Stickman Weekly, April 20, 2025
Mystery Photo
Where is it?
Last week’s photo was taken from a room in the Holiday Inn, looking down on the building in Soi 22 that used to be the popular No Idea pub. The food there was fantastic, and quite different to the fare served in many other Bangkok eateries. I haven’t been to version 2 of No Idea Pub but hear that it is also a wonderful spot with great food.
What about this week’s photo? As per usual, it’s somewhere downtown.
Stick’s Inbox – The Best Emails From The Past Week
Tats in Thailand.
I have a couple of tattoos myself, and I like girls with tattoos. A few years ago, I was someone’s ‘kik‘. She had a long-term Russian boyfriend who was away for long periods. I became her go-to booty call when she was missing him or simply pissed off with him. She had lots of tattoos – in fact, she had more inked skin than natural. One day, she asked me what her next tattoo should be and I joked it should be my name. Next time I saw her, she showed me her latest artwork. And then giggling, pulled her ear forward. Tattooed in the space behind her ear were both our names in Thai script! The Russian couldn’t read Thai, so she reckoned there was a very low chance of him noticing and understanding the meaning.
Fewer foreign floozies in Pattaya.
The number of African, Uzbeki and “other nationality” working ladies at the Coconut Bar shouldn’t be exaggerated. It’s not like the zone in Bangkok where there are a lot of Africans. Take a walk down the Coconut Bar from Pattaya Klang to Walking Street, and you’ll see it’s just a very, very small minority. How many ladies there are from other Asian countries, I can’t say. As you say, it’s difficult to determine where they’re from. You would have to talk with them to find out.
YouTubers in Thailand.
In regards to your comment about Thailand YouTubers starting to lose their marbles in the coming years, I can tell you in many cases it has already happened. Look at Forrest Lee – 7 years ago he was making videos interviewing bargirls. Now his videos are about why you should become a Catholic. And he is still in Bangkok! How about Richie and Maybelle in Phuket? He moved to Thailand with $70K US and knocked up a girl that he opened a coffee shop with. His videos have grown increasingly desperate, after Maybelle mysteriously stopped appearing, until his final video about why businesses in Thailand fail, after which he disappeared. Or how about Ryan and Mo in Buriram? He did not meet wife’s family for 7 YEARS after they began dating. Now he lives on their land and invested thousands into building a compound on their property.
Remembering Soi Zero.
Your comments about Soi Zero are right, and we shouldn’t romanticize it. It was just a cluster of ramshackle bars. I guess many never went there. It’s so long ago, but the vibe experienced could be compared with the bars that were in “The Tunnel” between sois 5 and 7, next to the Biergarten. Typical, old-school Thai street bars. Colourful maybe, fun if it was your thing, part of the old charm of Bangkok, but nothing special, in my opinion.
A map showing Soi Cowboy used to appear on matchboxes.
More Readers’ Emails
Soi Cowboy matchbox.
I found this matchbox from around 1983 or 1984. I cannot remember most of the bar names. The Old China Hand was purely a bar, no girls. I think Our Place was on the corner of soi 23, next to the restaurant. Maybe Suzie’s became Suzie Wong. Offshore was in Soi 23. S was The George And Dragon, later Geordies and then Ship Inn. The original owner was “Doc” Bowden, a medic on oil rigs. His daughter is Pamela Bowden, a singer and actress. I used to have a couple of beers in the George and Dragon, before heading to Pam’s Bar which was a small place, then finally head for a couple of other gogo bars. Never had a regular one. Maybe some of your older readers may remember these bars.
Optimised for Instagram.
Thai ladies are optimized for Instagram these days. Nose surgery, thick monster eyebrows, tattoos, all that can look good in photos – and they spend countless hours and baht tuning it. In the past you could often pick up the vibe of an unsophisticated but happy-to-please rural Thai woman who’d accompany you for days if needed, and make a slightly shy, but solid attempt at nourishing mutual attraction and getting along. In my book, a woman being into you (or plausibly acting) is incredibly appealing. These days, most Thai hookers are wannabe vixens, still cheap and unsophisticated but with vanity turned up to the max. They cram many short-time sessions into an evening, and couldn’t be bothered with you. Comparing photos, you’ll easily choose her, but if you’ve been around, signs of vanity and disinterest are a huge turnoff.
Bar name idea.
If I had a Thai bar I’d name it Wild Orchid. Probably prompted by the film of that name from 1989. Strangely, it was actually set in Rio.
