Stickman Weekly, May 11, 2025

 

 

Mystery Photo

Last week’s photo was taken of the recently renovated Top Charoen optician store next to the Ploenchit skytrain station. It was obviously difficult as just 7 of you got it right.

After last week’s difficult photo, we have a somewhat easier mystery photo this week, featuring another skytrain station – but exactly where on the network is it?

 

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

Defamation laws and suppression, where to stay or rent?

Several high-rise condominiums in Bangkok have been declared structurally unsafe and evacuated — and more may follow as inspections continue. Many other buildings have suffered significant damage. One high-rise condo was reportedly leaning over, yet I see current ads for rentals in that building with prices listed as “negotiable”. I wonder which condos and / or hotels and which developers are involved? You probably won’t find that information widely reported. Thailand’s strict criminal defamation laws allow even true statements to be punished if they damage someone’s reputation, with each offence coming with a penalty of up to two years in prison. The system favors plaintiffs, who are supported by public prosecutors, while defendants must cover their own costs and prove their innocence which discourages critical reporting. The silence of hidden information is deafening. People need to know where to stay and / or rent! Personally, I’d pay the market price for a condo in an undamaged building, or consider a structurally sound but cosmetically damaged unit at a hefty discount.

Why there are so many badly-behaved foreigners today.

There is a lot of talk lately of farangs behaving badly. Some blame the easier visa rules, cannabis shops or alcohol. I don’t really think these are the main reasons. Just look at the age groups that are getting involved in trouble. Back in the day, you rarely saw anyone under 30. I would say the average age was 40-ish. All, and I mean all, were single / divorced western males. We all knew what we were here for. There was very little trouble in those days. Now there seems to be more and more 20-somethings and even teens. This is where the problem lies. What are they doing in places like Pattaya? Are there no women in their own countries? The nationality of these people needs to be looked at. I don’t want to see the place crawling with farang families, but what I wish for will never happen. Can’t turn the clock back, unfortunately. That’s all from a grumpy old-school git.

Paradise for psychos.

Westerners with psychiatric diseases are over-represented in Pattaya, which is an inviting place for someone who feels no boundaries, and where it’s possible to survive on a tight budget. They often have a false belief that they can cope without medication in a paradise like Thailand – and then shit happens and they end up being deported.

Pricey Pattaya.

I have been back in Pattaya for the first time since 2020. The 3-week trip cost me 7,000 euros! First it was Walking Street, now it’s soi 6. Soi 6 was known for great value for money. Now it’s beginning to look like Walking Street with lots of Koreans buying drinks for the girls. It feels like diminishing returns for what is now an expensive trip. What is the reason for visiting if it just keeps getting worse and worse? In terms of economics, there is no reason to go there for short-time any more. Sit down with a calculator and work out what it costs you!

TDAC experience.

I am on the ground in Bangkok, having flown in on Friday night. I filled in my TDAC in advance and it all went smoothly. It’s essential to fill it in early (at home / in the office) rather than at the airport in Bangkok on your phone as it needs a lot of detail and wasn’t so easy to navigate on a phone compared with a computer. It took less than ten minutes to get through Immigration.

Apartment damage.

I have to laugh at the photos of the earthquake damage. I’ve got bigger cracks in every room of my apartment, from floor to ceiling and along every joint. And a bunch of bathroom tiles have come loose. I saw the property agent this morning and she asked me if I’d fixed it yet. “No, I rent the apartment. Fixing earthquake damage is the landlord’s job. It should be on her insurance policy.”

Airfares cheap from Europe.

You wrote that air tickets from New Zealand to Bangkok are 20 – 25% more expensive than last year. From Europe, they are much cheaper. From Amsterdam to Bangkok in December 2025, which is the high season, the fare is only 555 euro! In June, you can fly Etihad Airways to Bangkok for 558 euro.

More airfares.

Flight prices are all about demand so maybe the photo from Suvarnabhumi is a tell. I looked at prices from Europe and it’s not that bad. Cheap as chips in September and October.

 

 

 

This Week’s News, Views & Gossip

Patpong soi 2 was resurfaced this week with much of the rough pavement and potholes filled in. With endless speculation about the future – or otherwise – of Bangkok’s oldest bar area, this is a positive sign. You wouldn’t expect money to be spent if it was not going to continue in its current format for at least the near future. There has been plenty of talk about Patpong changing format or being sold. Patpong can be polarising, but at the end of the day most fans of the nightlife hope it stays as is.

