pawan chopra
Google
After a relaxing 7-day trip through northern Thailand, I was excited to end the journey with a night at Saxophone Pub in Bangkok. I’d heard great things about the live music, cocktails, and overall vibe, so I walked in on a buzzing Friday night with high expectations.
The atmosphere and music were indeed lively, but the service completely ruined the experience. I was first seated at a corner table upstairs, and when I politely requested to move to another empty table, the waiter (an older gentleman, quite snappy) reluctantly agreed. That was the first red flag.
Things got worse when I simply asked for a glass of water. Instead of a normal service response, the waiter told me that I could only get water if I bought a full bottle of Johnnie Walker! Otherwise, I was told to “just drink the beers” if I was thirsty. Ridiculous. I had actually walked in ready to order cocktails and food to enjoy the evening, but after this interaction, I cancelled the order and walked out.
I couldn’t help but question whether this was:
A case of poor service and an arrogant staff member,
Or worse, some racial bias — as Indians are often unfairly stereotyped in Thailand as “boom boom tourists.”
Either way, it left a sour taste. For a venue with such a strong reputation for music and atmosphere, the management seriously needs to address staff behavior and basic hospitality standards. Guests shouldn’t feel insulted or unwelcome in a place that promotes itself as one of Bangkok’s top live music pubs.
Plenty of other venues in Bangkok offer great music, drinks, and respectful service. Sadly, Saxophone Pub was not one of them for me.