Stickman Weekly, April 6, 2025

 

 

Mystery Photo

Last week’s photo was taken from the Intercontinental Hotel. Despite being located in a very central location and just over a kilometre away from the Nana area, only 12 of you got it right and many got it wrong, even after multiple attempts.

This week’s photo was kindly provided by Reader Paul. It’s an unusual perspective of a venue that was perhaps better known to expats than visitors. It is somewhere on Sukhumvit but exactly where? You tell me!

 

 

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

Safety, Thailand vs Philippines.

Your friend isn’t wrong. I’ve been in the Philippines for 6 years now and have never felt unsafe nor been a victim of crime. They like and respect farangs here, unlike Thailand where we are second-class citizens. Technically the crime stats look bad here but you’d only run into trouble if you were to do something idiotic like dealing drugs in a poor neighbourhood or starting a fight. If you’re minding your own business in the well-to do Makati district of Manila you are definitely safe. Originally, I wanted to live in Thailand when I retired to Asia but couldn’t get a Thai visa at age 49 so I decided to hang out in the Philippines for a year till I was old enough (50, as it then was) to get a Thai visa. But I found I loved it in the Philippines so much that I never bothered going back to Thailand. There is also no bullshit “reporting to immigration” every 90 days like a paroled convict here or reporting when you spend the night away from your residence. They don’t automatically assume you are a criminal on the lam, possibly because to get a Philippines visa you have to have an Interpol check showing no criminal record or arrest warrants. I wouldn’t move back to Thailand now. Great place for a holiday, but not to live there. If you get the official Philippines Retirement Authority (PRA) Special Resident Retirement Visa (SRRV), you can stay for life. Sure, Thai food is much better than local Philippines food but you can get Thai food in the Philippines (and Spanish, French, Italian, Greek, Mexican – whatever you want) so it’s not a deal-breaker. The bars in Thailand are better – especially daytime bars in Bangkok. For some reason Manila doesn’t have the same day-drinking bar culture as say Soi Nana. Not sure why, as the climate is just as pleasant for it.

Bring back the girls!

I must admit that I miss the gogo girl photos in the column. Many of my visits were based on what I saw in those pictures. I know I could find similar content on social media, but I’m not a social media user for various reasons.

Bell-ringing is still a thing.

You recently talked about how no-one rings the bell in bars anymore. I went into Angels Four, Soi Nana, on Monday night at about 7:00 PM. While I was there, this guy rang the bell not once, but 3 times. The next day I stopped by after breakfast and was told by one of the ladies that he rang the bell 2 more times after I left and that his bill was over 43,000 baht. I went in at about 6:30 PM that evening and was told he had rung the bell 10 times already. He rang the bell again while I was there. I left about 7:00 PM and don’t know how many times he rang the bell after that.

Where are the Indians?

I read the article about the unexpected surge of Indian tourists in recent months. What surge? In the last few months, during high season, there weren’t that many Indians around as usual at this time of year. This was confirmed by the reader who wrote the Reader’s Story of the Week. It’s exactly like he says – you could only find higher concentrations of Indians on the south side of the Coconut Bar, Walking Street and some limited stretches of Second Road where there are clusters of Indian restaurants.

Attacks on foreigners.

There’s a lot of commentary about the attacks on foreigners nowadays. I think when we consider the huge amounts of visitors, we’re talking about isolated incidents rather than a pattern. My experience is that in most cases the foreigner asked for trouble, behaving like an idiot under the influence of alcohol and / or drugs, not infrequently causing loss of face for Thais – and you know anything can happen. My opinion is that if you behave well, at least as a respectful tourist should, it’s very difficult to get into trouble like this in Thailand. In by far the most cases the, “I haven’t done anything wrong and suddenly they attacked me” claim of the foreigner is utter nonsense. Remember the guys who were bashed in Soi 6? Did you see how they were behaving leading to the bashing? They were intimidating and provoking people. They asked for it! That said, if the shit hits the fan the Thais often overdo it. Kicking people in the head while they’re almost unconscious on the ground is downright outrageous. And many Thais jump in, often not even knowing what’s going on, and automatically taking sides with their fellow Thais. See the case where the German was beaten up at Beach Road in Pattaya recently and the way some Thai motorcycle taxi drivers jumped in. They didn’t know what was going on at all, but just assumed that the foreigner must have been wrong.

Just another night in Bangkok.

