Stickman Weekly, January 12, 2025

 

 

Mystery Photo

Last week’s photo was taken from near the start of Sukhumvit soi 33, looking up the soi. 15+ years ago, that soi used to be popular with white guys and was home to many hostess bars that were different to anything else on Sukhumvit. Almost all of the old hostess bars have gone and these days the businesses on soi 33 are more focused on the East Asian market.

So where is this week’s photo? Does this place look familiar to you? Not too difficult, I thought.

 

 

Stick’s Inbox – The Best Emails From The Past Week

Bangkok’s the best.

You know how people often say, “Bangkok isn’t what it used to be?” I wonder if part of that sentiment is tied to the fact that many of those people were in the prime of their lives when they experienced the city. Perhaps now, the people who are in their own prime are having just as incredible a time as those before them. Cities change, people change, and nostalgia is a powerful thing. One thing, though, feels constant – Bangkok remains, in my view, the greatest city on Earth. There’s always magic to be found if you’re open to it.

Irrelevant curmudgeons.

Bangkok isn’t dying, it’s evolving and some people are unable or unwilling to adapt. They’re angry that they can’t find young ladies for 1,000 baht anymore. They’re under the illusion that parts of Thailand belong exclusively to old, retired Western males. People of other races, nationalities or age groups are treated as trespassers in their fiefdom. The reality is, these curmudgeons are becoming irrelevant. I’m practically the same demographic as these guys. But I don’t spend my days raging against inevitable change. Of course there are fewer businesses catering for us. Of course there are fewer Thai girls looking to settle down with an old white guy. Of course prices have risen. Bangkok is now a modern, vibrant city attracting a myriad of different peoples. The way I see it, we either embrace the changes or we spend every day writing angry comments on ASEANNow and the Bangkok Post forums.

Why risk it?

The email from a reader that you published last week, Just Walk On By, regarding drug use was interesting. I have never understood why people risk their life by taking drugs when another, legal ‘substance’ is available in the form of alcohol if you want to get high (or maybe mellow). And I was a teen in the 60s when the drug scene exploded. Didn’t appeal. I was curious about LSD and was tempted, but read of too many bad trips. Why put yourself through that? Now, many are arrested returning home with cannabis bought in Thailand. Why do they need what is, rightly or wrongly, an illegal drug when alternatives are available. Why take the risks involved? I really don’t get it.

African drug dealers on Sukhumvit.

Just walk on by misses the mark. The African drug dealers do get in your face. They do bring down neighborhoods and bring in more vice. Turf wars do erupt, and no-one wants to be caught in the crossfire. <I’m am surprised that the African drug dealers have been allowed to operate so openly for so long but in fairness to them, I can’t say I have ever heard of any of them getting in anyone’s face, nor have I heard so much as a whisper of any turf wars – Stick> I would wager that the high-end hotels on Sukhumvit wouldn’t be pleased to have them mentioned in any of their reviews.

 

More Readers’ Emails

Russians in Bangkok.

Regarding the January 5th column and talk of Russians in Bangkok, I’ve noticed the same. Last year, I rented a condo at Udom Suk and while walking to / from the local 7 Eleven, I’d run into Russians living in the condo. I never expected them on this side of Bangkok. There are many in language schools learning both Thai and English. Most actually seem ok and do quite well in class. I’ve never seen Russians in Nana. Not even a curious loner.

Vietnamese value.

Regarding Vietnamese girls, I have been with a few. Ran into a big problem once. Sometimes I don’t talk about money before we get to the room, and I usually just give them 2,000 baht in the morning. I had never had any complaints. One time though, a Vietnamese girl got really nasty about it, “What is this?! I am worth more than that, I want 4,000!” I thought she was joking, but she wasn’t. I said, that’s what I usually pay. She then says, “I am Vietnam, not Thai!” Meaning that she was better than Thai?! It got to the point that I had to threaten to call hotel security to get her out of my room. I held my ground and didn’t give her more.

2 weeks in Bangkok.

