The Bill That Grows by Itself: 5 Bar Bill Tricks in Thailand

You had 6 beers. The bill says 11, plus 4 drinks you never ordered, plus a service charge nobody mentioned. And it's dark, and it's loud, and you've had 6 beers.

That's not an accident. That's the business model of a bad bar.

First, to be fair: most bars in Thailand are honest

I've paid a lot of bills there, and most of them were right.

But the ones that aren't right use the same tricks every time. So once you know them, you're fine.

The 5 tricks of a bad bar

Trick 1: the extra slip

In a lot of bars, every order goes on a little paper slip into a cup on your table. And that's actually a good system, if you look at it.

Because the trick is a slip that goes in when you're not looking, for a drink that never came.

Trick 2: lady drinks you didn't offer

You bought her one. Then she orders another one herself, or her friend sits down and suddenly has a drink in her hand.

If you didn't say yes, it shouldn't be on your bill.

Trick 3: the upgrade

You said a drink, and what comes is a double, or the most expensive thing on the menu.

Trick 4: the charge at the end

A service charge, a cover charge, something for the show. And it only shows up when you want to leave.

Trick 5: the bill is just wrong

This is the simplest one. The bill is just wrong, and they're hoping you're too drunk or too polite to check.

By the way. All of this, and a lot more, is in my Thailand Guide, so you know it before you land and not after.

3 habits that stop it, and cost you nothing

One. Look at every slip when it goes into the cup. Just look at it, in front of them. That alone stops most of it, because now they know you're that guy.

Two. Pay as you go when you can. One round, one bill, and there's nothing to add up at the end.

Three. Cash only when you drink. Never hand over a card in a bar, and never open a tab on a card.

What to do when the bill is wrong

Don't get loud. You smile, you point at the line, and you say: "I didn't order this." And then you wait.

In most cases it comes off right away, because they tried and it didn't work, and nobody wants a scene.

If it doesn't come off

If it doesn't come off, and it's a small amount, here's my honest advice. Pay it, leave, and never go back.

You're a foreigner, at night, in their bar. And being right is not worth what comes after.

The bigger lesson: pick the bar

• No prices on the menu.
• No menu at all.
• Somebody on the street pulled you in with a promise.

If you see one of these, you already know how the bill is going to look.

The best protection is not checking the bill. It's picking the bar.

So check every charge. Every time, no exceptions. It takes 10 seconds, and it's the cheapest habit you'll ever have in Thailand.

If you're planning a trip, I built the Thailand Guide for exactly this: more than 60 videos on how the nightlife really works, 3 eBooks, cheat sheets and checklists, and interactive maps with over 500 pins across Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. One payment, lifetime access, every update free.

Quick answers

Are bar bills in Thailand a scam?

Most bars in Thailand are honest. I've paid a lot of bills there, and most of them were right. The bad bars use the same few tricks every time, so once you know them, you're fine.

How do bars in Thailand pad the bill?

With an extra slip in the cup for a drink that never came, lady drinks you didn't offer, an upgrade to a double or the most expensive drink, a charge that only shows up at the end, or a bill that is just wrong.

What do I do if my bar bill in Thailand is wrong?

Don't get loud. Smile, point at the line, say "I didn't order this", and wait. In most cases it comes off right away. If it doesn't, and it's a small amount, pay it, leave, and never go back.

Should I pay by card in a bar in Thailand?

No. Cash only when you drink. Never hand over a card in a bar, and never open a tab on a card.

Read next

• Why Nice Guys Get Played in Thailand
• 75 Thailand Nightlife Scams: Detect and Avoid
• 4 Thailand Nightlife Warnings
• Thailand Nightlife: the 10 Step Safety Protocol
• Your First Night in Pattaya, Hour by Hour

This post is for adults and is my personal opinion. It talks about nightlife in general, and not about any person or place shown in the pictures. The numbers at the top are an example. Use common sense.