Your Bangkok commentator since 1998
This site started way back in 1998 as a personal homepage so friends back home could keep up with what I was up to in exotic Thailand. What was a personal homepage was noticed by others who seemed to enjoy my take on expat life in Thailand, and from there the site grew into something much bigger. I left Thailand in 2015 with the intention of putting this site in the rear-view mirror but things conspired against me. Now, several years later, I continue with my weekly round-up of news from the expat bar areas as well as my general thoughts and opinions on life in Thailand.
The most popular section of the site, Stickman Weekly is a weekly column published every Sunday since April 2001 for expat residents and regular visitors to Bangkok and includes news and gossip from expat society with a slant towards that for which Bangkok used to be well-known, its naughty nightlife. Find out where the most popular bars are, learn about the lifestyles of Thai bargirls and Bangkok escorts, read interviews with the movers and shakers of Bangkok expat society. Stickman Weekly has long been Thailand’s most widely read online column for expats and regular visitors.
Over 9,300 articles and stories of readers’ experiences in Thailand and neighbouring countries covering a wide range of topics from holidaying in Thailand, travel and expat lifestyles in Thailand and South-East Asia, dating Thai women, Thai bargirl experiences, trying to understand the culture and matters of the heart. Think of it as Thailand-related experiences, informed opinion and amateur storytelling.
Everything you need to know about living and working in Bangkok, the Thailand expat lifestyle, accommodation, employment, medical care, the internet, Thailand work permits, mobile phones, Bangkok tailors, living and working with Thai people and other general advice. This is the article to read if you are moving to Bangkok / Thailand and at 100,000 words, it’s the length of a book!
This 50,000+ word article on teaching English in Bangkok was put together to provide an overview of the English teaching industry in Thailand, particularly Bangkok. It is written for those considering teaching in Bangkok / Thailand, especially those who may have never taught before. This tells you what it’s really like to work as an English teacher in Thailand, the good and the bad!
Thailand is one of the most exotic destinations and holiday spots in South-East Asia but what are the best beaches? How much does a hotel room cost? What are the best Pattaya hotels? Where is Isaan and should you visit? What dangers and Thailand scams should you be aware of? Where is Ko Chang and is it the same as Ko Samet? All of these questions, and many more, answered in this 50,000-word article!
Coverage of the Bangkok protests, the Bangkok shutdown and the Coup d’état. Photo essays, commentary, all covered from the perspective of foreign visitors with the question, Is it safe to visit Bangkok at this time answered!
My reports of the red shirts protests which too place in Bangkok in April and May of 2010 are widely
regarded amongst the best reports I have produced on this site and received massive traffic at the time. It’s never easy with politics and the need to be unbiased. These reports from the front-lines received critical acclaim and included quality photographs of all of the action in what was an intriguing time in Thailand.
A recount of reports about the flooding in Thailand in late 2011. The mainstream media’s coverage of Bangkok flooding covered the entire city, whereas I concentrated only what happened in the downtown area – where many foreigners live, work and play.
A Bangkok tourist guide from 1967, scanned and republished in its entirety. Find out what was Bangkok like 40+ years ago. What were the prices back then? Where were the hot spots? Were there escorts in Bangkok back then? There’s even an ad for the new Nana Hotel. Find out if they really were “the good old days!”
Why do Christopher G. Moore’s novels take up half the shelf-space in Asia Books stores? Would you want to work in the same line of business as Captain Courageous? What does Bernard Trink do now that he no longer writes the Bangkok Night Owl column? Is Boss Hogg Thai? Does Marc still run the Eden Club? Find out more about the big names of Bangkok.
Some basic information about the history of this site and how it all began. If you disagree with anything on the site, happen to appear in any photos or would like anything amended, edited or removed, details about how to get that actioned are here.