It's just a few weeks since we saw the horrific scenes in Hua Hin - an elderly couple and their son, victims of what appeared to be an unprovoked attack by a group of young Thai men. The couple have vowed never to return to Thailand - Thais I have spoken to have expressed a sense of shame and anger directed only at their countrymen. A new video paints a very different picture of what went on that night. There can be no justification for kicking an elderly woman in the face - but this video shows what initiated the confrontation and, apparently, who threw the first punch.
Many people criticise Thais for going into fights "mob-handed" as though there should be a code of honour for a street brawl. It would be better if those critics understood the concept of "face".
Insult a Thai at your peril - he or she must even the score - and it's quiet acceptable for your mates to help you do that.
Instead of complaining about that - it's pointless - visitors need to understand the concept and adjust their behaviour accordingly. If that's not acceptable - choose a different holiday location.
The Thais involved in this incident are likely to be punished (unless they have influential family) - the Brits will, in all probability, continue to milk the sympathy they have received for being victims.
Based on this new film - their promise never to return to Thailand can only be welcomed.
Check the video here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34zWNbAMdHw
Thursday, 12 May 2016
Saturday, 26 July 2014
Please shoot the guy who makes up the headlines
Monday, 9 December 2013
Would you fall for this scam
This film is only partially set in Thailand, but it deals with the infamous boiler room scams which have received so much coverage in the press recently.
Keith Jones is an Australian who was conned out of about 150,000 US dollars in an investment fraud. He invested the money on the strength of a few phone calls and a cursory check of the internet sites to which he was referred by the caller. It's staggeringly naive for a man who is obviously intelligent and at least moderately successful in his chosen career.
The film shows how he traced the group that had taken his money to an apartment block in Chiang Mai. It's a very impressive effort from a man who, presumably, is not a professional film maker. The film is well put together and he is a very capable narrator of his own script. It's well worth a look, if you have an interest in Thailand or in the ways in which foolish people can be parted from their cash.
The only word of warning... if someone phones saying they have a great investment opportunity, ask the question... if it's so great why are they sharing it with you... a complete stranger?
The film is here Whambamthankyouscam
Keith Jones is an Australian who was conned out of about 150,000 US dollars in an investment fraud. He invested the money on the strength of a few phone calls and a cursory check of the internet sites to which he was referred by the caller. It's staggeringly naive for a man who is obviously intelligent and at least moderately successful in his chosen career.
The film shows how he traced the group that had taken his money to an apartment block in Chiang Mai. It's a very impressive effort from a man who, presumably, is not a professional film maker. The film is well put together and he is a very capable narrator of his own script. It's well worth a look, if you have an interest in Thailand or in the ways in which foolish people can be parted from their cash.
The only word of warning... if someone phones saying they have a great investment opportunity, ask the question... if it's so great why are they sharing it with you... a complete stranger?
The film is here Whambamthankyouscam
Sunday, 7 July 2013
Never go to Thailand
This is a promotional video, so there is nothing to spark a rage against lazy journalists. It does, however, depict Thailand and it shows the country with which I am more familiar.
Well worth four and a half minutes out of your day - Watch here
Well worth four and a half minutes out of your day - Watch here
Thursday, 13 June 2013
Thai sex industry - a truly authentic take
This blog focuses on how Thailand is presented in the media and, in particular, how the country's notorious sex industry is portrayed in so called documentary films. The men involved in the Thai bar scene are invariably depicted as ruthless predators or sad, fat old men who have failed to connect with females in their own countries. Thai women take the role of helpless victims of traffickers or heartless, scheming manipulators eager to separate the hapless "farang" from his hard earned savings. It should come as no surprise that the reality is so much more complicated.
I have written two books set in Thailand's most infamous city, Pattaya. My contention is that the lazy stereotyping so prevalent in the documentaries is wide of the mark, but there is a thread that ties many of the participants on both sides of the sex trade together. They are all trying to find something that is missing in their lives, for many of the girls that is no more than the small amount of cash that it would take to look after their families. For others the stakes are much higher.
