Stickman

[kiakaha]

its pretty funny how many times i have been on a bts and there is a farang teacher talking to his students until his stop comes, N-A-N-A.

Thats a good thing .... anything to drive the prices DOWN.....haha.

[t.s]

its pretty funny how many times i have been on a bts and there is a farang teacher talking to his students until his stop comes, N-A-N-A.

which is actually sos 7 and 11.

[Ulysses G.]

its pretty funny how many times i have been on a bts and there is a farang teacher talking to his students until his stop comes, N-A-N-A.

which is actually sos 7 and 11.

Eden Club and the Beer Garden!

[A_Traveller]

Re Stickman advertising rates, I'm advised that in 2006 the going quarterly rates varied between 15k {main page}, to 12k with renewals around 10k.

The problem with this whole thing is that it did not require a degree in trajectory science to see that advertisers had 'editorial' clout and that for reasons which can only be surmised some places {& individuals} were exceptionally favoured in 'conversation'.

The teaching and other activities incompatibility was also an issue, {the nocturnal area had been slimmed down over the last few years to be fair} though having someone take the time and effort to link the analogue to the digital with such gusto and vindictiveness is a warning to all about the risks of cyberspace.

An American university reminded students recently that a prank 'hazing' page on myspace might have a half life of 10 years, given wayback and links. Now there's a thought!.

Regards

/edit typo //

Edited May 16, 2007 by A_Traveller

[Hermano Lobo]

You chaps are probably correct about a different writer. The "ask the Sticks" section has gone and been replaced by 'Udon Girl' or Bar-Girl or something like that. At first I thought he had split up with his missus, or they just got fed up with doing it....... ' ask the sticks' that is?

[Prakanong]

You chaps are probably correct about a different writer. The "ask the Sticks" section has gone and been replaced by 'Udon Girl' or Bar-Girl or something like that. At first I thought he had split up with his missus, or they just got fed up with doing it....... ' ask the sticks' that is?

Well is it a different writer with a different girl?

or

Same writer ie Stick with a different girl?

[John K]

Before we get off on stickman let me point out a few thing. Essentially Stickman is a journalist who also just happens to be a teacher. As being a journalist goes you report on what you observe. Stickman does not claim to partake in activities except to observe. If that meas from time to time he may have a beer while observing there is no problem in that. You would no more condemn a journalist for reporting that another beheading took place. The journalist did not partake in the beheading but simply reported on it.

Go back to the beginning when stickman started, It was simply a way of reporting to his friends his adventures in Thailand. Even back then it was a form of journalism for a select few in a public place. It is a bit like having a conversation in a restaurant and people at nearby tables were listening in. Now it looks like the tables have been arranged so everyone is listening in to this conversation with his friends, and Galt is the jackass running around trying to stir things up.

[Prakanong]

Before we get off on stickman let me point out a few thing. Essentially Stickman is a journalist who also just happens to be a teacher. As being a journalist goes you report on what you observe. Stickman does not claim to partake in activities except to observe. If that meas from time to time he may have a beer while observing there is no problem in that. You would no more condemn a journalist for reporting that another beheading took place. The journalist did not partake in the beheading but simply reported on it.

Go back to the beginning when stickman started, It was simply a way of reporting to his friends his adventures in Thailand. Even back then it was a form of journalism for a select few in a public place. It is a bit like having a conversation in a restaurant and people at nearby tables were listening in. Now it looks like the tables have been arranged so everyone is listening in to this conversation with his friends, and Galt is the jackass running around trying to stir things up.

Should you not declare an interest - you do pay to advertise after all !

As for journalist Bwhaaaaaaa

A bit like someone in dodgy snakeoil mode trying to pretend to be a clinician I suppose

Edited May 19, 2007 by Prakanong

[chuchok]

The problem with this whole thing is that it did not require a degree in trajectory science to see that advertisers had 'editorial' clout and that for reasons which can only be surmised some places {& individuals} were exceptionally favoured in 'conversation'.

I think you will find that many,many web sites/magazines in Thailand cane be dictated to somewhat by the advertises.Par for the course.

