Stickman Weekly, June 15, 2025
Mystery Photo
Where is it?
Last week’s photo was taken from Unique Bar, looking down on to the Ganesha Temple on the corner of Rachadapisek and Pracha Songkro roads. This particular spot is about 5 km from Sukhumvit Road and I suspect that’s why not many of you got it right.
This week’s photo is back in the general Sukhumvit area.
Stick’s Inbox – The Best Emails From The Past Week
A rainy future.
Discussion about the unusual heavy rains reminds me of a book I read several years ago called “Bangkok Wakes to Rain”. Set not too far in the distant future, this sci-fi novel postulates Bangkok as a city now under water and the residents trying to deal with this new reality. When it first came out, the theme of the book seemed somewhat ridiculous; now not so much.
A good attitude trumps Koreans?
About the girls preferring Korean men, I personally have never seen it. I think it could be the case if the bars are packed to the gills and the girls have many options, but that is rarely the case over the last year or so. On my last 2 or 3 trips, most gogo bars have had more girls than customers. In my opinion, it’s your attitude, and if you walk into a bar looking happy with a smile on your face, you can have most any girl in the place. Of course following proper etiquette as well. I don’t believe in negotiating. If I think the price is too high, I just move along to another bar.
Appropriate, but impolitely named bars.
Your recent comments on bar names in Pattaya, appropriate or otherwise, reminded me of the magnificently monikered ‘Cockwell Inn’, an establishment that is sadly no longer with us. If I recall correctly it was one of a complex of three bars situated on Second Road just past the entrance to Soi 6, on the other side. Like many small bars, I don’t think it survived the pandemic. I’ll leave it to others to confirm whether it lived up to its name!
Out of their depth in paradise.
I have travelled back and forth a few times to Pattaya and the changing demographic is rather obvious now. Australian airlines are now ramping up extra (direct) flights to Bangkok from Perth at ridiculously low prices. I flew 3 times in 3 months. The first time was on Thai Airways which cost about $1,500 return. The flight was full with a very multicultural mix of passengers. The 2nd and 3rd trips I flew on Jetstar. Direct flights cost $200 there and $165 for the leg back. The plane was not always full. How cheap is that? Too cheap, I think. Cheap enough for any young Aussie to use 2 or 3 weeks’ pocket money and there they are, out of their depth in ‘paradise’!
Healthcare and health insurance.
What do expats with limited funds do when they get a life-changing illness? They return to Farangland. That’s a tell. Western countries provide citizens with essential medical care at a high standard. That’s the advantage of socialised medicine – and that requires taxes. Queues are unavoidable as demand always exceeds supply. But you can find and pay for a private doctor in a few days. The problem with hospitals in Thailand is that the quality varies so much, and that complicated procedures in good institutions can be expensive. Being a grumpy old expat and avoiding health insurance comes with a cost.
The health check dilemma.
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Michelin fakery?
I was in Bangkok in January and visited a few Michelin star restaurants. They all proudly displayed their Michelin star certificates from previous years. On the last day we had lunch at a Michelin star restaurant in a new shopping mall. Unfortunately, it was one of the worst food experiences I’ve had in Bangkok. I wonder how they got their Michelin star. Surprisingly, they put the Michelin Star Certificate for 2025 on display and it was only mid-January. This made me wonder if some restaurants may be printing fake Michelin star certificates.
The new extension, inside Red Dragon.
This Week’s News, Views & Gossip
The much reported rain which marred bar trade in May has eased, raising the spirits of bar owners and bargoers alike. The general consensus is that trade improved this week. It’s not high season, but it’s better than it was.
In Nana Plaza, the new Red Dragon extension opened in record time, and ahead of schedule. Red Dragon is targeting the top end of the chrome pole market and the plush venue reflects that. Feedback is that the extension is seamless and it looks magnificent. It has not been without its issues, though, with comments that the sound system had problems. Management is aware of this and says it should be fixed quickly. Bar sound systems are much more important these days and – no pun intended – the bar has been lifted. Gone are the days when most bars had really crappy sound systems and we all pretended that we didn’t notice the bass being clipped and the general distortion when the volume was cranked up. Spend time in a bar with a professionally installed and tuned sound system – think the likes of Billboard in Nana Plaza or Shark on Walking Street – and you really notice it when you step in to an older bar where no one has paid any attention to the sound system in years.
Positive reports keep coming in about the Thermae which seems to be becoming something of a reader habit. Given that Stickman is mainly read by middle-aged white guys, it puts paid to the idea that the maidens of the Thermae are only interested in men from the Land Of The Rising Sun and The Land Of The Morning Calm. The ratio of ladies to punters is a big positive and unlike the old days when the Thermae didn’t get going until late, the A team is in the house much earlier these days. Unless you’re a particularly early eater, by the time you’ve finished your evening meal there will be a crowd in the Thermae so do swing by and find someone for dessert.
The stairs leading down to the legendary Bangkok freelancer bar, the Thermae.
