Stickman Bangkok Versus Not Stickman Bangkok

[JimsKnight]

I have met stickman on more than one occasion. I can say that generally he has mellowed some after he got married. But I also know that he is quite possibly the most influential non Thais in Bangkok

Really ? That'll come as news to Bill Heienecke.

Influencing a few piss-heads into a girlie bar - yes, most influential farang in bangkok - no.

Yer, I'll go along with that Perdo - his influence is restricted and he is be no means anywhere near the most influential farang in Thailand. Bill Heinecke would laugh his head off if he read that, and so would a couple other ex-pats in Thailand who stay in the background but who's business ineterests come into our lifestyles almost everyday without us even realising it.

Stickman is a entertaining read on a lifestyle that reflects his experiance of Thailand, but what's news today is forgotten tomorrow - and he is the first to realise that.

Tim

Speak for yourself dude. The Dude don't forget a lot of that stuff nor do many other dudes. A lot of that chit on the stickman site is pertinent information to be dug by the expat masses. The Dude hands stick a gold plated shovel for his enormous contribution to the expat community here . As for Bill Heineken, I got no idea who he is. Does he have anything to do with the brewery? Keep on digging the stickman's reads. Dig?

Stickman comes across now as too arrogant, a wannabe pseudo-mafioso with delusions of grandeur, trying to re-invent himself. His earlier posts really were a genuine breath of fresh air and were useful to me and many others. But now like already mentioned his posts have become a shadow of their former selves. Ghost-writers, commercialised, PI wannabe that may get some of his underlings in the brown stuff.

John Galts site at least tells it like it is and doesn't pretend to be something he's not. He's gone online and told all about his previous 'life' in the US. Stickman keeps very quiet about his own background, save that he's from the UK.

Galt goes out on the prowl, spending time with the 'good time girls', both bargirls and 'ordinary' girls! and makes no bones about it. The way Stickman talks it almost seems as though he's ashamed of being the bar-fly made good! And has totally distanced himself from that. Well good for him but not everyone of Stickmans readers actually wants to read about married life or sugar daddys made good in Thailand.

Amongst some expat communities, expats who've now 'settled down' and married their thai girls now distance themselves from the more 'Predatory' minded single expats that they once may of been!

Perhaps thats what the whole Galt/Stickman clash for the people who support either or them; Are you a single guy, who goes out to the bars and does the Bargirl thing. Or reformed/married anti mongering expat, who will party, but dismissive/chastising of single guys who chase the girls.

I see both of these 'factions' in thailand, and thus the Galt/Stickman debate will draw both sides to one or the other.

Right now Galts Call-to-arms is focusing on dealing with the Stickman 'Private Investigative' Services! Another can of worms entirely.

Well if Galt can pull it off it will mean Stickmans PI services and any other falang will run the risk of being shadowed by Galts PI 'Hunter-Killers' - Falang/thai armed with covert video/sound recording devices. Gathered evidence which then is passed up to Thai Immigration. Whether or not any of this will happen is open to debate, but it will make things interesting thats for sure!

Edited October 27, 2006 by JimsKnight

[chuchok]

Stickman keeps very quiet about his own background, save that he's from the UK.

He is not from the UK.

[terry57]

I have met stickman on more than one occasion. I can say that generally he has mellowed some after he got married. But I also know that he is quite possibly the most influential non Thais in Bangkok

Really ? That'll come as news to Bill Heienecke.

Influencing a few piss-heads into a girlie bar - yes, most influential farang in bangkok - no.

Yer, I'll go along with that Perdo - his influence is restricted and he is be no means anywhere near the most influential farang in Thailand. Bill Heinecke would laugh his head off if he read that, and so would a couple other ex-pats in Thailand who stay in the background but who's business ineterests come into our lifestyles almost everyday without us even realising it.

Stickman is a entertaining read on a lifestyle that reflects his experiance of Thailand, but what's news today is forgotten tomorrow - and he is the first to realise that.

