Stickman Weekly, August 24, 2025

Mystery Photo

Where is it?

Last week’s photo was taken of a spirit house on  Sukhumvit soi 11, in the space that was previously the small dog-leg soi where Charley Brown’s and a few other bars and eateries once were. Despite being very much in the Stickman zone, it proved to be rather challenging and just 7 of you got it right. Sukhumvit soi 11 used to get a lot more office workers who were attracted by the many street stalls and cheap eats at lunch-time. With virtually all of those vendors gone, the soi today feels much more like an area largely for tourists. Apparently that empty plot of land shown in last week’s photo will soon be the location of a new hotel.

This week’s photo is at the easier end of the scale, or so I think.

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

Bar workers and cars.

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Weed’s health drawbacks.

“I still prefer to smell weed over the cancer-causing cigarette smoke every day”, wrote one commentator. Weed causes cancer! People inhale the smoke more deeply. There is evidence of increased risk of throat, nose and mouth cancer, and some studies suggest an increased risk of lung cancer, as well. Smoking weed can also lead to asthma and other respiratory problems.

Taste in bars.

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Misting madness.

You could be right in thinking that the misting at the Asoke intersection is aimed at reducing pollution. I can’t think of any other purpose for it. But, like the idea of using drones spraying disinfectant during Covid, it’s just another of the half-baked, ill thought-out ideas that Thailand comes up with, a token effort that hasn’t a chance in hell of succeeding.

Living life through your phone.

Regarding that Grab Locker and the phone app to use it, sometimes I feel like I am being left in the dust. Scan, pay etc., I don’t want my life so embroiled in my phone.

Patpong redux.

Comments about contemporary Patpong prompt a few thoughts and words. I lived in Bangkok in 1975/77 and 1983/86. The times, they do indeed change. Patpong was then the locus of nocturnal activity. Soi Cowboy in the mid-’70s consisted of two or three bars and did not blossom until the next decade. Soi Nana germinated some time in the ’80s. Patpong was a cornucopia of choices. Some of the loveliest girls in the Kingdom graced King’s Castle, Queen’s Castle, Grand Prix, etc. Second-storey venues such as the Aussie Bar offered unmentionable delights and risqué shows. In one bar the hostesses dressed in evening gowns. Decent restaurants sprinkled the area like Mizu’s Kitchen and the Thai Room. The Napoleon Cocktail Lounge featured a widely popular live jazz session every Sunday. Madrid, adjacent to the Napoleon, served the best pizza in town. A popular massage parlor, the Takara, on Patpong 2, was supposedly owned by the mysterious Ladda, Queen of Patpong, though I know of no-one who ever saw her. The girls wore uniforms with numbers attached and sat demurely behind a glass wall. Take your pick and off you went for a full bath in a real tub, a massage, and maybe a further treat. Mass tourism had yet to arrive and farangs dominated the customer base on Patpong 1 and 2. Several bars and clubs accommodated Japanese businessmen on Patpong 3, or thereabouts, and farangs were not welcome. But nobody gave a hoot, as Bernard Trink, the legendary Nite Owl columnist for the defunct Bangkok World, would express. A 5-minute walk from Patpong, one came across the 88 Club, so-called because of its address on Silom Road. A policeman managed this classy after-hours spot and also played piano in the house trio. The friendly ladies were out for a good time. Loads of fun into the wee hours. The prices were right throughout the area. No complaints over the cost of a night out in the City of Angels. In my opinion, the charm of Patpong – sordid elegance some might say – began to fade with the advent of the night market around 1984. Curiosity seekers and those not interested in the bar scene altered the ambience over time and the place lost its unique character, never to recover. The constant presence of many brightly lit vendor stalls from one end of the street to the other also contributed to the demise. Anyone who experienced the Patpong of yore will probably agree with the following quotation, the provenance of which escapes me, “Never has so much been enjoyed by so many for so little in such a short street as Patpong.” A golden memory from long ago.

Soi Cowboy is open, but when it rains heavily many bars turn the lights off.

This Week’s News, Views & Gossip

Soi Cowboy’s infrastructure woes continue. The first dates back many years. When it rains heavily, many bars in the soi turn the neon / LED signs, off. This has been an issue for years and for whatever reason, only happens during the height of the rainy season. No-one has ever been able to give me a straight answer as to why this happens, other than tell me that do it they must! Soi Cowboy looks great at night but when the lights are turned off, it changes the vibe somewhat.

