NOTStickman's Guide
to Bangkok
First, before you do anything else. Please go and read the current Stickman Bangkok weekly
Then come back and read my response:
John Galt's Takes on "Ploem the Friendly Travel Agent"
The Story Of Ploen (the Galt Astute Response)
Stick on occasion can be distracted from seeing the difference between fact and possible fiction. Consider this old acquaintance that he speaks of; her name is Ploen.
They meet in person for the first time and she sums up her career in terms that are surprisingly successful. So surprising that this girl is probably in the 1% of her class. Is this a strike of luck that she just happened to be in a place where she could work her way to a job that pays better than most university graduates?
I think Stick is not looking towards the obvious. When a person from the country who is undereducated comes to the city, they are taken advantage of by people of higher class. The high class keep the low class down. His column explains that early on she had worked very hard for small wages. That makes sense. However, to later promote (even over years) an non-degreed person into a high paying position is strange. I will even go so far as to say that the owner of this company would loose face with their friends and family if it were to come to light that she is making large moneys but she didn't have the credentials to warrant that level of income. It would be viewed as something wrong with their business sense. That owner would have some serious explaining to do. Ok, so her boss promoted her into this high paying job. She earns that through performance or influence or both.
The second thing that Stick has not clued you in on is this. Girls who work in high traffic jobs; waitress, sales, cosmetic counters, hotel desks, etc. These girls get naughty offers from guys all the time. This is practically sport for affluent guys. Girls know the rules. It happens. It happens frequently.
Stick says she was on-line 4 years ago. And now she is on-line again after all these years. She must spending a lot of time at that site? BUT Why? Doesn't she have work to do? Oh, wait a minute. Isn't that site is full of farangs looking for sex. Farangs also travel and need to make travel arrangements too. Now, she just happens to work in that business and speaks and writes English... Hum... Let's see, 1 + 1 = ??? Damn, its just amazing that even my calculator comes up with the same answer. I'm sure her boss is extremely happy with the sales and must compensate her well for the efforts or he/she will lose Ploem. Sounds just like why a go-go owners pay out well for the top dancers.
I can't say for sure this is how she does it. But I know for sure, she has had invitations for sex from men promising to bring business her way. This type of activity is a common part of everyday life in the Asian world.
Stick, did you really think that she would say to you -- "Yea, and I sometimes exchange bed time stories with guys who purchase travel services from the business?" These types of facts would never be revealed to you in this meeting even though she had known you on-line for quite some time. She just wouldn't want you to know these things (she doesn't tell her customers either). She'll gloat about her success and just neglect to mention what she has done to get there along the way because in the Asian world, frequently the ends justify the means.
So, does Ploen earn every Satang? Yes, I would say she does. However she got there; bravo to her. I wish her the best.
Stick -- you dream too much.
Know when to say NO (our piece for the week, he he he)
It was after dark, the rain was pounding down in Pattaya and I prancing around the puddles and stopping at each street corner. Was this the Soi?, no... the next street? Hum. I was soaked to the bone, a bit cold and I had just blown into town on a Tuesday night.
I was down on business and pleasure (I can't ignore my quota of pleasure when I'm down there) and I was tracking down a familiar face.
See, its comfortable to for me to look up a girl that I already know. I was tired from my afternoon taxi ride down from Gkoong-Tep (Bangkok) and I always prefer a "known quantity" when I seek out some company on my first night in Pattaya.
Oh, there it is. I see the gogo bar. It the one with a really nice sign outside but they turned it off for some reason during the rain. Ok, no big deal I see the place now.
Pulling the drape aside, I step in, and Ah... I feel at home (sweeping my soaked forehead). Hum... Oh, I see the Mamasan who I know already. I walk over to her next to the dance stage and greet her; Sawadee Kup, and almost immediately, I feel a hand reach down and stroke my chin. Gently she tips my head back and I look up at the stage..
There's my girl with a big smile on her face. Her friends chime in with gestures of acknowledgement. It was a slow night and she was most happy to see me. I smiled back a her in relief. Tonight's an on-night. I know how she'll do for me. She's 23, flat stomach, nice slim body, bouncy and just very happy to see me. She has all the right soft spots and we play well together. For my first night back in town, this is the perfect girl.
