As I’ve said before, buying of a bottle of whiskey for the evening is extremely popular with the Thais.  A group of boys will go to a disco or Isan dance club and split the cost, making for a very cheap night out.  What I failed to mention is this cost savings extends to everyone, at any drinking establishment.  Although, I must admit I’ve not tested it at the big 4 and 5 star hotels.  That aside, any place catering to farang or Thai will sell you a bottle, and the savings is substantial, compared to buying one drink at a time.

The cost of a bottle varies from one place to the next and is driven by several factors.  The two most common being what brand of whiskey you select and what package for mixers is included.  Before talking about the mixers, I should point out that you can leave your unfinished bottle at the bar for up to 30 days, and revisit it as many times as you want during that period.

The most common mixer package is to include them (coke, soda and ice) for that evening.  If you return another night to tap your bottle again, a modest fee for mixers is charged.  Some will sell you a bottle with a starter set of mixers, and then you are expected to pay for any additional.  Depending on the place, an initial package may or may not be enough for the evening.  Some, but not many, include mixers for the life of the bottle.  Balcony Pub and @Richards are two establishments that offer this.  I’ve run into a few places that offer you the option of mixers for the night or for the life of the bottle, price adjusted accordingly.  It’s also common for bars to give a discount when two bottles are purchased up front.  If this is not offered, it can often be negotiated.  The typical discount is around 50 percent on the second bottle.

For most establishments, brand and mixer package factored in, the cost of a bottle will range between 650 and 1500 baht.  The only exception I’m aware of is with GoGo bars, where the price jumps significantly, for both bottles and individual drinks.  One must also take into consideration that, in GoGo bars, the boys and staff get a commission on every drink sold.  Thus, selling individual drinks is a huge revenue generator for the bar and its boys.  To offset those losses, the cost of a bottle can be as much as double what you would pay in other establishments.  Surprisingly, it’s still a huge cost savings, when compared to their inflated individual drink prices.

We tested this at a GoGo bar in Soi Twilight, and got a large bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label, with mixers for the life of the bottle, for 3000 baht.  There were five of us drinking from it all evening and we didn’t quite finish the bottle off.  Later we calculated what the per drink cost of that evening would have been and estimate the bill would have come in at between 8 and 12 thousand baht.  Its simple math folks…the only way to go is by the bottle.

Photo Courtesy of Telephone Pub

For those that prefer bar hopping, getting locked into one place with a bottle of whiskey may not seem attractive.  Let me offer some examples as to why it still is.  A lot of people, including yours truly, like to start the evening off at a bar, such as Balcony Pub, before heading out to the GoGo establishments.   This is the perfect place to keep a bottle.  With Balcony Pub, in particular, you can return many times and spend nothing, because the mixers are good for the life of the bottle.

There are a number of bars (not GoGo) in Soi Twilight that will sell you a bottle for 800 to 1000 baht.  I like keeping a bottle at both Balcony Pub (Soi 4) and the Banana Bar in Soi Twilight.  It’s not uncommon for me to start the night at Balcony, and then hit a few bars in Soi 6, before finishing the evening in Twilight for the parade of boys.

Something I tried the last time I was in Pattaya, was buying a bottle at the Cum In bar in Sunee Plaza.  We asked the boys to keep everything set up at our table while we occasionally popped into one of the many GoGo bars for one drink and a look see.  They were more than happy to accommodate, and everyone had a great time.  One of the guys with me actually went out a couple of times and had sex, rejoining us each time he finished.  If we happened to be away at the time, he’d just sit down and have a whiskey on his own.

Other liquors, such as Vodka, Gin, and Rum are available in some places.  I don’t have any experience with pricing of these, but one friend tells me he’s happy with his savings on Gin at the Balcony Pub.

Photo Courtesy of Telephone Pub

Things To Watch Out For

In host and GoGo bars you need to ask up front if you will be charged extra for giving drinks to the boys.  I’ve not had a problem with this, but read about it happening to one guy up in Chiang Mai.

While this isn’t always possible, it’s best to have the bottle and mixers at your table or at least close enough for you to keep an eye on it.  While this usually isn’t a problem, you need to be aware of the possibility your bottle will get tapped by the boys, if you are not keeping an eye on it.  Having it near you removes any temptation to help themselves.

When finishing for the night, and starting the next time, try and remember to check how much is in the bottle.  There have been some isolated incidents of bottles getting tapped by staff while it is being stored for the customer.  Asking the boys to bring you the bottle, so you can see how much is in it lets them know you are watching for this.

Believe it or not, there may be occasions when you need to move from one location to another within a bar.  This has happened to me twice so far, and in both instances I changed floors.  The staff is more than happy to take care of relocating your bottle and mixers for you.  Trust me when I tell you to check your bottle before and after the move, or it may get tapped in route.

Don’t let the boys pore heavy.  In some places they like to do this, so you finish a bottle quicker.  In some establishments there is incentive for them to do this, because they get rewarded financially for selling another bottle.

When paying for mixers separately, such as on a return trip, don’t let them bring you more until you need them.  Otherwise you might end up buying a bunch of soda and coke that never gets used.  Also make sure you are being charged correctly for the ice.  Some places have a large and small bucket of ice option.  A favorite trick with clip joints is to bring the small bucket and charge you for the large.  This sort of thing is extremely rare, but you do need to be aware of it when trying out a place you’ve never been before.

When you are in a host or GoGo bar, be careful about offering the boys and staff drinks from your bottle.  They generally assume that your offer is for the evening, and may even begin to help themselves.  A good way to make sure this does not get out of control is to tell the person serving you that you expect the bottle to last the night.