General Discussion of Smoking in Bars & Restaurants

[vincemunday]

Actually guys, macca46 isn't a bad bloke and although it's his right not to eat or drink in places that allow smoking he's not put his case forward as he meant to. Smoking is a VERY emotive subject, some like me find it very offensive and some people aren't bothered by it, personally I don't give a sod what the law says, I choose not to eat or drink where they allow smoking and it's the restaurant owners choice which way they decide to go, pretty rich from an ex 60 a day man eh! I agree though there are one or two keyboard warriors on this thread but macca46 isn't one of them.

[mech_401]

if go into a bar/ sports bar I would expect smoke
they aren't making any money on food I don't think

[vincemunday]

I'm pretty confident there aren't many beer bars in Udon making much of a living despite the crow of some of the owners, beers are usually very cheap and when you go down places like Day and Night, if it's not empty it's full of born again teenagers supping their half pint drooling at the not so pretty girls. There are some exceptions but my guess is that some of the family style restaurants beat them hands down and I'm 100% confident that a lot of the beer bars that cater mainly for Thai people are in a different league completely, Yok Yai the one we go to is usually rammed 7 days a week full of people eating and drinking "pros", the Farang customers don't even figure with them. Oh by the by, they don't allow smoking in or near the bar, you have to walk across the road to have a cigarette, none of the smokers moan they just do it as a matter of course.

[GT93]

if go into a bar/ sports bar I would expect smoke
they aren't making any money on food I don't think

I wouldn't go into a bar or restaurant where it looked liked like I'd be hit by cigarette smoke. If I saw someone smoking inside, I'd walk straight out. The same with someone smoking so nearby that smoke was drifting in. That can be a problem even in farangland.

[Giggle]

I can put up with anyone if they're interesting. I've never smoked, but grew up with two parents who did. If someone has something interesting to say, I might suppress my aversion to smoke to have a listen. I don't suffer fools.

[papafarang]

here's the bad news , as an ex smoker I now know I can smell cigarettes at 20M , it don't bother me. there are plenty of other foul smells to enjoy in Thailand too, a good plate of somtam has the aroma of rotting rubbish and 3 day old unwashed a@@hole as far as i'm concerned. smoking should not be allowed in enclosed spaces , like farting you should go outside to do it. anyone running a bar/eatery should make arrangements for all it's customers, smokers and non smokers.
by the way , there is nothing worse than an ex smoker bitching about smoke, and if cigarette smoke is the best you got to moan about then you better never leave your house.. or move to Finland if it's that bad

[Laan Yaa Mo]

Smoking does not provide any benefits to anyone on the planet. Ban it from the face of the Earth, forever !

[hairyharry]

Depends

[papafarang]

Smoking does not provide any benefits to anyone on the planet. Ban it from the face of the Earth, forever !

phillip morris and 100,000 of share holders would disagree with that statement. I try now to encourage people to stop smoking , bitching at them don't help, encouraging them does. I feel it's the responsibility of governments to help people quit. just putting taxes up is shirking their responsibility .they take the tax ,they should pay to clean up the mess they should have done 60 years ago. the best way is to stop people starting in the first place. Raise the age limit by one year every year and make people show ID to buy them, in 20 years from now you would have to be 38 years old to buy them and in 50 years no more smokers

[tamada]

So, in summing up, is this thread yet another stitch up of a regular Udon farang bar owners business or a legitimate gripe about smoking in other bars and restaurants?

Since the suggested list of places for smokers to avoid still hasn't been put up by any of the usual bellyachers, the title of the thread stands as an incorrect and improper reference to the actual complaint of the (no-longer responsive) OP. So I've taken the one-off opportunity of changing the title just for this post.

The Elephant Bar is OPEN AIR with FANS and a great social venue with very good food. If a waft of ciggy smoke gets on your tits, you'll have a gay old time when I drop by an light up a stogie. As a special favor though, I'll wait until the food you ordered has been placed on the table before firing up.

I guess the upside of a specific 'clean air dining venue' thread (that STILL hasn't been created BTW), will be the broad notification of the very few places where all the namby pamby, limp-wristed, perpetually gurning, legends in their own lunchtime farangs hang out, swap notes on who's saying what on which forum, how much they drop on a tab, just how simply bloody wonderful they are and how most clever bar owners would be a fool not to want them as a regular paying customer.

[Laan Yaa Mo]

The Gay Blades can mince over to their local bar/restaurant and suck on their fags all day long; however, that does not do much for the law abiding citizen/customer who prefers a smoke free environment.

[mech_401]

just so i understand , the guys who smoked 3 packs a day and now have lung problems tell
us we can't have ciggie in sports bar. ok got it

[vincemunday]

To be honest I think the thread became generalised and more about all restaurants and bars, their owners and their right to allow smoking or not and of course the right of the customer to pick and choose whether they frequent those bars or not and it's quite fair if the subject title is changed permanently, it's not fair if the Elephant is given a bad rep when the issue is more widespread. As I said earlier, smoking is a a VERY emotive subject and both sides tend to fight their corner, I choose to give places that allow smoking a miss as do a lot of other people it would seem and to be perfectly honest I think it's a commercial decision on behalf of the bar owner. It's not a case of being namby pamby or limp wristed, if you don't smoke, smoking is in the main offensive, it doesn't make us bad people because we choose not to drink or eat in that environment. Strangely the one thing I do miss is a Cuban, there's nothing nicer than a glass of brandy and a R&J, trouble is if I smoke one that'd be me back on the fags.

