How to get ripped off at a Karaoke
If you've never been to Karaoke in Thailand then you probably don't even know what it's really like and most of that reason is because you're more than a little worried about getting ripped of and walking out with a 22,000 baht bill. And that can happen to most people especially those without many street smarts. So if you don't know what you're doing and you're a complete sucker and don't have 30,000 baht in you're pocket then just don't go!
I had a guy message me the other night to go help him out at this karaoke joint in the Chang Klan area of Chiang Mai. Now this guys situation is not unlike the other hundred cases they've had this past year from the tourist police. The guys gone in there and in a matter of a few hours racked up a 22,000 baht bill for himself. He only has 10000 baht in his pocket no credit cards, ATM cards nothing.
Now you're probably wondering how on earth he managed to rack up such a huge bill in the space of a few hours, well the guy doesn't know how to say no! I've taken this guy to karaoke before even to this same one where the bill was more a respectable 4000 I guess he thought he knew what he was doing.
Poor bloke though this is how his bill ran up after a few hours:
- 7 Girls * 250 Hour 3500
- 42 Girls Drinks * 200 drink is 8400
- 2 hours Room * 400
- 2 Bottles of Red Label * 1100 is 2200
- 50 Mixers * 50 is 2500
- Mama Charge 600
- 2 plates Breath Mints * 100 is 200
- 5 Food items * 280 is 1400
- Teddy Bear 3000
Total: 22,000
You could go with 4 mates and spend all night drinking for that same bill! How on earth did he manage to do this ey! He said that he didn't realise that he had to pay for girly drinks that he thought the drinks were from the girls and noone asked him for a drink. I don't believe that shit because they have to ask you for each drink especially if you're ordering like 40 of them geez. And what's up with buying the girl the teddy bear ey? This guy is a good guy but damn even good guys can do stupid thigns I guess.
So what should have his bill been like if he didn't go crazy
- 1 Girl 250 baht * 4 hours = 2000
- 1 bottle of red * 1100
- 6 Mixers * 50 is 300
- Mama Charge 600
- Room Charge 800
Total: 4800
Now even that is kinda expensive which is why is better to go in with a group of guys so you can split the cost of the room charges and mama charges. Even still it can be cost prohibitive for most people but still you can have a really good time.
Unlike go go bars you don't have to buy the girl a drink she's already getting paid by the hour to stay with you anyway it's not necessary and if they ask and you say no they won't be offended. Don't buy candy at a bloody karaoke take you're own breath mints! And never ever buy a stuffed toy either unless of course you want to and have the money then buy all means.
I remember going to strip clubs in california where you would get maybe 20 minutes for 2000 baht with a chick who you couldn't touch or grab make out with get her number and bang her the next day in fact the nude clubs you can't even drink at! So if you put it in comparison Karaoke here is super cheap and if you know the right girls to choose you can have an awesome time.
Well I managed to get that guys bill down to 10,000 not without a lot of hassles and i'm not sure what they think of me there now either. Either way this guy learnt a valuable lesson and I got a new story to talk about. Lesson really is though guys just because you tell the girl you're not buying a drink you arn't being cheap, especially in Chiang Mai where you wont' get the attitude from the girls like you do in Pattaya. They are just as happy to drink off your bottle.
What is the deal with Karaoke? I just don’t get it or am I missing something? One is just in the room possibly flirting with the girl or am I wrong? I understand there may be the possibility of meeting a real hotty, and if you play your cards right getting a number and meeting her later. That is a lot of Baht for the possibility of future fun. Even 4 or 5000 for a night without P4P seems pretty pricey to me, but I know I am not a wealthy man.
What is the attraction?
Karaoke is super fun if done right and with the right girls, most guys i’ve taken to karaoke have had the best nights out they’ve ever had, think of a nightclub but just a few guys and some young super friendly girls, I dunno you have to try it out to really understand. yeah it’s a pricey night out but you get what you pay for I guess.
Oh, BTW it was nice of you to help that guy out!
I’m a nice guy right! lol
OOOhh you so handsome you buy me teddybear?!!! wtf..
hey chris its me the black eye-hotshot hooker guy!
Get beaten up lately mate?
almost by tuk tuk trying to hustle me on karaoke joint-
if u think im swinging on 3 girls outside hotshot with tons of thais looking on im not that stupid….thai 4 thai right….
I have to say i don’t get much karaoke either.
So is the “girl charge” in it or you have to pay extra to fuck her ?
The idea of Karaoke is this, you go in you have get drunk sing some songs or dance in you’re private room you can feel the girls up kiss them anything short of actually having sex basically. Want sex well get their number and call them the next day. Typically they don’t take cash payments they want “things” like shoes dresses phones that sort of thing. Depending on how good she looks depends on the presents you need to give her. Speak Thai well and have some good pickup skills then she’ll come over for no presents at all. People think it’s expensive but when you know how to pick up the girls later it’s actually cheaper and way more fun than going to a whore house.
