fault? The music may be the culprit. The music played in gogo bars can be mind-numbingly repetitive and too loud. The hip hop \/ rap \/ funk \/ R&B music revolution has produced some of the best dance music in decades and there is a variety you can draw on, but the DJs don\u2019t play enough variety. Wouldn\u2019t it be great to hear some Gorillaz, Britsynth or Daft Punk for a change? It\u2019s wonderful boppy dance music, and easier on the ears. I am sure the girls would love it too and it would give them a rest from the crap that they are subjected to all night. It would give the customers a break also and make the gogo bar experience more enjoyable. But is it asking too much of a young Thai DJ who doesn\u2019t have the taste or passion for finding the best dance music from the past decades? If I was in a gogo bar and really enjoyed the music I would go back for that reason alone. And if a bar tried to change things and think outside the box (or rather DJ booth), maybe takings would increase.<\/p>\n I watched Busted in Bangkok. As with most programmes like this, they target the idiots. When filming in Pattaya, why did they only shoot in the Walking Street area? It\u2019s where you find drunk, first-time visitors. They could have filmed in Soi Buakhao, Soi LK Metro or New Plaza and they would have come across older, more sober, sensible expats \/ frequent visitors. It\u2019s all about viewing figures I suppose.<\/p>\n Ashamed by fellow countrymen.<\/p>\n I clicked on the link for Channel 5 and started to watch Busted in Bangkok. After about 10 minutes I switched it off after seeing so many morons made me ashamed of my countrymen. Even in my young mad days in the 1970s in Bangkok, never did I behave like that.<\/p>\n By comparison, Soi Cowboy is not so bad.<\/p>\n I found the guy\u2019s comments about the kids on Cowboy pretty funny. Imagine how many parents try to obscure the view of the giant dildos on display on Sukhumvit and Silom.<\/p>\n Thumbs up for the Ruskies.<\/p>\n I am staying in Jomtien. I took a couple of trips to Pattaya but the madness of high season in Soi Buakhao is really off-putting. It seems quite busy here with large numbers of Russians wandering around. I really don\u2019t get why people complain about them as they seem quite polite and for the most part don\u2019t engage in binge-drinking, public profanity and violence like some other nationalities.<\/p>\n Visas on the ground.<\/p>\n This visa crackdown is working. I\u2019m one of the under 50s \u201cfall through the crack\u201c guys. The Elite Visa is a crazy outlay if you\u2019re not sure about a 5-year tenure. I have to leave on Monday and I\u2019m not sure how I\u2019m going to get back in. I\u2019ve tried a few avenues to get a visa here.<\/p>\n Large outdoor bar and restaurant on Sukhumvit soi 11. Photo kindly provided by reader Rich.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Since the New York Gardens closed some years ago, is there anywhere in downtown Bangkok where you can enjoy dinner and drinks at reasonable prices under the stars? There is. A good-sized outdoor eatery has set up on Sukhumvit soi 11, across the road from the new Burger King. This space will be developed in to another large hotel which means this eatery is only temporary \u2013 so you should get down there and enjoy it while it lasts. I know the pollution in Bangkok is really bad at the moment, but al fresco dining in the tropics is still hard to beat.<\/p>\n A new bar is coming to Sukhumvit soi 13 \u2013 believed to be called The Red Lion \u2013 from the people behind Shenanigans, O\u2019Shea\u2019s and The Royal Oak. Expect the same format \u2013 live sports, cheap drinks and decent pub grub.<\/p>\n The rumour mill has been going in to overdrive about a possible takeover bid of Dollhouse by the best in the business, the team behind Billboard and Butterflies. Now let me state very clearly that this is a rumour<\/strong> and I have not had a chance to chat with any of the parties mentioned. It could be complete nonsense so I reiterate, this is simply a rumour that is doing the rounds.<\/p>\n Mandarin in Nana Plaza is simplifying the barfine process with a system in place to ensure that everyone pays the same price for the main event. Mandarins gang of mamasans have a laminated sheet outlining prices which is flapped at customers. It lists all the prices: Barfine 1,200 baht. Short-time 3,000 baht. Long-time 5,000 baht. When mamasans quote prices up front like this there is often an expectation that payment is made up front (as the mamasan clips the ticket and wants her commission there and then). All I can say is that at those prices, I\u2019m glad I\u2019m not a player<\/em>.<\/p>\n Bar owners in Bangkok are already full of doom and gloom as the end of the not-so \u201chigh season\u201d approaches with predictions of a woeful 2020 rolling off the tongues of many.