My books have consistently received 5 star rankings on Amazon and the key to their success, I am told, is that they are a truly authentic take on the dynamics of the Thai sex industry. If you would like to know more about the darker side of Thailand and how its participants really interact, then I hope you will take a look at these books.
Thai Kiss - is available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
Thai Lottery - is available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
Both books are available on all the regional Amazon sites and also on Barnes & Noble, Nook and Kobo.
I hope you will check them out and let me know what you think.
Thanks to Lewis on Amazon.com who says of Thai Kiss -
This book has now become my all time favorite novel about Thailand ,it gives a very enjoyable detailed look into the many facets of the underworld of the Pattaya bar scene ,and some of the not so pleasant characters involved in it. The story is a suspenseful, well researched fast paced page turner, from a brilliant writer. The twists and turns in the plot were very well executed, you will be hooked.
I loved this book , it's gripping from start to finish, can't wait for his next one.
I have written two books set in Thailand's most infamous city, Pattaya. My contention is that the lazy stereotyping so prevalent in the documentaries is wide of the mark, but there is a thread that ties many of the participants on both sides of the sex trade together. They are all trying to find something that is missing in their lives, for many of the girls that is no more than the small amount of cash that it would take to look after their families. For others the stakes are much higher.
My books have consistently received 5 star rankings on Amazon and the key to their success, I am told, is that they are a truly authentic take on the dynamics of the Thai sex industry. If you would like to know more about the darker side of Thailand and how its participants really interact, then I hope you will take a look at these books.
Thai Kiss - is available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
Thai Lottery - is available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
Both books are available on all the regional Amazon sites and also on Barnes & Noble, Nook and Kobo.
I hope you will check them out and let me know what you think.
Thanks to Lewis on Amazon.com who says of Thai Kiss -
This book has now become my all time favorite novel about Thailand ,it gives a very enjoyable detailed look into the many facets of the underworld of the Pattaya bar scene ,and some of the not so pleasant characters involved in it. The story is a suspenseful, well researched fast paced page turner, from a brilliant writer. The twists and turns in the plot were very well executed, you will be hooked.
I loved this book , it's gripping from start to finish, can't wait for his next one.
Sunday, 2 June 2013
21st Century Sex Slaves
There are countless films dealing with the sex industry in Thailand, this one is unusual on two counts. First it acknowledges that the majority of women involved in the trade are not the victims of trafficking. They could walk away if they chose to do so. Second it looks at the problem of women being brought into Thailand from abroad. In this case a gang from Uzbekistan is pimping its own nationals to Arabs and Indians living in Bangkok (so the film claims).
It's an interesting film and certainly worth forty four minutes of your time, but it is not without its irritations.
The voice over attempts to inject drama into situations which look considerably less dramatic than the narrator is suggesting. Some film, which is claimed to portray a single night's action, is betrayed by a time clock which shows it is spread over around 19 days. Most disturbing is that the police seem to blunder through their investigation, diving in to make arrests without the evidence to make a charge stick.
The case is bust open when police arrest two Thais outside Pattaya. I regret that when I saw that, I started to wonder if the whole thing was a fabrication. As the narrator tried to suggest it was a life and death situation for the forces of law and order, it looked to me like the arrest of a couple of taxi drivers who had stopped for a nap.
So, a genuine fly on the wall documentary or an elaborate promo for a well meaning charity and the Thai authorities anxious to suggest they are combating the sex trade? You decide. Check it out here. Film
It's an interesting film and certainly worth forty four minutes of your time, but it is not without its irritations.
The voice over attempts to inject drama into situations which look considerably less dramatic than the narrator is suggesting. Some film, which is claimed to portray a single night's action, is betrayed by a time clock which shows it is spread over around 19 days. Most disturbing is that the police seem to blunder through their investigation, diving in to make arrests without the evidence to make a charge stick.
