Soi Cowboy bar owner dies following Bangkok condo fall

[smotherb]

who wouldn't suffer from addiction and depression owing a gogo bar, couldn't think of anything worse, RIP

Gee, aren't we open-minded. Perhaps his alleged addiction and depression wasn't associated with his ownership of a go-go bar and maybe those who enjoy owning go-go bars would not suffer addiction and depression from them.

[bobbin]

Hope the Mods don't let this thread get over run with the usual sarcastic/ insensitive comments.

His Friends and family could be (probably are) reading this.

:-

Dave I am in total agreement with what you say about refraining from the usual sarcastic/insensitive comments.

May I add, that I also agree that we should refrain from doing so, in all cases like this, farang and Thai. That we should do so, not only out of respect for the deceased, their friends and family, whether they can read it or not, but also out of one's self respect and dignity.

However, I think this wishful thinking will not eventuate due to the nature of some people who find that dehumanizing the unfortunate is easier on their mind than compassion.

Censorship in all it's forms is an effective method of quieting rhetoric that may 'offend' those who are 'sensitive'; but once you step down that path, don't complain about the cutting abilities of double-edged swords. Falling off a cliff is much easier that climbing back up. I'll err of the side of freedom of expression.

John Cleese: I'm offended every day. For example, the British newspapers every day offend me with their laziness, their nastiness, and their inaccuracy, but I'm not going to expect someone to stop that happening; I just simply speak out about it. Sometimes when people are offended they want — you can just come in and say, "Right, stop that." to whoever it is offending them. And, of course, as a former chairman of the BBC one said, "There are some people who I would wish to offend." And I think there's truth in that too. So the idea that you have to be protected from any kind of uncomfortable emotion is what I absolutely do not subscribe to. And a fellow who I helped write two books about psychology and psychiatry was a renowned psychiatrist in London called Robin Skynner said something very interesting to me. He said, "If people can't control their own emotions, then they have to start trying to control other people's behavior." And when you're around super-sensitive people, you cannot relax and be spontaneous because you have no idea what's going to upset them next. And that's why I've been warned recently don't to go to most university campuses because the political correctness has been taken from being a good idea, which is let's not be mean in particular to people who are not able to look after themselves very well — that's a good idea — to the point where any kind of criticism or any individual or group could be labeled cruel.

And the whole point about humor, the whole point about comedy, and believe you me I thought about this, is that all comedy is critical. Even if you make a very inclusive joke like how would you make God laugh? Answer: Tell him your plans. Now that's about the human condition; it's not excluding anyone. It's saying we all have all these plans, which probably won't come and isn't it funny how we still believe they're going to happen. So that's a very inclusive joke. It's still critical. All humor is critical. If you start to say, "We mustn't; we mustn't criticize or offend them," then humor is gone. With humor goes a sense of proportion. And then as far as I'm concerned, you're living in 1984.

Ok..the John Cleese quote is a well-reasoned argument that made me think twice..

But so many of these comments have little value, comedic or otherwise. I don't want to censor these people though, I just want to shame them...

[PaullyW]

Reading his FB page, he was definitely having a hard time with his business and life. It looks like he's had a fun-filled life, too bad it had to end so early like this... RIP, sir

I've been reading many conflicting statements by him about his 'addiction', half are off the wall rants, others are begging his staff to come back.From what he writes, he was being ripped off by his staff, assaulted, bank accounts and FB page hacked... There's apparently much more to this story than the above article dismisses.

There are just simply too many farangs dying in precisely this way under mysterious circumstances. Too, too many.

If criminals would be employing this strategy, it would seem to be working. No questions asked by police. No sign of struggle or forced entry. So on and so on.

Read the story again, there is no other case of a farang falling to his death in Thailand that is precisely, or even remotely similar to this case.

Sure, only if you assume that all the details have been perfectly reported in the first instance

[Johpa]

Your understanding of mental health issues is zilch.Until you educate yourself,better not comment.

I would question the mental health of anyone who owned a "go-go" bar on Cowboy, in Nana, or an such similar venue.

[berybert]

Sad news. I didn't know the guy. Just wonder why he didn't keep a spare set of keys in the safe in his bar.

What a waste of a life.

[steven100]

was his bar not making a profit ??

[duan]

I've known him since the Clinton Plaza days. He was a really good guy.

RIP Darel

[Praematura]

Darrel got beaten last week by his staff and they all left Dollhouse.

This week he's dead.

It's Thailand so nothing will happen...

Let's see which officer now owns Dollhouse when it reopens.

[davethailand]

I've known him since the Clinton Plaza days. He was a really good guy.