I am just back from a 2-week winter getaway to Bangkok. It was an amazing trip, the best in years. Bangkok was absolutely bouncing come countdown, and I don’t think I’ve seen a busier or more vibrant city. Every massage shop, restaurant, bar and shopfront on lower Sukhumvit seemed to be having a party of some kind. It was wild! The only real negative in my entire two weeks was the gogo scene. Not picking on one specific area or bar, but the entire gogo model is now completely off my radar. The prices are too high, the girls disinterested, the staff are utterly relentless and the now common, two-drink model is nothing but a scam. I’ve been frequenting these bars since my early 20s (2008) and quite simply, I have never felt less welcome. I spoke to a girl in Soi Cowboy and while she acknowledged the amount of footfall as being “crazy”, she said that barfines weren’t happening and lady drinks were few and far between. When I raised short-time rates, she mentioned 6,000 baht. Perhaps that’s why she has no customers?!

Reading Stickman gets reader in the mood.

I missed the bit where you wrote that you were going to continue for another year. For me, it would be better if you stopped. Every time I read your column about how Bangkok is buzzing, new bars and clubs opening, how great it is to sit in a gogo bar and watch dancing young ladies without the obligation to barfine one, I start to get the itch again and end up on Skyscanner!

 

 

This Week’s News, Views & Gossip

Surprise from the frontlines with bar areas described as only moderately busy mid-week. Things got better at the weekend and were as you’d expect at this time of year. Some are scratching their head and wondering what’s going on, given January is the peak of high season. Reader reports from each of Nana and Cowboy were consistent – trade was lousy in many bars mid-week. Soi 11 wasn’t all that busy either, except for ever-popular Hillary 3 which was pumping. I note a couple of reports online from Pattaya which noted some big-name bars and beer bar complexes were quiet mid-week, while Sin City generally was rammed with visitors. I have absolutely no idea why mid-week bar trade would dip at this time of year.

The owners of Nana Plaza’s newest bar, On Top, had announced it would open this past Thursday. The big day came, some keen punters dropped by…..and nothing happened. The bar remains in darkness. Word is the owner simply isn’t happy with some aspects of it and doesn’t wish to open the doors until it’s just how he wants it. The original plan was to create a ladyboy bar with plans well-advanced until the operator was told there were enough ladyboy bars in the plaza. On Top is from the team behind Billboard and Butterflies, and will be a more upmarket venue. So what is the revised opening date? At the time of publishing, I am told there isn’t one. It will open when it opens. It won’t be far away – think days, not weeks. Perhaps Thursday or Friday (January 16th / 17th) of this week?

The talking point this week in Thailand has been the return of the pollution. The mainstream media resumed daily reporting on the levels of particulate matter in the air. Bangkok frequently recorded AQI (air quality index) readings between 130 and 200 (with anything above 50 considered bad for one’s health). The next few months are typically the worst of the year for bad air.

Video clips of African hookers fighting on Soi Nana did the rounds on social media this week. Despite some sizeable and scary-looking mamas in their number, the Africans lacked the combat skills one needs to survive on the streets. One clip featured a particularly nasty scene where Thai ladyboys open the door of a taxi, drag the African lady out by her hair as she struggles to cling to the interior of the cab. Once they get her out, they launch in to her with punches and kicks, before dragging her across the soi. It is not known what caused things to kick off although there has been speculation that the Thais have had enough of the Africans on the street. That would make sense but to be clear, it’s pure speculation. 3 of the 4 videos doing the rounds come with a humorous running commentary by the Thai male who recorded the clips.

Bangkok has long had an area with gogo bars popular with Thai men. The gogo bars of Saphan Kwai are a bit of an anomaly in the nightlife industry for Thai men who favour a rather different format. I visited Saphan Kwai a few times, enjoyed it, and wrote about it way back in 2009, Saphan Kwai, Buffalo Safari. It’s more than 10 years since I was last out there and it’s sad to hear that it’s on its last legs. It all shut down over Covid and I am told that some places never reopened. With that said, I am told it was in decline well before then. The buildings that housed the gogo bars are for the most part vacant and the area will be redeveloped. There are just a few of the old gogo bars left with some closed altogether, and a couple consolidated into one bar. There used to be a beer garden but it’s now vacant and up for sale. It was always a Thai area, but foreigners who made it out there were always very welcome.

 

 

Is there an entry fee at The Basement, the new nightclub mentioned in last week’s column? There is a 300 baht entry fee which gets you a free drink. However, the entry fee is only for those who arrive by taxi. What’s that all about? Taxi drivers who bring customers get a commission, probably 100 baht / customer.

