ดริ๊งค์: lady drinks and bar fines, explained

In the go-go and hostess bars of Walking Street, Bangla and Soi Cowboy, a woman may sit down and ask you to buy her a drink. A ดริ๊งค์ costs 200 to 300 baht and includes her commission; that is the whole deal, and ไม่เอา ขอบคุณ ends it without drama. The บาร์ไฟน์ is a separate fee, 500 to 2,500, paid to the venue if a member of staff leaves her shift early; it buys nothing from her, and she can still decline. This book explains the system so you can read a bill, not so you will use it. Prostitution is illegal, raids happen, and the quieter bars down the soi are more fun anyway.