John Galt Presents: Farangs Above The Law

We have some really big problems here in Thailand with farangs who roll in here and think they are smarter, better, more privileged than the anyone else. They find a foot-hold in the fabric of Thai society, learn the language, secure work, and then set out to exploit the system.

This is something that seem to happen spontaneously. It's almost subconscious. Somehow, when a man feels the freedom to step over the line without restraints, they sometimes do so. Back in the west we all have a great many restrictions placed on us. Sometimes you don't really know the kind of man you really are until those restrictions have been lifted and you are more free to govern yourself.

I understand where these guys are coming from. Thailand is a society that is governed loosely by "literal law" and is governed more strongly by "the spirit of the law". Westerner don't know too much about the "spirit of the law". We are always tuned into the "literarily law".

You can come here and perhaps not follow every single ordinance and slide around a few rules, and if you are decent person and you generally are a benefit to society, government officials and the men in brown will often look the other way.

But, you if come here and try to show people up, and throw your weight around and act outside of "proper decorum" and piss people off, the establishment will look for ways to "knock you down a few pegs". You may even have a visit from the men in brown who will lean on you and ask "why should we let you stay"? In response, you'll fork over some cash as a penalty and they'll ease off. Push a little to far, and even the men in brown won't be listening to you. You'll be seeing the inside of a jail cell with a pending trip back to your home country.

Based on the John Karr incident a few months back, I would say the climate is ripe for authorities to take "cleaning house" more seriously given the current posture of Thailand's policies.

In fact, busting a high profile well know personality may be looked at nice way to accent Thailand's intent in ridding the country of un-wanted guests. Nothing like a little high profile case to boost TV ratings. Remember a few years back when the word was out to rid the country of drug dealers? God knows how the police enjoy the lights and camera for the 6 o'clock news.

Why not make an example of a flagrant farang who continuously breaks the law and basically touts his power to do so to thousands of co-farangs world-wide?

Wouldn't the TV news stations have a field day with that type of story? Wouldn't the Thai nationals enjoy the demise of another slick farang English teacher who thinks he is above the law and flouts it?

Wouldn't the Thai population celebrate the ejection of a farang guest who makes it a habit to interfere with country's income? Oh yes, Thailand is a village. You mess with one of them, you've messed with all of them. I strongly believe the Thai people would frown very heavily on Stick's work that involves taking the food out of the mouths of the poor. (be is a correct action or not - you don't interfere with money for the poor and gain favor from it).

Let's talk more specifically about Stickman.... I am beginning to hear a great deal about his efforts to manipulate the Thai system to his advantage.

Sorry to say, but I'm seeing a darker picture of him all the time. The more I hear these reports from different directions the more I believe them. Even the articles on Stickman's own site seem to support the claims. For you long term readers -- the following sections of comments and emails will begin to raise hairs of the back of your neck. Just think about what Stick has said and how he has said it over the years. I believe you too will come to understand that Stick is just a very small person with a penchant for wearing very large britches. I sincerely believe that monthly, that he comes more and more drunken with his own grandeur. I truly believe that its only a matter of time before some force removes him from Thailand. The removal will likely be a swift as Thaksin's. I just hope it doesn't end in violence.

Over the past several weeks Stickman has been fixated on a camera mounted near the entrance of Nana plaza. Why? Who cares? What's the big damn deal? Seems like a stupid thing to catch his attention. Right? Wrong!

It didn't make any sense to me until this week when I received this statement in an email.

The great Stick himself has also been spotted sitting with a video camera while sitting with his stupid sidekick Whoseyourdaddy at Lucky Lukes - maybe someone should post a picture of Stick on the net and let the girls know who to look for so they can avoid being investigated!!!

Is Stickman really taking video now? This would explain why a video camera caught his eye at Nana Plaza. In his article he asks the question, "Perhaps it is simply a bar boss using it as a means to check that his girls are turning up for work on time? Or perhaps it is something more sinister?"

Stick, what is the purpose of your video? Are you busting working girls with it? Is your intent sinister enough that you need to get a clarification of the law on it?

To whomever it is in Nana Plaza that owns the camera that points down on the main entrance area, under section 34 of Thai constitution law that he could be liable for prosecution because it states: "A person's family rights, dignity, reputation or his right to privacy shall be protected. The assertion or circulation of a statement or picture in any manner whatsoever to the public, which violates or affects a person's family rights, dignity, reputation or the right of privacy, shall not be made except for the case which is beneficial to the public." Obviously this also applies to taking pictures of ladies of the night in compromising situations or dress. Not my business of course, but you have to laugh at sites which have photos of girls of the night with the gent's face Photoshopped out.

