A Quick Bernard Trink Quiz

[lovelomsak]

1. hotmail

2. Burma Shave

3. Night Owl

4. Demimondaines

5. mosey over

give this man a prize he definitely knowledgeable about Trink

[cdnvic]

Everything detractors say about him was usually right, but he's still an icon of a lost era.

[Ulysses G.]

A lecherous old whore-monger if the truth is wanted.

I always thought it was strange that his biggest critics were always other lecherous old whore-mongers and they were usually complaining about him being too sleazy.

[Rancid]

Regardless of opinions about Trink the man he is nevertheless part of the history of Thailand's nightlife (arguably throughout the very best years).

He has also done something few people living have, added a whole bunch of words and phrases to the expat lexicon.

Rest assured expats will be using 'Trinkisms' long after he's dead and forgotten, long after all of us are dead and forgotten and I expect we'll all be forgotten before Trink is.

Quite so, it was an era in Bangkok that came and went, Trink was essential weekly reading. Remember visting here with friends back then, good times, just isn't the same anymore and age has nothing to do with it, things were better.

[Spaniel]

I was always totally amazed that an allegedly serious newspaper could give over a whole page to a review of girlie bars.

TIT, indeed.

A whole page? Really?

Back in the early eighties, he had the whole back page of the news section of the Saturday paper.

In the '70's he used to have up to 4 pages in the Bangkok World - that was a Tabloid but it's still quite a presence.

Is he still around by the way?

Patrick

Yes, Trink is still around. I ran into him at a party in November. He didn't appear all that healthy but he could still talk about the good old days. He was even wearing one of his "medalions"!

[FritsSikkink]

Here some oldies http://www.oocities....e/alltrink.html

Not every link is working

Edited December 17, 2012 by FritsSikkink

[samran]

The blokes articles drove me up the wall.

Granted, I started reading his articles in the mid 90's, a time when he was probably well past his 'prime' and was desperately clinging to the past. So I'll kindly say I was a generation too late to appriciate the man and his contribution to expat life in BKK.

What always got me most was why anyone would give a toss to know that Dinty Moore's Baked Beans were 2 baht cheaper at Foodland in patpong than they were in Foodland Ramhamhaeng (or vice versa). But I suppose if you were needing to know where the next free feed on Patpong was, then the value of the 2 baht saving does make sense.

[andrew]

"There never was a pretence to focus on the artistic"

Perhaps that was because Soi Cowboy is to Renoir what toilet-door graffiti is to Hemingway or Poe.

There has never been anything "artistic" or "glitzy" about Bangkok's naughty nightlife. It's only ever been crass, scummy and sordid.

Trink told it like it was.

But he was strangely eccentric. Like him or loathe him, he was original and at times quite colorful.

[rgs2001uk]

Always amazed me how a man could spend so long in Thailand and speak no Thai.

[Pushit]

"Trink the Dink" his caricature used to be on literally every bar toilet wall on Patpong, Nana and Cowboy.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Pushit

[andrew]

From Time Magazine (12/2003)

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,501031229-565979,00.html

[tinfoilhat]

are you forgetting his vies on HIV and AIDS?

those are certainly worthy of scorn, though not of a magnitude to justify the effort of making it heard now that he has been effectively silenced.

we now have stinkman to deride

Edited December 18, 2012 by tinfoilhat

[Thailaw]

I have never seen a man wear his pants around his nipples before I saw Trink on his rounds.

Was that because his pants were so high or his nipples were so low......?

[cdnvic]

There's only so much we will allow when it comes to denigrating someone here. While public figures must expect criticism, a few things went far beyond that and were removed.

[Payboy]

I was always totally amazed that an allegedly serious newspaper could give over a whole page to a review of girlie bars.

TIT, indeed.

About the same time they also ran that advt in their classified section giving a phone number to call if one wanted "A Lovely Respectable Thai Wife".

Serious newspaper, indeed.

[Johpa]

Question 1 is for newbies. He did not have an email address when he was still relevant.

(I was going to post those exact sentiments)

[kurnell]

I have never seen a man wear his pants around his nipples before I saw Trink on his rounds.

Was that because his pants were so high or his nipples were so low......?

Trink is about 4' 2" so a combination of the 3

[Payboy]

I have never seen a man wear his pants around his nipples before I saw Trink on his rounds.

Was that because his pants were so high or his nipples were so low......?

Trink is about 4' 2" so a combination of the 3

So his owl pendant could also serve as a belt buckle.

[rgs2001uk]

Always amazed me how a man could spend so long in Thailand and speak no Thai.

The same could be said about Jim Thompson.

Although they were polar opposites otherwise.

Thompson, a WASP socialite from Delaware, was an enigma.

