Major Cineplex

[WinnieTheKhwai]

This seems to be whine-season (or whine-year ) so I'm taking the 'join 'em if you can't beat 'em' approach. Here's my WotD submission, please (+) it, and not any of the other whines above and below this topic. Here we go:

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I don't see a lot of movies these days, but thought it'd be nice to go watch a movie with the wife and kid, just for the experience. Now my whole adult life when going to the movies I would visit Tops first and get some crackers, nuts and drinks to enjoy during the movie; beats stale pop corn and over-priced water, right? Wrong. The very attractive Major Cineplex girl who for some reason had a call-center head-set glued to her face informed me that this is not allowed, and that I can leave my snacks at her desk and pick them up afterwards. Seriously, this was for a 3D movie where the total cost was over 600 baht for three people. Some companies just have no class, to not allow their customers paying good money to enjoy a bag of cashew nuts and a diet soda.

And it's not even enforceable, the Mrs typically carries a hand bag that can pretty much hold an entire shopping cart full of stuff and as yet they don't strip search their customers and X-ray the things they bring into the theater.. It's just the petty attitude by some very big and respectable companies that, in my eyes, makes them lose face miserably.

Edited July 29, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[mrclough]

Can't really see the issue to be honest!

If I had a restaurant and some one came in for a glass of water and started their KFC Mc.D's etc I wouldn't allow it. If i owned a TV store i wouldn't really want people sitting down with popcorn etc watching TV's without buying.

They sell these products at these places to maximise profits, by letting people bring their own snacks in, having the stalls is pointless.

I agree the prices are inflated but this is the case in most places i.e. airports etc.

If you owned the cinema would you really want your customers shopping somewhere else? Bearing in mind the I'll take my custom elsewhere attitude makes no difference to most of the Thai's either!

[popmybubble]

It's quite common in the UK to not be allowed to take your own food/drinks into the screen. It's annoying but I can see their point. In future just stuff everything in your wife's bag Was the movie good?

[gotlost]

I don't see what the complaint is. Try this back home and they'll bounce you out on your head.

[uptheos]

I don't see what the complaint is. Try this back home and they'll bounce you out on your head.

I know what you are saying, but as with everything else this is not back home.

Several days ago I went to see The Sorcerers Apprentice and was stuck next to Mrs Fat Thai and her 'man'. She was pulling out bags of crisps from her bag non stop, cans of drink, checking her mobile every 5 minutes (no Thai turns them off only sound) and chatting away to her man.

Fortunately, the film's dialogue didn't require attentive listening, but it was still bloody annoying.

[jayjay0]

That attitude is not even a Farong one. It is not allowed in Farong land why would it be allowed in Thailand. And so what if she had a communication system glued to her head.

You obviously are a green horn in movie land. Major Cineplex is practically giving there products away compared to Farong land.

My whine is that they are so slow in posting there schedule and they will change the times on the weekend making it hard to plan ahead. Thursdays when they change the show's they are showing is particularly bad I have seen times when they did not post the schedule until after 6:00 P M. Of course to make a liar of me they have all ready posted the schedule today.

Also my experience tells me they only answer the phone 10% of the time.

There it is all out. But in all fairness I have seen a marked improvement in the last few months.

[PNGinBKK]

I can't see the point to your WotD.

Cinemas earn revenue from the sale of concessions - not the movie ticket.

You also seem a little miffed to have paid THB 600 for three tickets. WOW! When did you last go to the cinema?? You don't get to watch the trailers in UK Cinemas for less than a tenner!

Edited July 29, 2010 by PNGinBKK

[Sansai Sam]

Every theater I have ever been to in the US has the same rule..."NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINK ALLOWED". When was the last time you went to a movie? Why would a business that sells food and drink allow you to bring in your own?

[uptheos]

Every theater I have ever been to in the US has the same rule..."NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINK ALLOWED". When was the last time you went to a movie? Why would a business that sells food and drink allow you to bring in your own?

Good question: Mrs Fat Thai never had a problem with this, she was munching and slurping louder than the soundtrack!.

What cinemas back home let the entire audience keep checking their mobiles and run in and out taking calls?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Thanks for the updates on the various Farang lands.. In Thailand however, it has always been just fine to bring snacks. It takes a bold person to go stand in between a Thai person and his/her food, as you may have experienced.

[Thakkar]

This whine of your is a fail, WTK. But seeing as you're not a regular, practiced whiner, we'll give this a pass.

A lot of cinemas around the world do not allow patrons to bring in outside food and drink. I read somewhere that most cinemas make more from their concession stands than the cinema tickets, so the rule is understandable.

Of course it's not an enforceable rule unless they search your bags, which I haven't seen any cinema do. For me, going to the cinema is invariably a family affair. With a wife and two daughters, I have plenty of bag space to store everything I may need, including a not cold enough beer, which nicely complements the popcorn (not stale at all) from the concession stand. The prices at the concession stands are high, but not ridiculously high like I've seen elsewhere. My whine would be a lack of choice in the snack department (I like cashews too) and no beer. And those 3D glasses give me a headache.