In Crazy House one night, next to me was an elderly Western “NGO-looking” couple, 70-ish – and they really looked their age. I heard them talking and the wife pointing at the stage. Her husband went up and picked a nude 25-year old. She smiled and waved at me because I had been with her earlier that week. The dancer quickly changed clothes and the 3 of them left the bar…

Pollution and your health.

Now that I’m almost 50, I experienced issues with air pollution for the first time – and it really didn’t feel good. I’ve also noticed that whenever I return home from Thailand, I struggle with breathing for a while. It feels like there’s no oxygen in the air. Maybe it’s due to the much drier climate here, or perhaps the long exposure to stale airplane air.

Thai hospital experience.

I had a positive experience in a Thai hospital. On my last visit, I had the misfortune to fall off the back of a motorcycle taxi. I’ve been using them for years without a problem. I went to St. Louis Hospital on Sathorn Road, a hospital my landlord said many Thais use. The attention I got was as good as I could have got anywhere in the world. 10 minutes to see a doctor, a further 15 minutes to see an orthopaedic doctor, straight into X-ray, and then had minor surgery to put my shoulder back in, followed by another X-ray to confirm it was successful. Back to the doctor’s office where a nurse put my arm in a sling. I got a script for some painkillers and cream, and an appointment for the following week. I thought this is going to cost an arm and a leg. I could not believe the cost – just over 7,000 baht / $330 Australian dollars. Apart from a little pain on movement, I felt fine and got the skytrain back to Nana. Total time in the hospital was 4 hours. At the follow-up appointment I wasn’t even charged.

 

 

This Week’s News, Views & Gossip

Bar trade quickly bounced back following last week’s earthquake in Bangkok’s nightlife hot-spots. While there have been huge numbers of reports of damage to condo units (mostly cosmetic) all over the city, I am not aware of any bars that suffered damage. The nights immediately following the big shake saw the number of ladies report for work down in some bars. Older birds reported for work while some of the younger ladies stayed away. Word is that many younger ladies were rattled by the quake. I heard a couple were so shaken they fled home to Isaan. Away from the bars, quite a few readers in Thailand mentioned that their Thai other half had also been freaked out by the earthquake.

It sounds like bar trade may be easing a bit with reports of something we seldom hear about – girls lowering their prices. Is there a price war on Soi Nana with multiple reports that freelancers are happy to go for less. Where African girls used to charge 2,000 – 3,000 baht for an hour of their time, plenty now happily accept 1,500. One randy reader thought this was such a bargain price that he took two. The Vietnamese ladies have also dropped their prices. Working girls are reluctant to lower their price but economic fundamentals eventually catch up with them.

Speaking of freelancers, the northern side of Sukhumvit Road (with the odd-numbered sois) between the Nana intersection and Soi 19 is where you find the highest concentration of streetwalkers. Some girls are venturing further afield and have crossed the Asoke intersection. Some nights there you’ll find freelancers between Soi 23 and The Penalty Spot, which is just around the corner from Soi 29. In the past, between sois 23 and 25 was where a few ladyboys who collect wallets hung out.

 

 

Lollipop celebrated its 26th anniversary this past Friday night which makes it one of the longest running bars in the plaza with the same name, right? Not quite. For a while, Lollipop was known as Suckers. An issue arose some 10 or so years ago where there was a crackdown on bar licences. The name of the bar didn’t match the name on the registration papers, and a name change was made. It’s all part of the fun and games of running a business in Thailand.

Is the new Midnite sign in Soi Cowboy which features a lady holding a guitar confusing? Some say that a sign with a lady holding a guitar suggests it’s a live music venue.

A new single-shophouse bar has opened on the main Sukhumvit Road. It’s called No Sleeper and is just a couple of doors down from Buddy’s Bar & Grill, near the start of Sukhumvit soi 8. Happy hour is from 9 AM until 7 PM and drinks are 89 baht. It has a pool table.

Dave The Rave twice asked me this week to remind readers that he no longer has anything to do with his old website, the site’s social media nor the Dave The Rave brand. Dave wishes to be known simply as Dave or Mister Nana and wants everyone to know he has no association whatsoever with his old website. This week Dave received some nasty emails and threats due to some content written on the site. Dave would like to make it clear that he did not write this content, strongly disagreed with what was written and wished he could have deleted it.

In Nana Plaza, Kino is keen for customers to know that the bar is ladyboy-free with a sign that reads “101% Real Ladies”. That said, using 101% instead of 100% actually puts a little doubt in your mind.

