Bernard Trink?

[PeteC]

I found the below dated 2003. His name jogged my memory when I was posting on the AWOL thread about a roaming investigative reporter in HH for AWOL. The web has nothing recent about him now, but I guess he would be 78. I hope he's not squirrled up in some retirement home. When he passes, there needs to be a memorial here. His column was the best in it's day. Anyone know anything recent about him? Pete

"RETIRED. BERNARD TRINK, 72, revered and reviled newspaperman whose "Night Owl" column extolled for nearly four decades the sybaritic pleasures available to expatriate men in Thailand's capital; in Bangkok. The Brooklyn-born Trink covered the city's go-go bars, massage parlors and pubs, making the rounds with his Thai wife in tow, owl medallion around his neck and maroon polyester pants hitched up to his chest. He wrote in a retro style in which prostitutes were "demimondaines," and press releases were preceded by the phrase, "The tom toms have it ..." His signature sign-off was, "But I don't give a hoot." The column was one of the most popular on the Bangkok Post's website�on average, 30,000 readers logged on to digest it every week�but the Post has decided to drop it. Said editor Veera Prateepchaikul: "Do you want something that's modern, or something from 30-40 years ago?"

[Arcadian]

30 to 40 years ago sounds good to me, maybe then I could understand what the hell is going on! Not wishing to resurrect any conspiracy theories is the owl medallion reference a little bit sinister?

[PeteC]

30 to 40 years ago sounds good to me, maybe then I could understand what the hell is going on! Not wishing to resurrect any conspiracy theories is the owl medallion reference a little bit sinister?

No, innocent times back then. The "night owl" was his trademark. More fun than can ever be imagined now. Booze, women, music and no rules whatsoever. No MIB except those drinking with you, no hassle, no grief, no do-gooder nannies running the country. Being a farang here was heaven without a doubt.

Yeah....sounds like your Dad talking about the old days....believe it! Pete

[Nereus]

I found the below dated 2003. His name jogged my memory when I was posting on the AWOL thread about a roaming investigative reporter in HH for AWOL. The web has nothing recent about him now, but I guess he would be 78. I hope he's not squirrled up in some retirement home. When he passes, there needs to be a memorial here. His column was the best in it's day. Anyone know anything recent about him? Pete

You must be about the same vintage as me Pete! When I worked rotation 20 years ago I used to have my wife buy the Bangkok Post, on which ever day his column was published, just to be able to "catch up" when I returned!

http://www.stickmanweekly.com/Weekly/weekly170.html

http://www.stickmanweekly.com/Weekly/weekly171.html

[Bamboo Grove]

I started to read his column in -89 when I moved to Bangkok. It went down quite a lot during the years, maybe for the reasons he is explaining in Stickman´s column. I met him a couple of times personally and although those meetings where brief, he left a good expression. Like so many others, I´d like to know how he is doing now. During my first years in Thailand, I wold always look forwards to Saturday´s Trink Page. Then again, I did the same for Post Script by Crutch.

Any comment would be superfluous. 'Nuff said.

[PeteC]

You must be about the same vintage as me Pete! When I worked rotation 20 years ago I used to have my wife buy the Bangkok Post, on which ever day his column was published, just to be able to "catch up" when I returned!:cheers:

Yeah, probably just about. Here full time 69-72, 93-98, 04-? with at least 60 days a year for every year in between on business or holiday except 73-77. I've always been married to a Thai therefore if not here, you still really are in many ways...LOL. Pete

[margaretcarnes]

'Night Owl' apparently started working on the BP in the 60's. I was talking to a semi HH expat last November who worked with him for a while in the old days. Quite a character by all accounts, who would often be found slumped asleep over his typewriter in the morning!
Yes his column did lose some of it's appeal before he stopped writing it, I would guess due to his age, and maybe not getting out and about so much. He certainly seemed to regret the closure of the original Thermae, which seemed to have been a favourite source of gossip in the old days.
But last I heard he was still writing movie reviews for the BP?
I always enjoyed his column though, and given the number of mediocre farang written books about the City of Angels on the shelves, it would be good to see Trinks memoirs up there with them some time.