The owner of Kinky Girls at the Silom Road end of Patpong soi 2 is making noises about taking over Black Pagoda and reopening it. The iconic bar on a bridge connecting buildings either side of Patpong soi 2 has been closed since the owner was incarcerated a couple of years ago. Said operator of Kinky Girls is talking about introducing Thai boxing in what sounds like a copycat of Pink Panther. Is boxing what customers really want in a gogo bar? Those much closer to Patpong than me are cynical about whether it will happen, while there’s no lack of will on her part.

Speaking of the popular Patpong bar boss who was incarcerated a couple of years ago, there is genuine hope that he may be released before long. A number of appeals have been made and, as I understand it, a fresh appeal is required for each charge. He’s one of the good guys and many of us have our fingers crossed that he may soon be a free man.

Virgin X gogo bar (where King’s Corner used to be) has its own troop of ladies as well all the team from Virgin while that bar is undergoing renovations. Virgin X has been described as being a bit more pleasant than your average gogo bar with a comfortable interior and music played at a more sensible volume than other bars.

 

 

Last week I mentioned the minimum number of lady drinks you have to buy if you wish to barfine a lady from one of the King’s Group bars in Patpong. I was unaware of this so I asked someone close to King’s Group management to find out more. Word from the King’s Group is that this is an “unofficial policy”. Now maybe I am a moron, – but just what does that mean? My best guess is that this means whatever happens in the bars is up to that bar’s mamasan and staff. Is it selective where a customer is weighed up and asked to pay what staff think he will bear? Maybe customers should dress like they just got off the bus from Khao San Road?

Today (Sunday, May 11) is a Buddhist public holiday in Thailand and with it falling at the weekend, tomorrow is the substitution day. On Friday, an amendment was made to the laws regarding the sale of alcohol on Buddhist holidays. Until this week, the sale of alcohol had been forbidden on Buddhist holidays, but from now on it can be sold in international airports, nightlife venues, hotels and venues hosting national or international events. For tourists – and expats – this is a welcome change. Many visitors have been caught out by this law, and plenty of readers have sent me an email over the years after flying in for a short time – sometimes just for a dirty weekend – only to discover that the bars were closed and their planned dirty weekend was a fizzer. This law is so new that despite now being allowed to open on the Buddhist holiday this weekend, some bars may still be closed. When planning your trip, Buddhist holidays are no longer something to be concerned about / to avoid.

The French manager who used to sit at the entrance of Baccara on Soi Cowboy is now working at Red Fern on Sukhumvit Soi 7/1. Not familiar with Red Fern? It’s the bar in the space on Soi 7/1 that was previously Eden Club. And it just so happens that the services on offer at Red Fern are very similar to what used to be available at Eden Club. * Note: every couple of months or so I get an email asking if Eden Club is still around / has relocated. No, Eden Club closed many years ago. But if you’re looking to relive the old Eden Club experience, word on the street is that Red Fern is the next best thing.

 

 

You can watch English Premier League football matches live in just about any bar in Bangkok. A good few bars in Sukhumvit show international rugby matches. There aren’t that many Aussie-themed bars but most show NRL (Australian rugby league). But where can you watch AFL? What’s that? AFL is Australian Rules Football, the most popular sport in Australia in terms of spectator attendance and television ratings. While other sports like rugby league, cricket, and soccer are popular, it is AFL matches which draw the largest crowds and television viewership numbers. Like rugby league, Aussie-themed bars show matches but if you don’t fancy going out of your way to find an Aussie bar, Stumble Inn at the top of Soi Nana shows AFL matches live. For AFL fans, above is a schedule of this week’s round of matches. Check out Stumble Inn’s Facebook group for more details.

It looks like I spoke too soon in last week’s column when I commented that most of these fights between foreigners and Thais take place in either Pattaya or Phuket. This week a video circulated on social media of a fight in the middle of Sukhumvit soi 11 involving a bunch of foreigners. Apparently, there was some sort of disagreement between three customers of Paradise Beach Bar and a passerby with a lot of pointing and shouting. Shortly after, things erupted and spilled in to a free-for-all on the soi. Three against one is not good odds and the inevitable happened with the passerby taking a pounding.