The case is bust open when police arrest two Thais outside Pattaya. I regret that when I saw that, I started to wonder if the whole thing was a fabrication. As the narrator tried to suggest it was a life and death situation for the forces of law and order, it looked to me like the arrest of a couple of taxi drivers who had stopped for a nap.
So, a genuine fly on the wall documentary or an elaborate promo for a well meaning charity and the Thai authorities anxious to suggest they are combating the sex trade? You decide. Check it out here. Film
Friday, 24 May 2013
Louis Theroux and the Thai Marriage Bureau
Once again it's not exactly journalism just an opportunity for Louis Theroux to lure the hapless into providing unintended entertainment. Theroux arrives in Bangkok trying to find out why western men seek love in Thailand and why local women seem anxious to help them out. The star of the show is Ronny, the marriage bureau owner whose dress sense and overall demeanour seems to be inspired by the fictional Bertie Wooster. Lake Palmer offers valiant support as the man who is desperate for love but might easily be an axe murderer if it were not for a steady stream of prescription medication.
This is the kind of TV you have to watch through your fingers, I was barely able to believe that either man thought an offer to appear alongside Louis Theroux could end well.
Some genuinely amusing moments but it's impossible to watch this without feeling sympathy for everyone on both sides of this particular form of match making.
Take a look - Thai brides
The film tells you what happens to Ronny's latest conquest - if you want to find out what happens to Lake you need to take a look at this link - Lake's fate
The picture quality may be patchy in places.
This is the kind of TV you have to watch through your fingers, I was barely able to believe that either man thought an offer to appear alongside Louis Theroux could end well.
Some genuinely amusing moments but it's impossible to watch this without feeling sympathy for everyone on both sides of this particular form of match making.
Take a look - Thai brides
The film tells you what happens to Ronny's latest conquest - if you want to find out what happens to Lake you need to take a look at this link - Lake's fate
The picture quality may be patchy in places.
Jeremy Kyle show - Thai Lady takes the lie detector test.
I doubt that even Jeremy Kyle claims that his show has any journalistic ambitions - so I can't really complain that this clip fails to meet the standards one might expect. It is, however, a fascinating insight into what might happen when a 48 year old man marries a girl he met on the internet, who was raised half way across the world.
You can see the clip here - Kyle show
The husband thinks his wife is selling sex and generally screwing around, she denies that she has ever cheated on him. Phil seems like a nice guy who would love to make it work, Anchana is full of righteous indignation.
Did she pass the detector test? Watch the clip and see.
My only comment is that Kyle judges the outcome through the eyes of a westerner whose model for marriage is the union of white anglo-saxons with broadly similar upbringings, values and culture. When Phil logged onto the internet to find a bride and chose someone from half way across the world, he stepped way outside that model. When Thai women marry older western men, for many there is affection, even love but for a huge number it is a trade. They do what they have to do to take care of their families. To judge their subsequent behaviour through the same lens that you would use to examine the conduct of the girl or boy you met in school is unjust.
You can see the clip here - Kyle show
The husband thinks his wife is selling sex and generally screwing around, she denies that she has ever cheated on him. Phil seems like a nice guy who would love to make it work, Anchana is full of righteous indignation.
Did she pass the detector test? Watch the clip and see.
My only comment is that Kyle judges the outcome through the eyes of a westerner whose model for marriage is the union of white anglo-saxons with broadly similar upbringings, values and culture. When Phil logged onto the internet to find a bride and chose someone from half way across the world, he stepped way outside that model. When Thai women marry older western men, for many there is affection, even love but for a huge number it is a trade. They do what they have to do to take care of their families. To judge their subsequent behaviour through the same lens that you would use to examine the conduct of the girl or boy you met in school is unjust.