Trink, a Bronx jew, was a yellow journalist who saw himself as a sage.

Both were part of the scene here and were part of what made it so interesting and lively.

The gray tide of middle-class mediocrities that has inundated the old haunts would understandably be critical.

Dont think JT spent as long in Thailand as Trink, as for JTs Thai language skills I have no idea, it was more of an observation and a lack of understanding on my part as why someone would choose to live in a country and not learn the language.

Maybe he was one of the old colonial types with the, if the natives want to talk to me they should speak English attitude that seems so prevalent these days.

Where are "the old haunts" you refer to?

Petchaburi long gone, dont think Trink ever spoke about say, The Dara Cafe or Issan Darling.

Buckskin Joe Village, long gone.

Washington Square, gone.

Patpong still there, havent been there in at least 12 years, last I heard the taxi drivers were still ripping off tourists, as for the infamous night market, you can buy the same tack cheaper in any Big C.

Nana Plaza, changed beyond all recognition, what happened to the pharmacies, restaurants and travel agents?

The only two good things about the NEP were, Woodstock for food and its long since gone, Rainbow (now referred to as Rainbow 1) was good for a cold beer in the afternoon as you watched a movie inside.

Soi Cowboy, changed beyond all recognition, no longer are the dark dingy watering holes to be found.

His core market seemed to be balloon chasers who would mosey on over to some dive where Nok was having a birthday party.

Many who talk about the "good old days", and their passing are merely lamenting the passing of their youth and virility.

Yeah the "good old days", no meter taxis, no skytrain, Suk Rd flooding, beer limited to Singha and Kloster, if you were lucky you could find draft Amarit.

They were telling me you should have been here 20 years ago, and in 20 years time they will say the same.

The good old days are right now, not the figment of someones imagination or hazy memory.

[MisterTee]

Poor old Trink!

If he's reading this thread, and in all probability he is, he must be utterly devastated.

Scathing criticism interspersed here and there with faint praise.

In declining health and facing the myriad problems of an old expat in a foreign [yes Bernie, still foreign after all these years] country.

Call him sleazy if you want, but I once read in one of his columns the words to the bugle call "Taps":

"Day is done, gone the sun

from the lakes

from the hills

from the sky.

All is well, safely rest

God is nigh.

Fading light, dims the sight

and a star

gems the sky

gleaming bright

from afar, drawing nigh.

Falls the night.

Thanks and praise, for our days

neath the sun

neath the stars

neath the sky.

As we go, this we know

God is nigh."

Maybe he had a side we never knew about.

Edited December 19, 2012 by MisterTee

[tinfoilhat]

Always amazed me how a man could spend so long in Thailand and speak no Thai.

The same could be said about Jim Thompson.

Although they were polar opposites otherwise.

Thompson, a WASP socialite from Delaware, was an enigma.

Trink, a Bronx jew, was a yellow journalist who saw himself as a sage.

Both were part of the scene here and were part of what made it so interesting and lively.

The gray tide of middle-class mediocrities that has inundated the old haunts would understandably be critical.

Dont think JT spent as long in Thailand as Trink, as for JTs Thai language skills I have no idea, it was more of an observation and a lack of understanding on my part as why someone would choose to live in a country and not learn the language.

Maybe he was one of the old colonial types with the, if the natives want to talk to me they should speak English attitude that seems so prevalent these days.

Where are "the old haunts" you refer to?

Petchaburi long gone, dont think Trink ever spoke about say, The Dara Cafe or Issan Darling.

Buckskin Joe Village, long gone.

Washington Square, gone.

Patpong still there, havent been there in at least 12 years, last I heard the taxi drivers were still ripping off tourists, as for the infamous night market, you can buy the same tack cheaper in any Big C.

Nana Plaza, changed beyond all recognition, what happened to the pharmacies, restaurants and travel agents?

The only two good things about the NEP were, Woodstock for food and its long since gone, Rainbow (now referred to as Rainbow 1) was good for a cold beer in the afternoon as you watched a movie inside.

Soi Cowboy, changed beyond all recognition, no longer are the dark dingy watering holes to be found.

His core market seemed to be balloon chasers who would mosey on over to some dive where Nok was having a birthday party.

Many who talk about the "good old days", and their passing are merely lamenting the passing of their youth and virility.

Yeah the "good old days", no meter taxis, no skytrain, Suk Rd flooding, beer limited to Singha and Kloster, if you were lucky you could find draft Amarit.

They were telling me you should have been here 20 years ago, and in 20 years time they will say the same.