[sriracha john]

Essentially Stickman is a journalist who also just happens to be a teacher.

I think to evaluate what his main function is, one needs to look at which profession he spends more time at. Presumably that would be teacher... however, as a true devotee to the sordid side of Bangkok life, perhaps the number of hours spent there is nearly equal... which is a shame.... for his STUDENTS as it would no doubt detract from his performance as a teacher to wile away his hours at go-go bars, instead of devoting his time to their interest and improving his peformance at their teacher... the way good teachers do.

Edited May 20, 2007 by sriracha john

[gregchambers]

Stickman has been showing all the symptoms of being incountry too long, despite having a reasonable job and good thai girl for a wife... the point of Stickman's site, one guesses, is its appeal to a huge segment of the male population who are behaving in a bizarre and appalling manner by the standards of their home country (but actually being decent guys by Thai male standards), and a rallying point for such dispossessed international vagrants. Stickman a kind of beacon for those who want to win out with their Thai women, who persist against the unlikely odds..

Actually, the Galt isn't a bad read although he totally lost it when accused of child abuse, and he has managed the almost impossible, starting a small business without losing his shirt.

Read both.

[John K]

Essentially Stickman is a journalist who also just happens to be a teacher.

I think to evaluate what his main function is, one needs to look at which profession he spends more time at. Presumably that would be teacher... however, as a true devotee to the sordid side of Bangkok life, perhaps the number of hours spent there is nearly equal... which is a shame.... for his STUDENTS as it would no doubt detract from his performance as a teacher to wile away his hours at go-go bars, instead of devoting his time to their interest and improving his peformance at their teacher... the way good teachers do.

I can’t speak for how Stickman divides his time but seeing is most schools dump their teachers after one year for whatever reason, he must be doing a good job to stay on at the same school for several years. Perhaps you could look at Stickman the journalist as a bit of a hobby. There are people who spend a significant amount of time here posting that seemingly has little negative effect on their job.

I know three of the nightlife columnists personally, Stickman, Dave The Rave, and Dean Barrett. I consider all of them my friends. Each spends a different amount of time with their column. All of them use people for input in the column as there is not enough hours in a week nor a liver that could endure all that abuse for very long. As with each columnist they have their own style.

Dave sees things from the inside looking out and that itself is unique. He tries to keep his column on the positive fun side. Dave also virtually knows everyone and I do mean everyone because sooner or later everyone needs a night out. From Rugby players to movie starts to top business executives to the average Joe getting his first taste of Thailand’s nightlife. There are few people in Bangkok that can boast that. He can report on interesting experiences relayed to him by others that include the view through novice as well as seasoned eyes. Dave also tries to keep information as close to realtime as possible.

Dean has a wonderful sense of humor that comes out in his column and it is a good read to bring out a smile in you. He is quick to see the humor in any situation. Dean does his column more for the fun of it between writing novels.

Stickman is a bit more subjective and wields a lot of influence. That has been demonstrated when there were last minute changes after Stickman weekly was published. i.e.: Stickman reported the venues would closed on a given day but they actually were allowed to be open. The result was the venues were dead for that night. I feel much of that power comes from poor quality of information from other sources.

So no matter how you view Stickman or any of the others it is source of information about things you may or may not be interested in. For people that live here, the columns become a what’s happening tonight place to look. For the people who only visit on holiday the columns bring back memories as well as anticipation of their next visit. Of this I have no doubt as every time I have sat waiting to board an international flight the conversation of men around me is how long it will be before they can get back to Thailand for whatever the reason.

As for me coming from a place that they rolled up the sidewalks at 9:00 pm I can see how important reading the Thailand nightlife columns are for some to keep ones sanity. Looking forward to watching ‘Cops’ and ‘America’s Most Wanted’ for weekend fun and excitement does not even show up on the Richter scale when compared to a city that tourism and entertainment is the life blood.

