23 hours ago, floridarob said:

The bottle just gives you an original label to admire while drinking whatever they refilled it with

They’re supposed to break the seal in front of you though it’s not foolproof. I’ve come across fake bottles before. Once I’ve verified a bar or club sells fake drinks I never go there again. Whisky is the most commonly faked alcohol. It tastes similar to the original (hard to discern since it’s been mixed) and gives a similar initial buzz but you can’t easily get drunk. I once opened a bottle with two boys and none of us could work up any form of sustained drunken merriment even though a bottle is plenty for three. A real downer since we were in a club.

Unless you drink copious amounts and then it’s not a nice “drunk” high, as you’d get off a proper whisky, but a disgusting, rough feeling. The next day hangover is also wretched. I wouldn’t recommend it.

There are two ways to avoid it, only go to verified establishments or order a bottle of non-whisky such as vodka as these are less commonly faked.

Jupiter only sells authentic whisky. I have opened multiple bottles over the years with no issues. I can only speak for Johnnie Walker. They probably value their Thai and Chinese VIPs too much to lose them to fake alcohol.

10 hours ago, jason1975 said:

That's good to know! Jupiter gets +1 from me!

Yes especially since they keep the unfinished bottle for you. If I plan to visit at least twice on my trip , on the first visit I pay for the bottle and mixers and no boy drinks. If my friend is with me, two covers are waived. And the second visit, just pay cover and mixers, again no boy drinks. Works out to reasonable value in the end.

3 hours ago, hank75 said:

They’re supposed to break the seal in front of you though it’s not foolproof. I’ve come across fake bottles before. Once I’ve verified a bar or club sells fake drinks I never go there again. Whisky is the most commonly faked alcohol. It tastes similar to the original (hard to discern since it’s been mixed) and gives a similar initial buzz but you can’t easily get drunk. I once opened a bottle with two boys and none of us could work up any form of sustained drunken merriment even though a bottle is plenty for three. A real downer since we were in a club.

Unless you drink copious amounts and then it’s not a nice “drunk” high, as you’d get off a proper whisky, but a disgusting, rough feeling. The next day hangover is also wretched. I wouldn’t recommend it.

There are two ways to avoid it, only go to verified establishments or order a bottle of non-whisky such as vodka as these are less commonly faked.

Jupiter only sells authentic whisky. I have opened multiple bottles over the years with no issues. I can only speak for Johnnie Walker. They probably value their Thai and Chinese VIPs too much to lose them to fake alcohol.

I remember the mamasan showing me the seal on the bottle of Johnnie Walker at Jupiter when I ordered a bottle. Very classy gesture to let customers see the seal and watch it opened, thus certifying it's authentic.

3 hours ago, hank75 said:

Yes especially since they keep the unfinished bottle for you. If I plan to visit at least twice on my trip , on the first visit I pay for the bottle and mixers and no boy drinks. If my friend is with me, two covers are waived. And the second visit, just pay cover and mixers, again no boy drinks. Works out to reasonable value in the end.

Well-thought of and practical plan. Spreading the bottle over 2 visits is a good excuse to visit Jupiter again!

During my visit with forum members to Jupiter, mamasan always ask us if we want a bottle. There were usually 4 of us. Unfortunately most don't drink alcohol so we declined ordering a bottle and were content with our individual drinks.

I find this thread strangely interesting, like hearing about how straight guys get aroused by this or that part of a female's anatomy, haha. In other words, nothing of the above resonates with me, yet it is somehow intellectually fascinating.

I have never found any pleasure from being even tipsy, let along drunk - maybe it's just the control freak in me, wanting to retain full control of my senses at all times - and I'm no fan of alcohol. Yet, I am seeing here a desire to make oneself inebriated (at least partly) and to make the bar boys inebriated too; all the while counting the monetary costs.

I guess Bangkok is safe enough for such adventures, but over the years, I've heard of two misadventures from friends of friends. In both instances they were straight. The story from the guy who went to the Philippines (can't remember if it was Manila or Subic) was particularly dreadful. Apparently, or so he believed - I have to allow for the fact that he didn't really remember events well - he was pickpocketed while sitting with several women in a bar, and then when it was time to pay the tab, he was assaulted for having no money. After several hours, some toughies accompanied him back to his hotel and they ransacked his room to find more money.

Another story was from someone who went to Greece. Can't remember the details now but it too had something to do with being partially intoxicated amidst bargirls.

Over at the Latin American forum, we come across reports from time to time about friends of friends being robbed after a night out, and some of these reports admit that they had been drinking.

Sorry, if I sound like a wet blanket....

1 hour ago, macaroni21 said:

Yet, I am seeing here a desire to make oneself inebriated (at least partly) and to make the bar boys inebriated too; all the while counting the monetary costs.

