Karaoke in Thailand

Karaoke or not to Karaoke? Is Karaoke in Thailand as safe as it sounds? Is going to a Karaoke Bar in Thailand a big fat rip-off? Or is karaoke a great way to entertain and be entertained? As a tourist to Thailand these could be some questions you might be asking yourself.

If you want my personal opinion I suggest you stay as far away from these types of entertainment venues as possible in Thailand. And this is especially true if you are new to the nightlife scene here. Simple as that! Karaoke bars are not the type of places you should be visiting. They are no better than Thailand's infamous ping pong show places either. Karaoke bars or parlours or whatever you else you want to call them can be dangerous places to visit if you're not well informed. They can easily get out of hand and at the best of times, somewhat scary. Even more so should you be visiting one of these bars on your own.

While I have been to several karaoke bars in Hong Kong and Taiwan, I always go with a business partner, a good colleague or a trusted friend. And when I say trusted friend, I don't mean one of your best mates unless your mate happens to own the joint. Thailand is not the safest place to visit these entertainment establishments simply because most karaoke bars here are reserved (though not exclusively) for locals.

Unless you know at least some of the people and participants at your local karaoke bar personally, things can go horribly wrong. And that's long before you realize the potential danger that could come your way. One unlucky American tourist was about to find out. Sadly he was stabbed to death by resident musicians at a karaoke bar in Thailand. 

Now I'm not saying that all these bars are bad, but you have to be very careful these days and you also need to know how to handle the situation should things get out of control. In other words you need to be on your toes at all times. And by that I don't mean performing on stage as you test try your singing skills. And speaking of singing, what a lot of tourists have to understand is that most (if not all) songs are not in a known native tongue. I'm speaking from a westerners perspective. 

I always enjoyed karaoke in Hong Kong and Taiwan but never karaoke in Thailand. It's not that I wholly distrust the behaviour of some of Thailand's patrons or that I don't have a local trusted friend to accompany me, I just don't trust the system here. However I do feel that in situations like these, Chinese and Taiwanese karaoke bars are better maintained and managed. And if anything should go wrong, your chances of survival are a lot better. But then you be the judge of that.