Jet ski scam alive or dead?
A few years ago the jet ski scam was a big problem. Return the jet ski after your time was up and the operator would point out damage that was already there. When large amounts of money were not paid, Thai men showed up, intimidated the customer and threatened to call the police. The police often came. Often, one police officer would cross Beach Road with the scammer and the two of them and the victim disappeared into the parking garage. Sitting in front of Royal Garden Plaza, you could witness it. I never hear anything about it anymore. Is that completely over or is it kept quiet? <Just yesterday, an article appeared in the Bangkok Post about a bunch of jet-ski scammers arrested in Phuket – Stick>
The entrance to Nana Plaza on the final day of Songkran.
This Week’s News, Views & Gossip
Relief for expats as Songkran is done and dusted in Bangkok for another year. A long-time reader noted that in his neighbourhood, Sukhumvit Soi 8, the water fighting didn’t come to an end when the sun went down as it had in the past. It used to be that from around 7 PM sanity prevailed and you could head out for the night without any worries about getting drenched. Not this year! This fellow got soaked one night at 11 PM and another night it was still crazy on Soi 8 after midnight. And some people wonder why many of us loathe Songkran and do everything we can to avoid it!
Security at the entrance to Nana Plaza have added a handheld metal detector to their toolbox. Some say entering the plaza feels rather like passing through an airport where security may wave the wand over you if you look shifty. It is used selectively and not everyone gets the wand treatment. Security is for safety and that’s a good thing but if the comments in my inbox are anything to go by, many people aren’t thrilled about this.
A new canvas roof / covering was erected over the entrance to Nana Plaza to provide cover to security staff in the rainy season. The roof got its first test this week with the last day of the official Songkran holiday seeing torrential downpours in Bangkok. The verdict? The engineering team may need to make some adjustments. The rain was so heavy that the run-off from the new covered area formed a wall of water across the entrance to the plaza. Anyone entering or exiting the plaza had to dash through it to avoid being drenched.
Is this your dream job?
Fancy running a gogo bar in Bangkok’s premier bar area? Now’s your chance after the advertisement above appeared online this week. But with the position paying a paltry 60K baht / month, could you actually live on that in central Bangkok these days? I guess you could – but would you want to?
Still on Soi Nana, The Tavern reopened prior to Songkran. You may recall that a dispute broke out between partners in the bar and ended up in court. The party which lost gutted the small venue so work was needed to fit it out anew. The Tavern is as well known for its food as a place to meet like-minded expats, and the menu features all the old favourites with some new items added. I haven’t been in years but remember the burger was decent. I am told that today The Tavern has a great breakfast, some of the best buffalo wings in town, and it still has great burgers. Tuesday at The Tavern is Taco Tuesdays with beef, chicken, fish and buffalo shrimp options. The Thursday steak nights are on hold but will return.
If you’re stuck for something to do on Sunday nights, every Sunday from 6:30 PM, the Kicking Donkey on Sukhumvit soi 6 – just along from the intersection with Soi Nana – has Killer Pool. There are cash prizes (1st place takes 60%, 2nd 30%, and 3rd 10%), three lives per player, and bonus lives for potting the 8 ball or sinking a double. And if that isn’t reason enough to stop, there’s also a free BBQ.
What’s happening in the large plot on Sukhumvit Road between soi 12 and Times Square? The plot has been empty for some time and was overgrown with weeds. There were a dozen or so homeless people living there who the Bangkok Community Foundation would often deliver food to. The area has been paved over in what looks like the base for a market / night market. Best guess is that a market, perhaps a night market and eating area are coming. A sign out front in Thai says that spaces are available for rent. For a while this area was the New York Gardens where there were a bunch of bars and eateries – and it was very popular. Expect something similar to spring up and expect it to be similarly popular. And also expect that it won’t last that long. This is prime real estate and I guess whatever is set up there is basically a placeholder while the land owners bide their time before a deal is done and another office tower / hotel / condominium is built.
What’s happening in the space on Sukhumvit Road between soi 12 and Times Square?
Thailand announced that all foreigners arriving in the country from May 1 *MUST* complete an online registration not more than 3 days before arriving. You can do it online at the Thailand Digital Arrival Card website. This has been talked about for a while and is now official. The obvious question is what happens to those who don’t complete this in advance? If flying in to Thailand, will you be able to get on the plane if you have not completed this beforehand? What about anyone who turns up at a land border? Can you complete it there and then on your mobile? News reports say that the system will open for registrations from April 28. It looks simple enough but with that said, I wouldn’t want to be travelling to Thailand at the start of May. One imagines there will be teething problems.