Many of the boys enjoy drinking and are tremendous fun. As for safety, the only danger I have encountered is waking up the next morning finding out I’ve spent twice what I intended by not wisely ordering a bottle in Jupiter at the start of the evening and instead doing stupid things like ordering it from hotel room service menu. Or from the Lao boy at Moonlight who turned out to be a champion vomitter after imbibing too much.

Jokes aside I have always felt remarkably safe in Bangkok and especially in Silom. I have never encountered any theft or dishonestly from barboys. When we go to a club, the guy will always follow me to the toilet to ensure I don’t encounter any misadventure. It’s a story for another time but there used to be a code of conduct that they weren’t prostitutes but entertainers who “take care”.

I would never do the same in the Philippines.

8 hours ago, hank75 said:

They’re supposed to break the seal in front of you though it’s not foolproof. I’ve come across fake bottles before. Once I’ve verified a bar or club sells fake drinks I never go there again.

The seal certifies that you’ve opened the bottle, not what’s inside it 😵

Last year I contacted Bacardi’s corporate office about several bottles I bought from different retailers in Thailand, including Foodland. All had intact caps, yet tasted so wrong, I just couldn't stand it 🤮

Bacardi promised laboratory comparisons, and their Managing Director in Thailand eventually called me. He initially suggested old stock and storage in hot conditions explained the difference. In the end, he more or less acknowledged that I might be onto something and said they’d investigate further. That wasn’t proof of counterfeiting, but watching the mamasan break a seal isn’t a laboratory test either 😆

Counterfeit alcohol is big business.,,, drug cartels & smugglers force their way into places to make businesses buy from them by "Making an offer they can't refuse" 🦾

In Brazil, I’d previously had concerns about drinks in discos, bars and saunas, but over the past year or two, even liquor-store purchases have raised suspicions. I’m more comfortable buying from the larger grocery chains.

I’m sure genuine bottles are sold in Thailand. I’m just not convinced they’re reaching many of the regular places we go to. As for DJ Station, judging by what I’ve been served, they might as well put “imitation” on the drinks menu. I wish I liked beer. Too much work and too little return to fake that 🍻

When someone (Me) with a Bacardi logo tattoo switches to the less popular Captain Morgan because it actually tastes like the real thing, that should tell you something. 😂

1 hour ago, macaroni21 said:

Sorry, if I sound like a wet blanket....

Same thing "real" straight guys or "strictly tops" are like when I try explaining why I like to get fucked, they can't imagine a cock in their ass and don't see the pleasure in it 🤷‍♂️

55 minutes ago, floridarob said:

I’m sure genuine bottles are sold in Thailand. I’m just not convinced they’re reaching many of the regular places we go to. As for DJ Station, judging by what I’ve been served, they might as well put “imitation” on the drinks menu. I wish I liked beer. Too much work and too little return to fake that 🍻

I can only vouch for Jupiter. In fact the karaoke place @jason1975 referred to (Sky, forgot what it’s called now) surprisingly also sells real whisky. The place I encountered fake drinks was a well known gay dance club. agree on liking beer….and cheaper too.

14 minutes ago, hank75 said:

I can only vouch for Jupiter. In fact the karaoke place @jason1975 referred to (Sky, forgot what it’s called now) surprisingly also sells real whisky. The place I encountered fake drinks was a well known gay dance club. agree on liking beer….and cheaper too.

Sky bar is now called h.i.m.

2 hours ago, hank75 said:

It’s a story for another time but there used to be a code of conduct that they weren’t prostitutes but entertainers who “take care”.

I agree. The guys pay special attention and take care of their customers. Sometimes I feel embarrassed by all the fuss. But nevertheless it is a nice feeling.

2 hours ago, hank75 said:

Jokes aside I have always felt remarkably safe in Bangkok and especially in Silom. I have never encountered any theft or dishonestly from barboys.

Me too. Except for the occasional white lie.

1 hour ago, floridarob said:

I’m sure genuine bottles are sold in Thailand. I’m just not convinced they’re reaching many of the regular places we go to.

I have wondered about that as well. There were two ocassions in two different bars (not Jupiter) when I ordered Johnnie Walker but the guys who drank with me (we finished the bottle) didn't seem drunk! I myself wasn't drunk as I deliberately didn't drink that much.

But I would say the drinks sold at Midnight bar are definitely authentic because I often see the waiters drunk after they spent the night drinking with customers!

29 minutes ago, jason1975 said:

I have wondered about that as well. There were two ocassions in two different bars (not Jupiter) when I ordered Johnnie Walker but the guys who drank with me (we finished the bottle) didn't seem drunk! I myself wasn't drunk as I deliberately didn't drink that much.