Was your favourite restaurant a bit quieter this past week? It’s not just the bars which can be a bit quiet for a day or two after new year. Restaurants are much the same, although often for a different reason. Many people start out the new year with plans to be healthy. It doesn’t usually last and within a few days the restaurants are busy again as customers return to their old habits.

A year ago staff at The Landmark said “something similar to The Huntsman” was planned for the lower level. Now it seems that wasn’t to be. No-one is saying what will replace The Huntsman and it looks like we won’t know what will be in that space until the renovation is complete.

Décor, music and ambience are all part of what makes one bar stand out from another. But there is something else that used to draw me in to a small number of bars.  I used to always like bars where you genuinely couldn’t tell whether the ladies were working or not. I remember bars I liked back in the day like Spasso’s and Bangkok Beat where there were working girls and there were non-working girls – and it wasn’t always clear who was who. Today, there are more than a few nightspots where it’s hard to know with a good few on Sukhumvit soi 11. Oskar is probably mostly working girls. Girls in Levels are mostly working – but not all of them. It can be a thrill when it’s not clear who is up for it and who is just on a night out.

In last week’s column I incorrectly wrote that the new Apt Club 101 was in soi 19, when in fact it is soi 17. My bad. Many thanks to ลุง Dave for pointing that out. Speaking of the new Apt Club 101, the building it is located in is a bit of a curiosity. Remember the traditional old house on Sukhumvit Road behind the Asia Books store near soi 17? I guess it’s a protected building with heritage status which cannot be torn down (but then I wonder whether such a thing exists in Thailand?). So rather than tear the old house down, they built a whole building around it. A branch of Bartel’s Bagels along with Apt Club 101 are in that building, above the house.

 

 

If you feel like shooting some pool, there are pool tables in bars all over Sukhumvit. But if you just want to shoot pool on well-maintained tables and not be bothered by ladies, you might like to try Hustlers in the basement of Times Square. Hustlers has been operating for many years and has a good following. Happy hour on all local bottled beers (Heineken, Chang, Tiger, Singha San Miguel Light) is 99 baht and Heineken pints are 150 baht from 12 noon until 7 PM. The venue is open until late  – 1:00 AM or sometimes even 1:30 AM.

So many places are opening in Bangkok it’s impossible to keep up. One interesting new venue which opened last month is the curiously named Pilgrim, which is described as an Asian grill house focused around fire and regional fusions. The operators wanted to create, in their words, a chilled oasis in Nana, filling the gap between beer bars and hardcore party clubs. It’s just getting going but if you like to be one of the first to try out a new spot, you might like to stop by.

A reader shared a few photos of Bangkok from the past, amongst them the snap below of Khao San Road in 1997. It’s fun looking at the signs promoting services like developing film & printing photos, overseas phone calls and sending a fax. But you know the first thing that struck me about this photo? Take a guess……even if I bet you won’t get it. It’s the two backpackers wearing jeans. I first visited Thailand that same year and all the information we had was from the Loony Planet Guide To Thailand. A constant theme in that book was that the Thais were a conservative lot and foreigners wearing shorts downtown was something they tolerated, but did not appreciate. So, just a few days before Songkran, in heat neither of us had ever previously experienced, we dutifully turned up on that same strip with our backpacks, in that very same attire, jeans and a t-shirt. It was hotter than hell! As soon as we had found a place to stay, it was to hell with the jeans! Things are much more relaxed these days – and there are much better sources of info than the Loony Planet. Plenty of Thais – even older Thais who grew up in much more conservative times – wear shorts downtown. The idea that one should wear long pants or jeans in the heat of the day, or even when out and about in malls and such places seems to have gone by the wayside. Plenty still dress “politely”, but shorts are fine.

 

 

There’s been a lot of talk over the past couple of years about how casinos might be legalised in Thailand and this week (former?) Prime Minister Thaksin talked up the idea of legalising online gambling. I’m usually not in favour of legislating against such things, while at the same time gambling is a massive problem in Thailand. I really wonder if allowing Thais to gamble would be a good move. So many relationships – and entire families – have been ripped apart in Thailand after one member of the family got in to debt from gambling. Addiction to gambling is a huge problem in Thailand. What typically happens is that someone starts gambling, loses all their money, borrows money from off-market lenders, loses it, and ends up owing large sums. The interest rates from these lenders can be insanely high and threats will follow if the loan is not repaid. Inevitably, the family gold (and car and sometimes even house) have to be sold to settle up the debt. I long ago said to the other half that if I ever found out that she was secretly gambling, it would be over instantly. Over the years I’ve seen so many Thais become addicted to gambling – and they simply can’t stop. They get in to debt with people who you really don’t want to be in debt with and plenty end up stealing from their nearest and dearest to cover debts. This happens way too often. As foreigners, we get it that the house wins. And if we go gamble, we seem to be able to start out with a number we’re prepared to play with and once that’s gone, we’re done. Visit the casino with $100 or $200 or however much, and when that’s gone, it’s time to go home. Everyday Thais dreaming of riches can find it very hard to hold back. If you find out your other half gambling, good luck…

