Phuket sinks lower

[Groundhog]

There are some interesting posts about recurring brawls at the front of Tiger in Phuket. It's seems that customers who complain about padded bills are now subject to a sort of mob intimidation, where the barkeep calls all sorts of surlies out of the woodwork to take the poor punter down and then start kicking him. Here are a couple of posts from Phuket-info (public domain, so I assume I'm not breaking any rules by reposting)

This happened to me a few weeks back, where a bill for red wine suddenly appeared. No one at the bar was drinking it. When I queried it, I was told that I ordered it. So I paid and left. But I see the girl from the bar all the time, probably a 8 or 9, and she always asks why I never go back to her bar. When I say why, she tells me they are expected to do it by the owner???? Now thats what I call customer service!!!!!!

... one who got away ...

Last night at Jaggerbar in Tiger there was a asian man, that got ganged up on and a real mob mentality fight took place.
This takes place just beside Love Bar in the aisle.

Story was supposedly that he didnt want to pay for the drinks to the ladies he enjoyed company with and that lead to a group of the ladies in the bar to shout at him, demanding that he'd pay the bill.

At one point, one of the Tiger Entertainment owner's "henchmen" comes up to him and starts kicking the guy. The guy is fairly big for an asian, so he didnt budge, and started to give back, at that point all the male thai staff in the surrounding bars, piled in on him, got him on the ground, and started kicking him, but he was agile, so somehow he got up on his feet again, and started to give it back. A big commotion happened and the party drew out into the open area and out in the road. From the best of my ability, the guy was giving it good to the mob, a good fighter, cuz some of the staff came back with bruises, torn shirts and stuff. Whatever happened to the guy, I have no idea about.

Just wanted to share it...Pay the full tab if youre buying them ladydrinks

Puket? Fuck-et!

[katoeylover]

Just seems to back up a lot of the stuff that has been said already about post Tsunami Phuket.

A real shame, but i will stick with Hua Hin for the time being.

[Guest]

u must be careful in phuket,, i agree, ive seen many sides to the thais as anyone who has lived there for a while...n phuket was hit hard economically last few years with tsumani n what not,, its no excues but just remeber were u are,,, n when has prostitution n alchohol and poverty ever really been that honorable, when in thailand n trouble comes,, u gotta go into stamp buying mode.. act as if your buying stamps. no emotion, be polite n respectful n hope for the best.

[koykaeng]

I find Phuket to be the most commercialised, over developed location in all of Thailand.

I'm not suggesting that Bangkok and Pattaya are quiet rural backlots, but there is something unique about the mindset of all the storekeepers and bar operators in Phuket which is quite different from what I've experienced elsewhere in Thailand.

I've always believed that most of the tourists visiting Phuket don't even acknowledge they are in Thailand.  
It's almost as if Phuket is some stand alone tourist destination with its own unique modus operandi.

Cheers
Koykaeng

[TTChang]

(Groundhog @ Mar. 05 2007,14:36) Puket?  Fuck-et!

My fifth visit to Phuket 10 days ago, for weekend, but my first on the LB scene.  Had no trouble, but I thought most things were very expensive by BKK prices, and locals generally not trying too hard (maybe high season complacency?)

I found Pattaya much more friendly, and agree with KL about Hua Hin.

One exception in Phuket - which I thought was very enjoyable - was my first visit to 'Cocktails & Dreams' at the top end of Soi Bangla.  Very welcoming, friendly & entertaining cabaret, and I had a chat with part-owner Jim who is making all the right efforts to attract custom. And Ming was looking hot, too!

[rob69in]

Phuket used to be the play ground of the rich, but is now being sold as ...THE... package tour destination in the LOS. With the arrival the greatest scam to be pulled by governments in recent history, the Euro, destinations like Spain & Greece have dramatically increased in price, increased Tourist Horde & Gawping Masses into the LOS have brought prices down. This has opened up the LOS to whole new group of people. Hence the arrival of the ex Spanish / Greek package tour drunk, hail the arrival of Eurotrash. With drunks come problems, fighting, load mouths, obnoxiciousness etc, etc. The UK is top of the list for exporting package tour drunks but they are not the only culprits. Phuket will go the way of Pattaya, its only a matter of time, if its not there already. The majority of the Horde are clueless & unaware, these problems will not even register with them.

I personally find Phuket little different to Pattaya these days, the LB's are nice where ever you are, as that is all a matter of treatment, attitude & payment, prices are slightly higher in Phuket without a doubt, but not so much as you would really notice. I go to Phuket as an entertaining sex destination, I am on holiday. I bought the t-shirt & clothes 25yrs ago, i don't need to be ripped off in tourist restaurants & shops, I have had so many visits there i know where to eat & where to entertain myself & where to find LB's. The drunks I ignore & avoid.

Each destination have there ups & downs in the LOS, its up to the visiter to adjust his daily routene to suit, you will not adjust the drunks, so let them get ripped off, if they are stupid enough to allow there bills to be padded, tough, i have little symphathy for them, from what i have seen they ask for everything they get. For tho's seeking the LOS of years gone by, I suggest Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai / & i am sure there are other members who can suggest other destinations where the Thais are less jaded than the commercial farang scamming destinations.

Theres always, Phillippines, South America, Brazil, Dom Rep etc for tho's who have had enough. However the LOS still remains for me an easy pleasant enough destination to enjoy good food, good service, nice hotels & good sex at realistic prices, in about as safe & pleasant as it gets for the sex pest enviroment. If you don't like it you don't have to go there.