Tim

Speak for yourself dude. The Dude don't forget a lot of that stuff nor do many other dudes. A lot of that chit on the stickman site is pertinent information to be dug by the expat masses. The Dude hands stick a gold plated shovel for his enormous contribution to the expat community here . As for Bill Heineken, I got no idea who he is. Does he have anything to do with the brewery? Keep on digging the stickman's reads. Dig?

Bill Heinecke graduated from the International School of Bangkok; married, and formed

his first company, appropriately named "Minor Holdings" in 1967. The Minor Holdings Group has

since made significant investments in the marketing, manufacturing, food and property fields, employing more than 12,000 people and grown to become more than USS400 million in sales in 2002.

He is also a two-time past president of the American Chamber of Commerce, Thailand; sat on the Prime Minister's Foreign Investment Advisory Council, and accompanied several official Thailand government missions to America and Europe. He became a nationalized Thai citizen in 1991. When he's not overseeing his far-flung marketing, manufacturing, food, property and hotel development activities, he can be found piloting his airplane or indulging in his other passions, scuba diving and racing antique sport cars.

Stickman has a website.

Am I the only one that thinks Bill has the edge here ?

i've just goggled that cat heinecke and there's no doubt that he is the greatest farang ever to make the big time in los.

what i really like about him is he loves the los and has a top time here.

got to respect that.

that ain't hard when your a squillion air is it punters.

cheers

[Ulysses G.]

John Galts site at least tells it like it is and doesn't pretend to be something he's not. He's gone online and told all about his previous 'life' in the US. Stickman keeps very quiet about his own background, save that he's from the UK.

I believe that Stickman is a Kiwi.

Galt goes out on the prowl, spending time with the 'good time girls', both bargirls and 'ordinary' girls! and makes no bones about it. The way Stickman talks it almost seems as though he's ashamed of being the bar-fly made good! And has totally distanced himself from that. Well good for him but not everyone of Stickmans readers actually wants to read about married life or sugar daddys made good in Thailand.

Amongst some expat communities, expats who've now 'settled down' and married their thai girls now distance themselves from the more 'Predatory' minded single expats that they once may of been!

Perhaps thats what the whole Galt/Stickman clash for the people who support either or them; Are you a single guy, who goes out to the bars and does the Bargirl thing. Or reformed/married anti mongering expat, who will party, but dismissive/chastising of single guys who chase the girls. I see both of these 'factions' in thailand, and thus the Galt/Stickman debate will draw both sides to one or the other.

I think that you are wrong about Stick fans. I am an unabashed skirt-chaser who enjoys Stickman and loathes the parasitic Galt.

[bob4you]

I think Stickman weekly is well worth reading, even without that his reader submissions will always keep me coming back. Galt, I won't waste my time. No need for flamers whether direct or indirect.

[bob4you]

I think Stickman weekly is well worth reading, even without that his reader submissions will always keep me coming back. Galt, I won't waste my time. No need for flamers whether direct or indirect.

[Hermano Lobo]

I think some of you are missing the point. People who read stickman do so because accurate information is sometimes difficult to find. I feel that even that he covers the nightlife it also reflects the entire tourist industry to some point. Most people don’t only travel to Thailand for the bars. They shop, rent hotels, tour, and eat too. If things look a bit off people may simply decide on another destination. Stickman is a view that cuts past the promotional side tourism and calls it from the street. Places like the Hard Rock, discos, shows are all tied together. If one is down then they all tend to be down. I think stickman said that the Lonely Planet even links to him now. That is huge because the Lonely Planet is a staple that people use to decide where to go.

Anyone who has been to Thailand knows that some places will try to compensate for slow times by trying to rip you off. The Thai government has even installed something to compensate for that, but I forget what it is called. Stickman will point out where it is happening.

Stickman also tries to reflect life in Thailand from visa runs to just dealing with Thai culture and logic. More times than not (including the reader submissions) it has let me know what I may encounter in my journeys and how to best avoid and compensate for undesirables.

I have just returned from my 19th trip to Thailand.