 

 

Down in Pattaya, Mister Egg’s new bar, Rum Runner, which he describes as a rock ‘n’ roll gogo lounge will open towards the end of the week. Everything is set and the Egg is just waiting for the paperwork before he can throw open the doors and welcome his legion of YouTube fans. (If you weren’t aware, Mister Egg has his own YouTube channel where he talks about the bar industry and life in Pattaya.) Rum Runner will open daily from 3 PM until 10 PM and will play rock classics, 80s hits and some select Thai tunes to keep the girls happy. Draught Guinness, Stowford’s Press Cider and at least one draft beer will be available on tap. Screens inside the bar will play music videos and live sports. For locals, there is plenty of parking outside for motorbikes and a car park is 100 metres away. Obviously, it’s on the baht bus route that runs along Soi Buakhao. One big positive: there will be no smoking allowed inside the bar. There will also be seating outside where you can perch and watch the comings and goings along Soi Buakhao.

For lovers of ladyboys, the once popular Katoeys Are Us – a long-time fixture on Soi Diamond – has also relocated to Soi Buakhao. Katoeys Are Us is now located down past Tree Town, near the back of the Made In Thailand complex, on the other side of the soi.

Word is that there are more Koreans about in Pattaya these days, both in terms of visitors and new business owners. Koreans are not popular with some retirees who are unimpressed when their favourite bar is descended on by a bunch of fit, young guys who throw around more money in a night than many retirees spend in a week. I heard this week from some who are familiar with Angeles City that some of the Korean-owned bars in that part of the world were known as rip-off joints. Will this become an issue in Pattaya? I have no idea but perhaps it’s worth keeping this in the back of your mind if you stop by any Korean-run bars.

 

 

Do you get the feeling that the bar industry is approaching a crossroads? They might look much the same from the outside, but spend some time inside and you quickly realise that things are changing. Bars are getting flasher, there are more expensive drops on the menu and in some prime-location bars in Pattaya and big-name bars in Bangkok, prices are moving up. There are more classifications of staff in the bars and many customers – and even regulars who are out and about all the time – are confused about the differences between models, super models, public relations, waitresses etc. All most customers really want to know is whether you can barfine her. If you offer her a lady drink, how many will she come back with? Is there a minimum number of drinks to buy before she can be barfined? So many questions and so much uncertainty. Sure, many bars operate much as bars always have and have no desire to change. But as the customer base becomes more diverse and some bars change their ways, many customers are becoming confused. And confusion can breed frustration which in time can become disinterest. Once upon a time, bars strived to have a  solid base of regulars. Today many bars have found it more profitable to focus on the new breed of high-spending sex tourists.

Thais embrace any chance to have a good time. They celebrate Christmas even though just 1% of the population is Christian and most don’t have a clue what Christmas is all about. Thai New Year, Chinese New Year, end of the calendar year – whenever – any excuse to have a good time! I am told that the latest trend in Thai bars and restaurants is jumping on the Cinco de Mayo bandwagon despite having absolutely no connection with Mexico whatsoever. Irish pubs? Check! Italian restaurants? Check! Any chance to party, the Thais will grab it!

 

 

A good friend from the UK needs a hernia operation. It’s not urgent, but he wants to get it dealt with. Getting it done in the public system in the UK could be a very, very long wait. So why not get it done at a private hospital in Bangkok? He would quickly learn that procedures in private hospitals in Thailand are not the bargain they once were. The cost of the operation in a private hospital in the UK, including the surgeon’s fee,  anaesthetist’s fee, all hospital charges, all follow-up including physio, is around 3,500 pounds. Inquiries to the better private hospitals in Bangkok put the price at……almost double that! Out of curiosity, I did a search online for the cost of a gallbladder removal (it’s another very common procedure), comparing the cost here in New Zealand with Thailand. Comparing a private hospital in NZ with the better private hospitals in Bangkok, NZ was cheaper. On the topic of medical tourism, I see more people talking about India as an alternative to Thailand. It’s said to be much, much cheaper than Thailand.

