Drinking at local water holes
Drinking at local water holes
Reading through various posts I see there are many bars in Hua Hin considered strictly for Thai patrons and farangs not welcome.
All the same I am curious about local customs in these places. Information from bar researchers welcome.
An example of local customs is, many years ago I lived in Montreal and worked in an predominantly french speaking Industrial suburb known as Lachine. Occasionally the office guys would have a wet lunch at the local corner tavern predominatly frequented by Quebecios not always pleased to see Le Anglais in their tavern. There was no bar to stand at: drinkers were expected on arriving to sit down immediately at a table and stand only to go to the loo or when leaving. This apparently gave some control over the patrons: preventing pushing and shoving and ultimately fights.
Once you sat down the male waiters would immediately slam two small glasses of draft local beer (Labatt 50) on the table. One for now and one to drink next.On each table was also a salt shakers to use on your beer to restore the beer head. A strange custom. Fancy beers were a no-no.
Raise your hand and the waiter would repeat the exercise of beer delivery. Your beer coaster would be marked with strokes as a beer counter. When you had finished drinking the waiter would tally the stokes and you would pay the waiter. The rougher places had sawdust floors so falling down was not so painful.
All the same I am curious about local customs in these places. Information from bar researchers welcome.
An example of local customs is, many years ago I lived in Montreal and worked in an predominantly french speaking Industrial suburb known as Lachine. Occasionally the office guys would have a wet lunch at the local corner tavern predominatly frequented by Quebecios not always pleased to see Le Anglais in their tavern. There was no bar to stand at: drinkers were expected on arriving to sit down immediately at a table and stand only to go to the loo or when leaving. This apparently gave some control over the patrons: preventing pushing and shoving and ultimately fights.
Once you sat down the male waiters would immediately slam two small glasses of draft local beer (Labatt 50) on the table. One for now and one to drink next.On each table was also a salt shakers to use on your beer to restore the beer head. A strange custom. Fancy beers were a no-no.
Raise your hand and the waiter would repeat the exercise of beer delivery. Your beer coaster would be marked with strokes as a beer counter. When you had finished drinking the waiter would tally the stokes and you would pay the waiter. The rougher places had sawdust floors so falling down was not so painful.
Re: Drinking at local water holes
In all of my years here I have never been to a Thai bar and felt unwelcome, if anything I often have felt unwelcome walking into some of the cliquey farang bars, especially those cropping up a little further out of town.Jimbob wrote:Reading through various posts I see there are many bars in Hua Hin considered strictly for Thai patrons and farangs not welcome.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
- JimmyGreaves
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Re: Drinking at local water holes
Second that!buksida wrote:In all of my years here I have never been to a Thai bar and felt unwelcome, if anything I often have felt unwelcome walking into some of the cliquey farang bars, especially those cropping up a little further out of town.Jimbob wrote:Reading through various posts I see there are many bars in Hua Hin considered strictly for Thai patrons and farangs not welcome.
Diplomacy is the ability to tell a man to go to hell so that he looks forward to making the trip
Re: Drinking at local water holes
The only farangs who get in trouble at a Thai bar or coyote club are those whose mouth run away with them when they have a bit too much. Start yacking loud in bad Thai and throwing Thai swear words and insults around even if only joking, and yes indeed you could end up with the thick end of a beer bottle across your head. In turn, there are some Thai's who get aggressive when drunk and a farang in attendance could catch his eye and attention. Best to just get up and leave if that starts to happen. Pete
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Re: Drinking at local water holes
Thais are pretty sociable people. If a Thai catches your eye, raise your glass and smile. Chances are he'll do the same. Send over a beer next round and you'll get one in return. Leave the tough guy attitude at home.
Happiness can't buy money
Re: Drinking at local water holes
Lachine, eh?Jimbob wrote:Reading through various posts I see there are many bars in Hua Hin considered strictly for Thai patrons and farangs not welcome.
All the same I am curious about local customs in these places. Information from bar researchers welcome.
An example of local customs is, many years ago I lived in Montreal and worked in an predominantly french speaking Industrial suburb known as Lachine. Occasionally the office guys would have a wet lunch at the local corner tavern predominatly frequented by Quebecios not always pleased to see Le Anglais in their tavern. There was no bar to stand at: drinkers were expected on arriving to sit down immediately at a table and stand only to go to the loo or when leaving. This apparently gave some control over the patrons: preventing pushing and shoving and ultimately fights.