 

 

Next week is Songkran, also known as the Thai new year. I’ve covered it so many times over the years that I am not going to go over it all again. In short, you either love Songkran or you hate it. I’m most definitely not a lover! The bar areas will be bedlam during the day with the streets filled with Thais and farangs having a huge water fight. Officially, the water throwing is supposed to stop when the sun goes down but around the bar areas, don’t count on it. If you venture out to the bar areas at Songkran, expect to get wet. Unless you actually want to partake in the water fight, it’s best to avoid the bar areas entirely until Songkran is over.

Amazingly, there are some bars putting on parties over the Songkran period. The Mandarin Group – Mandarin and Red Dragon in Nana Plaza, and Shark in Soi Cowboy – will have an H2O fever show on April 12, to celebrate full moon. On April 14 and 15, they have a kinnaree show and an aqua girl show. It would be a brave punter who headed out especially to see the shows, but if you’re planning on being out, you might like to stop by.

Officially, Songkran runs from Sunday, April 13, through to Tuesday, April 15. That’s when it is celebrated in Bangkok and most of the country, although things usually kick off early. In Bangkok bar areas, things usually get going the day before so that would be Saturday, April 12 but with Songkran falling on a weekend this year, I would not be at all surprised if water is being flung around on the evening of Friday, April 11. In Pattaya, Songkran lasts a whole week. The last day of Songkran in Pattaya is Saturday, April 19 – so if you want to avoid it, stay away until April 20th. Officially, it’s supposed to start in Pattaya on April 13 but like I said, I would not be surprised if it’s well underway in parts of Pattaya as early as Friday, April 11.

One of the few positives about Songkran is that it is the best time of the year to meet a Thai lady online. Most Thais will be off work for at least 5 days and those who are single / don’t spend time with family can get lonely. Loneliness is an emotion the Thais don’t handle well, and many will get online to hunt for someone to spend a few days with. Time to get back on Tinder or ThaiFriendly or whatever the popular online meeting places are these days.

 

 

If ever there was an image that showed how Pattaya is changing, it was the one that went viral this week of a Chinese tour group being led along Pattaya’s soi 6. What was once a sneak-away place for afternoon delight is now on the tour group map. And it’s easy to see why when you have hundreds of Thai ladies tarted up outside bars with an open front which allow you to see everything happening inside. The narrow soi is lined with bars and with all the girls perched outside trying to attract the attention of guys walking by, it’s perfect for looky-loos keen to see what the bar industry is all about. There are many new venues targeting Chinese tourists opening up on Second Road, close to Soi 6. You get the feeling that mainstream Chinese strolling up and down Soi 6 is here to stay.

Another trendy beach club has opened at the end of Walking Street, called Byblos. It’s opposite the Windy Inn Hotel. Another beach club targeting mainstream tourists is yet another sign of how Pattaya is changing.

The mamasan from Peppermint has left and taken several girls with her. You can find them all at Annie Jack’s on Soi Buakhao. And if you have a mamasan fantasy, she is available too.

There are some humorous bar names in Pattaya that I am surprised passed muster like the one below, Naughty Ass Bar. I wonder whether it was a Thai or a farang who came up with that name?

 

 

On Soi Pattayaland 2, Penthouse X opened a few months ago to much fanfare from the Indian owners. They have since leased it to some Chinese.

Have you noticed how so many of the new bars as well as old bars changing hands are now under the control of those who had almost zero presence in the bar industry just a few years ago? Chinese, Indians, Russians and Turks seem to be the nationalities acquiring bars these days. What ramifications that has for the future, you tell me.

Alex, the raucous Jock who has been holding court in Rockhouse for as long as I can remember, is looking to get out of the business. Rumour has it that Alex had an Indian lined up to buy it, but the landlord refuses to transfer the lease to Indians. One of the true characters of Pattaya, Alex’s health has not been great for a long time and he has had a few falls on the bar’s stairs. Rockhouse on Soi LK Metro is for sale and if you’re interested, swing by and see Alex who is currently looking for an agent to list it. You’ll get a better deal buying it directly from Alex than if an agent inserts himself in to the deal and takes 10%.

Last week I asked about a new nickname for the Ekamai to Pattaya bus which I’ve long referred to as the Sex Tourist Express. With the passenger mix no longer dominated by middle-aged single white guys and young, friendly, rural Thai women, a new nickname is needed. One reader came up with a novel name, “The Sexless Depressed”. Not sure I like the sound of that one. A good suggestion came from a reader in The Netherlands who would call it the “Instagram Express” or “Tik Tok Express”, as the new breed of tourists seems mainly interested in how they can display their trip in the best possible way online!