Back in my day, some expats self-medicated when they contracted the drippy dick. Some were quite blasé about buying powerful antibiotics over the counter, and some even considered themselves to be experts, claiming to be able to accurately self-diagnose whatever nasty they had contracted and select the appropriate antibiotic to treat it. That was bad enough, but now there is an even more concerning trend that I understand is prevalent these days: taking antibiotics prophylactically i.e. before they do the dirty. These idiots are taking goodness only knows which antibiotics so they can party without a party hat. Talk about reckless! If you have a serious infection, yes, you likely need antibiotics. But if you don’t, it’s reckless to take them. Antibiotics destroy your microbiome and greatly reduce its diversity which can lead to a cascade of problems. I would only take antibiotics if I absolutely had to. The downside of antibiotic use is greatly underappreciated.

 

 

History buffs might enjoy Patpong, Story Of A Red-Light District written by my friend, Randy Howlett. Randy operated a Patpong gogo bar for many years and became fascinated with the history of the area. For a while, he was one of the tour guides at the Museum of Patpong. If you were given a tour by a tall, affable American, you may have met Randy. He has been out of the bar industry for a while now, but his fascination saw him spend years researching the Patpong area and this book is a result of that research. The book looks at the history of the area, going back to long before the first bars were built. This is not a salacious look at the bar industry, but a history of the Patpong area. Patpong, Story Of A Red-Light District is available on Amazon, $9 for the Kindle edition and $18 for the paperback.

Here in New Zealand – particularly in the big cities – a scourge has infiltrated many dining outlets. Shared plates. It’s like every other restaurant imposes this idea that diners share all the food. It feels like dishes have got smaller and smaller, and prices have got higher and higher. I have no issue with the concept of a group of diners sharing a bunch of dishes and you each get to try a little bit of everything. With some types of cuisine, this works well. I enjoy eating Thai food this way. It works well with the likes of tapas too. But when Western restaurants introduce this nonsense and the steak costs $50 and is a small cut sliced in to bite size pieces, and the broccoli costs close to $20 and contains a dozen or so small florets then you can’t shake the feeling that the venue is really taking the piss. Many types of cuisine simply just don’t lend themselves to this style of dining, in my opinion. So what has this got to do with Thailand? I wonder if this nonsense has made it to Thailand? Thais love to share dishes, but has the concept of small dishes of Western food to be shared made it there? I haven’t noticed it when I visit, nor when I look at menus or read reviews online. But given the way Thais love to dine in groups and share everything, has / could this become a thing in Thailand?

 

 

Thailand-Related Links & News Articles

From The Stickman Archives, The Coconut Bar was published in July 2010, and featured photos from a walk along Beach Road.

YouTube video of the week comes from Bangkok Pat, Vanishing Bangkok Episode 8.

Last week it was a Ukrainian, this week it’s a Brit who trashes their rental property.

The Belgian who went bonkers in two Pattaya convenience stores is deported from Thailand and blacklisted.

A German in Pattaya is homeless after being kicked out of the marital home by his Thai wife.

There is a noticeable downturn in the number of Europeans currently visiting Pattaya.

In a theme I have been commenting on for a while, Pattaya locals are fed up with low-quality visitors to their city.

A British couple is stuck in Thailand and facing a hospital bill in excess of £100,000.

The Bangkok Post reported the relaxing of laws banning the sale of alcohol on Buddhist holidays.

The Ukrainian hussy who trashed a condo in Phuket is arrested at the airport as she was about to leave the country.

 

 

Closing Comments

March, April and May are regarded as the hot season which is followed by the rainy season, but the reality is that most years you don’t get consistent heavy downpours in Bangkok until around mid-August. The real rainy season then runs through until late October or early November and the so-called cool season arrives. So what season is it in Bangkok now? You’d think it should still be the hot season – but every few days for the past few weeks there have been really heavy downpours in Bangkok that make it feel more like August than May. Last night the heavens opened and torrential rain fell across Bangkok with reports of flooding all over the city. It was so bad that a friend who had been out on Sukhumvit soi 23 couldn’t get a taxi to get to his condo on Sukhumvit soi 16, a journey of about 2.5 km. In the end, he waited 20 minutes for a Grab taxi that ended up costing him 540 baht to go home. I quite liked it when it rained in Bangkok and I was relaxing in the condo – but I hated it when it rained when I was out and about!

Your Bangkok commentator,

Stick

 

Stick can be contacted at : stickmanbangkok@gmail.com