Stickman Readers' Submissions January 19th, 2011

Middle Easterners Are From Asia

I have read your last week's column especially the last paragraph as well as many submissions by your respected readership concerning new and existing visitors flocking to Thailand. Being a middle aged Middle Easterner I strongly felt the need to respond to the increasing negative comments on Middle Easterners and others visiting or residing in Thailand. I understand that this website is meant for western expats, however I wish that my points deserve some attention.

He Clinic Bangkok


Thailand is in Asia. The Middle East is, therefore, closer to Thailand than any other western country. We, like the Thais are from the same continent. Our skin colour is relatively the same. Our music sounds the same. Our conservative motives are nearly the same. Our respect to the elders is the same. Our family closeness is the same. Our eastern values are not even close to western ones. I can go on and on but let me get back to the juice of my submission.


Why are you and your readers so UPSET to see men of colour in and around “YOUR” bar areas? (I wish you answered that question at the same time of mention). <I am not sure if you read clearly or really understood what I wrote, because if you had, you would have seen that I actually took the piss out of guys who have a problem with black men!Stick> Humans from deepest and darkest parts of Africa are so different from the rest of you (this is referred to in your weekly column of 16/1/2011) this is in my opinion a degrading inference coming from any civilized human being. This has no relation to my submission title; however, humans of all colours MUST be looked at the same angle. Who disagrees with me? I am open to any comments.


I noticed from your columns and other submissions that Middle Eastern guys encountered mainly in Sukhumvit soi 3 are the smelly type who should be avoided at all times. What are you and your respected readers' criteria for bad smell? How is it measured? Are Indians, Africans, Japanese, Koreans or even Thais smell any better or worse? Who is to judge farangs' “fragrance” smell? By the way how many liters of water do any westerners use to wash their dishes compared to the amount of water used to cleanse themselves when finished bowel usage in any toilet worldwide? If any.

CBD bangkok


Have any western guy ever found the courage to sit down with or merely have a casual conversation with an educated Middle Eastern male / female anywhere in Thailand? I doubt it. They are so busy looking at or conversing with young Thais for the night. Prove me wrong. I beg you. All it takes is a smile towards your next hunter than a pussy waiting to be paid. Many western guys work in the Middle East for extra good money on short cycles enabling them to fly to and from Bangkok on airport to airport basis without seeing the city. This is mainly to satisfy their long awaited egos as being the most wanted farangs in the LOS. I am not generalising here. I have seen and met and known farangs who personally told me of their sex adventures and even invited for some but again farangs being farangs never deliver when they are awake.


I have been to most of the western bar hangouts in both Bangkok and Pattaya over a number of years but the looks I get from the westerners reveal all. Not that I care for that matter. However, Americans in general are more the non judgmental type. They can initiate side conversation with complete strangers with no obligation. I had just a great New Year eve celebration during a dinner cruise and afterwards with unknown Americans who felt the same. I just cannot understand why a western male / female sitting next to a slightly darker coloured man / woman changes his / her mood unless swarms of young Thai ladies are nearby in their or our company. Anyway we are here only for Thais who do not judge others by nationality as you are all well aware of. We enjoy being in Thailand as much you do. We think we know the rules of BARGIRLS and abide by them. But we do not normally go the distance as being victims of bar girls and their endless demands for cash as opposed to farangs… Farangs usually suffer much more because of their hunger and / or lust for younger Asian girls with little or no flesh covered normally found in gogo bars with flashing numbers. The more a lady covers her meat, the more she is desired in my opinion. The walk of shame is well understood by all of you guys but still undertaken under the influence.


Sukhumvit Soi 3 and Soi 5 are frequented by not only Middle Easterners, but Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Iranians, Africans, etc as well as a small number of farangs who are not afraid to venture there. This is in my experience tells me safer than soi 4 at 4 AM. Who is after naming soi Arab or soi Africa or even soi little Arabia? Any motives there? God Knows. Nana is an Arabic word by origin. Nana has been and is still partially owned by Thais of Arabic descent. Please disagree.


Middle Eastern guys rarely venture into gogo outlets as opposed to westerners simply because of the rude nature of exposed flesh. In this environment, humans are given numbers for identification purposes. What is expected of a gogo girl except for a cash relief of any sort before an early am or earlier? Soi Cowboy is not but a short time adventure for the short minded sort of people who have an early flight home. White skinned people are most at risk there for obvious reasons. Nana Plaza fares a little better because of the ASIAN contingent. Grace Hotel disco is the worst of all. Bangkok Bamboo bar (an air conditioned large establishment) on soi 3 is the best place for an afternoon and early evening drink at 50 baht from 5 to 9 pm for all drinks (70 baht between 12 to 5 pm and 9 to 10 pm followed by 125 baht till 5 am). Can anybody beat that price anywhere at central Bangkok? I am surprised that Stickman missed it. Again Stickman may like walking the even sois a little better for some reason I cannot tell. <The few times I have been in Bamboo Bar I have found the girls to be ugly and the atmosphere not welcoming and as such I cannot recommend itStick>

wonderland clinic


Soi 7 Biergarten is normally full of not so young westerners who keep staring at the freelancers more than at their beers. I assume that this act improves aging eyesight.


Middle Easterners make up a good percentage of Asian visitors to LOS in Bangkok (hospital treatments and more) and Pattaya enclave. Do they contribute to the country’s economy? Are they welcomed by Thais? They do not mix with farangs for obvious reasons. Obvious reasons being obvious. Farangs do not come near them. They smell wow. Farangs take xx showers a day. I wish that a bar girl who experienced both makes an independent calculation of showers taken. I am not good in maths.


Stickman has always been a provider of useful information to all visitors to Thailand and we should be grateful for such free information. I appreciate his compassion to satisfy our unlimited hunger for information on Thailand’s stories, myths and facts.


All in all, it is best that us people live and socialize in harmony regardless of origin. Different people of different colours will continue to flock to Thailand whether you like it or not. The point here is, can you take it in without the prejudice you brought along from home? I can tell you from experience that not only you will gain from being casual with non western guys but learn much in the process. Just give it a try and leave inhibitions aside for a while. God bless those who appreciate who God is.


However, disparaging comments can only distance us further apart. My conclusion is that racism is alive and kicking unless peoples in authority such as the likes of the great Stickman do something positive instead of …



Stickman's
thoughts:

Submissions far more innocuous than this have got some readers very upset so I have to be careful what I say because I don't want to stir up a hornets' nest.

Some of what you say is quite provocative and you make a number of assumptions about Westerners which is ironic given that you claim that it is Westerners who are racist.

Referring to the comments I made in Sunday's column, I simply relayed that some readers – and we're only talking a handful of readers – had emailed me saying they are not happy that there are BLACK men (*not* Middle Easterners) in the bar areas which have traditionally only seen white / Western visitors. I joked that this could be due to small weenie syndrome, playing on the fact that many believe that black men have a larger manhood than white men. You seem to have missed the point completely – I was poking fun at the white guys complaining!

nana plaza