"Is that your nineteenth nervous breakdown ?"

I have always found Stickman helpful. He has nearly always answered my e-mails and has published some of my stuff.

I would say this John Galt geezer is just jealous.

John K,

Interesting, I was not aware that Stickman could be so influential with regard to bar sales ?

I would expect him to get grief because of this ?

Thanks for your well thought out posting.

I can't work out this younghusband character ? If one is such a prig and a prude, why come to Thailand ? Weird ?

Hermano Lobo aka 'Comrade'

Edited October 27, 2006 by Hermano Lobo

[Hermano Lobo]

he snitches on people for cash, cant get much lower than that.

You mean his Bar Girl investigations ?

Perhaps he saves some people who have their collective heads in the clouds a lot of trouble.

There are other Private Dick agencies.

Strangley my experience is that farangs get more grief from other farangs, than Thais: Discuss.

Edited October 27, 2006 by Hermano Lobo

[austallia_1980]

Stickman says the SAME things OVER and OVER and OVER.

Can't he write about anything without the word BAR GIRL in it? Jesus christ, its as if 90% of the things he says are about BAR GIRLS.

[Maizefarmer]

If you are refering to his "I spie on bar girls" servicies, I can't agree with you on that.

Although I feel the guys who get hung up over some hooker they met in a bar and can't let go emotionaly, need their heads examined, he is though doing no less or more on that point than identifying a service which PI's provide the world over, and using his knowldge and contacts to results (again, as pi's the world over do).

With tongue in cheek, I have to say if I had been led up the garden path by some hooker, I'd also be well pleased to know that I was been shafted in more ways that I bargined for.

The guys a youngster - he'll grow out of it and move onto something sensible if it's investigation work that appeals to him.

Tim

[Egon]

I predict that "NotStickman", John Galt, will gloat and brag about his record number of visits in his next weekly column solely due to this discussion.

I know that my own site shot up by about 300 views a day after I had spoken about it on this site. This discussion is now 6 pages long so I bet John Galt will have upped his weekly views by quite a leap!

[VanZam]

I dont think it's very fair to put stick on trial here.

In fact I think hes done well not to add fuel to the fire by bothering to post here.

[Maizefarmer]

Sorry Egon - yes, I was asking you if this was indeed all old hat and was well known on the various forums.

Computer skills are not my cup of tea and I must profess I have never had the pleasure of reading you website. If not allowed to say here what it is, perhaps you could PM me the link to it.

Tim

[austallia_1980]

One thing about Stickman, is that If I ran his site, I could make atleast 100,000 USD/year.

He claims to spend 40 hrs/week working on the site like a clown.

It is a very good example of the difference between someone who knows how to make money/run a business, and someone who does not.

BTW, I have emaield Stick many times and said "this reader submission is full of shiat" and he would respond "oh no mate i know its true for a fact"... i email him back how he knows, he says that guy convinced him it was true over a series of emails... <deleted>, kind of 100 percent proof is that?

didnt he claim 10% of girls have aids?

[John K]

I think some of you are missing the point. People who read stickman do so because accurate information is sometimes difficult to find. I feel that even that he covers the nightlife it also reflects the entire tourist industry to some point. Most people don’t only travel to Thailand for the bars. They shop, rent hotels, tour, and eat too. If things look a bit off people may simply decide on another destination. Stickman is a view that cuts past the promotional side tourism and calls it from the street. Places like the Hard Rock, discos, shows are all tied together. If one is down then they all tend to be down. I think stickman said that the Lonely Planet even links to him now. That is huge because the Lonely Planet is a staple that people use to decide where to go.

Anyone who has been to Thailand knows that some places will try to compensate for slow times by trying to rip you off. The Thai government has even installed something to compensate for that, but I forget what it is called. Stickman will point out where it is happening.

Stickman also tries to reflect life in Thailand from visa runs to just dealing with Thai culture and logic. More times than not (including the reader submissions) it has let me know what I may encounter in my journeys and how to best avoid and compensate for undesirables.

I have just returned from my 19th trip to Thailand.