 

 

You know what I think of tattoos so when a friend sent me the image above of a tattoo on a bar lady’s back, I was floored. What on earth was she thinking?! It would have to be the craziest back tattoo I’ve ever seen. But then I looked closely and scratched my head. The lines of the ATM are perfectly straight which is amazing given that the canvas of a lady’s back is anything but flat. I can’t imagine that such a tattoo would be so crisp with the lines and dimensions so perfect. In other words, it’s not real. AI? I suspect it was created using Photoshop where the sketch of the farang at the ATM machine and the lady with the kwai was overlaid on the photo of a lady’s back. I received this on April 2nd, which should have been a clue. I’d say someone had fun with this on April Fool’s Day. To whoever created it, magnificent job!

Speaking of bar ladies and tattoos, I question whether most ladies give getting a tattoo much thought at all. Probably I think too much about it, and it’s not even my body. I just think it’s such a shame that some of these ladies mark themselves in such a way that may make life tricky in years to come. Thailand is hugely image-conscious and a certain type of tattoo might close some doors . For the ladies in the bars, it seems to be a case of the more tattooed you are, the more you have “made it”. After all, these large tattoos can be quite costly, even in Thailand. A body full of tats might make you a superstar amongst your bargirl colleagues, but outside the industry it could make you something of an outcast.

Count me amongst those who thought that many of the weed dispensaries would be gone within a year or so. There are many that hardly ever have a customer. Despite this, most seem to still be in business so I guess they sell enough to tick over.

 

 

As the fallout from last week’s earthquake settles, many foreigners are anxious to break their rental contract and move. A huge number of condo units throughout Bangkok have cracks in the wall, plaster splitting, ceiling collapsed, tiles falling in bathrooms etc. This sort of thing is cosmetic and can be fixed easily enough, but it seems many have been spooked, don’t feel safe in their building and want out of their contract. Social media has been full of posts from foreign tenants complaining that their landlord won’t allow them to break their contract nor refund their deposit immediately. Some say they will not be paying the rent for April, come what may. Buildings all over Bangkok are being inspected and most have been declared safe. Plenty have commented that these inspections have taken place awfully quickly. Thailand doesn’t have anything like a Tenancy Tribunal where disputes between renters and property owners can be heard so it’s up to the two parties to negotiate if one wishes to end the contract prematurely.

There are traffic control boxes all over Thailand manned by a cop or two whose job it is to monitor and manage the traffic. Perhaps the best known of these traffic boxes to readers of this column is at the corner of Soi Nana. These traffic control boxes take up a lot of space, are ugly and seem like a waste of manpower. Surely in this day and age, cameras and AI could be used and the cops deployed elsewhere?

As visitor numbers ease back a little, expect a spike next week for Songkran and then a period of relative quiet. If visitor numbers follow past trends, the next big increase will be in the middle of the year when Indians arrive en masse. The monsoon season in India is prime time for Indians to visit Thailand. Expect Pattaya, especially, to see a huge invasion of Indians around June, July and August.

 

 

Thailand-Related Links & News Articles

Quote of the week was suggested by a reader and is taken from an article in the Daily Mail. The highlighting of the final word is mine, “Angry locals claim the push for tourist dollars has attracted crowds of ‘low-quality’ visitors from across the globe including Russia, India and Australia.”

From The Stickman Archives, Getting Inked in Bangkok was published on September 9, 2012.

YouTube video of the week is from Seeker Of The Way, a Chiang Mai Nightlife walk, in 4K.

From DMNews, travelling to Thailand as a man in his mid-40s.

Following last week’s earthquake, Khao Sod put 10 questions to the president of the Thai Condominium Association.

Thailand plans to revise its tourism strategy to address the sluggish Chinese market and weak confidence following the earthquake.

Tourists from Russia and Kazakhstan are injured after a speedboat explodes near Phuket.

A Frenchman crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing in Kanchanaburi is hit by a car and killed.

A hungry, desperate American steals from a donation box outside the Pattaya Police Station.

An American political science lecturer working in Thailand faces charges of insulting the monarchy.

An American in Pattaya stabs himself in a frenzied manner, causing serious injuries.

 

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Closing Comments

I take a couple of weeks off from the column each year, the week of Songkran and another week during a quiet period in the low season. Next week is Songkran and that means it’s time for me to take a much-needed week off. There will be no column next week. Of course, if anything major happens that absolutely has to be reported in a timely fashion then I will publish next week but in all likelihood, the next weekly column will be published on Sunday, April 20th.

Your Bangkok commentator,

Stick

Stick can be contacted at : stickmanbangkok@gmail.com