Me and six other of my friends went out today and decided they wanted to check out what the hype is about an A-Go-Go bar, since none of them have ever been to one...including me.  After a few beer from the local Family Mart we headed out for our adventure.  We found one in the a few soi's down the street.  Racing pass all the "hello welcomes" we made it to the door - finally!  We all started to walk inside until I came the door.  A little Thai guy about 5'4 stopped me and blurted something in Thai, I normally would understand but he had a Southern accent.  I realized that he wasn't letting me in, then I asked him why.  He answered me when a this question, "where you from?"I had to stop and think about it for a second.  I'm Thai, but was born in the states...I wasn't sure what he wanted to hear, my Nationality or Ethnicity.  I went ahead and told him I was American.  He didn't believe me and started to brush me off.  I was already a little tippsy to begin with, so naturally I started to get aggressive as he got louder.At this point I'm not sure what happened but I do remember him punching me on the shoulder and one of the other bouncer/motor cycle taxi guy tried to push my with his foot (teap).  I caught it along with is shoe...which I throw down the street in a fit rage.I'm not known to be like this but I've never been discriminated against before.  I would have never thought it would happen in my Motherland and because I was Thai. ...I got the last laugh. 8p

Sorry to hear that..

It happened to my friend also 4 years ago.

We wanted to go into the pub somewhere in Pattaya.

And they said.. my friend who is Thai man wouldnt allowed to go in..

Thai girls and farangs or tourists are welcome .. but not Thai men..

So.. we really pissed off.. I can understand how you feel..

Discrimination is everywhere nowadays..

Dude I agree with SoBeIt this is awful so sorry to hear that this happened to you.. from what I understand some clubs will also deny some patrons even if they are Thai mix. The Japanese have Japanese only clubs if you are not Japanese you will be denied entry. It's amazing this stuff goes on in Thailand but it does. keep ya head up man...

It's normal - Thai guys could be undercover cops.

Racism isn't anything to do with being Thai or European or from anywhere else, unfortunately prejudice is an inherent condition we all share as humans but accepting that we should all be anti racist not just non racist. Rise above it and sit the front of the bus, but maybe without the shoe throwing. Easy to say but I understand your angst. I make a distinction between prejudice and Racism by the way but that is another subject.

I really don't think it is amazing to hear that this stuff goes on in Thailand. I think it's actually quite common. Just yesterday at one of the temples near China Town that we went to for the TF photo shoot event they had signs saying "Foreigner Entrance" and "Thai Entrance." I'm not one of those people who complains when some tourist attractions have dual pricing for Thais and Non-Thais because I feel like I'm getting ripped off or anything but it does go to show that discrimination is very open in Thailand.

BTW, their reason for denying you access probably has to do with the fact that if they didn't have some sort of rule like that many of the dancers would invite their boyfriends/husbands who would sit around and intimidate the other customers. But like many rules, people sometimes get so caught up in carrying out the rules that they don't even understand why they're doing it. It was probably obvious that you were not the boyfriend of one of the dancers coming in to make problems but rules are rules and bouncers tend to have a very narrow interpretation of rules.

None of this makes discrimination right. It's unfortunate that it happens both to us farangs and also to Thais but it is far from uncommon or surprising.

I agree with the Admin. I have known a few farang men who run go-gos, and they don't want local men visiting their establishments. They feel that trouble will ensure. Either boyfriends, or someone will see a girl from his home village and then phone everyone in the village to tell of his discovery, etc. Tourists come and go, don't cause trouble. Local Thai guys hang around, form relationships, and do have the potential to cause trouble. Easy decision.

Sorry you felt put out. A few years ago I 'smuggled' a Thai male friend into a go-go by telling him to not say a word and telling everyone else he was Italian .

could think your a cop,or didn't think you had the cash to throw around

Opposite to me, each time I go to shopping on the side street they always charge me also with the taxi because they think I'm not Thai '

and NO it's not normal human behaviour & it amazes me that someone would think this would be an "easy decision" why would you have to lie and smuggle someone into an establishment? - reminds me of the stuff I read about in school in the US of people smuggling blacks on the underground railroad.

I can understand the excuse about a Thai boyfriend stirring up trouble. or even exposing the dancer to the people in their village. that makes perfect sense to me.but don't some go-go girls date and marry farang men how would they handle them stirring up trouble in the bar which i'm sure happens frequently. Some patrons will be denied even if the look like they are Thai. I know this for a fact because I seen this with my own eyes it happed to a Filipino american mixed buddy of mine but he looks Thai though when this guy opens his mouth he has a very strong US southern accent so theirs no denying that he's not American. Fortunately I knew the owner and they let him in. No it's not right but I agree anyone that owns a club they have the right to make the rules...but of course that doesn't make it right. racism will always make an excuse and hide under the premise that the action is being done for the good of something. or even for the persons own good. People will even go along with it -- until it either happens to a love one of yours maybe my mixed Thai daughter or son. then of course it's not right.

sorry to hear that....... I can understand how you feel..

I didn't go to Gogo Bar but I was trying to check, if my male friend got his accommodation booked properly. I phoned one of the Sawasdee Guesthouses and they didn't even wanna speak to me on the phone. Because my office was not too far from there so I went there to ask the receptionist. The receptionist showed sign of irritation, while I asked her to look up my friend's name. She kept saying that Thai girl was not allowed in the guesthouse! After she saw that the guy booked a super small single room, her sign of irritation just disappeared.

Cool, eh?