[Yunnie]

take a backpack next time and stuff it full of food, We brought a pizza in that way, back in the US though

[Sansai Sam]

For a short time Major Cineplex had a metal detector and they checked every bag. They have since removed it but they still occasionally check bags.

[lukeskywalker]

You answered ur the problem to your own whine. If you feel it is appropriate to bring in outside food, put it in your wife's bag. Period.

On Samui, as pirating has become a big thing, a few times they searched bags of some people for cameras. What they would have done if they found a "food stash" I don't know. But, their not searching here anyway.

And the food prices, as well as the movie prices (especially on half-price Wednesdays), are dirt cheap compared to West already, but if I had family, wife would definitely be carrying in food. That way, if she gets busted, you can just say you don't know her or make a run for it. :-)

[jayjay0]

Thanks for the updates on the various Farang lands.. In Thailand however, it has always been just fine to bring snacks. It takes a bold person to go stand in between a Thai person and his/her food, as you may have experienced.

It has never been just fine. It has always been rude and just people taking advantage of the Thai gentleness.:jap:

Yes it would take a lot of nerve. But I strongly suspected he is just cherry picking. I go to a movie on average of once every other week for four years. [it is a addiction with me] and have never had that experience. I guess some of those leaving are taking phone calls and I have seen maybe three do it repeatedly. But I can not say for a fact they are doing it for a phone call. I know for a fact my Thai wife will leave to go to the bathroom.

No endurance that women. She can't read English so don't tell her I said that. OK:lock:

Edited July 29, 2010 by jayjay0

[ihunnieibee]

My first two jobs were at movie theatres. Which I know the price of movies is really expensive, 600 baht for 3 people is actually a good deal considering you can see the same Hollywood movies here as you can in the US and they are much more expensive there. + you don't have to wait a very long time, some even come out here at the same time!!

The reason for them not wanting you to bring in outside food and the high cost of snacks at the movie theatres is that - this is how they make their profits. Theatres don't make profit on tickets.

All the ticket money goes to the people who make the movies.

Sometimes a little background info or research can back up reasons that might not seem as obvious to the person who doesn't know where all the money goes to in a business.

*edit -- but I totally see where you are coming from and don't mean anything rude or anything. It's okay to complain (I do it often...) and I just wanted to tell you the things that I know from my past work experience.

Edited July 29, 2010 by ihunnieibee

[Dustoff]

~

Not to mention - but I will..

If you notice when leaving a crowded theater, you will find that a LOT of people just dump their trash not only in adjacent seats but all over the floor which even gets kicked under the seats in front of them. It takes not only time between showings but extra people to clean up and I am sure it is a bit frustrating for the theater complex that didn't make a baht on all the snacks that people brought with them.

Also, the people who would like to snack but sneak in their own are the very ones who assure that ticket prices stay high.

Now I just need to figure out why I would respond to such a silly thread.

[Thakkar]

take a backpack next time and stuff it full of food, We brought a pizza in that way, back in the US though

replying to wrong post.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Thakkar

[Thakkar]

For a short time Major Cineplex had a metal detector and they checked every bag. They have since removed it but they still occasionally check bags.

I remember that. They were searching for video cameras brought in by pirates to film the movie. They saw the food in our bags, but said nothing.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

take a backpack next time and stuff it full of food, We brought a pizza in that way, back in the US though

LIKE! [button]

You answered ur the problem to your own whine. If you feel it is appropriate to bring in outside food, put it in your wife's bag. Period.

I guess it's obvious I need more practise at this whine-thing. I do appreciate the encouraging feedback received. Thanks!!!

[realthaideal]

Thanks for the updates on the various Farang lands.. In Thailand however, it has always been just fine to bring snacks. It takes a bold person to go stand in between a Thai person and his/her food, as you may have experienced.

I dunno Whinnie, you usually display lots of common sense. The verb about sancks and the movie theater is 'sneak', not 'bring' in. It's more fun that way too. You know, in Thailand alot of rules/laws are left by the wayside unless they get broken too openly and then the person seeing it doesn't have a choice. And the young lady, power trip or not, must be happy to have a steady job, and rather than risk her employment and income, she has to enforce it to cover her own azz - this is a common m.o. of most employees, and Thai institutional workers too, of course.

And then, 555 ! You think the popcorn is stale 'cause you go to that ghetto-azz theater over in KSK ! Major has higher turnover and sells plenty of all three of their popcorns. I am thrilled to purchase a chemical-rich box of their cheeze popcorn as an indulgence every time I go. I've never had bad popcorn there - ever ! I bought popcorn maybe twice at the Vista... that was enough to learn my lesson there. You get what you pay for, and Vista is pretty-much fend for yourself - finding the theater, ignoring the smell of the theater, and bringing in your own better snacks while you're at it.

But if you must, sneak it in. That's why God invented baggy shorts and cargo pants. Or use the wife's purse.