[t.s]

Before we get off on stickman let me point out a few thing. Essentially Stickman is a journalist who also just happens to be a teacher. As being a journalist goes you report on what you observe. Stickman does not claim to partake in activities except to observe. If that meas from time to time he may have a beer while observing there is no problem in that. You would no more condemn a journalist for reporting that another beheading took place. The journalist did not partake in the beheading but simply reported on it.

Go back to the beginning when stickman started, It was simply a way of reporting to his friends his adventures in Thailand. Even back then it was a form of journalism for a select few in a public place. It is a bit like having a conversation in a restaurant and people at nearby tables were listening in. Now it looks like the tables have been arranged so everyone is listening in to this conversation with his friends, and Galt is the jackass running around trying to stir things up.

what a load. if they were his adventures he was a participant. he chronicled the sex trade in bangkok, making recommendations and aiding others to pursue their own "adventures" more easily

He then started up a private investigations service by which he participated even more directly and profitted from it. He was not an imaprtial observer or even an partial observer, he was a parrticipant.

i am indifferent to stickman, and not opposed to the nightlife, but don't give me journalism, you are not his apologist.

Edited May 20, 2007 by t.s

[sriracha john]

Before we get off on stickman let me point out a few thing. Essentially Stickman is a journalist who also just happens to be a teacher. As being a journalist goes you report on what you observe. Stickman does not claim to partake in activities except to observe. If that meas from time to time he may have a beer while observing there is no problem in that. You would no more condemn a journalist for reporting that another beheading took place. The journalist did not partake in the beheading but simply reported on it.

Go back to the beginning when stickman started, It was simply a way of reporting to his friends his adventures in Thailand. Even back then it was a form of journalism for a select few in a public place. It is a bit like having a conversation in a restaurant and people at nearby tables were listening in. Now it looks like the tables have been arranged so everyone is listening in to this conversation with his friends, and Galt is the jackass running around trying to stir things up.

what a load. if they were his adventures he was a participant. he chronicled the sex trade in bangkok, making recommendations and aiding others to pursue their own "adventures" more easily

He then started up a private investigations service by which he participated even more directly and profited from it. He was not an impartial observer or even an partial observer, he was a participant.

i am indifferent to stickman, and not opposed to the nightlife, but don't give me journalism, you are not his apologist.

"he chronicled the sex trade in bangkok"

Perhaps not exactly a good "hobby" for the molder of young minds, that teachers are, to have.

[chuchok]

"he chronicled the sex trade in bangkok"

Perhaps not exactly a good "hobby" for the molder of young minds, that teachers are, to have.

that's a joke right?At a guess,I would pick that 90% of male farang teachers had visited a Thai establishment,where sex was for sale.

[t.s]

"he chronicled the sex trade in bangkok"

Perhaps not exactly a good "hobby" for the molder of young minds, that teachers are, to have.

that's a joke right?At a guess,I would pick that 90% of male farang teachers had visited a Thai establishment,where sex was for sale.

men are men, thailand is thailand, men in thailand are, well, you know.

there is a huge difference between discrete dalliances and a long running column and information site centred around nana, cowboy, patpong and pattaya. throw in professional bargirl inveatigtions and you have got a man who is as busy "nuturing" young minds as he chasing whores around the LOS. his readers sumissions do not exactly indicate a puritanical editorial policy either

even his latter day moralising does not change the fact that he was not a mere punter, but had become an insider. he was also stupid enough to publicly discuss both roles using the same vehicle.

Again, i have nothing against the man, but he made his choice, don't make it sound like he deserves a pulitzer for years of altruism and sacrifice

[chuchok]

"he chronicled the sex trade in bangkok"

Perhaps not exactly a good "hobby" for the molder of young minds, that teachers are, to have.

that's a joke right?At a guess,I would pick that 90% of male farang teachers had visited a Thai establishment,where sex was for sale.

men are men, thailand is thailand, men in thailand are, well, you know.

there is a huge difference between discrete dalliances and a long running column and information site centred around nana, cowboy, patpong and pattaya. throw in professional bargirl inveatigtions and you have got a man who is as busy "nuturing" young minds as he chasing whores around the LOS. his readers sumissions do not exactly indicate a puritanical editorial policy either

even his latter day moralising does not change the fact that he was not a mere punter, but had become an insider. he was also stupid enough to publicly discuss both roles using the same vehicle.