But I would say the drinks sold at Midnight bar are definitely authentic because I often see the waiters drunk after they spent the night drinking with customers!

Getting drunk doesn’t establish that a drink is authentic. Counterfeit spirits can contain ordinary alcohol and cause intoxication, even if they aren’t the brand shown on the label. They don’t necessarily contain methanol, but some adulterated drinks do.☠️

Official UK travel advice also warns of methanol poisoning in Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam. Methanol is very difficult to distinguish from ordinary drinking alcohol by smell or taste.☠️

That doesn’t mean Midnight serves counterfeit drinks. It simply means seeing the staff drunk isn’t a reliable way to establish authenticity.☹️

11 minutes ago, floridarob said:

Getting drunk doesn’t establish that a drink is authentic. Counterfeit spirits can contain ordinary alcohol and cause intoxication, even if they aren’t the brand shown on the label. They don’t necessarily contain methanol, but some adulterated drinks do.☠️

Official UK travel advice also warns of methanol poisoning in Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam. Methanol is very difficult to distinguish from ordinary drinking alcohol by smell or taste.☠️

That doesn’t mean Midnight serves counterfeit drinks. It simply means seeing the staff drunk isn’t a reliable way to establish authenticity.☹️

That's informative indeed. I will change my conclusion to the guys in bars can hold their drink much better than waiters!

1 hour ago, floridarob said:

Getting drunk doesn’t establish that a drink is authentic. Counterfeit spirits can contain ordinary alcohol and cause intoxication, even if they aren’t the brand shown on the label. They don’t necessarily contain methanol, but some adulterated drinks do.☠️

I can only speak from experience. I have encountered fake drinks at three places but two were more evident. Both times the giveaway was that you cannot get drunk the same way one usually does from a few whiskies. There is a very mild buzz but it evaporates fast. Should you try keep drinking to chase the buzz you end up feeling unpleasant. Something just feels off with the alcohol high it produces. On each occasion I had boys with me who are good drinkers and experienced enough to know something was not quite right, they too shared my suspicions. I also felt that the taste was different but can’t reliably claim accuracy on that point. One venue was a well known club with hundreds of customers so likely they weren’t stupid enough to sell methanol as a single case would have been enough to cause a media circus and shut them down. The other well…I had been there a few times but once I was certain I was sold a fake bottle, I never set foot in there again.

3 hours ago, jason1975 said:

Me too. Except for the occasional white lie.

I stand corrected. There is a real risk of white lies…black lies….and all other colors of the rainbow

3 hours ago, hank75 said:

It’s a story for another time but there used to be a code of conduct that they weren’t prostitutes but entertainers who “take care”.

"Taking care" is something that the Thais will do and will say, whether it is the bar girls or Thai bar boys - and they often still mean it. You take care of me (financially) and I will take care of you. There is nothing improper about a relationship like that, whether long-term or for just one night. That sort of arrangement. of mutual taking care, has been the actual basis of marriage in most cultures for most of human history. Thais who engaged in that sort of behaviour - often casually, as financial need arises - had no reason to think of themselves as "prostitutes". You still find Thai bar boys who will say, with a smile, "I take care you", and mean it. That very Thai attitude is still there with many Thai freelancers, whose efforts at "taking care" still usually result in very enjoyable encounters. None of those freelancers would consider himself a prostitute.

Where you will not find that attitude of "taking care" is with most of the foreign sex workers who have crossed international borders with one simple purpose - to make money. "Taking care" of you is not their focus. The worst of the lot are the pushy, mercenary, Vietnamese money boys. These are not guys who casually whore when they need money, but actual hardcore prostitutes. Yes, the Thais in the bars are also there to make money, but there is a difference in attitude and approach and that makes all the difference in what the scene feels like and actually is. Silom today has a harder commercial feel, with the fun vibes having moved-on to the karaokes and host bars where the Thais go.

Added to that, is the change in the type of customer themselves. Cheap flights have brought a lot of cheapskates to Thailand and the boys and girls have had to start negotiating, or actually set, prices rather than just saying "up to you" and ending-up with 500 baht.

Then there is the ghastly Chinese impact. Quite a few of the Chinese argue over tipping the boy in the room, arguing that they have already paid in the bar. That, of course, is only the off fee of 400 or 500 baht, which tells you how much value they actually put on these encounters with the boys. Admittedly, you hear that less often these days. More than the price though, is the attitude of the Chinese. They often refer to those who work in the pleasure world as "chickens" and to those places as "chicken farms". That should tell you all you need to know about their attitude. Guys and girls who are willing to take care of a customer soon realise that these are not the right customers for them. Hence, the declining number of Thai boys willing to work in Silom as the number of Chinese visitors increases. They have moved-on to the karaokes, host bars and freelancing.