Law such as this don't just jump out from a Thailand tourist brochure. Stick, why are you making such an effort in discovering what can be done with pictures? What's the financial angle? (by the way just in case you missed it Stick, the recent coup rescinded the constitution)

How can The Stickman goes through such efforts to know the about the illegal aspects of taking photos and yet go on in his column and talk about all the pictures he has taken of bar girls? What are you saying here Stick?

Above you wrote, "not my business of course" -- but maybe that is a lie? Maybe taking pictures is a big part of your business? Let me get this straight. Are you saying that you don't take pictures of girls in (non-nude) compromising positions? Do you know what the word compromising means?

Is it ok for you to break the law? Is ok for you because you are a farang? Stickman - you think like a crook!

Isn't all this a bit hypocritical for you? No wait, you did tell us 3 columns back that farang English teachers in the work place can get away with breaking the rules while the Thai teacher "walk the line". If farang teachers can break the rules at work then it's ok for farangs to break the rules in Thai society? Is this why you feel so above the law?

At the beginning of my article today I spoke of the "spirit of the law". Just how many lives will Stickman affect with his investigation service before someone takes it upon themselves to bend Stickman into a pretzel?

At what point does Stickman Bar Girl Investigations become the tool that evokes a brother or uncle to anger and revenge?

The Thai communities are like villages, and you don't mess with the village. If you do anything to deprive a poor family of money (even in the case of righteous justification), you are in the wrong in their eyes. The whole family, the whole community that benefits from that bar girl's money will bind together to keep that money flowing. Some folks in the country have their backs against the wall financially.

It only takes one slightly crazy bold individual to come forward and in the righteousness of preserving family strength, to take revenge against an investigator who mucked up the family's plans to build a house and send the young ones to school. That crazy uncle might come after the guilty party while having disparaging thoughts about his younger niece being made to go out and sell her soul for cash.

Stickman wrote this week about how taking a picture of a working girl came back to "bite him". Next time that picture might come back to "stab him".

But, also consider this: Girls are very crafty (see my article on That Damn Farang). A clever go-go dancer from say "Sheba's" could make her way down to immigration or the labor office and locate a chief in that department. With her impressive attributes she could easily arrange, shall we say, a little "mutual exchange". She provides him with mea-noi services and he follows up and busts Stickman for working in several industries without a proper work permit. Stickman may not be deported certainly he'll lose his English teaching job. (my work permits say: Any violation thereof shall be liable to imprisonment for a term exceeding one month or to a fine not exceeding two thousand Baht or both)

OR, this same girl may have a police officer in her bed on occasion. -- the final results could be similar.

A reader also suggested to me that these bar girls have a lot of farang friends who would just be happy to reap a little revenge against anyone who does their girl wrong. So Stickman may also be facing the possibility of a reprisal from guys who are from the naughty night life dark side. It is fairly well known that mob type figures are here and in the fabric of the bar industry - and the price of evil doing? Pretty cheap. Isn't Stickman worried about someone bouncing him off the pavement from a high rise building?

Had to laugh when you pointed out his scare stories regarding software and DVD's - Stick himself was heavily involved in this back in 2000/2001 and sending items back to NZ.

He was sending emails to even passing acquaintances asking them for lawyers they knew who could help him. Rumors from very knowledgeable sources say it cost him XXXXXXXXXXXXX Baht to clear the problem.

This source quoted a very large dollar figure for the attorney's services. I withheld certain information in this email. Does anyone else know of this story where Stick got busted for exporting copied software and DVDs? Can anyone else confirm it?

Stickman, your readers want to know. Were you caught red handed selling/shipping large quantities of copied software and DVDs out of the country?

Is this why you knew all about the "dodgy" software and DVD markets a few years back? You don't talk about them anymore. This is just like the naught night life. When you left that scene you didn't talk about it anymore either. (see this is all making sense now)

Did you get burned with the software/DVD sales and now you no longer have a taste for it?

Why is it that we don't hear any more reports of software at Pantip Plaza? Can we draw a parallel conclusion to your lack of reporting the naughty night life? Can we make the assumption that you were previously involved with both and then don't write about them now because you are now not involved with either them now?

Let's put this into the perspective of the law. In "Spirit of the Law" the Thais don't really feel very badly about guys like Bill Gate loosing a buck or two. If you send a few CDs out of the country, they won't say anything and could care less. However, if you up the traffic to large levels where the entire country can receive a "black eye" from the public perception that Thailand is a country of thieves, then the authorities have to crack down on you. The "literal law" will be enforced against you if you hurt the country as a whole (damn, there's that theme again, don't hurt the people).