In short order I'm paying the bar fine and we are off. I have to check email (company business) and then we are free to go back to my room. I'm chatting with her at the Cafe and somehow we stumbled on to the subject of doing a threesome. I'm can't remember just how that started she asked me if would like her to invite a friend. I was giddy with excitement at the thought. I have definitely had my share of girls but in the course of time, I just never had taken the opportunity to play with 2 at once.
She made a phone call. Sure enough one of her good friends had a day off and was at her room and available (not venturing out in the rain I suppose).
Ok, so my girl (we'll call her A) gets friend (we'll call her O) to get on board with a threesome. O is walking distance from us and we meet her in short order. All three of us are headed to my hotel on a baht bus. Oh boy, this is my lucky day!!!
So A and O are in my room. A makes here way through the shower and sprawling between the sheets without delay, O on the other hand is laying on top the other side of the bed fully dressed fixed in mummy position and glued to the TV set. I clearly see that we have some work to do on O. She is 18 and a gogo dancer but she looks to be out of the zone tonight.
A and myself start to work with her and we tag team her and pull her clothes one piece at a time. That was a lot of fun. A and I were laughing the whole way. After struggling with the jeans, now O too is now between the sheets and for the first time in my life I'm naked in bed with 2 sweet things on either side of me. Hum.... What to do next... I turn my attention toward O knowing that I'll need loosen her up a bit (I get this vision in my head of Dorothy in the Wizard of OZ oiling up the tin man). My girl A had previously (in full view) pulled two condoms from her bag and laid them on the night stand so the stage had been set.
Down under I go. Yes, I have verified that O has a great bust and but those legs are just not loosening up for me. She is still as stiff as a board. I back off a bit and come up for a breather (can't be in too much of a rush with these girls). I make a second attempt. No go. After about another 5 minutes I'm looking toward A for visual cues, we both decide that O is not with us tonight. Clearly, O understood the offer. Money was talked about over the phone before she joined us. There should no hang ups there.
Within about another 10 minutes, I made a decision to send O home. It was swift and decisive and polite but firm. You have be in solid control of the party. This is a real key to having a great time in the naughty night life in Thailand. You must know how to say NO and when to say it, or you'll find yourself in a weak position with the girls. Thailand is the land of "up to you" and you must take hold of that with some authority. You can't always command a girl to "get kinky" but you can certainly ask her to leave when you see fit to do so.
When you do send a girl home without having exchanged any substantial fun time (and I have done this on a number of occasions) you need to give a consolation gift of cash. The amount varies depending on the reason you cancel on her. For O, I gave her 500 baht. She had little reaction either way and dressed herself and was on her way without incident.
Just a soon as the door closed behind her, A and I celebrated our reunion without any delay and it was a hot and heavy night (this was my 3rd time with her I believe). This was a solid choice for my first night back in town (having little time to fish out anything more interesting).
Ok, so I didn't really get to experience my threesome, but this is Thailand and generally it is "up to me" when I really want to try to experience this again.
WTS?! (What the Stick?!)
Stick reported the following:
Club Boesche in Pattaya seems to be in the news a lot recently, and it is not hard to see why. It is doing a brisk trade with many attractive ladies on the premises. Anyway, a friend was in there recently and barfined a young lady, early 20s, who he found to be extremely attractive. They went back to his hotel room and she went into the shower while he waited for the main event. Several minutes later she came out and he looked at her. Something was different. She then went and put something into a glass beside the bed. False teeth! To say the mood was killed would be a major understatement.
Stick, Do you really think a girl is going to pull "out her teeth" before she gets the money? It doesn't make any sense. Its totally out of place for girl to make herself unattractive to a stranger particularly in this situation. Hell, a girl won't even come out of the bathroom without a towel. Oh yea, I can see it now that she'll pull a crown out of her mouth - NOT. (there are no younger girls with false teeth, they may have a crown if they suffered an accident in their youth).
Also, there are NO glasses beside the beds. Having a glass by the bedside is a western idea so this story has been OBVIOUSLY fabricated by a western man. Gee Stick, I thought you were a sleuth?
Attention Readers: Stick is repeating gossip and hearsay probably from parties who are jealous of Boesche's current success (disgruntled former employees? / other club owners?).
I contacted a representative from Bosche. They tell me that Stick has been invited to contact them to confirm information but that he is disinclined to do so.
So, Stick wants to keep the his stories more tabloid style. This is Thailand and I guess its "Up to you".