Again, i have nothing against the man, but he made his choice, don't make it sound like he deserves a pulitzer for years of altruism and sacrifice

You should learn to read mate.Show me where I said anything of the sort????

[t.s]

"he chronicled the sex trade in bangkok"

Perhaps not exactly a good "hobby" for the molder of young minds, that teachers are, to have.

that's a joke right?At a guess,I would pick that 90% of male farang teachers had visited a Thai establishment,where sex was for sale.

men are men, thailand is thailand, men in thailand are, well, you know.

there is a huge difference between discrete dalliances and a long running column and information site centred around nana, cowboy, patpong and pattaya. throw in professional bargirl inveatigtions and you have got a man who is as busy "nuturing" young minds as he chasing whores around the LOS. his readers sumissions do not exactly indicate a puritanical editorial policy either

even his latter day moralising does not change the fact that he was not a mere punter, but had become an insider. he was also stupid enough to publicly discuss both roles using the same vehicle.

Again, i have nothing against the man, but he made his choice, don't make it sound like he deserves a pulitzer for years of altruism and sacrifice

You should learn to read mate.Show me where I said anything of the sort????

sorry, that last wasn't really directed at your comment, i just got a litlle ahead of myself

[meom]

For the people who only visit on holiday the columns bring back memories as well as anticipation of their next visit.

Hit the nail on the head John. At least for me I enjoy reading Stickman when I'm not in LOS. Maybe half what he writes about is rubbish but it always makes me smile and for a few minutes I can imagine myself walking through Cowboy or Nana. When in LOS I never read him or any other Thai related websites. No need really when you're living the dream.

[John K]

Well to each there own opinion, and yes I admit Stickman has evolved over the years. Perhaps in the early years he did sample the culture, but now he just reports on what places are doing interesting happenings and so on. I can’t recall seeing anything from the time I started reading his column in 2004 that even remotely suggests he is sampling. Discos, pool bars, and music bars are frequently mentioned along with restaurant reviews.

I did however find that for the most part his information gave heads up on rip offs and other scams in venues that were reported to him. I even recall one column that talked about one of the BTS employees regularly giving wrong change. Very shortly after that announcement, that particular problem went away. I view his column as what’s happening and not who is doing who. He also talks about some of the street crime in the area like people getting drugged and places to avoid. Without that information I am sure the number of victims of street crimes would be much higher. His reporting also tends to lower the number of patrons who visit venues who are scamming or otherwise ripping off customers. I certainly would stay clear of a venue that was actively ripping off customers if I knew about it in advance. At least to me that is very useful information unless you enjoy getting ripped off, but to each their own. As I said Stickman wields a lot of power.

[sriracha john]

"he chronicled the sex trade in bangkok"

Perhaps not exactly a good "hobby" for the molder of young minds, that teachers are, to have.

that's a joke right?At a guess,I would pick that 90% of male farang teachers had visited a Thai establishment,where sex was for sale.

It's no joke at all. How many of those "90%" (wherever that figure comes from) teachers write it all up in an international blog? How many make advertising revenue from expanding its publicity?

If I was a parent of a child whose high fees I was paying to attend the outed school, I don't think I'd be considered unreasonable for asking for his dismissal. As stated earlier, he's certainly not irreplaceable. Even if the "10%" (wherever that figure came from) was accurate, that still means a dime a dozen for an acceptable teacher. I'm only left wondering how much flak they took in his and theirs outing and how many student's parents became aware of it.

Edited May 20, 2007 by sriracha john

[chuchok]

"he chronicled the sex trade in bangkok"

Perhaps not exactly a good "hobby" for the molder of young minds, that teachers are, to have.

that's a joke right?At a guess,I would pick that 90% of male farang teachers had visited a Thai establishment,where sex was for sale.