This new system will be the perfect vehicle for Thailand to next introduce the long-discussed compulsory tourist insurance. For years there has been talk of a 300 baht fee touted as insurance, notwithstanding that many of us already have comprehensive travel insurance. Call me a cynic but I think it won’t be long before some fee or other is added. Still, it’s not like Thailand would be unique in this regard. For those travelling to the USA, the ESTA runs $US 21. To visit the UK, the ESTA will set you back £16. And for those who don’t need a visa to visit rip-off New Zealand, the ESTA runs $NZ 100 (although it’s waived for Aussies who currently make up 42% of visitors to NZ).
Ever ordered a drink in a Bangkok bar and thought it didn’t taste how it should? Have you ever felt that what you ordered is not what you are served, even if it came out of the right bottle? Is there an issue in the farang bars with imported top-shelf spirits being replaced with a low-cost local drop? You do hear the odd accusation but these days it’s not common. Over the years I have heard a few people claim that what they were served was not the genuine item. Those involved in the industry in the past could point to the odd bar known for this practice, but when the word got out they had to change their ways quickly. These days the bar industry is much more professional and I’d be surprised if any of the big-name bars in Bangkok served counterfeit drinks.
Another night in Bangkok.
Down in Pattaya, Mister Egg, the former owner of Le Pub, has opened up about his upcoming new bar. Rum Runner will be located on Soi Buakhao, down past Treetown, and is expected to open around the middle of next month. It will open mid-afternoon and won’t stay open as late as most bars. Mister Egg hopes to recreate the vibe of gogo bars back in the day when they offered a more convivial experience than what you get today.
Pattaya’s Soi 6 used to be known as Soi Yodsak. You never hear that name today and everyone simply calls it “Soi 6”. But perhaps a change of name is in order after yet another fight broke out on the soi involving Thai security and an aggressive foreigner. Soi Of Trouble, one friend suggested. Soi Of Scum, was the suggestion from a retired Bangkok boss. What happened this week was just another case of overzealous security ganging up on a foreigner on Soi 6, right? Maybe not. Video of the fight went viral after a foreigner had been acting aggressively inside Where Angels Play Bar, upsetting staff. He was asked to leave. Security stopped by and out on the soi, the young, fit, shirtless foreigner was making quite the scene and challenged a security guard to a fight. After being goaded, one security guard couldn’t restrain himself and with one punch knocked the foreigner to the ground. What followed was the usual scrum as other security guards and bargirls piled in on the foreigner when he was on the ground, raining punches and kicks all over his body. The video went viral across Thai social media and the incident was picked by the mainstream Thai language media. This sort of thing does no good for the reputation of foreigners in Thailand and feeds in to a negative impression some Thais have of farangs.
Anyone recognise themself?!
Social media exploded a couple of weeks ago as every man and his dog created action figures of themself and others with AI. Across the Thailand expat social media sphere, imaginations ran wild as punters plugged in all manner of variables to produce action figures of Thailand stereotypes. My favourites were Pattaya Ken and the Soi 6 Bar Manager (included at the end of the column). Anyone recognise themself in the action figure of Pattaya Ken, above? Of course this begs the question, what does Pattaya Barbie look like? I never did see her…
Back in Bangkok, long-running Swiss restaurant Chesa which was a fixture on Sukhumvit Soi 20 for as long as I can remember has relocated to Soi 34.
The notice below from the hong-nam at Fitzgerald’s, the Irish pub on Soi Nana, suggests the bar has a graffiti problem. This silly notice aside, Fitzgerald’s is a decent bar and has a good following. The bar is affiliated with the Bangkok Liverpool Supporter’s Club. If you’re a Liverpool supporter, you can apply for a Liverpool Supporters’ Club card (which is free) and you’ll get a 10% discount on all food and drinks at Fitzgerald’s.
Charming message in the hong-nam, Fitzgerald’s.
A reader upcountry used two expat food delivery services and was disappointed when the goods he had ordered were delivered at room temperature despite supposedly being transported in a refrigerated truck. Reluctant to consume the items, he contacted the two suppliers, Manston Foods and Britishop, who could not have been more apologetic and refunded him in full. We often hear about poor service in Thailand, so it’s refreshing to report on two companies that take service seriously and respond exactly how we hope they would.