Tell you what campers, one of the owners of Club Bosche is away on business at the moment but when he gets back I'll ask him to do a "teeth check" and we'll get to the bottom of the mysterious report.
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UPDATE: Owner #2 emailed me 24-8-06. He said that Stickman has contacted them and is making a greater effort to verify information before printing it in the future (Stick had laid down some very heavy news about this club in recent weeks that appears to be FALSE - Will "The Stick" make a retraction?????).
The owner also adds that he has no idea if the false teeth story is true, but he was certainly amused with it.
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OH - for what's its worth, I was told (no way for me to verify) that one of Stickman's moles working at Boeshe got the boot last week. Sorry Stick, You'll just have to visit club Boeshe yourself to get your next REAL story from that establishment. I'm sure the Mrs won't mind you coming down for a little undercover work (wink wink).
Beware of Offers in Thailand
Stick reported the following:
45 teachers are needed for a special teaching project. This could be one way to find out if the teaching industry in Thailand is for you. You'll get paid $3,000, get a FREE TESOL certificate worth $1,590 & take a 5-month adventure holiday in Thailand. The scheduled program dates are 25 September 2006 through to 28 February 2007. Anyone interested should plan to arrive no later than 23 September. The benefits include free airport pick up from Bangkok and transfer to school, a TESOL certificate course from one of the world’s largest course providers, - TEFL International, beginning 25 September in Ban Phe. You get to work in a school in Thailand for 4 months earning 30,000 baht per month + housing. There are many locations to choose from all over Thailand. You can apply online here where you will have to pay $200 as a non-refundable deposit. This is open to native English speakers from the following countries only - USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa.
Hi, When I get back from the US
can I teach English with you?
I recommend that you DO NOT get involved with this offer.
The first red flag is a non-refundable $200 deposit. Second red flag is a first class English web site obviously constructed by foreigners who have an angle on this offer. Remember, many people here in the kingdom get away with shaky business offerings (AKA scams). I know that Thailand is behind this program ultimately but what Thailand promises and what these farangs promise don't always coincide with each other. The person taking the money is unlikely to be the Thai authorities.
This deal had happened before. This is not the first time for Thailand. To my recollection Stick has never mentioned this in his column before. I have had some contact with some people involved with this type of program about 2 years ago.
You can choose your place where an opening exists, but I'll guarantee you that all the spots in Phuket are filled. This program pretty much exists because they need teacher in unpleasant areas. These are the only places with openings. They are fairly desolate unpleasant places where you may struggle to enjoy the food. Forget seeing anything familiar in these places. These can be real hell holes because you'll be in very spartan surroundings. Oh, don't expect your accommodations to include A/C and plumbed hot water.
OH -- by the way did they tell you??? THERE WILL BE NO JET SKIS DURING YOUR 4 MONTH TOUR OF DUTY.
Yes, Stick, this sounds like an "5-month adventure holiday" alright - One month of it anyhow.
I don't believe Thailand requires any money to sign up for this program so I think the foreigners that are running this site are likely keeping that "sign up fee" (deposit my ass). If a company is making falsehoods about the fee, just don't believe anything else about the offer.
Teachers get taken advantage of here in Thailand all the time. Previously unqualified, trained on the spot teachers are in even greater risk for bad treatment. Word to the wise -- pass on this.
(For other verification please search the Thailand Chat Sites for information on this type of offer)
Stick, are you getting money for this recommendation or you plainly just out of touch with this operation?
Again, Beware of Offers in Thailand
Stick reported the following:
A former advertiser of this site has decided it is time to head back to the US and is selling his business. His business concerned the sale of HIV test kits. He is selling the 1,500 tests he has on hand, his website and the SIM card for the advertised telephone number, all for 100,000 baht, which is about cost. If you want to pick up a cheap and profitable business, here is your chance.
This company is out of business for a reason. These tests are not that accurate and Stick is plugging them here because Stick has taken advertising money from them. Word to the wise, be skeptical and error on the side of caution.
Ok, I got it now, you are taking money for this....
