Dear Travel Community,
I have just returned to my home in Chiang Mai from Bangkok less than 20 minutes ago. My first priority: write this review. A good and caring friend of mine was visiting Bangkok last week staying on Khao San Road with his girlfriend. I ran into her during lunch today and when I asked where her boyfriend was, this is what she said. She told me that last week her boyfriend went to Gazebo Club & Restaurant on Khao San Road late at night with some friends. He was dancing and having a laugh with some friends when suddenly, he was taken into a back room by three security guards. The security guards re-played a tape of him dancing and having a good time and repeatedly asked him if this was him. He said it was and then they begin to hassle him, demanding to know why he was so happy. Fellow travelers, this is a man with great passion for living, traveling and working on the behalf of the under privileged. Though he had been drinking, he was not on drugs nor had he caused a disruption of any kind. The three security men then proceeded to beat my friend senseless. After suffering a broken nose, a nasty concussion and several injuries to the face and body, his wallet was stolen and he was thrown into the back alley. There, a man was waiting who helped him and took him to the nearest police at the Khao San Police Station. The police at this station did not speak English and the man translated between my friend and the police. Those of us who have heard this story feel that this is a scam. My friend should have been taken to the hospital or to the nearest Tourist Police. Instead, he half-consciously signed a document written in Thai stating that a fellow TRAVELER had beaten and robbed him.
Throughout the week, my friend and his girlfriend had several conversations with other travelers that looked like they had recently been in a fight and it was the same story. These men had been targeted for a beating and robbery by security in Gazebo, which was then ignored and/or covered by the police, because they looked happy. Not because they looked rich or because they were causing problems, but because they were genuinely in the moment and having a great time. I have lived in Thailand for over two years now and while it's common knowledge that corruption on all levels runs rampant, this has to be the most disgusting display of human behavior I have witnessed in Thailand. This isn't an urban myth, but something terrible that happened to someone that I care very much about. I ask that you please boycott Gazebo and pass the word along. Thailand is a beautiful and peaceful place and my friend is a beautiful and peaceful person. This sort of behavior is unacceptable and has no place in the world. Thank you for listening… I recommend that if you come across trouble of any kind while in Southeast Asia, make sure to contact the Tourist Police – at least in Chiang Mai they are absolutely fantastic.
I have just returned to my home in Chiang Mai from Bangkok less than 20 minutes ago. My first priority: write this review. A good and caring friend of mine was visiting Bangkok last week staying on Khao San Road with his girlfriend. I ran into her during lunch today and when I asked where her boyfriend was, this is what she said. She told me that last week her boyfriend went to Gazebo Club & Restaurant on Khao San Road late at night with some friends. He was dancing and having a laugh with some friends when suddenly, he was taken into a back room by three security guards. The security guards re-played a tape of him dancing and having a good time and repeatedly asked him if this was him. He said it was and then they begin to hassle him, demanding to know why he was so happy. Fellow travelers, this is a man with great passion for living, traveling and working on the behalf of the under privileged. Though he had been drinking, he was not on drugs nor had he caused a disruption of any kind. The three security men then proceeded to beat my friend senseless. After suffering a broken nose, a nasty concussion and several injuries to the face and body, his wallet was stolen and he was thrown into the back alley. There, a man was waiting who helped him and took him to the nearest police at the Khao San Police Station. The police at this station did not speak English and the man translated between my friend and the police. Those of us who have heard this story feel that this is a scam. My friend should have been taken to the hospital or to the nearest Tourist Police. Instead, he half-consciously signed a document written in Thai stating that a fellow TRAVELER had beaten and robbed him.
Throughout the week, my friend and his girlfriend had several conversations with other travelers that looked like they had recently been in a fight and it was the same story. These men had been targeted for a beating and robbery by security in Gazebo, which was then ignored and/or covered by the police, because they looked happy. Not because they looked rich or because they were causing problems, but because they were genuinely in the moment and having a great time. I have lived in Thailand for over two years now and while it's common knowledge that corruption on all levels runs rampant, this has to be the most disgusting display of human behavior I have witnessed in Thailand. This isn't an urban myth, but something terrible that happened to someone that I care very much about. I ask that you please boycott Gazebo and pass the word along. Thailand is a beautiful and peaceful place and my friend is a beautiful and peaceful person. This sort of behavior is unacceptable and has no place in the world. Thank you for listening… I recommend that if you come across trouble of any kind while in Southeast Asia, make sure to contact the Tourist Police – at least in Chiang Mai they are absolutely fantastic.
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Re: Khao San travel warning~
Mon, June 9, 2008 - 6:29 PMthis just goes to prove what I have been saying for many years: STAY AWAY FROM KAO SAN. Also from similar places in Pattaya, Patphong in Silom and Patong in Phuket. Thailand is a beautiful place, but it has, like any other country its dark side and going to the before mentioned places is like looking for problems. I know that Kao San is a sort of hub for backpackers and there are lots of cheap dives to stay, but this also attracts tons of dubious characters, both Thai and foreigners, out to rip travelers off. Meet your friends in places like Chiang Mai, Kho Chang or Samui, Phangan. They are nicer safer and more fun. Every year I spend month in Bangkok and Phuket and every year I meet people with rotten experiences in the places I mentioned, so once more, there are so many nicer places in Bangkok and of course all over Thailand, so there is no reason to hang out in Kao San. Maybe, just maybe if tourists start staying away from those places the business owners will start to clean up their act. -
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Re: Khao San travel warning~
Wed, June 11, 2008 - 11:47 AMi forwarded this post to an ozzie friend who's livd in bkk for years now. here's what he had to say:
"First of all, the police at the local cop-shop Chanasongkram, have a pretty big share in Gazebo, it's one of the only clubs in the area that stays open later (until about 4 or 4.30am), so whatever goes on there, I'm sure the cops should know about it. The dude who owns Gazebo is one of the bigger players financially on Khaosarn. He also has a "Gazebo" somewhere else. Silom or Sukhumvit.
Sounds like a scam. Inbelievable, give some people a little bit of authority and the show who they are, right little Nazis. Because I don't go there really, I'm not familiar with these bouncers but nothing would surprise me.
If you ever walk on Khaosarn these days, you'll see half a dozen people dressed in Fez hats handing out flyers for Gazebo. They advertise heavily. Gazebo has an indoor club area, and an outdoor rooftop bar with Shisha pipes (owner is Morrocan). I've only been once. The indoor club area is shite. I didn't like the vibe. Just the usual bullshit Khaosarn crap.This sounds like where the trouble went down. The bit in the report about "the man waiting who took him to the police station and translated" sounds sketchy too.
A Thai guy I know had trouble there after either he, or someone else he was with put something extra inside the shisha pipe. He had to be bailed out at the cop shop. They knew when that happened alright. No beatings though.
It's a pity my friend Clare wasn't around (she's in Aus now), she often helps the cops with translations. Although, I find it hard to believe that they couldn't get a little more truth in the report than "He was beaten and robbed by a fellow traveler". At least if ppl talk to tourist police they'll have a better chance of getting the message through, but no guarentees, especially at 4 in the morning.
As for going to the hospital, great, if you know where it is. They'll stitch you up, but you won't be able to make a complaint there about Gazebo obviously.
It's funny, I know one guy (Portugese) who actually was a bouncer there more than a year ago, but he's over in Sukhumvit at Bed Club now. These little fuck-ups sound like the Thai modus operandi.
Boycott the place. I'll spread the word where I can. Better to go to DDM."
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