RIP Darel

Spent a week in BKK when I went back to Thailand after my first trip in 2001.

Every night DH Clinton Plaza was the starting point.

Great times.

[dbrenn]

Just to add a touch of controversy here, among all the comments lionising this guy. As a go-go bar owner, he was actually a pimp, nothing more. On the wall of his bar was a mural depicting a rich girl with a wad of money saying words to the effect of "I <deleted>" and a poor girl looking downtrodden saying "I don't". Nice bloke?

They lionised John Lennon too. He was a wife beater who took glee in inviting Yoko to his house for his outgoing wife (who by all accounts was a delightful person) to see, and he took a sadistic satisfaction in doing that.

Steve Jobs was likewise a horrible specimen of a human being who gave his ex just $500 per month, despite being worth a fortune.

In a world of celebrity culture, we all seem to worship the worthless.

[brewsterbudgen]

Just to add a touch of controversy here, among all the comments lionising this guy. As a go-go bar owner, he was actually a pimp, nothing more. On the wall of his bar was a mural depicting a rich girl with a wad of money saying words to the effect of "I <deleted>" and a poor girl looking downtrodden saying "I don't". Nice bloke?

They lionised John Lennon too. He was a wife beater who took glee in inviting Yoko to his house for his outgoing wife (who by all accounts was a delightful person) to see, and he took a sadistic satisfaction in doing that.

Steve Jobs was likewise a horrible specimen of a human being who gave his ex just $500 per month, despite being worth a fortune.

In a world of celebrity culture, we all seem to worship the worthless.

Great post, managing to get John & Yoko, Steve Jobs and Dollhouse into the thread and having absolutely no relevance to the sad death of the person in question. Well done.

[jacky54]

In a world of celebrity culture, we all seem to worship the worthless.

I would not call the owner of a seedy a go go a celebrity. If this guy was such a great bloke loved by all as some would have us think, how come his Thai staff attacked him? Looking at his fb and the Dollhouse one, which I read he had been locked out of it seems he was paranoid and a coke user, those go together of course. His tragedy was, like many others who come here, that he did not know when to get out while the going was good. Looks very much like he hung on until the dream became a nightmare. There's nothing cool about being, to be honest, a pimp, nice guy or not.

Edited February 11, 2016 by jacky54

[dbrenn]

In a world of celebrity culture, we all seem to worship the worthless.

I would not call the owner of a seedy a go go a celebrity. If this guy was such a great bloke loved by all as some would have us think, how come his Thai staff attacked him? Looking at his fb and the Dollhouse one, which I read he had been locked out of it seems he was paranoid and a coke user, those go together of course. His tragedy was, like many others who come here, that he did not know when to get out while the going was good. Looks very much like he hung on until the dream became a nightmare. There's nothing cool about being, to be honest, a pimp, nice guy or not.

Right. Dreams of living off the proceeds of vice all too often turn into nightmares.

[Spaniel]

Although I didn't know him, I'm sure he was a great guy,, RIP. but I would never look to bar owners on Soi Cowboy as any more then pimps, certainly not celebrities.

[davethailand]

Although I didn't know him, I'm sure he was a great guy,, RIP. but I would never look to bar owners on Soi Cowboy as any more then pimps, certainly not celebrities.

Not really a bad thing.

There's enough of them mostly Thai also (Pattaya, BKK, Phuket etc etc)

[davethailand]

Just to add a touch of controversy here, among all the comments lionising this guy. As a go-go bar owner, he was actually a pimp, nothing more. On the wall of his bar was a mural depicting a rich girl with a wad of money saying words to the effect of "I <deleted>" and a poor girl looking downtrodden saying "I don't". Nice bloke?

They lionised John Lennon too. He was a wife beater who took glee in inviting Yoko to his house for his outgoing wife (who by all accounts was a delightful person) to see, and he took a sadistic satisfaction in doing that.

Steve Jobs was likewise a horrible specimen of a human being who gave his ex just $500 per month, despite being worth a fortune.

In a world of celebrity culture, we all seem to worship the worthless.

So you used to visit the bar then?

[dru2]

Although I didn't know him, I'm sure he was a great guy,, RIP. but I would never look to bar owners on Soi Cowboy as any more then pimps, certainly not celebrities.

Not really a bad thing.

There's enough of them mostly Thai also (Pattaya, BKK, Phuket etc etc)

Pimping is pretty low on the scale of human endeavour - I think it's a bad thing by any standard.

[davethailand]

Although I didn't know him, I'm sure he was a great guy,, RIP. but I would never look to bar owners on Soi Cowboy as any more then pimps, certainly not celebrities.