"Is that your nineteenth nervous breakdown ?"

I have always found Stickman helpful. He has nearly always answered my e-mails and has published some of my stuff.

I would say this John Galt geezer is just jealous.

John K,

Interesting, I was not aware that Stickman could be so influential with regard to bar sales ?

I would expect him to get grief because of this ?

Thanks for your well thought out posting.

I can't work out this younghusband character ? If one is such a prig and a prude, why come to Thailand ? Weird ?

Hermano Lobo aka 'Comrade'

The bar owners and managers very much have a Love hate relationship with stickman. At least it keeps them on their toes about quality and customer service. Keep in mind stickman get much of his news for his weekly from people who are out there. He has a select few he will trust (not bar owners or managers) and print what they say, and if he gets repeated reports from several other he will print that too.

Just to give you an Idea of how powerful he is, every now and again there are nights that it is uncertain if the bars will be open, for example Thai holidays. If stickman prints that bars are closed but actually turn out to be open, the only people that show up are the ones that did not read stickman. So if you can picture Nana Plaza with 10% of the normal crowd you can see.

Lets say he talks about a bar who fills top shelf bottles with bottom shelf content. That would go on endlessly unless it was made public. Armed with that knowledge patrons will make one of the many other choices. Even padding check bins will cause a short term gain followed by a long down turn. It could be weeks or months before that bit of bad news is just a distant memory. During that extended period the takes could be and often are just a fraction if what was normally. So in that respect stickman is the conscience of the bars by way of the wallet.

Even if there is a bad girl who is ripping off customers, he does not say the girls name or number. So to the patrons it could be anyone so best just to find another place to spend the evening. That leaves the bar with the task of cleaning house. If the bar lets stickman know the problem has seen the door, he will print that and business will return virtually overnight.

So it does not matter if you are pro or con on stickman, he provides more than information, he provides an unseen service to people to help keep their nights out safer and more enjoyable, for that I salute him. It does not matter if you are walking around Siam square, Nana or any venue, stickman contributed to your night in a positive way.

[Maizefarmer]

AUSTRALIA - I cant comment one way or the other regards exactly how much time he spends each day on his computer, suffice to say that I think 40 hrs saounds reasonable. Its only clear he puts a fair amount of time into it whatever it is.

As for how much he makes? - again no idea, but I would think he is making a fair living out of it.

AS said, I think his website is very much a reflection of his own experaince of Thailand - which he has managed to take and use in a way to make a living, and withstanding anything about it I may not like, you may not like or anyone else may not like, the nature of game (when in his position) is that you have to paly both sides of the fence. It's all a game about trying to keep as many happy as much as possible.

10% have AIDS! Again I would'nt know, but it would n't suprize me if somewhere between 5-10% were HIV positive. Perhaps 10% is alittle high, but 5% - quite reasonable.

But there is the side to prostitution that the average farang never sees. It the side of prostitution thats does not cater for the toruism industry but for Thai's and illegal immigrants. It keeps a very low profile and amongst that lot, HIV and AIDS so most certainly a bigger issue.

Difficult for girls in the tourist side of the business to conceal it from their peers. When it starts to catch up with them, they quitely pack up their bags and head home - to count their regrets and become part of whatever the real statistic is. It is the ugly and sad side to the sex industry.

Tim

[austallia_1980]

I investiaged tonight and I could provide Gault w/ some very important info about Stick, but im not gonna do it, because i dont think stick has really done anything wrong. he may be a ######ing clown, but that is about the extent of it.

[DFCarlson]

I think that there's no doubt that Stickman has a large number of people who read his website. In a day and a half this thread has generated 7 pages of comments.

But Stickman's site is only one of many purporting to provide information about Thailand, and Bangkok in particular. John Galt's site is clearly an attempt to take another tack by criticizing what Stickman writes - time will tell whether Galt will continue to depend on criticism of Stickman or whether he takes off in a more original direction. It's easier to pick on what someone else has written than to write original content.

