Billabong Success Story....Why Is This Bar So Busy

[Scottish Gary]

To follow on the post about Billabong Bar in the Samuai section it got me thinking about Billabong on LK Metro.
I have never seen this bar quiet. Most nights by about 10pm you will struggle to find a seat. Its a big open air concept on a corner populated by mostly average looking free lancers and the drinks are two for one but at 100b for one its hardly a bargain.
Yet night after night tourists and ex pats flock to the place. It must be one of the busiest bars in Pattaya. The Aussie owner has certainly knocked it off with this one without trying too hard it appears. It must be a gold mine.

[Headworx]

Not 100% sure if it's Aussie owned now Gary. Greg - the Aussie who built the place and put it on the map - sold it a while back and lives up North now.

As to why it's so busy, it might be because of the excellent corner location for people watching the passing parade along LK?. But there's other places that are right there too with better food and better beer prices, Killkenny which is all of 10 meters away across the Soi for starters.

No idea really, that sort of bar isn't my scene but there's no doubting its a popular bar.

[Scottish Gary]

Not 100% sure if it's Aussie owned now Gary. Greg - the Aussie who built the place and put it on the map - sold it a while back and lives up North now.

As to why it's so busy, it might be because of the excellent corner location for people watching the passing parade along LK?. But there's other places that are right there too with better food and better beer prices, Killkenny which is all of 10 meters away across the Soi for starters.

No idea really, that sort of bar isn't my scene but there's no doubting its a popular bar.

Your right. I just heard that the last Aussie owner sold up at the end of last year. Im not sure if that was Greg or another Aussie he had sold it to. The new owner is a Thai woman. A sexy little thing who like to dominate the pool table according to my mate.

There is a lot of good pubs close by selling good food and decent priced beer but not nearly as busy. As you mentioned Kilkenny and also Murphy's Law is a good bar as well.
I think the difference is probably the fact Billabong has loads of available free lancers and the other bars don't

[Bogon]

I think the location, live music, late closing and "open air" feel makes it a winner.

You also don't get pestered for drinks as much as if you are hanging around the corner in the beer bars next to and around where Megabreak is.

Killkenny is more of a sit down and eat some grub place that I often visit for brekkie, brunch or an early snack. Never really think of stopping by in the evening.

[Dillinger]

I think the location, live music, late closing and "open air" feel makes it a winner.

Nah, it'll be the abundance of cheap slutty freelancers for kee nok farang.

A meat market like Bangkok's soi 7 bier Garden.

[NokTang]

I think the difference is probably the fact Billabong has loads of available free lancers and the other bars don't

They are scamming some people it seems. A friend paid a barfine there a few nights ago. Some farangs will let these operators charge them a barfine for freelancers, a practice which should lead to imprisonment and deportation(if one farang does it to another). The nerve to rip people off with a smile. Never under-estimate the willingness to do same here in Pattaya as well as all of SEA. Reminds of the fools who found a lady on the Beach and let her(and sometimes a him) take him to a nearby beer bar to pay a barfine. Unreal as I say the willingness to rip the guys off.

[Bogon]

^^ forgot to add the cheap hoes bit to the list.

What Dillinger said, plus the other bits and bobs I mentioned makes it a winner.

[NokTang]

Went by there tonight. As indicated, there is a scam going on as the girls don't work for the "bar" yet there is a "barfine". The barfine is 360 Baht, of which the freelancer lady gets 100 Baht when paid. Total bullshit. They also have a "buy one get one free" drink promotion with a bottle of beer being 115-130 Baht, which as long as you want two isn't "bad" but certainly not a reasonable price for one in said "beer bar". The lady I spoke to said guys pay "2000 Baht Long Time" which is unheard of for a beer bar, however I didn't bargain her down as had no interest. Overall I simply don't condone this business modal of scamming barfines, but up to you if you so desire to be scammed in such a fashion. You guys have IMHO ruined Pattaya with this type of crap adding in the "Coyotee" nonsense introduced by Secrets on Walking Street many years ago and now a full on Thai scam played out on said farangs. What a fucking mess.

That said, the beer was cold, the service good, a lot of freelancers around, and no issues with underage. If anything there would be a fear of taking a grandmother but everyone's got to make a living. Get her phone number, call her in the morning. Screw paying such clever barfines created with the brain power crashing space rockets.

[Scottish Gary]

Went by there tonight. As indicated, there is a scam going on as the girls don't work for the "bar" yet there is a "barfine". The barfine is 360 Baht, of which the freelancer lady gets 100 Baht when paid. Total bullshit. They also have a "buy one get one free" drink promotion with a bottle of beer being 115-130 Baht, which as long as you want two isn't "bad" but certainly not a reasonable price for one in said "beer bar". The lady I spoke to said guys pay "2000 Baht Long Time" which is unheard of for a beer bar, however I didn't bargain her down as had no interest. Overall I simply don't condone this business modal of scamming barfines, but up to you if you so desire to be scammed in such a fashion. You guys have IMHO ruined Pattaya with this type of crap adding in the "Coyotee" nonsense introduced by Secrets on Walking Street many years ago and now a full on Thai scam played out on said farangs. What a fucking mess.

That said, the beer was cold, the service good, a lot of freelancers around, and no issues with underage. If anything there would be a fear of taking a grandmother but everyone's got to make a living. Get her phone number, call her in the morning. Screw paying such clever barfines created with the brain power crashing space rockets.