<\/p>\n Down in Soi LK Metro in Pattaya, popular British-run gogo bar Crystal Club will celebrate the good news this coming Friday, January 31st, with a Brexit Party in the bar!<\/p>\n Word is that boxing legend Ricky Hatton will be at Robin Hood Tavern in Pattaya tomorrow night for their 3rd anniversary party. He was also spotted at Sapphire in Pattaya.<\/p>\n Word from some gogo bars in Pattaya is that weekend trade is much better than numbers during the week. This suggests fewer tourists are hitting the bars. Expats tend to go out on Friday and \/ or Saturday night, hence those nights are better. This has long been the case in Bangkok gogo bars where Friday and Saturday nights are noticeably busier than weeknights. Pattaya bars have always had a small influx of naughty boys from Bangkok heading down at the weekend, but a couple of Sin City bar operators tell me it\u2019s more noticeable these days how Fridays and Saturdays have become the busiest nights of the week.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re on a budget, draft beer at XXX Lounge (previously Club Electric Blue) in Patpong soi 2 is just 115 baht for a big 475 ml glass. That\u2019s the price every night, all night long.<\/p>\n Today is Australia Day and most Aussie-themed bars will have something on to celebrate. In recent years, the favourite spot for Aussies has been The Australian Pub on Sukhumvit soi 11.<\/p>\n Across the border in Cambodia, a friend in Phnom Penh tells me that things have been quiet in the bar district. I note that a few years ago plenty of Bangkok retirees saw Cambodia as an alternative to Thailand but these days hardly anyone mentions it. It\u2019s all Vietnam these days, as well as a few talking of moving to the Philippines. And no doubt the mood will change again before too long \u2013 where will disgruntled expats be talking about next when they realise that Vietnam has just as many problems as Thailand?<\/p>\n A quick reminder that the first Nanapong dance contest of 2020 will be held at XXX Lounge in Patpong soi 2 this coming Saturday, February 1st. Get there early to make sure you get a good seat \u2013 Nanapong dance contests fill up fast. And a tip from someone who has experienced plenty of dance contests, if you are going to sit next to the stage, don\u2019t be wearing your best threads\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you get stopped by police in Thailand, you might be asked to show your passport \u2013 and your visa status might be checked. Did you know that if you make a transfer by Western Union, you need to provide your passport \u2013 and staff in some downtown Western Union offices check the visa status of foreigners using the service. This week a reader went to one of the best-known private hospitals on Sukhumvit Road \u2013 a favourite for farangs \u2013 and not only did they require his passport before he could register, they checked his visa, all before they asked to see his medical insurance card. What would they have done if his visa was no longer valid? This is not to say that this is happening at all hospitals \u2013 but it is at one big-name private hospital. It\u2019s yet another reason to make sure you don\u2019t remain in the country beyond your permission to stay. Imagine being on overstay but being too scared to go for medical treatment lest the hospital call Immigration to report that you had overstayed.<\/p>\n Since making a comeback, one of the columns I most enjoyed writing was the photo essay on\u00a0Benjakit Park<\/a>. \u00a0I spent a lot of time in that park when I was living in Bangkok and I go there every day when I am in town visiting. At the north-eastern corner of the park is a\u00a0lane with ramshackle old Thai-style houses on either side. It\u2019s like a traditional Thai village slap in the middle of a big city. Despite its location, it\u2019s very quiet, almost tranquil, and feels very much like a small upcountry village. There\u2019s a short-cut known by locals and used by some expats that uses this lane to connect Rachadapisek Road with Sukhumvit soi 10 and the walkway to Lumpini Park. As I wrote when I was in town a few months back, Benjakit Park is being redeveloped and part of that overhaul is the removal of this lane, the housing and essentially, this little village<\/em> will be wiped off the map as the houses are being dismantled by a crew with hand tools. Another part of the charming Bangkok of old is about to disappear.<\/p>\n A ramshackle but charming village on a dusty soi \u2026.. right in the heart of Bangkok.<\/p><\/div>\n Friends and readers on the ground are telling me how bad the pollution is in Bangkok at the moment. My partner in crime said to me this past week, \u201cBangkok isn\u2019t somewhere you want to be right now, the pollution is unbearable<\/em>.