[eek]

//.grrrrrrrrrr...my reply went into a cyber black hole or something.. 3bb has been so frustrating today!!

Winnie, win, win, I said something along the lines of just sneaking stuff in next time (as others have mentioned) because its a whole lot more fun when you have to sneak stuff. Feels kind of naughty. Doing harmless stuff against rules is great fun, makes me feel like a big kiddy.

[jayjay0]

//.grrrrrrrrrr...my reply went into a cyber black hole or something.. 3bb has been so frustrating today!!

Winnie, win, win, I said something along the lines of just sneaking stuff in next time (as others have mentioned) because its a whole lot more fun when you have to sneak stuff. Feels kind of naughty. Doing harmless stuff against rules is great fun, makes me feel like a big kiddy.

Personally I feel the whole thing has gotten out of hand. We have posts here that OK rule breaking and justify it by saying it is minor. That is not what I have gathered from some of the knowledgeable people on this thread.

I am not going to bother checking but I wonder how many of those posters see some thing like that and say they are Thai's how can you expect them to do the right thing. Or some other derogatory remark.

Just wondering

[eek]

jayjay..did you read what i was referring to? You honestly think its a crime to take your own snacks into a cinema? Well, frankly i dont. I think i do enough good things with my time and money to decide if i want to sneak in my favorite snack into a cinema. Quite honestly I think your viewpoint is extreme.

..and for you to say that in making this comment I am setting some bad example to Thai people who may read it, its rather insulting to Thai peoples intelligence..dont you think?

Talking of which, i would have thought that most people would "get" when a person is making light of something. But maybe you consider making a light of taking food into a cinema as a terrible thing. You obviously have a much higher standard of how to live life than i do. Well..good for you really. Maybe you can offer advice in the forum to members, rather than cast them down, may be far more productive. Just a thought.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

jayjay..did you read what i was referring to? You honestly think its a crime to take your own snacks into a cinema?

Our Thaivisa demographic seems to be shifting. We're going to be ThaiSaints.com soon.

Maybe it's time to confess some more sins.. I was in the TG lounge at CNX recently and took some extra sachets of Equal sweetener. And earlier in the week I used the Mad Dog WiFi signal even though I wasn't actually at Mad Dog that time. I downloaded a Top Gear episode, which is officially not available to view outside of Britain. (15x05 this week was a nice one) And I sometimes park at D.K. Book Store also when not visiting the store, or use a nice hotel rest rooms also when I'm not a guest.

And then there's shafting Truevisions, but on this one I think God will give me a pass. God doesn't like TrueVisions either.

Still it'll be straight down from the Pearly Gates for me no doubt about it.

Edited July 29, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Dustoff]

~

I can already see where this is going - men dragging their terrified (now criminal) wives along with their bulky purses, others putting their mobile phones on silent mode but not turning them off so they can make emergency calls to the police whenever a purse is opened and the contents displayed. It ain't gonna be pretty!

We usually just go early and snack or lunch before the movie but to each his own.

As a lifetime hiker/trekker however, I think the least you can do when you bring your own stuff is adhere to the old saw, "If you packed it in, YOU pack it out."

I have no prob with people taking lunches and snacks along when hiking scenic trails and parks, in any country, but those boorish pigs who scatter their trash alongside the trails as they swagger along should be mauled by bears. It isn't someone else's job to clean up after you unless you are paying them to do so.

This is still a silly thread...

~

Edited July 29, 2010 by Dustoff

[ThaiPauly]

I realised when I got out of AP Plazza that after watching a movie I had obviously dropped my mobile phone down the side of a chair.

I rushed back and they went to look for it , found it and gave it back.

The could have lied about finding it so they get a thumbs up from me.

I always enjoy the Major Cinema Experience....with popcorn and Pepsi....unless the film is rubbish, which ain't their fault

[Ulysses G.]

I am not going to bother checking but I wonder how many of those posters see some thing like that and say they are Thai's how can you expect them to do the right thing.

I am pretty sure that most Thais have already cottoned on that most Westerners are not much more honest or ethical than they are.

[jayjay0]

I realised when I got out of AP Plazza that after watching a movie I had obviously dropped my mobile phone down the side of a chair.

I rushed back and they went to look for it , found it and gave it back.

The could have lied about finding it so they get a thumbs up from me.

I always enjoy the Major Cinema Experience....with popcorn and Pepsi....unless the film is rubbish, which ain't their fault

You hit the nail right on the head with the word experience.

I have friends who tell me you can down load things but for myself I will go to a movie that I would pass up on TV. It is definatly a experiance and I don't have to cheat the company out of there profit to get it.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I am not going to bother checking but I wonder how many of those posters see some thing like that and say they are Thai's how can you expect them to do the right thing.

Speaking of doing the right thing, as this was my daughter's first cinema experience, she didn't expect or want to stand up during the tribute thing. Also didn't want to force her of course, and secretly I kind of liked it that she didn't automatically went along with something just because everyone else was doing it. Good girl.