And Soi Cowboy takes the gold medal for the worst-smelling bar area, outdoing even the stinky Patpong soi 2. The second infrastructure issue on Soi Cowboy has been mentioned multiple times in recent months. Yep, you guessed it, the sewer pipes below Soi Cowboy are leaking again. Tuesday night saw puddles of foul-smelling water form on the soi. It might be happening most nights but given that it’s raining more often than not, you wouldn’t know. The attempted fixes appear to have failed.

Despite the ongoing infrastructure issues, friends tell me that Soi Cowboy was busy last night (Saturday, August 23rd). That it was the first night without rain for a few days would have helped.

At the top of Soi Nana, the Thai-owned Morning Night celebrates its 23rd anniversary today (Sunday, August 24th). While it seems like the top of Soi Nana has been the domain of just two beer bars forever, the English-owned Stumble Inn next door actually opened several years later.

At the top of Soi Nana, Morning Night celebrates its 23rd anniversary this week.

Word is that popular Patpong soi 2 bar Virgin will open a new branch in Nana Plaza, in the space that was Twister.

Do fewer bargirls smoke these days? It seems that way. And to be clear, I mean smoking cigarettes, not the other activity working girls may refer to as smoking.

Some people love to complain about the African men on Sukhumvit offering illicit substances. These guys were mostly absent when I was in town. They are harmless. Ignore them and they won’t bother you. It’s a different story in Phnom Penh where the Africans go in to the bars and, according to a pal who lives there, not infrequently cause problems. It seems they don’t mix well with other nationalities and can become difficult. Some kick up a stink over a perceived slight. Why do you find them in the bars of Phnom Penh, but not in Bangkok? Certainly there are bars in Bangkok that would not allow them entry, but my best guess is that it’s about money. Phnom Penh is a ridiculously cheap place to drink with dollar beers still a thing in some places. Where you find cheap beers is where you’ll find the Africans.

The Nana area is home to many homeless with the steps outside the Bangkok Bank branch near Sukhumvit soi 8 a popular spot overnight. There have always been homeless in the area but the impression I got was that there are many more now than there were in the past.

Security at the entrance to Nana Plaza. Don’t forget that cameras are not allowed in the plaza.

When I was living in Bangkok. I seldom ventured out without a camera slung over my shoulder. It was almost never a problem going into bars – any bar, in any bar area – with a camera. That has all changed. Pretty much any bar with its own security forbids entry to anyone with a camera. Nana Plaza expressly forbids entry to anyone carrying a camera, even if it is in a bag. Bags are checked on entry and if a camera is discovered, you’ll be told you cannot enter.

Speaking of taking photos in Thailand, if you are a keen photographer, you might like to check out a short video posted on YouTube this week by Bangkok law firm Integrity Legal, Reminder: Filming People In Thailand Is A Crime.

And still on photography, VM Camera Pro on the 4th floor of Fortune Town is recommended for camera repairs. Repairs are cheap and often they can undertake and complete the job the same day. You can, of course, go to the service centre of the camera manufacturer but last time I did that, I was told they were backed up for two weeks. Still, 500 baht got me to the front of the queue. I’m still not sure if that express fee was official or otherwise!

Getting back to the security checkpoint at Nana Plaza and all of the security guards throughout the complex, it’s a contentious issue with more than a few expats citing it as the main reason they no longer visit the plaza. It’s not just the checkpoint, it’s the vibe inside with so much security. I’m in two minds about it. For sure, some of the security team are more like overzealous airport security rather than friendly 5-star hotel security staff. At the same time, the world is a funny place these days and I think security at the entrance is necessary. It’s not like Nana is the only place with security and more a case that in Nana they actually do the job properly and are not there for show. Don’t forget that there are police officers stationed at Patpong and Cowboy too. In fact, many areas popular with tourists have a police presence after dark. Even Khao San Road has officers stationed at each end.

Dasa Books, Bangkok’s best second-hand bookstore.

It’s good to see that the Dasa second-hand bookshop is still going. Some say it’s not just the best second-hand bookstore in Bangkok, but in all of South-East Asia. The store maintains a constantly updated spreadsheet of their stock, updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I don’t normally care for second-hand bookstores but this particular shop I like, and it’s one of those neat Bangkok places that I had completely forgotten about and was pleased to rediscover when taking a stroll along Sukhumvit. It must be 20 years or more since Dasa opened. You can find it on Sukhumvit Road, just a few minutes’ walk past Emporium.