A number of changes are taking place on Soi Cowboy. As previously reported, Kazy Kozy closed a couple of weeks back, and it can be confirmed it will be converted in to a gogo bar. Towards the other end of the soi, Vicky’s Secret has changed format from massage shop to something else. Just what is it now? Friends who stopped by couldn’t say! “It’s a bar”, they told me. What sort of bar, I asked? “It’s not clear!” A bar with no chrome poles, and no dancing was the best I could get out of them. I need a new spy on Soi Cowboy with the current duo more interested in drinking than reporting back to me!
Still on Soi Cowboy, Kana Pure, one of the weed shops, is no longer. Will this small, single-shophouse space also revert to a gogo bar? Let’s wait and see.
Over in Patpong, two bars are confusing people. Virgin and Virgin X are two different bars. These bars have opened, closed, had ladyboys, done away with ladyboys , changed format and had such a turnover of staff that even those in neighbouring properties don’t know what’s going on. Despite this, over the past year or two, each of Virgin and Virgin X has had some cracking reviews. The confusion refuses to let up, and Virgin X was closed again this week. Renovation? Change of format? Change of name? Who knows!
The ever-changing Virgin, Patpong soi 2.
Down in Pattaya, the Walking Street sign is still dark. The current sign on Walking Street is boring. This new generation of LED signs are bright, shiny and forgettable. If you were to close your eyes, can you visualise the current Walking Street? I can’t! I much preferred the old, curved sign at the start of Walking Street from decades ago. Ditto for the signs at some of the old bars with their classic facades, like Safari and SuperStar and the King’s Castle bars on Patpong soi 1. Some thought went in to them. So many of the modern LED signs might be a technical marvel, but you get the impression that Somchai just selected a font, a colour and an animation pattern and that was it.
On the subject of Walking Street, many Pattaya expats are very quick to tell you that they haven’t been out after dark on Walking Street in years. Many go on to say that they much prefer Soi LK Metro. But just how good is Soi LK Metro these days? While many expats refuse to go to Walking Street – and there has been much press in recent years about the changing demographic – it is still where you find all of Pattaya’s best gogo bars. Pin Up, Shark, Chick, Palace, Fahrenheit, XS and more – they’re all on Walking Street! Does Soi LK Metro have any gogo bars that can compete with these big names? For several months, few people have said much to me at all about any bars on Soi LK Metro. And from all accounts, business isn’t especially good there. At this time, a number of bars are closed with for sale or for rent signs out front. Among the properties in darkness are Cheetahs, Catch Me, N Joy and La Playa. That’s at least 4 bars out of commission. Is Soi LK Metro’s star fading? Has it lost its appeal? Or has it plateaued? For years Soi LK Metro has been talked up as the next big thing. It is a decent bar area in its own right but the best bars aren’t a patch on what you find on Walking Street. Many naughty boys, particularly old-timers, speak ill of Walking Street, but the unvarnished truth is that all the best chrome pole bars in Pattaya today are found on Walking Street.
Cheetahs on Soi LK Metro this week, one of a handful of bars on the soi that is closed.
There has been much in the mainstream press in recent months about the challenges foreigners wishing to open a bank account in Thailand face. This came on the back of all the press about call centre scams and mule bank accounts opened by foreigners to launder money. Yet there are still signs posted all around Pattaya with visa agencies advertising services to assist foreigners opening a bank account. Is this service still available, or have the agencies been slow to take the signs down? While I can’t answer that question, I can suggest a solution if you wish to open an account. Get a respectable Thai with a good banking history to accompany you to their home branch and introduce you as a prospective customer. Introductions go a long way to opening doors in Thailand.
Speaking of banking, foreigners with accounts with a certain large Thai bank received communication this week that they will no longer be able to use online banking to make a transfer of more than 50,000 baht. Previously, they had to register for the service but it seems the facility is being removed from accounts where the owner is a foreigner. Foreign account holders wishing to make a transfer of greater than 50K baht would have to go into the bank to action the transfer. There does seem to be some conflicting information so hopefully this is a hiccup and it will be resolved soon enough.
What’s up with the Bangkok Post website? It’s been down for days. Have some Cambodian hackers been playing silly buggers with it? (Cambodian hackers have been targeting various official websites in Thailand following the recent hostilities between the two countries.)
In the latest from the Pattaya bars with tacky names series comes the snap below from the Rompho Market bar area in Jomtien. Would that bar name entice you inside?
Another Pattaya bar with a questionable name. Thanks to Sean (มัคชานู) for the photo.
Indians can now visit the Philippines as tourists without the need to apply for a visa in advance. Could Angeles City see a change in demographic?
Work continues on the green path which runs along the northern edge of Benjakitt Park and goes all the way to Lumpini Park, with “on ramps” being installed. Limited points to get on and off the park is one reason it never seemed to be that popular. I often walked from one end to the other and did not see another single soul. And when I did see someone, invariably it was another foreigner. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised as many Thais prefer not to walk far if they can help it.
If you like tropical fruits, now is a great time to visit. Lychees, mangoes, durian and mangosteens are all in season at the moment. Sure, many are available year-round due to advanced agricultural techniques, but those in season tend to be the best. We go overboard on tropical fruit when we visit. The other half will spend several thousand baht on durian alone over a 3-week visit, and I’ve been known to go a bit silly with ripe mangoes and lychees. Thailand’s tropical fruits really are a treat.