Once you sat down the male waiters would immediately slam two small glasses of draft local beer (Labatt 50) on the table. One for now and one to drink next.On each table was also a salt shakers to use on your beer to restore the beer head. A strange custom. Fancy beers were a no-no.
Raise your hand and the waiter would repeat the exercise of beer delivery. Your beer coaster would be marked with strokes as a beer counter. When you had finished drinking the waiter would tally the stokes and you would pay the waiter. The rougher places had sawdust floors so falling down was not so painful.
I'm from Rosemount and we had those joints, too. Draft was 10 cents a glass and you put down a quarter so the tattooed ex-con waiter got the nickel tip. Never a problem avec les francais.
Happiness can't buy money
- margaretcarnes
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Re: Drinking at local water holes
Like Buksi I've never had a problem in Thai watering holes. In fact the locals usually go out of their way to make stray Farang welcome. The karaoke and singing bars in particular can make for a good night out. If you intend to stay for the duration a bottle of Macon or Sangsom to share with the locals should ensure you will be welcomed back!
Thankfully Thai people - for all their faults - are nothing like that weird breed found in Quebec
Thankfully Thai people - for all their faults - are nothing like that weird breed found in Quebec
A sprout is for life - not just for Christmas.
- margaretcarnes
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Re: Drinking at local water holes
Aye Johnny - which is why I don't live there anymore!johnnyk wrote:... or in Yorks.
A sprout is for life - not just for Christmas.
Re: Drinking at local water holes
The only problem you're likely to face in Thai venues are the Thais all trying to offer you more drink. In all my years in LOS, I've never felt threatened or out of place in a bar full of Thais.
Don't try to impress me with your manner of dress cos a monkey himself is a monkey no less - cold fact
Re: Drinking at local water holes
nice to know that I won't look like I have two heads if I stray into a local place on a hot night for a beer. I don't feel I have really been somewhere if I don't step beyond the usual tourist zone.
JohnnyK: good to know that Cuba isn't the only warm place Quebeckers go to.
I have to agree with buksida about some shoulders are colder than the beer in the ocassional Farang place. Some clique members will listen to an accent, look at dress/age and rate a new face: 'not one of us'. Last year I walked into a bar off Suk't soi 22 BKK, was quickly scanned by the resident clique and judged a leper. I didn't ask to intrude but all the same the signals were clear. The five bored bar girls surrounded me for a chat so I was not lonely and enjoyed their company better than the guys.
JohnnyK: good to know that Cuba isn't the only warm place Quebeckers go to.
I have to agree with buksida about some shoulders are colder than the beer in the ocassional Farang place. Some clique members will listen to an accent, look at dress/age and rate a new face: 'not one of us'. Last year I walked into a bar off Suk't soi 22 BKK, was quickly scanned by the resident clique and judged a leper. I didn't ask to intrude but all the same the signals were clear. The five bored bar girls surrounded me for a chat so I was not lonely and enjoyed their company better than the guys.
Re: Drinking at local water holes
JimBob, nice to meet you. I have the good sense to live on the Pacific Coast now after freezing my nutz off for many years.
Happiness can't buy money
Re: Drinking at local water holes
I've been in only two thai bars and a Kareoke out of the hundreds and felt unwelcome.buksida wrote:In all of my years here I have never been to a Thai bar and felt unwelcome, if anything I often have felt unwelcome walking into some of the cliquey farang bars, especially those cropping up a little further out of town.Jimbob wrote:Reading through various posts I see there are many bars in Hua Hin considered strictly for Thai patrons and farangs not welcome.
Two of the above were in Chiang Mai Province, the other in Udon Thani.
Strangers are typically welcome most of the time.
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Re: Drinking at local water holes
I think I know the place. My ex- (born and raised in Lachine) took me to a place like that when I was visiting her family one Christmas. Course, at the time, my French wasn't THAT bad, so I wasn't really a leper in the place. More like a guy with a slightly contagious flu.An example of local customs is, many years ago I lived in Montreal and worked in an predominantly french speaking Industrial suburb known as Lachine. [...] Your beer coaster would be marked with strokes as a beer counter. When you had finished drinking the waiter would tally the stokes and you would pay the waiter.