Not really a bad thing.

There's enough of them mostly Thai also (Pattaya, BKK, Phuket etc etc)

Pimping is pretty low on the scale of human endeavour - I think it's a bad thing by any standard.

Not in Thailand apparently.

[bangkokgas]

Just to add a touch of controversy here, among all the comments lionising this guy. As a go-go bar owner, he was actually a pimp, nothing more. On the wall of his bar was a mural depicting a rich girl with a wad of money saying words to the effect of "I <deleted>" and a poor girl looking downtrodden saying "I don't". Nice bloke?

They lionised John Lennon too. He was a wife beater who took glee in inviting Yoko to his house for his outgoing wife (who by all accounts was a delightful person) to see, and he took a sadistic satisfaction in doing that.

Steve Jobs was likewise a horrible specimen of a human being who gave his ex just $500 per month, despite being worth a fortune.

In a world of celebrity culture, we all seem to worship the worthless.

He did not own the bar- was a manager there, so calling him a pimp is out of order- many of your other observations are simply not worth commenting on....

[farangman]

He was an owner not a manager so it shows how much you know! I don't give a &lt;deleted&gt; what other people think, Darel was one of the good guys

[gk10002000]

Sad because for better or for worse so many of the bars and go gos were opened with falang money, and the thai girls were the foundation. So many Falangs get their life and monies sucked out of them.

[bangkokgas]

He was an owner not a manager so it shows how much you know! I don't give a <deleted> what other people think, Darel was one of the good guys

I met him a few times as i was a friend of a British guy who worked there and like myself, thought he was a really nice guy. 'Dave' lets call my friend, said he was not the owner..that's why I posted he wasn't- and clean your mouth out, or are you just another pathetic stressed out thai forum contributor who should have left LOS a while before..?

[davethailand]

He was an owner not a manager so it shows how much you know! I don't give a <deleted> what other people think, Darel was one of the good guys

I met him a few times as i was a friend of a British guy who worked there and like myself, thought he was a really nice guy. 'Dave' lets call my friend, said he was not the owner..that's why I posted he wasn't- and clean your mouth out, or are you just another pathetic stressed out thai forum contributor who should have left LOS a while before..?

He was definitely as owner, Knew him since 2001 and I'm also friends/ know some of his partners (maybe old partners?).

Whether he'd sold his interest in DH but stayed on to run it I don't know, wouldn't of thought so though.

[brewsterbudgen]

Owner/partner/manager - what difference does it make?

[Travel2003]

Wow,

it took 2 or 3 posts before the first "funny" remark about his death appeared.

And another 1 or 2 posts before the first conspiracy theory popped up.

[jerojero]

Hope the Mods don't let this thread get over run with the usual sarcastic/ insensitive comments.

His Friends and family could be (probably are) reading this.

:-

You are probably right, but would his family be proud that he owned a girlie bar that facilitated and promoted prost ?

[jacky54]

Owner/partner/manager - what difference does it make?

Indeed, whatever he did or was he is now what most of us will end up as- a pile of ashes in a jar.

[donnybay]

Just to add a touch of controversy here, among all the comments lionising this guy. As a go-go bar owner, he was actually a pimp, nothing more. On the wall of his bar was a mural depicting a rich girl with a wad of money saying words to the effect of "I <deleted>" and a poor girl looking downtrodden saying "I don't". Nice bloke?

They lionised John Lennon too. He was a wife beater who took glee in inviting Yoko to his house for his outgoing wife (who by all accounts was a delightful person) to see, and he took a sadistic satisfaction in doing that.

Steve Jobs was likewise a horrible specimen of a human being who gave his ex just $500 per month, despite being worth a fortune.

In a world of celebrity culture, we all seem to worship the worthless.

Be careful of that massive chip you appear to have on your shoulder, links to your two accusations you make please

[mcfish]

Feel sorry for the guy, a shattered leg will give you a lifetime of pain and it appears that he was using street drugs to numb himself but end of the day it's just another death from illegal drugs

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[OMGImInPattaya]

No disrespect to the deceased but is climbing over condo balconies at 39 floors high the best way to to go about gaining entry to your condo after forgetting or losing your keys.

The guy was obviously a business man and therefore had access to money,why would you not stay in a cheap hotel for the night and or attempt to gain entry with the aid of the condo management or a lock smith.

Extremely sad way to lose your life for the sake of opening a door,could have kicked the damn thing in and replaced it as a last resort.

Suspect there is more to this than meets the eye as usual.

RIP.

Yep...the clues are in the original story.