Its certainly a unique concept... You pay a bar fine if you take one out, if you buy them a drink its classed as a lady drink, they serve you and bring drink to your table. they tidy up and after all that they are still classed as free lancers saving the owner from paying them a wage.
Im surprised every bar in Pattaya hasn't adopted this business model.

I forgot to add if they are not working and you and her are out together and happen to visit Billabong all her drinks are still charged as lady drinks

[NokTang]

I forgot to add if they are not working and you and her are out together and happen to visit Billabong all her drinks are still charged as lady drinks

I didn't ask about that, but it is certainly believable. What you refer to as a "business model" I refer to as a scam and using slave labor although that is a bit harsh. Suffice to say they are not only taking advantage of desparate women but farangs without a clue or worse, a clue(now) and still participating in it. To repeat what I said some place, never under-estimate the willingness to rip people off and mis-treat them. Next you will be telling me you have to "buy" said freelancer from this "bar". The more I type, the more pissed off I get, both at said gall but at the new farang idiots condoning it. Can you imagine trying on a "barfine" and "lady drinks" at Soi 7 BeerGarden and/or Thermae in Bangkok? That's what this amounts to and guys should not allow it to enrich greed driven lease holders who as I say are doing nothing but taking advantage of the naive and desperate. It makes me sick not only to my stomach but to my brain.

[Bobcock]

the drinks are two for one but at 100b for one its hardly a bargain.

50B a beer not a bargain???

How much would you consider beer would have to be to be a bargain?

[Eliminator]

^ Bob, too true, at 50B a bottle, that is cheap.

[Bobcock]

It sure is, Businesses have to make money, people need a living wage.....some people just can't see that.....

[terry57]

^

Because Australian bar workers are paid an above living wage we must pay $10 a beer in a pub.

Way it is, people need to live.

To complain about paying 50 Baht for a beer in a Thai Bar one would need to be Scottish.

Either that or be clueless as too how much it costs to run a business or in fact how running a business works.

The only reason that bar would be selling beer so cheap is simply to get the punters in and wedge them on other shit.

[Dillinger]

I think he's saying the big bottles are 100 baht, Bob

You can sit in a number of air conned bars and pay 99baht for a pint of draught lager.

It's cheaper to drink in say The Robin Hood than to sit outside sweating your nads off at On Nut Beer Garden.

[terry57]

^

Thing is Dill,

Give me On Nut outside beer garden any day up against an Aircon theme pub.

I never go into pubs, love being outside but that's just me.

I do appreciate other punters like inside life.

Still, 100 baht for a big bottle in a pub still is OK.

[Dillinger]

That On but beer garden is not really outside anymore Terry, it's enclosed with plastic rain covers. Cheeky fukkers even charge you to go through a turnstile to go the toilet.

I even got approached by a philippino freelancer there, the Missus wasn't best pleased

It's gone right downhill that place and I'd rather sit outside in the open air in a Thai environment than be surrounded by some cheap ass teflers in the Robin Hood.

[Bobcock]

TEFLers in the Robin Hood...??

The regulars I know in the RH are the head of a specialist Construction Company, his accountant, a lawyer who specialises in company set up in Sri Lanka, the head of a recruitment agency, the owner of a swimming teaching company, Several people from an Abu Dhabi Oil Company, the regional head of a European airline and a Construction PM....

People love to dismiss all white folks as TEFLers, but in truth there is a perfectly function section of society who would rather die than hang out in beer gardens with hookers bothering them and those who can't pay 100B for a bottle of beer in a decent environment.

[terry57]

^

Yes,

But you are High So Bob.

Dill and I are Low So scum.

[terry57]

That On but beer garden is not really outside anymore Terry, it's enclosed with plastic rain covers.

Cheeky fukkers even charge you to go through a turnstile to go the toilet.

I've always had to pay for a piss there so That's normal and I imagine come November they will take the rain covers down.

Thing I do like about it is the 3 different drinking sections to suit different personalities, considering Beer Gardens are few and far between these days it ain't bad.

I ain't been there for ages, a tad too far away from Silom for me, I always piss myself before I get home.

Mind you if it was closer I'd be a local, love sitting outside amoungst the noise and shit drinking a cold Dark beer Lao.

They sell the Dark there. Some nice eye candy as well.

[bobo746]

Dill and I are Low So scum

I always piss myself before I get home

You rest your case Terry

[Dillinger]

TEFLers in the Robin Hood...?? The regulars I know in the RH are the head of a specialist Construction Company, his accountant, a lawyer who specialises in company set up in Sri Lanka, the head of a recruitment agency, the owner of a swimming teaching company, Several people from an Abu Dhabi Oil Company, the regional head of a European airline and a Construction PM....

oops, seems Ive stumbled upon Bob's local
They're a scruffy looking mob, your mates Bob

Do you go the quiz night on Mondays ?
No wonder I can never win it

[Bobcock]

Nope not my local..... though I am known to drink anywhere....

Royal Oak is mine

[Dillinger]

I thought the food was terrible in there tbh, although I guess you don't go there to eat.

[Bobcock]

Eating is cheating.... I only ever had one meal at the RH and it was garbage...tasted of vinegar.... and what I tried of my son's that day....tasted of vinegar.

I also find the RH annoying now they have installed the self proclaimed 'King of Bangkok Pubs' in there.....

I'd much rather talk to Jimmy.