Stacey Dooley blows the lid off the dark side of tourism in Thailand
This film has a worthy objective. Viewers will learn about the low wages paid to hotel workers in a famous Thai beach resort, about the plight of sea gypsies who may lose their homes as more hotels are built and the impact on a tiny island of the influx of drunken western party goers. You can watch it here: - Stacey Dooley
These are important issues and the film is beautifully photographed. The problem is the vacuous if undeniably pretty presenter. When Stacey Dooley is happy she says "Wow" and "Lovely", apparently inserting extra syllables into each word to emphasise that she really means it. When she disapproves we are treated to "It's crazy innit" or "It's not on."
There are a few sensible observations, such as the suggestion that visitors who tip the locals are actually making a massive difference to them financially. We are repeatedly invited to marvel at how anyone can work for £4.50 per day, truly shocking by western standards, and we are told that tourism is driving the locals out. Stacey is unable to make the connection that the people she is interviewing are not locals, but are from the poor north east of Thailand and on that meagre salary they are able to support an extended family. There is no doubt that pay is poor and workers live in very low quality housing but the report is typical one dimensional, shock horror stuff.
The coverage of the infamous Full Moon parties is just an excuse to show people getting drunk, the issue she is getting at is not really articulated and no solution is offered. It's just cheap voyeurism and an excuse for Stacey to treat us to another "It's not on."
The coverage of the Sea Gypsies case was interesting but if Miss Dooley or her producers believe that she had any impact on the case she is delusional. Transporting a leader of the community to Bangkok with a promise that he was going to meet the Prime Minister was a ridiculous piece of self promotion on the part of the presenter. Nobody who knows anything about Thailand would have been surprised when she was brushed off with a thirty second audience with a junior official. She was ecstatic as a result of the man's assurance that the gypsies would be looked after, but here was no way he was ever going to say anything else. The closing credits proudly announced that the Thai PM had intervened, claiming it to be a direct consequence of the documentary. Unsurprisingly, there was no confirmation that the gypsies had got the result they were looking for.
This was a potentially fascinating documentary, ruined by the choice of presenter. Miss Dooley just doesn't have the intellect to carry it off.
These are important issues and the film is beautifully photographed. The problem is the vacuous if undeniably pretty presenter. When Stacey Dooley is happy she says "Wow" and "Lovely", apparently inserting extra syllables into each word to emphasise that she really means it. When she disapproves we are treated to "It's crazy innit" or "It's not on."
There are a few sensible observations, such as the suggestion that visitors who tip the locals are actually making a massive difference to them financially. We are repeatedly invited to marvel at how anyone can work for £4.50 per day, truly shocking by western standards, and we are told that tourism is driving the locals out. Stacey is unable to make the connection that the people she is interviewing are not locals, but are from the poor north east of Thailand and on that meagre salary they are able to support an extended family. There is no doubt that pay is poor and workers live in very low quality housing but the report is typical one dimensional, shock horror stuff.
The coverage of the infamous Full Moon parties is just an excuse to show people getting drunk, the issue she is getting at is not really articulated and no solution is offered. It's just cheap voyeurism and an excuse for Stacey to treat us to another "It's not on."
The coverage of the Sea Gypsies case was interesting but if Miss Dooley or her producers believe that she had any impact on the case she is delusional. Transporting a leader of the community to Bangkok with a promise that he was going to meet the Prime Minister was a ridiculous piece of self promotion on the part of the presenter. Nobody who knows anything about Thailand would have been surprised when she was brushed off with a thirty second audience with a junior official. She was ecstatic as a result of the man's assurance that the gypsies would be looked after, but here was no way he was ever going to say anything else. The closing credits proudly announced that the Thai PM had intervened, claiming it to be a direct consequence of the documentary. Unsurprisingly, there was no confirmation that the gypsies had got the result they were looking for.
This was a potentially fascinating documentary, ruined by the choice of presenter. Miss Dooley just doesn't have the intellect to carry it off.