It's no joke at all. How many of those "90%" (wherever that figure comes from) teachers write it all up in an international blog? How many make advertising revenue from expanding its publicity?

If I was a parent of a child whose high fees I was paying to attend the outed school, I don't think I'd be considered unreasonable for asking for his dismissal. As stated earlier, he's certainly not irreplaceable. Even if the "10%" (wherever that figure came from) was accurate, that still means a dime a dozen for an acceptable teacher. I'm only left wondering how much flak they took in his and theirs outing and how many student's parents became aware of it.

I wouldn't care if my kids were taught by a gay bloke that was banging all and sundry at the naughty bars or a bloke that was visiting the "bad" parts of town every night...as long as my kid was taught well.The world is full of righteous pricks,that can do all they want behind closed doors.Most people say nothing about their private lives.If they do say how good they are,I start to wonder.How far do you want the moralistic virtues to go......???

I know of Many "pure " people,that I wouldn't give the time of day to.Give me somebody that is "normal" and "honest",....every tiime....

[sriracha john]

Presuming the majority of his student's parents are at least moderately well-to-do Thai, I wonder how many of those Thai parents would hold the same open opinion as the above when considering what they normally expect of a khun kroo... particularly one at a non-governmental private for-profit school.... but anyway, the wai kroo ceremony is a good reminder of their philosophy towards teachers.

Sorry, but someone running up and done Nana with a notepad at 1am doesn't fit that role and I'm left to suppose that this all seemed to be such a big farang-centric "war" he had with the lightbulb salesman, that they are out of the loop in terms of the school and their children's teacher being outed in the English-language medium. I wonder if they were specifically and individually polled, what their response would be.....

Your mai pen rai? or Dismissal?

[Ulysses G.]

I wouldn't care if my kids were taught by a gay bloke that was banging all and sundry at the naughty bars or a bloke that was visiting the "bad" parts of town every night...as long as my kid was taught well.The world is full of righteous pricks,that can do all they want behind closed doors.Most people say nothing about their private lives.If they do say how good they are,I start to wonder.How far do you want the moralistic virtues to go......???

I know of Many "pure " people,that I wouldn't give the time of day to.Give me somebody that is "normal" and "honest",....every tiime....

[WaiWai]

I cannot imagine that a sincere educator would be working to promote the sex trade, or to profit from it.

Education is usually what makes the difference between having to sell your body to strangers, and not.

Edited May 21, 2007 by WaiWai

[John K]

I find it a bit hard to swallow the Thais would condemn a non Thai teacher for something they do themselves. From what I gather this was going on long before Stickman ever set foot in Thailand. The only exception I would see is the amount of influence female teachers that don't play would have.

[sriracha john]

You mean the same as all the Thai parents who rallied around their children's' teacher and protested the deportation of John Mark Karr?

Actually, the "thing" that was going on long before Stickman's arrival was the level of respect given to teachers by Thai parents. All that respect comes at a price, however, and their expectations of their children's' teachers behavior is extremely high. Perhaps their expectations are unrealistic, but nevertheless, they persist to this day and have been in effect for generations. Whether right or wrong by Western standards, teachers have been summarily discharged for behavior far less abhorrent than Stickman's has been. How old is the wai khroo ceremony?

[WaiWai]

I find it a bit hard to swallow the Thais would condemn a non Thai teacher for something they do themselves. From what I gather this was going on long before Stickman ever set foot in Thailand.

What was going on ? Teachers actively & publically promoting prostitution & profiting from it ?

Edited May 22, 2007 by WaiWai

[Ulysses G.]

It is an open secret that teachers often run rings of young ladies that put themselves through school with the help of generous older gentleman.

[John K]

I find it a bit hard to swallow the Thais would condemn a non Thai teacher for something they do themselves. From what I gather this was going on long before Stickman ever set foot in Thailand.

What was going on ? Teachers actively & publically promoting prostitution & profiting from it ?

I guess the term would be cultural indulgence.

But I still don’t see him talking about people as much as venues. When he does talk about people it is about things that are unusual, humorous, and unexpected.