South-East Asia is home to several hundred million people but at the same time it can feel like a small place. I can’t count the number of times I have bumped in to people I know. 25 odd years ago I bumped in to a neighbour in a dodgy bar in Pattaya. I had no idea that he was a regular Pattaya visitor. I bumped in to a friend from my old cricket team in Phạm Ngũ Lão, Saigon. And I bumped in to my old high school German teacher in MBK. South-East Asia has been a magnet for Westerners for decades and I guess that as large as the region is, foreigners tend to go to a limited number of places – and in those places, we tend to gravitate to a small number of venues so the chance of bumping in to someone from your past is not a huge stretch.
The huge new massage venue on Sukhumvit soi 11.
I note that over the past couple of weeks the air quality in Thailand has improved significantly. It’s so much better than it was.
Over in Cambodia, someone made quite the booboo and caused massive upset thousands of kilometres away. An Aussie had been in Phnom Penh for 6 days and departed on April 12 very much alive and well. His elderly parents in Australia got a visit from the local Australian police to inform them that their son had been found dead in Phnom Penh. Needless to say, that would have been a massive shock to the poor fellow’s parents. Said fellow was actually in Singapore at that moment, very much alive and well! Apparently, the only possession the dead fellow had on him was a mobile phone and the SIM card in that phone came up with the Australian fellow’s passport details. Presumably, the Cambodian police informed the Australian embassy that a body had been found and their investigation had identified the man as Mr Australia. Despite this, the Aussie still has the Cambodian SIM card that he originally purchased. So who is the dead (presumably Western fellow) in the morgue in Phnom Penh? Has that fellow’s family been notified? This story is all over the Cambodian expat forums but apparently it has not got any attention from the mainstream press.
One thing I really don’t like in Thailand is the way locals can be very quick to play the I’ll get you kicked out of my country card when they feel slighted. Some Thais who disapprove of the words or actions of foreigners in Thailand are quick to threaten deportation. I’ve seen this happen so many times over the years from incidents in bars, to workplace disputes to relationships that have gone south to – as in the high-profile incident this week – mere misunderstandings. An incident was reported in the mainstream press this week of a half-Thai-half Scottish park ranger who took offence to being greeted Nee-hao by some Italian tourists, deeming it to be an insult. It all seems rather innocuous but the Thai, oops, I mean half-Thai, took offence and threatened the Italian with deportation. Why on earth would you threaten deportation over something like that? For that matter, why would you even threaten deportation in the first place? Of course, there are a good few expats who have adopted this nonsense too and are not shy to threaten people with deportation, but that’s a whole other story.
Isaan starter pack.
.
Thailand-Related Links & News Articles
Quote of the week comes from a friend, “I would not trade my 24 years of experiences in South-East Asia with those of a movie star, as they don’t have the anonymity we enjoy to do what we want.”
From The Stickman Archives, Post-Tsunami Phuket was published on February 12, 2006, the best part of 20 years ago.
YouTube video of the week is the latest from Bangkok Pat who shows us around his favourite park in Bangkok.
In Phuket, a Glaswegian was arrested for attacking a shopkeeper and a teenage boy.
In Chiang Mai, skinny folks get a discount in an unusual promotion at a breakfast restaurant.
A muscular British thug decks an older, smaller Thai man in a case of road rage madness.
In Pattaya, a British moron plays Russian roulette and duh, learns the hard way that there’s a bullet in the chamber!
A Kiwi clown is arrested at Phuket Airport where Immigration officers find a small bag of cocaine inside his passport.
From The Telegraph, how Thailand turned its back on backpackers.
A German family innocently crossing the road at a zebra crossing in Phangnga is mowed down by a songtaew.
An elderly Thai woman steals the wallet of a young Chinese visitor.
Probably my favourite Thailand action figure.
Closing Comments
I really needed a week off. This column is not difficult to write, but there’s so much drama involved in the bar industry these days – much more than there ever was in the past – that it can be really quite draining dealing with some of the people I have to deal with. I’m happy to be back……I think.
With Songkran done and dusted for another year, the expectation is that visitor numbers will ease a bit over the coming months, and the mix of visitors will change. Fewer white faces, fewer Russians and come mid-year, more Indians – assuming the pattern follows previous years. For me, June through August is one of the best times of the year to visit. It typically isn’t too hot nor too wet, and it isn’t too busy. I guess I had better get my A in to G, book a ticket and get back over there.
Your Bangkok commentator,
Stick
Stick can be contacted at : stickmanbangkok@gmail.com