We know of two families who have recently – as in the past month – been torn apart by gambling. In the first family, the younger husband of a successful Thai businesswoman was gambling on English football. She’s a relatively wealthy businesswoman and he has a good job earning over 100,000 baht / month (which is a fraction of what his Mrs makes from her work in the family business.) It was the same old story: he lost money, borrowed money, lost that and then nicked his Mrs’ gold, took it to a pawn shop and blew another 600,000 baht. She found out, and the gold was bought back from the pawn store. He was sent away to one of the family’s vacant apartments, control of his bank account was taken over by his Mrs who gives him a small amount each week to live on while they try to figure out what to do with him. In another case, a fellow had been cheating on his wife with what sounds like a low-end massage lady. This fellow and his masseuse gambled and ended up in the hole for a more modest 130,000 baht. A family member paid off the debt to the money lender who happened to be the owner of a small, pokey ma & pa convenience store in the neighbourhood. When the debt was paid off, the shopkeeper was told if he lent even 1 baht more to this fellow, the shop would be burned to the ground! Thais gambling is really bad news. Gambling has destroyed so many relationships in Thailand, and ripped families apart.

 

 

Speaking of chasing easy money, a reader took this photo on Sukhumvit Road around 2:00 AM on New Year’s Day. On the gambling theme, I’ve heard plenty of stories over the years of Thais dropping a chunk of their salary each month on lottery tickets. Many feel that is the only way for them to get ahead.

There is this notion amongst some foreigners that Thais are dishonest and cannot be trusted. It annoys me. My experience is that the average Thai can be trusted and those who feel Thais are dishonest have been hanging around with the wrong crowd. Most Thais won’t outright steal from someone, even if they have the opportunity. How many times have you fallen asleep in a hotel room with a lady of the night there? Did she take your wallet or your phone or your camera or your laptop or your iPad? Most likely not. Another case in point. Many years ago, Dave the Rave woke up one morning in his apartment and discovered that his camera gear was not there. Had it been stolen? There was no evidence anyone had entered the apartment overnight, so that was unlikely. He’d been out the night before taking photos, had ventured to The Pickled Liver for a few drinks, had a meal at Took Lae Dee on Sukhumvit soi 5, and then returned home. He retraced his steps from the night before which meant his first stop would be the previous night’s last stop, Foodland. Dave hadn’t even reached the counter when a staff member picked up his camera bag which was behind the counter. Anyone could have taken the bag the night before and they would almost certainly have gotten away with it. But no, the staff looked after it. The combined value of everything in the bag was several months’ salary. This notion some have that Thais are dishonest and will steal anything is nonsense. With all of this said, another Bangkok-based farang nightlife photographer had his camera stolen from him at knife-point down a dodgy soi not that long ago….so bad things can happen.

 

 

A reader’s email mentioned that quite a few Russians in Bangkok spend their time studying Thai or English. Way back in 1998, I had a Russian student in an English class I was teaching. He lasted for a couple of courses and then left. I happened to bump in to him in Pattaya a few years later and we had a quick chat. What was he doing in Pattaya? Teaching English!

Disney+ is currently streaming a documentary series by National Geographic about the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Episode 2 is all about the devastation in Thailand. I haven’t watched it myself but I hear it’s very well done and includes a lot of previously unseen footage.

The second Hangover movie put Thailand – and particularly Soi Cowboy – on the map with a new demographic. In the years following, those who had enjoyed Hangover II wanted to see Soi Cowboy for themselves. Interest was so strong that there were Hangover II tours, taking fans of the movie around the places the movie was made and ending up on Soi Cowboy. A TV series set in Chiang Mai that was hugely popular in Thailand saw a similar phenomenon as Chinese flocked to the city in such great numbers that it changed the profile of the typical visitor to Northern Thailand. It looks like the next cab off the rank will be Ko Samui with the next series of The White Lotus (can’t say I had ever heard about it until now, although I don’t watch much TV) set in Thailand. I note this series has a very high score on IMDB (8.0) so it likely has a strong following. It might be an idea to book early if you are planning on visiting Ko Samui this year (or next!).