\u201d The worry is that if previous years are anything to go by, it\u2019s only going to get worse come February and March.<\/p>\n Not Thailand but close enough, popular Cambodia expat forum K440<\/a> has changed hands again. I hope the buyer didn\u2019t pay too much because it\u2019s getting more and more difficult to make money with sites in the Southeast Asia expat sphere. Best of luck to them.<\/p>\n Speaking of pollution, which city is the most followed on the excellent AirVisual<\/a>\u00a0website and app which shows the current air quality index (AQI) in cities all around the world? Bangkok, of course! It\u2019s encouraging that Thais are aware of the pollution problem and many follow it daily. In recent weeks the topic of pollution levels has been the lead item on the popular morning Channel 3 TV news. Here\u2019s hoping that something is actually done about the problem \u2013 specifically that laws on the books are enforced to stop the farmers burning scrub to clear their land which is the main reason pollution is so bad at this time of year.<\/p>\n On Monday of next week, Americans in Bangkok will set their alarm clocks for an ungodly hour and head out to their favourite American-themed bar to watch Super Bowl LIV. Traditionally the popular spots to watch Super Bowl are Bourbon Street and Margarita Storm. Many American-themed venues will open early \u2013 kick-off is at 6:30 AM, Bangkok time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sometimes the Americans contingent in the readership (close to a third of all readers) makes me laugh. A bunch of Americans \u2013 including some who have known me personally for years \u2013 thought I\u2019d changed<\/em>when I suggested that retirees need something<\/em> meaningful in their lives, no matter how small \u2013 and one of my suggestions was pot plants. Pot plants is what we in New Zealand call plants we keep indoors i.e. they are in a pot. In America, it would seem that the term pot plants<\/em> has a rather different meaning. I had no idea. Some American readers went so far to tell me that I had got it wrong and they are potted plants<\/em>. So to clear up any confusion, I am not suggesting anyone grow pot in their condo and like it or not, I speak and write in this column in Kiwi English!<\/p>\n One of the curiosities of Thailand is the re-enactments of crimes. In cases where the accused pleads guilty, they may return to the scene of the crime and re-enact it. In some cases, particularly those where a high-profile \/ serious crime has yet to be solved, police officers or civilians carry out a re-enactment so the public can see what happened. Earlier this week news broke of a porn clip circulating in Thailand that had been filmed in the grounds of one of the country\u2019s top universities. The Thai police photographed a re-enactment of the crime and the shot went viral. It showed two coppers groping the tree where the clip was filmed, the two of them embraced in a sexual position. Check out\u00a0this photo<\/a> from the re-enactment. What a hoot!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n https:\/\/heclinics.com\/anti-aging-for-men-with-nad-treatment\/<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Quote of the week<\/b> comes from a 21-year-old\u2019s TF profile, \u201cNo grandpa please<\/i>!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Reader\u2019s story of the week<\/strong>\u00a0from Bangkok Byron is part 1 in his series looking at\u00a0Angeles City<\/a>, the closest thing the Philippines has to Pattaya.<\/p>\n A Thai woman showing someone she met on Tinder around the sights in Bangkok gets fined 2,000 baht for operating as an unlicenced tour guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n Thailand has been captivated by the tale of a serial killer who is the son of a convicted murderer<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Belgian prison escapee<\/a> sends a \u201cGreetings from Thailand\u201d postcard to his former captors.<\/p>\n Some big Kiwi women discover business class seats on Thai Airways<\/a> are designed more with the Thai size in mind, not the Kiwi super size.<\/p>\n Thai officials accidentally auction off a car loaded with amphetamine<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sex video stars<\/a> surrender to police.<\/p>\n A drug dealer kept meth stashed in a haunted house<\/a> because scared locals wouldn\u2019t go inside!<\/p>\nMystery Photo<\/h2>\n
![\"mystery-photo-75\"](\"https:\/\/www.stickmanbangkok.com\/app\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Mystery-photo-75.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBogans<\/del> Busted in Bangkok.<\/p>\n![\"soi11-temp-open-air-restaurant\"](\"https:\/\/www.stickmanbangkok.com\/app\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Mystery-photo70.jpg\")
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