[Groundhog]

(rob69in @ Mar. 05 2007,21:40) Theres always, Phillippines, South America, Brazil, Dom Rep etc for tho's who have had enough. However the LOS still remains for me an easy pleasant enough destination to enjoy good food, good service, nice hotels & good sex at realistic prices, in about as safe & pleasant as it gets for the sex pest enviroment.

I agree rob, compared to other destinations, anyplace in Thailand is tame ... I'm also not daring enough to follow in your footsteps in many of your travels. Sao Paolo, e.g., for all the good things you say about the LB scene, is from my limited exposure too rough for me. No guts, no glory I suppose

[Guest]

(dontae7 @ Mar. 05 2007,17:35) u must be careful in phuket,,  i agree, ive seen many sides to the thais as anyone who has lived there for a while...n phuket was hit hard economically last few years with tsumani n what not,, its no excues but just remeber were u are,,, n when has prostitution n alchohol and poverty ever really been that honorable, when in thailand n trouble comes,, u gotta go into stamp buying mode.. act as if your buying stamps. no emotion, be polite n respectful n hope for the best.

It's the god damn Russians.

Those bastards are brutal.

[rob69in]

(Groundhog @ Mar. 06 2007,09:05)

(rob69in @ Mar. 05 2007,21:40) Theres always, Phillippines, South America, Brazil, Dom Rep etc for tho's who have had enough. However the LOS still remains for me an easy pleasant enough destination to enjoy good food, good service, nice hotels & good sex at realistic prices, in about as safe & pleasant as it gets for the sex pest enviroment.

I agree rob, compared to other destinations, anyplace in Thailand is tame ... I'm also  not daring enough to follow in your footsteps in many of your travels.  Sao Paolo, e.g.,  for all the good things you say about the LB scene, is from my limited exposure too rough for me.   No guts, no glory I suppose

I am not sure its, no guts no glory, crass stupidity might be a better description, & i will get my comupance somewhere, while trawling the back streets of some god forsaken destination looking for a shag.

Yes SP is quite dangerous, even the TS warned me about some places, but it ain't that bad. If you have the money, Hilda will take good care of you & arrange all the sex you ever dreamed of & more, & she is a really cool person into the bargain too.

Remember you only get one go at life, this isn't a rehearsal, when i get to the pearly gates, my head will be held high & i will be marching thru them NOT looking back & if its the down escalator to a slightly warmer destination, same deal.

[Torurot]

Sangabriel said "It's the god damn Russians.
Those bastards are brutal. "

In phuket it's all their fault? Your joking right? Reading this thread (apart from Rob69's & a couple of others posts) I must have been on a completely different planet last I was in Phuket and surrounds & I'm far from clueless & unaware! I guess if Phukets the big league for bad, Pattaya is at kindergarten level and I don't have to worry about anything, even walk around with a fist full of cash down the beachfront at 2am no problems? and at Primary school level over in Bangkok, there's never been a bar bill padded or a fight ever, and all street vendors are so kind to the tourist. No worries about ripoffs, they will always see you right...... Some people should never leave home. Glad we got all that out of the way.

[Looker]

Phuket has just become the place for fund managers living in Asia and with extra cash to burn to go an buy their one million US$ villa. More or less same as in Koh Samui.
Too much $$$ flying around just spoils everything in some cases!

[Guest]

Phuket was my favourite destination. I have not been back since January 2006 so over a year. I always hated those damn rip off tuk tuks but other than that never had any other problems. Yes there are more "non sex" tourists than in Nana plaza or Pattaya but hey who cares.

Nice beaches and plenty of day time things to do. Can't wait to get back.

[olekunde]

koykaeng is right. the thais in or around patong seem to think all farangs are newbies.
i have taken the cheapest fare from the airport, a minibus, and right before we hit patong, there is a pit-stop, to show the minibus-tickets, but of course this is an excuse to give unbelivable offers to this and that. and of course they couldn't do this inside the bus. we all had to be dragged into their office where it was hotels, tours, boats and god knows what.
they really come on to you like nowhere else in thailand, they're a spoiled bunch of people and ruder than most.
still, phuket beats any destination i know of in europe, so i maybe i shouldn't complain, but it is easy to get spoiled by being used to pattaya

[Groundhog]

(rob69in @ Mar. 06 2007,16:12) Remember you only get one go at life, this isn't a rehearsal, ...

Indeed, but that go can be of variable duration ... I like to think there is a risk-return trade off that my portfolio of activities somehow optimizes.

The other point may be just how good you are in a tight spot ... I finished reading Shantaram this winter (highly recommended and soon to be a major movie starring Johnny Depp) and there is a real difference between guys who know how to fight (like Gregory David Roberts) and guys who can fight just well enough to get themselves into trouble. I think I'm probably the latter, since I really am unwilling to get hurt.

[justbob]

Phuket is not that bad. I go there about once a year for a couple days. You can get in trouble there if you want but that is kind of the fun of it. If you want to get rip roaring drunk, act a fool, show your money, act an amature and expect no one to take advantage of you then go to Disneyland. But watch out for Miney Mouse because she will shortchance your sorry ass too, don't care where you are. You are not at home where everybody loves you. You can have a great time there but watch out when and where you decide to act up. Same applies to BKK and pretty much everywhere exept you local bar.

Justbob