Saturday, 6 April 2013
Thailand - Red vs Yellow
This is an interesting documentary from Al Jazeerah. It appears to have been filmed in the aftermath of the 2010 protests which ended in tragedy, when the Thai army and police broke a series of demonstrations with extreme force. The film provides fascinating background to the two factions which represent polar opposites in Thai society. Yellow shirts are generally considered to come from the wealthy urban elite, Red shirts from the rural poor. Thailand is portrayed as a country on the brink of civil war with bleak prospects for healing the social rift.
This probably underestimates the resilience of the Thai people and their ability to cope with a semi permanent state of political instability. A follow up documentary assessing the position following a change in government would make interesting viewing. In the meantime, this is good background to the political climate in the country.
Watch it here: - YouTube
This probably underestimates the resilience of the Thai people and their ability to cope with a semi permanent state of political instability. A follow up documentary assessing the position following a change in government would make interesting viewing. In the meantime, this is good background to the political climate in the country.
Watch it here: - YouTube
Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Thai Sex Workers Organise
This is an excellent film that shows how sex workers in Thailand are cooperating to improve their lives. The driving force behind the movement is the extraordinary Empower Foundation - see the web site here.
There are two perspectives represented, Empower recognises that many women have no choice but to sell their bodies, others do so because it is far more lucrative than any of the other options available to them. They are dedicated to giving these women support and education that will help them to be safe and as successful as they can possibly be. You could say that they are dealing with the world as it is, not as they wish it would be.
We also meet an American from an organisation, the objective of which is to eliminate prostitution. She openly scoffs at the work and achievements of Empower. Her view is that paid sex is, by definition abuse and should not be tolerated any more than we accept murder and robbery.
Watch the films and decide for yourself which of these women impresses you most.
Part 1
Part 2
There are two perspectives represented, Empower recognises that many women have no choice but to sell their bodies, others do so because it is far more lucrative than any of the other options available to them. They are dedicated to giving these women support and education that will help them to be safe and as successful as they can possibly be. You could say that they are dealing with the world as it is, not as they wish it would be.
We also meet an American from an organisation, the objective of which is to eliminate prostitution. She openly scoffs at the work and achievements of Empower. Her view is that paid sex is, by definition abuse and should not be tolerated any more than we accept murder and robbery.
Watch the films and decide for yourself which of these women impresses you most.
Part 1
Part 2
Saturday, 23 March 2013
Islamic Rebellion - Thailand
This film paints a genuinely frightening picture of the Islamic Uprising in Southern Thailand. There are echoes of Britain's Northern Ireland situation here - an annexed territory and religious differences. This crisis gets little coverage in the West.
Well worth a look - Islamic rebellion
Well worth a look - Islamic rebellion
Friday, 22 March 2013
Speed Kills
Another interesting film on past Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's crackdown on the drug trade in Thailand.
It's also a stark warning as to what happens when the police operate with strict targets, the achievement of which determines whether a senior officer gets to keep his job.
Watch it here - Speed Kills
It's also a stark warning as to what happens when the police operate with strict targets, the achievement of which determines whether a senior officer gets to keep his job.
Watch it here - Speed Kills
Quick Fix
I am generally wary of films from Journeyman Pictures. Too many have decided what they want to portray before they go looking for any evidence.
This is an honourable exception - Quick Fix
There is no need to sensationalise or take one incident and claim it is representative of a bigger truth in this case. It's the shocking story of Thaksin Shinawatra's crackdown on the Thai drug trade. A fascinating film, well presented.
This is an honourable exception - Quick Fix
There is no need to sensationalise or take one incident and claim it is representative of a bigger truth in this case. It's the shocking story of Thaksin Shinawatra's crackdown on the Thai drug trade. A fascinating film, well presented.
Prostitution and the Sex Trade in Thailand
This is another film anxious to throw statistics at us. It tells us with absolute certainty the number of children sold into sex slavery each year and the price at which they can be bought. It also states precisely how many people have HIV and says that AIDS is one of the major causes of death in the Kingdom. There are several other "facts" none of which are sourced.
