Can anyone recommend a friendly (cheap) bar like Gekko?

[leonardjones625]

There are a few Thai places near me that do 3 large beers for around 170, but sometimes I want to go somewhere that doesn't see me as an outsider.

Many farang places charge almost that much for 1 beer.

 

Gekko garden is good about their drink prices, but I'm struggling to think of any farang spots that matches their prices.

CM Saloon in old city was doing some deals of 70b Chang and 50 baht well drinks before 7pm.

 

Or if anyone can suggest some Thai spots where we are welcome, English is spoken etc.

 

I'm a Sangsom guy if anyone has any tips on cheap bottles.

 

Please try to avoid the cheap charlie comments, believe me I know it. I just thought those of us who like a deal could share a couple spots with each other.

[sanemax]

The CM Saloon in Loi Kroh is no more , gone

[ianezy0]

8 minutes ago, sanemax said:

The CM Saloon in Loi Kroh is no more , gone

The OP was asking what is around, not what isn’t around ????

[sanemax]

Theres a 7/11 near the moat that has three large Chang for 158 Baht , closes at midnight though

[Foxy52]

Lost Hut 3 Moonmuang Road Soi 1: Happy Hours 5-9

[steven100]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

Theres a 7/11 near the moat that has three large Chang for 158 Baht , closes at midnight though

and he could throw in 3 Lao Khao bottles and make it an even 200 baht.

[orang37]

Quote

I'm a Sangsom guy

Any formaldehyde stockist should be able to top you up, but BYOB.

 

~o:37;

[eyecatcher]

Like Gekko......(but not Gekko?)

 

Whats the criteria?

[bprhodes]

O’Malley’s in the Anusarn Market has Tiger draft for 65 baht and a Sangsom set, including a flat of Sangsom and 2 mixers, for around 350 baht. You won’t be an outsider there.

[amexpat]

7 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

Like Gekko......(but not Gekko?)

 

Whats the criteria?

My guess would be cheap falang food and drink and predominately falang customers.

[wisperone]

7 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

Like Gekko......(but not Gekko?)

 

Careful, they carry salmonella as was pointed out recently.

[connda]

On 7/4/2019 at 11:18 AM, sanemax said:

The CM Saloon in Loi Kroh is no more , gone

Right next to where the CM Saloon used to be on Loi Kroh is My Place.  The brew is not the cheapest in the city but it's not the most expensive either, the staff is very friendly with good English language skill, and the food is good when I'm in the mood for farang food - as well the local expats customers are good company.  Always easy to strike up a conversation with both customers and staff.  Big screen TVs with sports if you're just into chilling. 

[scottiejohn]

On 7/4/2019 at 8:14 PM, bprhodes said:

You won’t be an outsider there.

That is correct as you would probably be on your own if you are not in "Scot's" inner circle!

[moontang]

T Bar, in Santitham.. and Oxide across the street.  I have had more luck teaching retards than getting them to serve cold beer, though. Beer Repugnant shuttered and moved to Ploen Chit to be with the Chinese after canabalizing a lot of the bars on the Nimman side streets.  Tiger are 610 per box at Tesco... 

[teacherofwoe]

On 7/4/2019 at 1:37 PM, eyecatcher said:

Like Gekko......(but not Gekko?)

 

Whats the criteria?

They serve atrocious food but not as bad as Gekko.

[Vacuum]

On 7/4/2019 at 1:43 PM, amexpat said:

My guess would be cheap falang food and drink and predominately falang customers.

Wrong country.

[beau thai]

5 hours ago, teacherofwoe said:

They serve atrocious food but not as bad as Gekko.

I guess I lack your refined taste but Gekko food is ok. Unpretentious sure, but better than a lot of the more pretentious stuff served up elsewhere. , Good value. Varied menu, good promotions.  No reason to defame it....

[moontang]

I saw some place in CM running a 199 Swedish meatball special.  Maybe a coincidence, but the balls looked a lot like the noodle cart balls that I have boycotted since 1998.

[elektrified]

2 hours ago, beau thai said:

I guess I lack your refined taste but Gekko food is ok. Unpretentious sure, but better than a lot of the more pretentious stuff served up elsewhere. , Good value. Varied menu, good promotions.  No reason to defame it....

I agree. Nothing wrong with Gekko. The menu is huge and both Thai and Western food is prepared well. The staff are very nice and friendly and the prices are very reasonable. Absolutely no need to defame it.

[leonardjones625]

On 7/4/2019 at 8:43 PM, amexpat said:

My guess would be cheap falang food and drink and predominately falang customers.

I am actually OK without most of the farang customers, or the average food.

However, most places of the Thai places don't speak English, and some don't even have an English menu.

 

But if anyone knows any English-speaking local spots, I am open.

[teacherofwoe]

16 hours ago, beau thai said:

I guess I lack your refined taste but Gekko food is ok. Unpretentious sure, but better than a lot of the more pretentious stuff served up elsewhere. , Good value. Varied menu, good promotions.  No reason to defame it....