A bit further along Sukhumvit from Dasa is Pies 2U, a British pie shop. A good pie is something I really missed when I lived in Bangkok. While Bangkok has long been well served when it comes to Western food, good pies were hard to find. I note that their pies were on the pricey side – and more than what we pay back home. My favourite premium NZ pie maker, Fat Bastard Pies, charges around 130 baht for a substantial pie filled with beef or lamb or seafood or wild-caught meats like venison etc. It rather seems these days that if you don’t shop around / don’t know where to go, Western food in Bangkok can cost as much, or even more than you would pay back home. That said, I get it that a store on Sukhumvit Road probably has an ugly rent bill to cover. If you crave a good meat pie, what was on offer looked good. For more info, check out the Pies 2U Facebook page.

Pies 2U on Sukhumvit Road.

Down in Pattaya, Le Pub in Soi Diamond reopened this week as Le Pub A Gogo. Inside, the layout is perhaps best described as unconventional with lounge-style seating either side of what looks like a coffee table, and a very small dance floor surrounded by more lounge-style seating. Some of the seating at the coffee table faces away from the dance floor which makes zero sense and appears to be quite the design flaw. One really needs to see the bar with their own eyes to comment, but from what I have seen posted online I am scratching my head.

On Mondays and Thursdays, Showgirls gogo bar in Soi LK Metro will have a singer on stage alongside the dancing girls. That sounds like an odd concept and is another case where I’ll reserve judgment until I have seen it myself. Gogo bars with singers on stage….who said the industry isn’t changing?

The new Japanese boss of Tantra A Gogo on Walking Street will celebrate his birthday tomorrow, Monday, August 25, with the fun kicking off at 8:30 PM. There will be free food, around 50 girls and if the past is a predictor of the future, a lot of Jager bomb shots. The Japanese fellow took over recently and will make many changes including new lighting, new outfits, and a new name for the bar. He is new to the bar game, is just 31 years old, and has only been in Thailand for about a month. And apparently he is everyone’s best friend on Walking Street which is most unusual. He seems to be welcome everywhere, probably because everywhere he goes, he spends a lot.

One of the great things about Pattaya is that you never know what you’ll see next. This week, a friend spotted an Indian ladyboy in Central Festival. I can’t remember seeing an Indian ladyboy before….anywhere….ever. With Indians flooding in to Pattaya, could this become a more common sight? In ultra-conservative India, I can’t imagine ladyboys get to parade and soirée with wild abandon like they can in Pattaya.

The impressive new Walking Street sign is being tested with trial videos running this week. From how far away can you see the sign? After dark, can you see it from the other end of Pattaya Beach, down by the Dusit Hotel?

The new, enormous, impressive Walking Street sign.

How can it be that some cuts of New Zealand beef appear to be cheaper in Bangkok than they are in New Zealand? New Zealand and Australian beef is available online at Bangkok Beef at very reasonable prices. This week at my local supermarket, fresh local rib-eye was 850 baht / kg, and it was around 1,000 baht / kg at my favourite butcher’s. That’s more than you pay for the same cuts in Bangkok which makes no sense.

When talking about people you know, be it a friend, your boss, neighbours, your girlfriend / wife, or whomever, do you use the word “khun” before their name? Khun is an honorific, like Mr or Mrs, in English. It’s respectful and it tends to be used when addressing or talking about someone who is of a higher status. For example, you would use it when referring to superiors in the workplace, be they people of a higher position or those older than you. I noticed this last trip how quite a few expats referred to their girlfriend / wife using khun, followed by their nickname. This is an unusual use of the word. To be clear, it’s not strictly wrong, but then neither is it commonly used by Thais in this manner either. It’s weird how quite a few foreigners use the word “khun” in this manner.

Are there fewer buses operating these days? You just don’t seem to see as many buses on the roads these days. I rather enjoyed taking the bus in the early days before the skytrain opened – except when it was full when it could be a nightmare!

Where are the buses? Are there fewer public buses in service in Bangkok these days?

This week, some expats with an account at Bangkok Bank received a text message informing them that their account had been frozen. To unfreeze it, they had to visit the branch where the account was opened and provide various documents. Arriving at the branch, they found a long line with dozens of other expats in exactly the same position. One friend waited 3½ hours before he was seen – and it would have been longer if not for some getting fed up and leaving. Those who received the message had to go to the branch where the account was set up which in some cases meant many hours of travel. After providing the documents requested, account holders were told that the information would be checked and their account stay frozen for up to another week. This has been a massive inconvenience for many. The reports I have heard all concern accounts held at branches of Bangkok Bank in Pattaya. Not one of my friends in Bangkok with a Bangkok Bank account received the dreaded text message. And neither did a friend who opened an account with Bangkok Bank in Pattaya many years ago. It seems to be that this concerns accounts opened recently, perhaps in the last year or so. Banking in Thailand used to be so easy. You rocked up to any branch of any bank and all you needed was your passport and some money to deposit. Less than 30 minutes later you walked out with a bankbook, an ATM account and an account in your name. It was quick and easy – and it didn’t matter which visa you had. Getting a credit card was a challenge but that aside, staff were friendly and helpful, and it couldn’t have been easier! There have been plenty of reports regarding various issues with banking in Thailand over the last 12 months or so. For more detailed information and analysis on banking issues, keep an eye on the Integrity Legal YouTube channel.