Stick, I think your readers should know that I'm getting reports in from various directions and the common theme in most of them is that Stickman comes off so high and morally untouchable on his web site that they feel compelled to speak out against you. I think these people are basically angry at your "higher than thou" attitude and want to set the record straight.

I have a feeling this email from this reader is correct. So, if Stickman truly did have a brush with the law, what happens to him next when they bust him for something new? What happens to all of his writers? Will the authorities look for you too? It's something to think about.

HEY, is Stick buying dinner for at his writers meeting at Livingstones? After all, you guys are helping to put bread on his table. Perhaps I'll take a table close by and just "nosey" over there. Will police be watching? Who knows

If everyone pays for themselves, how much is Livingstone's paying Stick to host the event? Stick gets a commission doesn't he?

Just thinking that its strange that Stick has not contacted you about your website.

He does so privately if anyone publishes something about him he does not like. This was the case with Mangosauce and Nanaplaza. I am sure Mango Sauce wrote about it.

He has done it with other sites as well citing the we are all in the same boat and lets not rock it argument.

The Galt Answer: No Stickman has not contacted me. Stickman probably has nothing to say to me about rocking the boat because I am simply not in his boat. If the whole farang internet business goes to shit it really won't affect me. Stickman doesn't even acknowledge this site. He simply says to his readers that I'm not talking about him. (and we all thought Stickman had a dry sense of humor).

However, let me add a very important twist. If Stickman continues to amok and stirs up trouble and becomes front page news and brings a bad reputation to the farangs in Thailand, then Stick is rocking my boat, because I run a business here in Thailand and I don't want to be associated with some stupid fool who thinks they have Bangkok on a string.

But Wait, The fun doesn't stop there, If you order right now you'll also receive this free set of steak knives....

Seems that the Stick also has a Katoey fan on the web (no pun intended). The Katoey is wondering why Stickman is calling him self Michael when his real name is XXXX XXXX. That right - the Katoey posts Stickman's real name on the internet...... Hum, what's next? Maybe we'll see a picture of him also? You an even pull it up on a Google search if you use the right key words in parenthesis.

Dear John

As an expat living out here in my early 40s with one daughter. I believe I can see a crook a mile away.

I used to submit a lot to stick on readers submissions and I saw a pattern.

When you submit you get instant feed back almost automated with "looks a great story" etc. Then it takes about 4 days to be edited you can have so much fun with what you put in and they take out. He must be running scared on this because they do edit a lot believe me and this must take some time along with the Great stick tidying up the English as only he can and then low and behold when it gets put up in his sight you get the great stick with his bottom comment telling you he has no time for comments. Or he gives comments which he could in no way have even read what you submitted. It is a con and he is a crook

And he is having a party for all his writers at Livingstones what a joke who is going to go to that one. Hope the police are waiting for them all.

And one other thing puzzles me why would anyone get a piss poor English teacher to do PI work should he not be teaching and getting studies ready.

Keep up the good web site.

(name removed)

I responded to this gentlemen explaining that Stickman is now running a business. Stickman has to take responsibility for what is on his site and it's up to him and his people to edit the content as they see fit.

Stickman isn't one man's opinion anymore. It's not just his "rantings and ravings" anymore. He solicits and receives help from many contributors. He is the Tom Sawyer of the Bangkok Internet. Want to help him "paint that fence", Stickman is very willing to let you contribute. However, he is going to filter it down to something that meets his comfort level and reflects correctly on the businesses that advertise on his site.

I think we all have a different view of the world and different comfort levels on what we will support. There is at least one contribution on Stick's site I would not put on my own. There is piece in the readers submission about a guy who soiled his pants on the way to the Eden Club, (eyes squinting) LOL that is just not my style, sorry. I would not approve this for my site (if I were publishing other people's work)

However, on the flip side, several years ago I submitted a very small piece to Stick myself about what occurred in a classroom full of girls at a school. I was invited in as a guest. I spoke with them from the front of the room, and they asked me questions. What I wrote something that was not comfortable with Stick. He wrote back and said that even through he liked the piece, he didn't want anyone to possibility get the idea that he might be promoting teen age sex. These 17 through 19 year old girls were asking me about my marital status, and if had any kids or wanted kids. The most interesting part of the story was how they responded to my answers, but I didn't feel it was inappropriate or suggestive. It's was a very typical conversation for girls in the country. But, the piece must have titillated the Stick and he feared giving the wrong impression to the world.... So, ok, no big deal. (shoulder shrug and rolling eyes, tongue in cheek)

My point is this. It is time for us as individuals to strike out on our own. Just like this site, you too can now write what you like. Publishing on the Internet has never been easier or less expensive. Readers all over the world are searching for interesting topics. You can choose your own soap box. You can be the expert on where to get hard-core sex or you can create a following for those who want to know all about growing Thai orchids. Maybe your bag will be identifying all the best beaches in Thailand (wow, what an assignment).

