Go Go Touts on Bangla Rd

[lime]

I have been followed down SD by touts a couple of times, but used to stop in at HB for a couple of quiet ones and watching the look on their faces was always worth a detour from getting whacked with air con lagging!!!

 

[Probie]

Yeah, its still going on. If you are aware if the scams it does give you an advaneforum.xxxe to the newbies who get caught out.

 

[miaugh]

It is Thailand and Thailand is part of Asia so there is always going to be a bit of dodgy happenings. Truth is if the Authorities wanted to do anything about it at all they would have two big information booths. One at each end of Bangla outlaw the touts and charge all landowners a small fee (rates) It would be built into the rent cost and everyone would be happy but that would leave less room for a palm to be greased so it will not ever happen.

 

[: )]

dont mind the touts in Soi Dragon at all. I just dont go there and as they arent in any other of the sois it makes for a hassle free existence for me. If they ever leave SD then I will probably go there and have a look around bgut in the meantime just one more place for me not to visit.

 

[texaschick200670]

I know this is an really a fresh post, but I thought I'd comment on it since I was in there on my trip and got home yesterday.

I'm not sure why you got charged that price. First time I went there I had to get out of the rain fast, had an expensive camera on me, unfortunateky I had a tout following me in and I had to to pay him so 500Bhat for first beer. Second was 120 I think. LD was as far as I remember 160.

Came back 2 days later, no rain so when the touts came at me just said no thnx and walked down to Spicy and got in and paid 120 for the first drink.

As for paying for the shows, they ARE free, however as someone else mentioned, they will walk around after the show with a basket asking for a tip. To me it's common sence to actually do tip them for the show, don't need to be much. I gave 20 baht tip per person in the show. They were 3 and it was kinda interesting. I don't know if I should have tipped more or less, but the girl seemed happy with it so I guess it was ok. And face it its half a beer, not that much.

On a second note. There is a nice girl in there called Oi. Good girl, friendly. Pretty pissed at me since I didn't come back for her. Even more pissed at the girl that I ended up spending my vacation with. >.< And although pissed she was still polite when I saw her a few days later by chance. Might be worth to note if you like gogo bars and your in patong.

 

[Teo]

I had a fancy camera with me late last week, and went up to one of the Bar-B-Que carts and asked how much for a beef bbq. Was told 80 baht.

I said no thanks, put the camera away, and went to a different bbq cart where the price went back to "normal".

 

[Cecilia]

I always get Thai price at the carts...probably because they can see my cheap Samsung poking out my pocket.

 

[Jiji]

There wouldn't be a problem if the customer taken in paid say the ladydrink price and the tout got a commission on that but the prices they are gouging are extortionate and the cause of fights with the staff when the customer gets the bill. The customer doesn't have a leg to stand on though as the outrageous prices are printed on the back of the touts' cards and the police will back up the tout if they are called as the drink price is printed in black on white.

A tout can make 1000baht in a couple of minutes just by taking 3 people into a gogo. If the owners hadn't agreed to pay the difference between the normal price of the drink and what the tout has on his/her card there wouldn't be a problem. Now it's escalating...how long before one of the scumbags thinks "I got 500baht commission on 1 drink last night, I'm going to change the prices on my card to 1000baht a drink".

In all the time this has been going on I've only read once on this forum of someone being caught out by this ripoff because everyone on here is aware of it but you see a lot on the more touristy forums and for some it's what spoilt their holiday.

 

[shadow]

There are just as many in Bangla as in Soi Seadragon now.

 

[alabamaman]

What would you do if a tourist complained to you that they had been charged 600 baht for a drink in a gogo bar?

 

[peter]

You're right. I don't know diddly-squat about any of this, and shouldn't have said anything at all. I'm sorry now I did.

Personally, the touts don't bother me any more than all the other people trying to sell something. I just smile, say "no thanks", and keep walking. They leave me alone, and go ask the person behind me.

Perhaps some of the people saying my ideas were so naive have a better suggestion they can suggest, or maybe the reality is that there is no answer?

 

[~Tabitha~ :)]

Then you do not understand Thai people at all do you? Especially those that work in the tourist areas.

 

[samld021]

There are over 100 touts and they pay 1000baht a month each to be "licenced". They aren't going to go away.

 

[Ellisia]

Hi Thaicam et al, - everything is in hand

Firstly, I already made some posters that are in Bangla Road and advise a few do and don't for tourists. (If we put these up on Beach Road, then the jetski mafia will remove them...)

We are talking with the print company to make some banners for display at the airport which advise tourists not to use jetskis without insurance etc.

We considered handing out leaflets to all arriving tourists, but the print costs would be astronomical!!

I suggested printing and laminating A3 posters for display at all the major (300+) hotels in Phuket. This is also in hand.

So, the best policy is to advise, warn and educate tourists prior to the 'event', because it's hassle all-round to sort out these problems after the event. If we can get the message across to simply not rent jetskis period!, to ignore drinks touts period! to ignore the gibbon photo guy period! etc etc, then the message will slowly get through to these ripoff guys by way of hitting their income!

Simon

 

[Proffesor Jelskraft]

answer: the bar will be an apprentice to new budding ripoff touts as they will come with no experience to work in the bar for a salary and a small commission and then quickly get corrupted while being out in the street with others. the more experience touts will buy the customers off the salary touts of 5 times higher prices then the bar can pay.

"you will be staring a school for rip off touts "(paying a salary for them to learn.) and creating a bigger problem for the future.

how do you think many of them started?

is like cancer it just breads.

 

[Veronica Salmon]

.

That was almost hair-raising h:

 

[get go]

last week when i was walking down Bangla Rd, i walked from Boxing Stadium end down to Soi Eric heading to MTB, in that short walk i counted about 34 Touts both M/F with those cards showing all the acts in Go's Go's, that was just on Bangla not those down Soi Sea Dragon out side the clubs, with those 50+.
just so many of them

 

[Bandit]

Just hope that when somebody finds out that when this touts outside go go's
are more bad then good for the earnings of the go go,s they will do something about it:beurk:

who els can do something

 

[reynwater]

noud have been to spicy quite a few times before and the charge for a beer was not over the top like the last time there a few weeks ago,i think what happen to me was a tout follow me in and me not look at his card just thinking same as before for the price ,had my thai friend with me and when i get a bit agro at the price they say for the show ,she thought great hope they all charge u the same and then u not go to the bars paul

 

[Envy Is My God]

Dead right.......
You can't have it both ways now can you.