For the guys who don’t get the appeal, karaoke can be a less intimidating way to spend time with pretty girls than hostess bars. Although I know there are karaokes in Vietnam and Cambodia where you can have sex on premises or take the girl away, I’m not sure that is the case at most Thai karaokes (Chris correct me if I am wrong).
It’s less intimidating because you can have the girl(s) hang out with you and have fun because they are generally not hounding you for drinks or trying to do everything they can to get barfined.
On another note, saying no in hostess bars was one of the hardest lessons for me to learn. It can be pretty daunting when you have a group of women all asking you for something or the chick you like is asking you to buy extra drinks for other workers. The thing that really drove it home for me was realizing that there is a fine line between generous and reckless with money. You stay on the right side an you are good but if you get on the wrong side they will treat you like a sucker.
Well said mate, most karaoke places here you can’t do stuff on premises, though most places have a fine for the girl if you want to take her home though that’s not generally done, i know places here in Chiang Mai you can pay between 1500-2500 for the girl to come home with you, but it’s generally only done after you’ve been a few times and the girl feels good about you, like actually likes you. Personally i find it a better way to do it and the girl if you do take her home is really into it it’s not fake like beer bars or go go bars therefore worth the money.
Chris
I really don’t get the Karaoke thing.
And if 1 Girl 250 baht * 4 hours = 2000
Then that’s another reason to not want to get it! lol
1 girl at 250 baht for four hours would be 1000 baht but with other charges and stuff you’re looking at more like 4000. So yeah, well you can always come to my birthday party bro.
I would like to add that at this point here (6) years this is what I no longer do:
Get women out of brothels.
Get women out of karaoke bars.
Get women out of night clubs.
Get freelancers of any kind anywhere.
I don’t even hang out at bars to run up a bar bill trying to talk with fellow farangs; not fruitful in my opinion.
Yeah I’m kind of boring and don’t have much money and if I did I ain’t spending it like that.
What I do:
Get women on the street.
Get women at the grocery store.
Get women at the mall.
Get women at the temple.
The moment I realize the girl wants pay for play I politely bail.
I can still do pretty well in my own country so why pay here?
hi,,can anyone tell me the best bar to pick girls up,without hassle.,,or if chris knows?.
also,,the prostitiutes on the streets,,how much,and are they ok? cheers,,
Where are you headed?
KTVs, wherever they exist in Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines) are for guys with more money than they know what to do with to hang out with a bunch of beautiful young women. A lot of local Asian men don’t even bother trying to bang any of them. It’s a place you should only go if money truly is not an issue. Most westerners who want girls chose Thailand because it’s cheaper than wherever they came from. They’re budget travelers and KTVs are, for the most part, luxury level. That’s why they don’t “get it.”
Can I just explain why I found this topic interesting? I made my first visit to Thailand and landed New Year’s Eve, I had done the basic research on where to go, I was looking for spiritual enlightenment rather than the usual frivolity I end up in. I headed out about 9pm still a little jet lagged, I had travelled from london – Bangkok – Chiangmai and I hadn’t slept in about 24 hours. I went to the nearest temple to my hotel and it was full of local Thai and not many ferangs, I loved it, the monks were chanting and I liked being the few westerner there. About 11pm I felt like a change so headed for thae pae gate to watch the thousands of lanterns being released, I was overwhelmed by the hoards of ferangs and didn’t enjoy the crowded environment so I hopped into a tuk tuk and requested the night bizarre, I paid a stupid 5000thb cover charge for Hard Rock Cafe which included one drink, I tried to order a cocktail and was told no, small beer only, I hate beer so I took one sip and left the rest, I stayed ten minutes, so I had wasted 5000thb on one sip of nasty warm beer, I didn’t know where to go for seeing the new year in, I walked up the dark alley scared I was going to get jumped, then I heard music, I ended up in ram bar, a gay cabaret bar. The show was fantastic and the drinks were strong and cheap! I saw the new year in and a little tipsy I fancied another change, I like singing so I thought how about a karaoke bar I saw on the way back to thapae gate, the woman came over to me and said you want a drink? Gave me the whiskey menu, I said I only have 200thb left, can I sing for you to make up the rest of the money? She said ok but please join our staff Christmas party, I was sat with about 25 very pretty girls all getting drunk and playing their party games and they had a raffle, I sang with the host and they gave me lots of shots of whisky! I kept thinking to myself, are these call girls? The woman who showed me in kept being referred to as mama sita. I had such a good night, it got to about 3 and I needed my bed so I said my goodbyes and left. Now I realise that it wasn’t just a karaoke bar, I had just attended a call girls Christmas party. So, cheap night out! Thanks girls, I guess I was lucky it wasn’t a scam like I’ve read on here. Imagine if I had been landed a bill at the end! I’m now in Pattaya and then maybe Bangkok, gotta say, I’ll won’t be pushing my luck again.