I think the subject title I've chosen is a fair one and I shall ask UM if they'll amend it accordingly, if they can't I think it's only fair we don't continue posting on this thread as it's singling out one bar, unfairly, unless of course anyone else objects?

[tamada]

The Gay Blades can mince over to their local bar/restaurant and suck on their fags all day long; however, that does not do much for the law abiding citizen/customer who prefers a smoke free environment.

I am not sure which of the following is more frustrating.

1 - There are no-smoking laws in Thailand with clearly stated penalties.

2 - The Royal Thai Police

[tamada]

To be honest I think the thread became generalised and more about all restaurants and bars, their owners and their right to allow smoking or not and of course the right of the customer to pick and choose whether they frequent those bars or not and it's quite fair if the subject title is changed permanently, it's not fair if the Elephant is given a bad rep when the issue is more widespread. As I said earlier, smoking is a a VERY emotive subject and both sides tend to fight their corner, I choose to give places that allow smoking a miss as do a lot of other people it would seem and to be perfectly honest I think it's a commercial decision on behalf of the bar owner. It's not a case of being namby pamby or limp wristed, if you don't smoke, smoking is in the main offensive, it doesn't make us bad people because we choose not to drink or eat in that environment. Strangely the one thing I do miss is a Cuban, there's nothing nicer than a glass of brandy and a R&J, trouble is if I smoke one that'd be me back on the fags.

I think the subject title I've chosen is a fair one and I shall ask UM if they'll amend it accordingly, if they can't I think it's only fair we don't continue posting on this thread as it's singling out one bar, unfairly, unless of course anyone else objects?

Good work vince. I hope the thread title change is done. If not, maybe the mods can close this thread and start a new one titled as you suggest? All's fair and as you say it is an emotive subject (the VERY depends on the individual) and it would be good to have a blameless, factual, where-to-go guide for those with health issues (like the OP who made a meal of this subject and this bar) and others who generally find it an irritant.

When it comes to stogies, I was a 60-day Marlboro man up until some time in my 30's when I had an epiphany. When I started getting seriously into cigars about 10 years ago (that's maybe after a ~15 year totally smokeless gap), I was told it was the slippery slope but it hasn't been the case. I enjoy a cigar or two with some beers on a weekend night and maybe a robusto once a week after dinner. The nature of my work also prevents me lighting up a cigar as I can't take a 1 hour break (and a snifter of cognac) for smoko. To enjoy a cigar, one needs still air and time and anywhere with a fan makes that a bit of a no-hoper.

I think I'll (fully) retire next year and open Udon's first cigar bar staffed with eye-candy who know how to get your nub burning evenly. George at the TAP had an excellent selection of cigars recently but some bugger came in and bought the bloody lot! I wonder if he's flogged 'em on eBay yet?

[Jello]

Really?

[runrunshaw]

So, in summing up, is this thread yet another stitch up of a regular Udon farang bar owners business or a legitimate gripe about smoking in other bars and restaurants?

Since the suggested list of places for smokers to avoid still hasn't been put up by any of the usual bellyachers, the title of the thread stands as an incorrect and improper reference to the actual complaint of the (no-longer responsive) OP. So I've taken the one-off opportunity of changing the title just for this post.

The Elephant Bar is OPEN AIR with FANS and a great social venue with very good food. If a waft of ciggy smoke gets on your tits, you'll have a gay old time when I drop by an light up a stogie. As a special favor though, I'll wait until the food you ordered has been placed on the table before firing up.

I guess the upside of a specific 'clean air dining venue' thread (that STILL hasn't been created BTW), will be the broad notification of the very few places where all the namby pamby, limp-wristed, perpetually gurning, legends in their own lunchtime farangs hang out, swap notes on who's saying what on which forum, how much they drop on a tab, just how simply bloody wonderful they are and how most clever bar owners would be a fool not to want them as a regular paying customer.

LMFAO!!!
I'm an occasional cigar smoker. I don't go out for a Scotch so I can be exiled to the sidewalk as my drink gets warm. I never smoke in enclosed places. Open air bars that welcome smokers are a wonderful thing, and the PC douche bags can all go have themselves a good cry somewhere. Don't like my cigar smoke in an open air bar? As they say in New York: Go f--- yourself.

[vincemunday]

Hi please use this thread to voice your opinion on smoking or indeed not smoking in bars and restaurants in Udon. Personally I choose not to smoke in bars that do allow it but respect the rights of those managers and punters who think it's okay.

[AlexO]

As a reformed smoker (2 years now) I can honestly say that I never smoked in establishments where people were eating, height of bad manners. In a bar where everyone is on the piss go for it, most people dont care. Enclosed bars that have food NoNo open front bars,dont care anymore.

[Old Grumpy]

Smoking in bars is okay by me cause I never go to one, but smoking in a restaurant, definite no no .I wonder why people would want to eat in a bar ?