If films like this want to be taken seriously they need to state their sources and the dates when the information was gathered. A quick check on the net suggests that a figure of 1% infection rate is broadly right (8 times the level in the UK) - and that AIDs is the third highest killer after strokes and heart disease. The data for the former is from 2009 and for the latter, as far as I can tell is from 2005. Ancient history in a country which is moving fast to deal with HIV and other STDs. The stats on child trafficking can be no more than guesses, I could find no corroboration, neither could I find anything to support the other statistics quoted.
The most peculiar aspect of the film is that also claims to portray the life of a TYPICAL Thai who sells herself for sex. A woman is seen strolling around the streets of what appears to be an English town, we are then treated to what looks like film of her lying on an automatic massage bed which has been set to maximum. I assume it is supposed to imply the many sexual encounters she has each day.
Only as I finished the review did I notice that the film was posted by a student, my guess is they are hoping for a career in TV fiction, even with the abysmal standard of journalism in the UK, this one is a shocker if we are supposed to think of it as a serious documentary. It's here: - Prostitution & the Sex trade in Thailand
If films like this want to be taken seriously they need to state their sources and the dates when the information was gathered. A quick check on the net suggests that a figure of 1% infection rate is broadly right (8 times the level in the UK) - and that AIDs is the third highest killer after strokes and heart disease. The data for the former is from 2009 and for the latter, as far as I can tell is from 2005. Ancient history in a country which is moving fast to deal with HIV and other STDs. The stats on child trafficking can be no more than guesses, I could find no corroboration, neither could I find anything to support the other statistics quoted.
The most peculiar aspect of the film is that also claims to portray the life of a TYPICAL Thai who sells herself for sex. A woman is seen strolling around the streets of what appears to be an English town, we are then treated to what looks like film of her lying on an automatic massage bed which has been set to maximum. I assume it is supposed to imply the many sexual encounters she has each day.
Only as I finished the review did I notice that the film was posted by a student, my guess is they are hoping for a career in TV fiction, even with the abysmal standard of journalism in the UK, this one is a shocker if we are supposed to think of it as a serious documentary. It's here: - Prostitution & the Sex trade in Thailand
Monday, 18 March 2013
Child trafficking - Pattaya
This short film depicts a Thailand where children are routinely offered to sex tourists on every street corner. Pattaya nightlife is portrayed in a way that suggests flower selling is a cover for the sale of young kids to tourists.
I have visited Thailand on dozens of occasions and have never seen the sort of incident they suggest is commonplace. There is, however, undoubtedly a huge issue and the makers of this film are doing something about it. They run a shelter for vulnerable children, so whilst they paint a picture that i do not recognise, they are doing valuable work. They should be applauded for that.
You can watch this very short film here: You Tube Link
I have visited Thailand on dozens of occasions and have never seen the sort of incident they suggest is commonplace. There is, however, undoubtedly a huge issue and the makers of this film are doing something about it. They run a shelter for vulnerable children, so whilst they paint a picture that i do not recognise, they are doing valuable work. They should be applauded for that.
You can watch this very short film here: You Tube Link
Enslaved - Human trafficking in Thailand
This is an excellent documentary, seemingly made for Thai nationals but with Englsih sub-titles. It tells the story of three individuals who were tricked into leaving their families for what they thought would be a better life.
There is no journalistic twist, the three victims each tell their own harrowing stories.
Highly recommended.
The film comes in three parts, although the last is less than 90 seconds long.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
There is no journalistic twist, the three victims each tell their own harrowing stories.
Highly recommended.
The film comes in three parts, although the last is less than 90 seconds long.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
The Sex Changers
I have no real knowledge of sex changes. Until i was 16, I believed a school friend who told me that a female to male transition was called a Strapacocktomy.
In this short film Journeyman Pictures manages to suppress its usual instinct to sensationalise. Maybe watching an Aussie outdoors man having a sex change is riveting enough.
Once again they film lengthy interviews in Thai without bothering to provide either sub titles or a voice over translation , but otherwise it's an interesting film.