That said, I think that Stickman's contributors are the strength of his site. Many of the other articles, e.g Living and Working in Bangkok, have been updated only very infrequently. Some contributors write very interesting articles that are fun to read, others are duds, but I always go there first to see what's available that day.

I think that whatever you read you have to take with a grain of salt (sometimes more!). If you can do this with Stickman, John Galt, or whatever you read, draw on your experience and use some common sense, you can start to learn what's probably true and what's not. For me, the jury's still out.

[Archie Bunker]

Stick is OK, Galt is OK. That's my take

[ColPyat]

I had a quick read of this John Galt website.

I am disgusted. This is not funny in any way. He seems to try to destroy Stickman's existence here in Thailand, and is not just having a pisstake.

If he has such a beef with Sickman, why does he not do like a man, and confronts him in person. Instead, he is a sneaky little <edit> and hides behind the blogsphere.

The profanity filters are there for a reason, please do not bypass them

Edited October 28, 2006 by Totster

[Tolley]

The most interesting thing about this whole discussion is that we are actually having a discussion about these two websites.

I will give Stickman his due in that he had the drive and initiative to start up a website and persevere with it. Of course the best part of his website is his readers submissions which he doesn 't write! I mean really it is a very amateurish site and a lot of the stuff is very lame indeed. There certainly is room for someone else to come in and fill the void and provide something that is of higher quality.

John Galt however will i predict fade into oblivion. You can't sustain the negative nasty rubbish that he comes up with for too long.

The market is open for someone to provide something of higher. quality.

[Robski]

If he wasn't called notstickman would anyone take any interest? Are you smoking both of their beef by even posting the topic? Don't you have a life? It's just opinion, if you lived your life by what these guys say wouldn't you be missing out on finding out for yourself, a lot of recommendations these guys make regarding the social scene make are crap, turn off the computer and get out there and make your own opinion.

[sriracha john]

Yes indeed, the response to the thread belies that the clear majority voted:

"Couldn't give a flying Cahoonas!"

can't imagine the response if people actually cared...

[taxexile]

can't imagine the response if people actually cared...

i dont think anybody really cares who comes out on top here , the fact is both sites are about dirty girls , dirty men , sleaze , sex and salaciousness.

bar girl talk is not allowed on thai visa anymore , but wait , this is stickman.....an information site that is not only about bargirls , its about teaching too , and he has a photo competition , and he talks about hotels and visas too..... thats why this thread is flying.

its like the sunday sport , news of the world, national enquirer , the sun and readers wives all on one page .

whether we go down the bars , whether we stay at home , whether we'd like to go down the bars but the wife wont give us a visa to leave the house , or whether we are stained raincoated midnight creepers or even upright family men who wouldnt be seen dead in a bar , we all like to read about it and possibly imagine what we might get up to IF we went down the bars , we also like to read about other people jumping off balconies and we just love to read about other people getting cheated by bar girls (especially if those other people are getting laid more than we are with hotties younger and hotter than ours).

we all ...... bar none ....... like to read about sleazy sukhumvit sex and the disgusting and perverted performances of pattaya people

stickmans site and the 2nd rate blatant copy cheating stickman site just feed our base instincts , but do so under the guise of genuine helpful information.

sex is the main draw , any other news and information is just a cover waiting to be peeled away revealing the dripping red meat beneath.

if stickman stopped writing about bars , his site would fold in a week , likewise the gorillas site.

[Maizefarmer]

Good point TAXEXILE - and lets not forget, the "fairer sex" and discussion about them or or problems with them take up a fair slice of Thaivisa as well.

Tim

[Egon]

If he wasn't called notstickman would anyone take any interest? Are you smoking both of their beef by even posting the topic? Don't you have a life? It's just opinion, if you lived your life by what these guys say wouldn't you be missing out on finding out for yourself, a lot of recommendations these guys make regarding the social scene make are crap, turn off the computer and get out there and make your own opinion.

Respect!

