Bar Etiquette

Thailand taught me yet another lesson about patience when I went to a Bangkok club the other day. I was too impatient to hang about waiting to be served, so went to the bar and ordered a drink.

After a while a waiter took my order and THB 1,000, then disappeared - for a long time. As my friends tucked into their drinks I became more and more impatient and went to complain. Just after I had got into my stride moaning, the waiter turned up with my drink and the change, making me feel so stupid that I wished the cracks between the floorboards would open up enough for me to be able to dive between them. He had been delayed by having to get change for my drink, which isn’t something that customers normally get until the end of the evening.

Things are done differently in a Thai club, which the Western clubber is advised to take note of. Don’t march up to the bar and order a round of drinks. You should just wait until a waiter comes up to you and takes your order. He will then find you one of the least packed spots to stand and go off and get your drinks. When he returns he will bring a small waist-high drinks table along with your drinks. You never need to go to the bar.

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