 

 

One of my pet peeves about the mainstream media in Thailand is that stuff is reported but there is little or no follow-up – and you never know what happened next. If you’re anything like me, you completely forget about the story until someone mentions it at a later date. Here are a few brief updates on some stuff I have written about over the last year or two:

• The popular Austrian owner of Black Pagoda, Bar Bar, and other properties in Patpong who was arrested in April 2023, charged with human trafficking offences and sentenced to 50 years in prison in Phuket is still languishing behind bars. There has been talk of an appeal but I am not aware of any progress. He has been described as being in good spirits and spends his time in prison reading a lot.
• Conjecture about the future of the bars on Sukhumvit soi 7 / the space that was the Biergarten and the nearby area has largely gone silent. The bars are on rolling short-term leases and everything seems to be operating smoothly at this time. Long may it continue that way.
• One of the hot topics in expat circles for the last year concerned reports about changes to tax law. Many have been concerned about whether they might be liable to pay tax in Thailand on money they transfer into the country. It is unclear whether foreigners deemed tax resident in Thailand are required to pay tax on money transferred into the country or not. This issue has become very divisive and has been fuelled by terribly confusing messaging. Personal tax returns in Thailand are due to be filed no later than March, and any tax owing must be paid then otherwise penalties may apply. A big part of the problem is that it is very difficult to get reliable legal or financial advice in Thailand. Talk to a handful of accountants or tax specialists or lawyers and you’ll get a handful of different opinions. There’s still a lot of conjecture on this issue and endless speculation. I personally have no idea what will happen and as such will not be commenting on it. It’s the last thing I want to get wrong and lead anyone astray on.
• The empty concrete slab space next to the Sheraton Grande is still empty, which is funny since the construction team worked hard laying the concrete and smoothing everything out – which is not always the case in Thailand.

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Thailand-Related News Articles

Quote of the week comes from a Bangkok business owner, “My buddy keeps walking into new venues, hating them and I have to remind him that we’re nobody’s target crowd these days, and nobody is building bars and clubs for white guys in their mid-50s.”

A Welsh tourist is dead after plunging 20 feet in a motorcycle accident in Phuket.

Not for the first time, in Phuket a Russian is arrested for stealing from another Russian.

A Belarusian who went on a wild rampage in Phuket last month apologises to police with the requisite gift basket.

Two Iranians are caught stealing a large sum of cash from a Vietnamese tourist in Chinatown.

A mahout is charged following the death of a Spanish tourist last week by a stressed elephant.

Mystery surrounds a Brit tourist’s naked body found off the coast of Phuket following a row in a bar.

It all erupts in Surin when a Thai woman’s husband, her Thai lover and her old Brit lover all meet at the same time!

Some Chinese are concerned about visiting Thailand following the abduction of a Chinese actor by a Myanmar scam centre.

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Closing Comments

The terrible air pollution was all over the news this week as the daily reporting of AQI levels resumed. The worst AQI (air quality index) reported in greater Bangkok this week was over 200 which is considered dangerous even for perfectly healthy people. From now through until April is the worst time of year for air quality in Thailand. Is the terrible air quality an issue for you? This might sound like a daft question, so let me explain what I mean. Do you notice it? Are you able to overlook / ignore it? Has it had any impact on your health or your ability (or willingness) to do stuff / spend time outside? Following my first visit to Thailand I returned home with a nasty cough that took a couple of weeks to get over. It was most likely due to the bad air. However, when I moved to Bangkok I really didn’t notice the dirty air. I guess I was enjoying life so much that my mind was elsewhere and I just didn’t think about it. Back then, it didn’t get anything like the same coverage in the press that it does today. What about you? Do you notice the pollution in the air not just in terms of reduced visibility, but in terms of effects on your body, respiratory health etc? Have you made any changes to your lifestyle, such as staying indoors? Do you take precautions like using an air purifier inside, or wearing a mask outside? Or do you just say to hell with it and get on with life?

Your Bangkok commentator,

Stick

 

Stick can be contacted at : stickmanbangkok@gmail.com