I think we are very short of good solid honest commentary about Thailand. An outsider should be reading alternative viewpoints as much as possible before coming here.

Here is a small up-start site of a farang guy and his Thai wife living together over in Germany Click Here. They are a happy and successful mixed couple who in the in future plan to come back and retire in Thailand. (I have exchanged some email with Geoff at that site).

Question 2: I don't know who this question is aimed at Mr. or Mrs. but here goes. A couple of weeks ago you mentioned in the column about Thai girls wanting farang men. Well I think I have to disagree or I am doing something wrong? I am 24 and fairly good looking and get attention in Farangland from girls so what is wrong here? In Bangkok, in MBK I try to talk to the girls in the shops ask them where they come from but they get all shy? In Buriram I went to a nightclub and got no attention from the girls. I try to look at them in the street for more then one second not stare, to let them know I am interested but they get shy and look away. So please tell me how to go about it since I doubt it's my looks or dress and I am not too pushy either. I would say I am shy by farang standards. To me they all seem so scared of farangs...

Mr. Stick says: I actually think I can answer this better than the Mrs. Thai women ARE interested in meeting decent Western guys. First of all, you should be well dressed, but as the Thais say, POLITELY dressed. Trousers and a nice collared shirt always goes down well. Secondly, do not be too pushy. I just get the feeling that you might be giving them the impression that you are a walking hormone - and that will put them off for sure. Also, at 24, most women will probably (rightly) get the impression that you are after a quick bit of fun - and that is not always what they want. You also need to be aware of who is around them when you approach them. If they are out with or being watched by friends, colleagues, or family, your chances of "success" are greatly diminished. Speak politely, don't be too forward, smile a lot and you should have some luck. Of course, there is always a chance that you are not the type Thai women go for and you might be forced to dig into your wallet. I'm not joking when I say that there are some guys who have tremendous success with women in the West yet experience the complete opposite in Thailand.

Stick got the answer wrong on this one. Stick does not know how to meet girls in person very well. He is good over the internet but misses the cues in person. Stickman has no idea what young girls your age wants!

Go ahead and be more pushy. Don't worry about the hormones. The girls are also thinking about a bit of fun and more. I guarantee it.

If you are truly shy by farang standards then you didn't do enough to talk to these girls. You need to make stronger eye contact. Don't be afraid to look and wave at them. Sometimes when they are completely over-whelmed, they will be afraid and look away. Don't let that de-rail you. Big smile too -- if you smile, they will smile.

Walk up to them and say "Do you speak English"? Or make a joke with them, just tell them "Happy Birthday". Let them be the one to explain that it's not their Birthday.

Even if they are not interested in you, they will be polite to you and talk with you. You are the rock star! (see my column called The Tom Cruse Effect).

They are going to be extra shy around you. It is not often that a young guy is in the Kingdom. If you are not in a part of Thailand that is over-run by tourist then you are truly a rarity. Those girls were probably stunned to see such a young farang guy.

About your clothes -- you could be wearing a tunic and it wouldn't make much difference. You are the rock star. Go back there and greet your fans. It's ok to jump out of your skin a little bit. Be a little silly. You can almost do no wrong.

One other helpful thing that might want to consider is not going alone. If you have one Thai friend with you -- that will help you a great deal as those young scared girls will talk to your Thai sidekick first and then quickly warm up to you.

Be careful, these girls will lose all sense of responsibility and will sleep with you unprotected so if you don't want to knock them up -- make some arrangements.

I promise you -- at 24, you can almost walk into anywhere and come out with as many phone numbers as you want (you will need some translation help in this area if you don't speak the language). You'll be going to eat with them after the club closes AND if they are free to sneak away with you -- they will. At 24 you don't have to pay a dime. They will be ones buying gifts for you!

I don't think Stickman wrote this following paragraph. He wouldn't have gotten this wrong.