 

13 hours ago, elektrified said:

I agree. Nothing wrong with Gekko. The menu is huge and both Thai and Western food is prepared well. The staff are very nice and friendly and the prices are very reasonable. Absolutely no need to defame it.

Defamation is a serious matter in Thailand. If I have defamed Gekko, a moderator would have deleted my post. But they didn't because it's an opinion. I could suggest that you've both promoted the place and contact a moderator to have your posts deleted under TV rules, but you haven't because it's your opinion. In my opinion, the staff are friendly and efficient, the eating area is not clean, the food is clean in its preparation, but the quality of the recipes are very poor. That's my opinion which I'm entitled to am I not?

[fhickson]

3 hours ago, leonardjones625 said:

I am actually OK without most of the farang customers, or the average food.

However, most places of the Thai places don't speak English, and some don't even have an English menu.

true, but they all serve the same dishes and beers.

[ThaiPauly]

On 7/4/2019 at 11:18 AM, sanemax said:

The CM Saloon in Loi Kroh is no more , gone

Blimey that's news to me!!

 

When did this happen?

Where has Ron gone?

 

I used to drink there a lot in the old days, the Chiang Mai Saloon was a CM institution IMO!!

[Mahseer]

34 minutes ago, ThaiPauly said:

Blimey that's news to me!!

 

When did this happen?

Where has Ron gone?

 

I used to drink there a lot in the old days, the Chiang Mai Saloon was a CM institution IMO!!

Ron still owns it but has leased it out. He is still in residence at CMS2 on Rajwiti.

[moontang]

Kind of mixed reviews on Gecko... one review stated that it was much better with the boss around.  The time I was in there to get an 11 month old beer, it wasn't as clean as John's Place, which has likely kept right on going down hill. 

[chingmai331]

In my 'opinion' Gekko's food is good enough for me, and rightly priced.  Gekko's major fault is weak management regarding cigarette smoking in the restaurant.  Not long ago the boss told me that since the ciggy smokers had been coming to his place for years he was not inclined to moderate their disgusting and ugly habit, just to placate non-smokers.

Well, he has slightly adjusted the policy with tiny little signs which direct the offenders to a few tables back towards the parking lot.  So of course the smokers don't see the signs, and don't give a damn about others anyway, so continue to puff away in the shop.  The staff dare not speak to these rude cretins as the general Thai policy is avoidance.

Gekko management ought to take notice of the superior smoking policy and enforcement at Mad Dog farang saloon, which vigorously directs the smelly smokers out of the restaurant and into the street. 

Maybe next year i'll try Gekko's again.  I will miss the Fish & Chips on Friday, but will survive.

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, chingmai331 said:

In my 'opinion' Gekko's food is good enough for me, and rightly priced.  Gekko's major fault is weak management regarding cigarette smoking in the restaurant.  Not long ago the boss told me that since the ciggy smokers had been coming to his place for years he was not inclined to moderate their disgusting and ugly habit, just to placate non-smokers.

Well, he has slightly adjusted the policy with tiny little signs which direct the offenders to a few tables back towards the parking lot.  So of course the smokers don't see the signs, and don't give a damn about others anyway, so continue to puff away in the shop.  The staff dare not speak to these rude cretins as the general Thai policy is avoidance.

Gekko management ought to take notice of the superior smoking policy and enforcement at Mad Dog farang saloon, which vigorously directs the smelly smokers out of the restaurant and into the street. 

Maybe next year i'll try Gekko's again.  I will miss the Fish & Chips on Friday, but will survive.

Thats the reason why I dont go to Johns place , too many smokers who think that your meal needs some  smoke to season it 

[moontang]

15 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Thats the reason why I dont go to Johns place , too many smokers who think that your meal needs some  smoke to season it 

But, it does. 

[fhickson]

23 hours ago, moontang said:

Kind of mixed reviews on Gecko... one review stated that it was much better with the boss around.  The time I was in there to get an 11 month old beer, it wasn't as clean as John's Place, which has likely kept right on going down hill. 

i used to live around the corner from gekko, yet rarely went in except for happy hours once in awhile. i preferred the cheap eats down the street which all had english menus and were half the price.

 

i met the owner at gekko and he seemed a fine chap, but i could not help feeling that he was being friendly just to drum up business. same with the service staff, seemed like they were angling for tips. anyhow, different vibe from the thai eats places.

 

oh yeah, several times service staff failed to bring back change on the bill or i would have to walk up and wait at the bar because i naively thought they forgot in the early days. pretty much ended it for me when i learned it was a forced tipping thing.

 

beating a dead horse though, it was years ago.

[LivinLOS]

On 7/8/2019 at 7:33 AM, teacherofwoe said:

 

Defamation is a serious matter in Thailand. If I have defamed Gekko, a moderator would have deleted my post. But they didn't because it's an opinion. 

Thats not how defamation works in Thailand..