Galt Speaks! Response to Stickman's Readers Questions
Even Mrs Stick does not get passed over by my intense powers of discernment:
Mrs Stick wrote the following:
Ask the Sticks
Question 1: Over the last 6 months, my Isaan girlfriend of almost 2 years has been living with me in my homeland. During this time she became pregnant. When we returned to Thailand, she insisted that I return with her to her home village, to meet the parents, etc. During this visit, a ceremony was arranged that she could only describe as a 'good luck ceremony'. We sat by a thing that looked like a small Christmas tree, with hundreds of pieces of white string hung on it. A man arrived that I hadn't seen before and started speaking a lot and doing things that I can't really remember, but during this time, her father stuffed some money in his shirt pocket. After this, everyone in the room, probably three quarters of the village, came over and took the strands of string and tied one on my wrist and another on my girlfriend's wrist. At the end I had 50 - 60 pieces of string tied on me. Once the ceremony was over the food came out and we all sat and ate. The men then disappeared downstairs to open the truckload of Thai whiskey I had bought a few days before. My question is, what did it all mean? Are we married? I certainly didn't sign anything but I did kick in the seemingly statutory 100K 'sin sot' just to keep the peace.
Mrs. Stick says: I cannot understand some guys who send questions to me. You go to a ceremony and pay what really is a lot of money, go through a major ceremony, and then later send me an email asking me what it was all about? Are you crazy? What you just went through was a spiritual exorcising ceremony, a ceremony where your girlfriend must have told someone in her family that you are the spawn of the devil and that these spirits need to be exorcised from you. Ok, I'll be serious now. What you went through is effectively an engagement ceremony. You are now engaged. Congratulations.
Here is the John Galt response:
Mrs Stick's first sentence is probably the only accurate part of the response.
Mrs Stick has just called you an idiot. She has talked down to people in the past but this article is the worst that I have ever seen. She doesn't understand you and she doesn't seem to appreciate the mindset of the more common country girl. (She probably is very resentful that the hubby is not kicking down serious money and is banking his future income with his web site). I really don't know why she is so out of line with you (this is not Thai style). It is possible that she has graduated to full Western status without even having lived outside the country????
Furthermore I'd like to know why her husband isn't keeping her in line for the readers in publishing this trash. (Is this a ploy for humor and yuks at the reader's expense?)
Mrs Stick has probably never had 100,000 baht of discretionary moneys so she just doesn't know how you can so easily part with it. It's quite likely that you don't worry about this amount of cash.
What you describe here sounds like a Po-Kan ceremony. I am told this is the "good luck" ceremony. I went through one of those about 5 years ago while in visiting Laos with my then girlfriend. I considered it very special. That guy who says all the blessing seems to go on and on. It's amazing how he remembers all that.
Here are some pictures of my Po-kan ceremony. It was a real treat and it did not strike me as the family was expecting us to marry so I didn't count it as overly serious. If you have a chance to experience this with your honey I recommend it.
You both are having a child together and she is living with you back in your home land. If you had not given any special gifts to he family before, now is a good time. Sounds like you are happy with her. There is never a bad time to take care of the family provided you keep it under your control. Know what your money can buy them and don't give them so much as they take up drinking and laziness. If you send monthly money, make sure it's low enough so they continue to work for a living. It's the responsible choice. You can destroy the family if your monetary gifts are too great. The wife would also be under tremendous pressure to stay with you if she could never support their current lifestyle without your help, so don't elevate their mode of living too highly.
Please know that when a child is on the way, the family will expect the couple to marry for the sake of the child. This is honorable. You can divorce her afterwards if you like -- if that should come, but her family will appreciate it if you marry for the sake of the child's arrival.
Again from the Stick Site:
Question 2: I have a great girlfriend. I trust her, and she has her own business, her own car, and her own money. She comes from a good family. If we get married, she told me that I would probably be expected to give a dowry of around one million baht. She said that unlike a middle-class or poor family that would keep the dowry to help the family, the dowry that I paid would be invested by her father for our future. He would give it back to us within a year. I do trust her, but in your opinion, is this a reasonable dowry, and do you think that if the family is already wealthy, her father would likely give it back to us? They already have a house and several cars worth at least a million baht anyway. I'm not rich, and a million baht is about all I have.
The Galt Accounting Department Responds:
Given the current prevailing financial climate, we want to point out that major capital investment at this point would leave the firm cash strapped. Furthermore, unsecured outlays with no collateral or specific plan of return is pressing for a bad position. Therefore, we recommend you delay all pending mergers for an indeterminate period of time. You may consider, however, moving forward if the other party involved would extend out to you terms that allow the delay of any pending cash dispersements. The definitive question in this case would be "does the other party trust you?"
Your Bangkok commentator,Your Thailand Co-Participant,
John Galt
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