In their place have come hardcore prostitutes from other, neighbouring countries. The pushy, money-minded, Viets are the ones most willing and able to deal with the Chinese - and that suits the Chinese just fine because the Chinese are arch-racists who want people who look like them. While farang would fly halfway around the world to enjoy the charms of the Thais, admiring the beauty of those who look nothing like them, most of the Chinese abhor the local Thais, with their darker skins. They want people who look like them. So to cater for this market, the bars are importing guys from Vietnam, Laos and Burma who have a more Chinese look. These are not countries where guys casually playing with each other barely raises an eyebrow, or where the attitude of "I take care you" is part of the expectation. It is all commercial and it has led to a hardening of the Silom scene, with a decline in the number of Thai boys working there and the resulting change of the vibe in the bars.

"Taking care" wasn't a euphemism. It is what the Thais did. It was what gave the scene in Thailand its unique flavour that made "prostitution" in Thailand feel so much less crass and exploitative than it does in other places. Spending time with and being taken care off by those charming Thai boys or girls was what made it worth travelling halfway around the world - not the price.

5 hours ago, hank75 said:

I also felt that the taste was different but can’t reliably claim accuracy on that point.

For me, taste is the first indication, because I almost always drink Bacardi and know its usual flavor very well. Sometimes warm Coke Zero or ice made from tap water throws the drink off, so I go through a process of elimination before blaming the rum....a very scientific process 🧐

Also, adulterated doesn’t necessarily mean contaminated with methanol. It can simply mean watered down, or a cheaper shit spirit substituted for the brand you ordered. Ethanol is the normal drinking alcohol; methanol is something different 🍹

With the Bacardi bottles I reported, dilution was my suspicion because both the flavor and the usual burn seemed noticeably weaker. That wasn’t proof, which is why I contacted Bacardi and wanted them tested. Taste can alert you that something is different, but it can’t reliably tell you what’s in the bottle..... 🤷‍♂️

Thanks for sharing your knowledge about Bacardi. I want to meet you one day in Bangkok and watch you drink Bacardi and then you declare whether it''s 100% original or diluted!

1 hour ago, jason1975 said:

drink Bacardi and then you declare whether it''s 100% original or diluted!

I bring my own after the number of problems.... from Dutyfree is usually a safe bet .

Since I don’t drink alcohol, I guess I don’t have to worry about them watering down my sparkling water. 😆

15 hours ago, floridarob said:

The seal certifies that you’ve opened the bottle, not what’s inside it

Counterfeit alcohol is big business.,,,

@floridarob is correct, just because a bottle seal is unbroken, that doesn't prove the contents are genuine.

On the most recent edition of The Signal from two days ago, produced by The Nation Thailand, the subject is fake medicine - "Can you trust the medicine in Thailand?"

In the video, thousands of new fake bottle caps are shown in a scam factory, ready to seal bottles of fake cough syrup.

If they can produce fake cap seals for 100 baht cough syrup bottles, then they can make them for 1,500 baht bottles of liquor.

And as @floridarob said, for a liquor to be fake doesn't necessarily mean it contains methanol. It can be a fake of a name brand made with ethanol.

1 hour ago, Travelingguy said:

Since I don’t drink alcohol, I guess I don’t have to worry about them watering down my sparkling water. 😆

Beware it might get diluted with still, or gasp…tap….

9 hours ago, floridarob said:

I bring my own after the number of problems.... from Dutyfree is usually a safe bet .

If I am in Bangkok for a week or more, I usually buy a bottle of duty free exotic Japanese whisky from airport. When guests come to my room, we usually have a drink on the rocks.

On 10/11/2026 at 2:58 PM, macaroni21 said:

I have never found any pleasure from being even tipsy, let along drunk - maybe it's just the control freak in me, wanting to retain full control of my senses at all times - and I'm no fan of alcohol.

I'm exactly the same.

Drinking was never an option for me, as my profession had strict rules regarding alcohol consumption. It wasn't completely banned, but you had to carefully time your last drink before you turned up for work, and if you had any trace of alcohol, you'd be fired. So it was easier to just not drink at all.

I don't care if other people drink; that's their business. Most of my friends love a drink, some more than others!

All my regular guys in Pattaya never touch alcohol, whereas my Bangkok guy used to have the odd whisky when he worked in the bar. Otherwise, it was soft drink.

I prefer my bed mates sober.

Floridabob wrote:

Same thing "real" straight guys or "strictly tops" are like when I try explaining why I like to get fucked, they can't imagine a cock in their ass and don't see the pleasure in it 🤷‍♂️

As a guy who was strictly a top, I thought the same thing.

I couldn't imagine a cock up my arse, either, but I was aware of the pleasure the bottoms got, so decided to try it.

I'm now kicking myself that I left it so long!