The good old days are right now, not the figment of someones imagination or hazy memory.

well spoke indeed

[RubbaJohnny]

TIT this is Thailand

[wamberal]

I have mentioned the Country and Western Bar on the corner of Soi 19 a couple of times over the last few years, nobody except me seems to remember it.

It was a bar that was actually kind of recommended by the Australian Embassy people as being ethical and safe. Quite a few of the girls married expats, over the years.

I think it is probably fair to say that, thirty years ago, when I first came to BKK, it was relatively easier to find good bars to drink in. As the economy has improved, it stands to reason that there is less incentive for girls to work in bars - and when they do so, they are probably more ruthless and money-hungry than they were in the good old, bad old, days.

A personal confession, in those years I had unprotected sex with bar-girls three or four times a week, and never caught anything but a cold. Lucky? Stupid? Both, I would say. But it was good times, for sure.

Edited December 20, 2012 by wamberal

[slapout]

Would you be referring to the 'Cock and Bull', by any chance, corner of soi 19? Great times had by most all who visited in that place

[wamberal]

Would you be referring to the 'Cock and Bull', by any chance, corner of soi 19? Great times had by most all who visited in that place

Would you be referring to the 'Cock and Bull', by any chance, corner of soi 19? Great times had by most all who visited in that place

The name might have changed over the years, the last time I went there was 1986. It was run by a Burmese chap called Peter, from memory. The girls all dressed in very modest clothes, and the general air of the place was always pretty respectable. Does any of that ring a bell? Oh, and there was a restaurant downstairs facing Sukhumvit, , the bar was up some stairs off Soi 19.

[rgs2001uk]

Would you be referring to the 'Cock and Bull', by any chance, corner of soi 19? Great times had by most all who visited in that place

Would you be referring to the 'Cock and Bull', by any chance, corner of soi 19? Great times had by most all who visited in that place

The name might have changed over the years, the last time I went there was 1986. It was run by a Burmese chap called Peter, from memory. The girls all dressed in very modest clothes, and the general air of the place was always pretty respectable. Does any of that ring a bell? Oh, and there was a restaurant downstairs facing Sukhumvit, , the bar was up some stairs off Soi 19.

The only name I have ever seen above the door was, Country Roads 2.

The place was exactly as you describe it, from what I remember the bar enterance upstairs was on the RH side and was on soi 19.

Havent been in the place in years, it only closed recently, say within the last few years.

[wamberal]

Thanks very much for your inpur. I would love to hear from somebody who remembers it back in the eighties, there must be somebody out there.

[tinfoilhat]

I have mentioned the Country and Western Bar on the corner of Soi 19 a couple of times over the last few years, nobody except me seems to remember it.

It was a bar that was actually kind of recommended by the Australian Embassy people as being ethical and safe. Quite a few of the girls married expats, over the years.

I think it is probably fair to say that, thirty years ago, when I first came to BKK, it was relatively easier to find good bars to drink in. As the economy has improved, it stands to reason that there is less incentive for girls to work in bars - and when they do so, they are probably more ruthless and money-hungry than they were in the good old, bad old, days.

A personal confession, in those years I had unprotected sex with bar-girls three or four times a week, and never caught anything but a cold. Lucky? Stupid? Both, I would say. But it was good times, for sure.

it was country roads 2, it moved to soi 7 above foodland after closing, no idea if it is still there

[Boksida]

Would you be referring to the 'Cock and Bull', by any chance, corner of soi 19? Great times had by most all who visited in that place

Would you be referring to the 'Cock and Bull', by any chance, corner of soi 19? Great times had by most all who visited in that place

The name might have changed over the years, the last time I went there was 1986. It was run by a Burmese chap called Peter, from memory. The girls all dressed in very modest clothes, and the general air of the place was always pretty respectable. Does any of that ring a bell? Oh, and there was a restaurant downstairs facing Sukhumvit, , the bar was up some stairs off Soi 19.

The way I remember it is:

The Cock and Bull had an entrance off Sukhumvit. The Joker Club was upstairs but with the same owners. The manager, Chris, was Burmese and his partner was Peter, a Swede, whose main line of business was surgical instruments. The place was heavily patronised by seismic personnel. Downstairs was a family restaurant showing movies and upstairs was a place to make families. The lead singer with the band was a Filipino called Freddie.

Chris and Peter went on to develop the JC Condominium (Joker Club) in Soi 15 with seed capital from their seismic patrons. This was then leveraged into the Tai Pan Hotels in Soi 23 and Vientiane. After that, I lost contact.

Country Roads was on the opposite corner with the entrance off Soi 19. The most I remember about that was some very good looking girls but overpriced drinks.

[slapout]

Yep, we all remember the same place, narrow stairway up to the Joker club. Good band, better hostesses, and the latter were sharp on the dart board, as well.