Speaking of sweet treats, Bangkok-based American lawyer Benjamin Hart, who is perhaps best known for his YouTube channel, has opened Pancake Palace in the Silom / Suriwong Road area, just a short walk down the road from Patpong. In addition to pancakes, Pancake Palace offers authentic American diner-style food like burgers, sandwiches, chilli bowl etc and there’s also a fully stocked bar. It looks like a pleasant, casual spot with reasonably priced food. Benjamin has long struck me as someone who strives to do everything well, Pancake Palace looks like it’s worth a visit.
If you’re looking for the girlfriend experience, maybe consider actually getting a girlfriend!
In a recent column, a reader posed the question of whether the girlfriend experience was still a thing in Thailand. I get the idea that the meaning of the term girlfriend experience seems to have become somewhat muddled. I always took it to mean an experience with a hooker where she provided more than the standard service, including emotional intimacy. The girlfriend experience might be fleeting, or it might last for days. Rewind the clock 15 years and the girlfriend experience was the norm. It used to be that guys visiting Thailand treated hookers like their girlfriend while many expats treated regular / mainstream Thai ladies like hookers. A few weeks back a reader asked whether the girlfriend experience is available in Vietnam or Cambodia like it once was in Thailand. I can’t answer that question. What I can say is that if you’re looking for a girlfriend experience, get the idea out of your head that you’ll find it in the bars. Sure, it might happen, but it’s not so easy to find these days. Bangkok is much like the rest of the world these days – there’s a Starbucks on most corners, prices of everything are going up, and if you want a girlfriend experience, you need to find a lady and make her your girlfriend! Bargirls are for naughty fun; regular girls are for relationships and a real girlfriend experience.
Be careful of stereotyping a Thai woman you are dating. If you go from fooling around with bargirls to dating regular girls, it’s easy to become overly suspicious, wondering what the lady you’re dating is up to when she’s not with you. It’s not a healthy way to have a relationship. A friend commented that last week’s mystery photo brought back memories of a lady he dated back in the day who lived in that area. They met in Southern Thailand where he was working at the time. She was living and working in Bangkok. She told him she worked at night from 10 PM until 4 AM at a market stall selling clothes near the big massage places on Rachada Road. Ah, yes, of course you do, he quietly thought to himself! A pretty Thai woman working at that time? That can mean only one thing! He came to Bangkok to visit her and stayed at her place. She would get up at 6 AM and go to Pratunam to buy cheap clothes before returning back to her place. She’d take a nap in the afternoon. When she woke up she’d arrange stock for the evening. It would then be time for some dinner before setting up the market stall and selling clothes from…..10 PM until 4 AM, just like she had originally told him. He was so embarrassed! While he had suspected her of being a hooker, he had to admit to himself that she worked so much harder than he did. She worked 7 nights a week, earned around twice what he did – and deserved every baht. If you spend a lot of time in the bars, it’s easy to make the mistake of thinking that bar life is representative of most young, attractive everyday Thai women. It isn’t.
Where is it?
Thailand-Related Links & News Articles
Quote of the week comes from Dave AKA Mister Nana, “Drugs are for mugs!”
From The Stickman Archives, Her Name Is Mauy was published in July, 2016, and featured a Patpong gogo dancer who was stabbed by a colleague and suffered horror injuries.
YouTube video of the week is a look at Chiang Rai’s nightlife area.
Another week sees another dumb young British couple caught trying to smuggle £1 million of cannabis from Thailand to the UK.
A Brit who vanished on a night out in Bangkok was later found in a hospital in Chonburi where he’d had brain surgery.
On Ko Phangnan, a young Russian DJ is arrested for selling cocaine.
An Austrian is lucky to be alive after a packet of drugs bursts in his stomach at Don Meuang Airport.
Foreign motorbike riders say they are targeted by police in Pattaya for traffic infringements while Thais go scot-free.
In Phuket, a Russian woman is arrested and charged with pretending to be a doctor.
The Pattaya Mail publishes yet another article which muses that Pattaya is not what it was.
Not for the first time, Thai and Filipino ladyboys scrap it out on Sukhumvit soi 11.
Pattaya, back in the day, always felt like a fun, upbeat place. What’s with all the negative press of late?
Closing Comments
I’m keen to get back to Thailand. I’ve been gone for too long. For some reason I cannot explain I find myself more excited about visiting Pattaya than Bangkok. I really don’t know what that’s about because I don’t actually like Pattaya all that much, but somehow I feel myself drawn to it. For a few days Pattaya is great, but any longer does my head in. I’ve been keeping an eye on the news from Pattaya and have been somewhat surprised at how much negative press there’s been, especially as some of it comes from The Pattaya Mail which has traditionally talked town up. Is the negative press coming out of Pattaya justified? (And to be clear, this seems to be very much a Pattaya thing; I’m not hearing or reading anything similar from Bangkok.) What do you make of what has been written about Sin City recently? Fair, or otherwise?
Your Bangkok commentator,
Stick
Stick can be contacted at : stickmanbangkok@gmail.com