You often hear foreigners talking about Thais criticising Westerners and saying that we are "bird shit farangs". I laugh when I hear this. They say that Thai people say that farangs are "farang kee nok" which would translate to something like "farang bird shit" – but that is not what the Thais are actually saying! It is kee ngok which means people like to keep their money and not spend it. You've got to laugh.

There needs to be some clarification here. I went straight to 2 different Thai men my senior man and my manager and I got a very clear translations on these two terms.

When a Thai refers to a "bird shit farang" what they are basically saying is that foreigner doesn't have money and is poor. It has a slight negative connotation but a Thai person saying it would be feeling sorry for that farang not criticizing them.

However, if you say this about yourself then Stickman is correct. A reader's Thai wife went to purchase a large screen LCD TV and referred to herself as "Khon Thai Kee Nok". So, this is good light heart humor and can endear yourself to a shop owner. We do the same thing back in the west. It's "poor mouthing" yourself to get a better deal.

Another phase "Kee nee-ow" is a bit different. That is translated "Shit Sticky" and this is meant to cast a negative light against a foreigner if said by a Thai in a public place. This means you're a cheap-ass SOB. If a close friend says it to you in a closed environment between friends -- then it's a joke between the two of you, but if a person outside of your circle of friend says it -- take it as an insult.

You can also use "Kee nee-ow" as a piece of smart-assed self-deprecating humor. You can say that you're not paying because you're Kee nee-ow. You're calling yourself stingy. If you say it with confidence, then come off as humor.

Stickman was commenting about a bar that re-opened in place of Babewatch. The new name is Taboo and it's on the opposite side of Catz and Club Boesche. I had to laugh when Stick said these words "but credit must be given for putting the door on the proper side of the building this time." What kind of silly po-dunk comment is that? Stickman, they put the door on the opposite side of the building for a good reason. It's quite likely that having the door on the slow side of the building significantly contributed to the previous club's demise. How much credit should be given to simply avoiding a previous obvious mistake? Gees...! (head shake)

We are still at similar levels to last week. We have not exceeded our record number of 624 visits in one day set a few weeks ago. I will continue to give credit to www.MangoSauce.com for a lot of our visitors this month. We received 766 hits from their site in the first 25 days of this month.

I think it's time to balance the scales on the bar girl private investigation service. I am strongly considering opening up a new web site that in Thai that will invite girls to send in photos and stories about private investigators who spy on them.

The site will be totally written in Thai and password protected in Thai so that only those who speak and write Thai can easily enter. Inside we will invite "readers submissions" from among the working girls.

Please help us take a vote: Is it a fair and balanced thing to bust farang Private Investigators who spy on bar girls? Please send a thumbs up/thumbs down to JohnGaltThailand@gmail.com . You may add a comment if you like.

I ran way over this week. I just had so many interesting things come in that I wanted to write about them all.

It seems that we do have a great number of farangs who like to bend the rules and step over the line. These people become more and more brazen at time goes on (kind of like X-MP Thaksin). At what point do the authorities clamp down on this type of activity? Is it possible that the recent Visa changes reflect some of that problem?

Will we begin to see a larger number of farangs in the news being locked up and put in jail for all sorts of nefarious activities?

What about the Internet? What about questionable money making schemes. Will the authorities be forced to crack down on this too?

I'm in favor of warning off foreigners from sending cash back to bar girls, but also let it be known that doing very specific things to separate these girls from cash can be a very dangerous business. I suspect that some of the local deaths in Pattaya have some connection to this very action. I don't condone their deaths (murder), but hey people, lets not add flame to the fire. It is much more correct to quench the fire at it's source.

Don't send or give great sums of money to bar girls -- pay as you go. Only send money if you know up front that she is likely to be still working and you just want to reserve yourself a place on her top ten list.

Any other recommendation is just foolishness. Stickman won't endorse the best recommendation -- why not? For obvious financial reasons of course.

If you have information about Stickman that would be beneficial to the community at large, I'd be happy to hear about it.

Be prepare to defend it because I just don't print anything. It's has to be plausible. I'm interested in repeating true information.

Thailand is a great place filled with very gracious people. We westerners are but guests here. Regardless of where we went to school or how much money we have we owe our greatest respects to those who host us. We have no rights to their land. They don't owe us a place to work. They don't want us taking over their native businesses. I don't think they mind terribly much if we get our meat hooks in a few Issan girls but, we don't have any natural claim to their resources. If they asked all of us farangs to leave tomorrow, we should all be sure to thank them on the way out. However, if we behave ourselves, we may just be lucky enough to stay awhile. I think behaving ourselves is a team effort. So, I hope you're part of the team.