There are several accounts of foreigners visiting Thailand for this procedure on YouTube. A standard feature is to show the staggeringly beautiful Thais who have undergone the same operation. Regrettably the foreigners may have new parts under their clothes, but afterwards they still look like men with a wig. There must be some westerners out there who look like women afterwards, aren't there?
You can watch the film here: Sex changers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7wVOnJ9_9U
In this short film Journeyman Pictures manages to suppress its usual instinct to sensationalise. Maybe watching an Aussie outdoors man having a sex change is riveting enough.
Once again they film lengthy interviews in Thai without bothering to provide either sub titles or a voice over translation , but otherwise it's an interesting film.
There are several accounts of foreigners visiting Thailand for this procedure on YouTube. A standard feature is to show the staggeringly beautiful Thais who have undergone the same operation. Regrettably the foreigners may have new parts under their clothes, but afterwards they still look like men with a wig. There must be some westerners out there who look like women afterwards, aren't there?
You can watch the film here: Sex changers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7wVOnJ9_9U
Saturday, 23 February 2013
The Tiger Temple
This was my original post
I have no issues at all with how Thailand is portrayed in this film. It is the incredible story of a truly astonishing monk called Acharn Phoosit and the tiger sanctuary he established near Kanchanaburi (River Kwai area).
Watch the film here: Tiger Temple
Check out their website here: Web site
I was aware that some people believed there was a darker side but I saw no evidence.
Today I saw this article written by someone who claims to have been a volunteer there. I have to include the link for the sake of balance. It's here
I have to admit that I was surprised both by the chicken diet and the absence of older tigers. Thinking again about my effusive response to the original video.
Thursday, 21 February 2013
A weird selection of videos on the Thai sex industry
This film offers a slightly surreal experience, as it switches tack completely after about four minutes and viewers may wonder if the director experienced some sort of Damascene conversion during filming. It took me a second or to to realise that tis is three completely different films offering different perspectives on the Thai sex industry.
The first is a balanced portrayal of an industry that reflects the economic inequalities which are at the heart of the sex trade. Whilst there are rich people and poor people, sex will be a tradeable commodity. The film acknowledges that the answer is not to seek the abolition of the sex industry as that would cause as many problems as it solves. It also offers a voice to those women who are not ashamed of being sex workers. Once again, the amazing Empower Foundation makes an appearance here.
The remaining two films adopt a different stance. We are invited to believe that the entire Thai economy hinges on the sex industry, that one in four Thai women are prostitutes, that one third of all sex workers are children, that the vast majority are HIV positive and that the Thai government is complicit in exploiting its women because they support a tourist industry which advertises a country which is hospitable. This, we are told, is code for "come to Thailand and have sex with children."
These films are ignorant, racist, bigoted nonsense. An American voice tells us that Thailand is a country where women are taken to brothels where they sell sex. The implication being that this does not happen in the USA.
The first film is balanced, sensible and informative, well worth a look. The others, not so much.
Click here
The first is a balanced portrayal of an industry that reflects the economic inequalities which are at the heart of the sex trade. Whilst there are rich people and poor people, sex will be a tradeable commodity. The film acknowledges that the answer is not to seek the abolition of the sex industry as that would cause as many problems as it solves. It also offers a voice to those women who are not ashamed of being sex workers. Once again, the amazing Empower Foundation makes an appearance here.
The remaining two films adopt a different stance. We are invited to believe that the entire Thai economy hinges on the sex industry, that one in four Thai women are prostitutes, that one third of all sex workers are children, that the vast majority are HIV positive and that the Thai government is complicit in exploiting its women because they support a tourist industry which advertises a country which is hospitable. This, we are told, is code for "come to Thailand and have sex with children."
These films are ignorant, racist, bigoted nonsense. An American voice tells us that Thailand is a country where women are taken to brothels where they sell sex. The implication being that this does not happen in the USA.
The first film is balanced, sensible and informative, well worth a look. The others, not so much.
Click here
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