Yeah, haven't been DJing enough recently to have this problem as well. Also, I rarely DJ at bars where I don't know the owner. If the owner has trust in your music, he will let you play whatever you want (almost)! I live in Thailand, where if there is a Thai crowd, people don't dance, but they generally don't mind what you're playing, they just like to observe, drink, and talk with their friends. The expat crowd is a different story, however, again depending on the situation.

There is a large Japanese DJ community in Bangkok as well, and they have a wide range of music, and very professional DJs end up living here for 10-15+ years. I play for crowds of no more than 30-50 people generally, except the boat parties which are capped at 160 people. Time to rent a bigger boat!

I don't let it get me down, just will be expecting more of this when I decide to DJ full time next year! :D