I think most people who voted "couldn't give a Cahoonas" are people who know of Stickman (and maybe Galt) but do not approve of either. The people who keep this thread going are obviously supporters of one or the other whereas the majority probably do not bother to post on this thread - just because the thread is 7 pages long does not mean that people are that interested - just some. I am interested because I have a very negative view of Stickman and have had so for one year. I have read John Galt's site but found that it is just slander combined with even more Stickmanesque garbage ie. even worse than Stickman.

Saying that I probably shouldn't even contribute to this thread as all it does it give publicity to Messrs. Stickman . . .

Edited October 28, 2006 by Egon

[Maizefarmer]

No - I am not a supporter of either. I followed Stickman in the early days (and that means in the ealy 2000's - I would look at it once a month or so) but like all ex-apts who have been here a longtime you quickly learn that it offers nothing you don't already know yourself - except a bar update and I live so far from Bkk that is of no interest to me either.

I think people who go hunting for forums on the web about Thailand are likely to come across ThaiVisa just as easily as they will come across Stickman or Galt. ... and like all the forums and the subjects on them one chooses which one's to reply to and which ones not to reply to.

I don't think anything significant should be read into it - once you have read it you have read it - just like a news paper: news today forgotten tomorrow.

Tim

[ColPyat]

I am interested because I have a very negative view of Stickman and have had so for one year. I have read John Galt's site but found that it is just slander combined with even more Stickmanesque garbage ie. even worse than Stickman.

The question here is not so much the information content of both sites, but to what degree a blogger can use the internet to not only slander but potentially destroy somebody else's whole existence by these anonymous accusations.

This is a few steps out of order. The frightening aspect is that it could happen to anyone. What defense is there to stop a blogger with a grudge to set up such a website other than going into complicated and most likely useless legal exercises?

Edited October 28, 2006 by ColPyat

[bulmercke]

I think some of you are missing the point. People who read stickman do so because accurate information is sometimes difficult to find. I feel that even that he covers the nightlife it also reflects the entire tourist industry to some point. Most people don’t only travel to Thailand for the bars. They shop, rent hotels, tour, and eat too. If things look a bit off people may simply decide on another destination. Stickman is a view that cuts past the promotional side tourism and calls it from the street. Places like the Hard Rock, discos, shows are all tied together. If one is down then they all tend to be down. I think stickman said that the Lonely Planet even links to him now. That is huge because the Lonely Planet is a staple that people use to decide where to go.

Anyone who has been to Thailand knows that some places will try to compensate for slow times by trying to rip you off. The Thai government has even installed something to compensate for that, but I forget what it is called. Stickman will point out where it is happening.

Stickman also tries to reflect life in Thailand from visa runs to just dealing with Thai culture and logic. More times than not (including the reader submissions) it has let me know what I may encounter in my journeys and how to best avoid and compensate for undesirables.

I have just returned from my 19th trip to Thailand.

"Is that your nineteenth nervous breakdown ?"

I have always found Stickman helpful. He has nearly always answered my e-mails and has published some of my stuff.

I would say this John Galt geezer is just jealous.

John K,

Interesting, I was not aware that Stickman could be so influential with regard to bar sales ?

I would expect him to get grief because of this ?

Thanks for your well thought out posting.

I can't work out this younghusband character ? If one is such a prig and a prude, why come to Thailand ? Weird ?

Hermano Lobo aka 'Comrade'

John K and John Mark Karr......JonBenét Murder........

Perhaps you ought to use two initials to prevent confusion. Just a thought.

[Thaddeus]

I think stickman said that the Lonely Planet even links to him now.

If he did make that claim, he probably did it safe in the knowledge that most of his readers wouldn't bother looking. I just spent about 30 minutes at the LP webite, I couldn't find any link to him from either the Thailand or Bangkok information pages.

Anyone searching google for information on Thailand or Bangkok will not come across either of the two sites by accident (try it, try to find either one without using their names)

It's only by mentioning those sites in places like TV that they get discovered at all..... I first read Stickman about three years ago after a link was made from a forum.... I read a few articles on there and never opened the site again.