Following on from comments in the last two columns about misting above the Asoke intersection, a few of you have responded that water sprayers have been installed in several locations in Bangkok in an effort to reduce dust and PM 2.5 particulate levels. I guess this appeases some locals who are concerned about air quality.

The delicious Massaman beef cheek curry at Kub Kao’ Kub Pla.

Where do you go when you fancy a really good massaman curry? It’s one of those dishes that plenty of places don’t do that well. And those restaurants that do massaman well sometimes charge an arm and a leg. Take, Blue Elephant, for example, where it’s priced at 980 baht ++. I should bite the bullet and give it a go, but I just can’t bring myself to pay that much for a single Thai dish in Thailand. I like the massaman beef cheek at Kub Kao’ Kub Pla, a popular chain in Bangkok. From memory, it was something like 350 baht ++. It’s tasty and the portion size is decent. Add in rice, water, service charge, tax, etc. and you’re looking at around 500 baht. That’s not cheap. So I guess my question is where can you get a decent massaman at a fair price? It’s not like the ingredients are imported so it really shouldn’t cost that much.

The gentrification of Khao San Road continues with many of the classic old dosshouse guesthouses consigned to history. On the main strip, many of the accommodation options will cost you as much as – or more than – a similar standard hotel on Sukhumvit. The gentrification of the area is hardly something new – but it’s more noticeable than ever.

Khao San Road, Bangkok. The backpacker haven has shaken off its ghetto roots.

I discovered that the old May Kaidee vegan restaurant just beyond the eastern end of Khao San Road has closed. I turned up looking forward to a nice lunch and the entire building had been demolished. That’s a real shame as it was one of the best – and my favourite – restaurant in the area. And that was saying something because the restaurant was vegan while I very much enjoy eating meat.

There’s absolutely no reason to complain about the wi-fi in the guesthouse / hotel / cafe / restaurant etc these days. Mobile Internet is so good in Thailand with ultra-fast 5G in most of the country. Even if you’re using an older phone or find yourself in a remote location, 4G should be more than adequate for most of your needs. Get a local SIM card to use while you’re visiting Thailand – they’re just a few hundred baht – and you needn’t be concerned with how fast, or otherwise, your hotel’s wi-fi is.

Not that long ago it was just 20 baht to enter the grounds of Wat Arun. I think it was after Covid when the entry price went up to 100 baht. I visited a couple of weeks ago and it had gone up to 200 baht. 200 baht is a perfectly reasonable price to enjoy this beautiful temple and I’m not complaining. But like so many things in Thailand today, it’s a lot more expensive than it was not that long ago.

The gorgeous Wat Arun, a must-visit!

Thailand-Related Links & News Articles

Quote of the week comes from a friend who drives in Thailand, “The indicators are optional, but the horn is compulsory.”

From The Stickman Archives, The Aftermath, was published May 25, 2010, at the end of the 2010 Red Shirts’ occupation.

YouTube video of the week comes from Integrity Legal, Reminder: Filming People In Thailand Is A Crime.

The Englishman showing off on a motorbike who collided with a Thai woman faces serious charges after she died in hospital.

In Pattaya, an Aussie is knocked unconscious by motosai riders who stepped in to end his alleged attack on a ladyboy.

A young British lady recounts how she suffered burns when doing some fire dancing on a Thai island years earlier.

Thailand is considering giving away 200,000 free domestic flights to international visitors.

An awesome-looking urban roof park in downtown Bangkok will open on September 3rd.

Transfer limits are to be imposed on Thai bank accounts in what has been described as an effort to thwart scams.

Thailand is cracking down on those who have student visas but may not actually be studying.

Another rainy night on Soi Nana.

Closing Comments

In the past when I have commented on where the bar industry is going, any comment perceived as even slightly negative would be met with something along the lines of, “It’s the world’s oldest industry and it’s not going anywhere!” So much has changed since the industry reopened after Covid and it feels like the industry is trying to decide in which direction it will move. The way the bars operate, the attitudes of the girls, and the mix of customers have all changed. I have no idea where things are going, and I would not like to make predictions. What do you make of it? Where do you think things are going?

Your Bangkok commentator,

Stick

Stick can be contacted at : stickmanbangkok@gmail.com