Thailand - the Virgin trade

This is a bizarre but undeniably entertaining film that set out to blow the lid off the Thai Sex industry. The makers admit that they had some preconceptions about what they would find and were gracious enough to concede that their research made them think again. There is plenty to admire as presenter challenges some of the mythology, such as "where did they get that much quoted figure that there are 2.8 million sex workers in Thailand."
At times it almost ranks as semi-serious journalism, but there are far too many flaws. The film's title "The Virgin Trade", is simply a snappy phrase to attract more YouTube hits, the Blair Witch type scene as they flee from Mae Sai is obviously staged and the "scientific" experiment of hiring a bar girl for a no-sex weekend leads nowhere in particular. The film focuses on the mainstream go-go bar scene yet they choose a girl forced to work in a brothel to represent the experiences of Thai sex workers. Using a hidden camera to film inside a go-go bar probably made them feel like "proper" journalists but the footage obtained was poor quality and doing this is hardly respectful to the girls who, typically, do not want their faces to appear on the internet.
This film is a mishmash of interesting stuff about the Thai sex trade, but if you watch it you will probably be no better informed than you were when you started. It shines a light down a few dark alleys but is likely to create as many misconceptions as it resolves.

It seems that the original video has been removed - but as at the time of writing you can still watch it in sections. The first part is here : Virgin Trade Part 1 - 

I have not posted a link to each part - you should be offered the next part as each one finishes. There are six films in all

Two free short stories from Thai Lottery

If you enjoy the films and reviews that appear on this blog then you probably love Thailand and have more than a passing interest in the darker side of the country's night life.

Why not take a look at the these two free short stories from the book Thai Lottery

Crazy Medicine is here

West Ham vs Tottenham, Pattaya Style is here

Sex tourism for French speakers only

A few weeks ago I posted a link to an excellent French drama called Ladybar. A departure from my usual subject as to how Thailand is portrayed in the Press, but nonetheless a fascinating examination of how people perceive the country.  A gentleman who goes by the name of Starman kindly provided english sub titles for the original film.

This link is to the sequel, imaginatively called Ladybar 2. Regrettably there is no English translation so this may be one for French speakers only.

If anyone knows where I can find a sub titled version please let me know.

 Click here to see the film - Ladybar2

If you missed the first film you should watch that first - Ladybar

Thai bar scene - an essential guide

This blog deals with the way in which Thailand is portrayed in documentary films, each post provides a handy link to the YouTube film being reviewed. Many of these depict a Thailand which is far from the reality.

If you are looking for an authentic guide to the lives of the men and women on both sides of the Thai bar scene, you should check out Thai Lottery... and Other Stories from Pattaya, Thailand.

You can read the 5 star reviews the book has already received on Amazon.

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

LIfe in a Thai Jail

This is another of those Journeyman films where we are invited to marvel at the barbaric ways of the people of Thailand. This is the story of three Australians sentenced to 50 year jail terms for smuggling heroin.  There is little to say about the prison conditions apart from the fact that the jails are overcrowded, so the film focuses on the length of the sentences which have been handed down.

The male prisoner claims that he was only smuggling heroin because he was struggling to kick his methadone habit. An interesting defence. His suggestion that he stood to gain nothing financially from the deal was sadly undermined by one of his fellow inmate's admission that she needed the 10,000 dollar fee she was being paid.

One of the females expressed her horror that she should have been treated so harshly as a first offender, contrasting her sentence with what she thinks she would have got for the same charge in Thailand. And this is surely the crux of the matter. If a Thai national suggested that they should be treated less harshly in an Australian court because they should be judged by the standards set in Thailand, they would receive very short shrift.

This is the story of three feckless, irresponsible morons who have abandoned a total of ten children to pursue cash and their next fix. They deserve zero sympathy. You may not agree, watch the film and decide for yourself: Click here: LIfe in a Thai Jail

 

My boyfriend the sex tourist - Girlfriend for sale

This is the poignant tale of two Thai women desperate to find a western husband. Fon is the bar girl from Isaan who has a long distance relationship with Mark from Birmingham. She has a son to support and the fact that her new found love can down 3 bottles of cognac per day does not put her off. Mark has asked to marry her and that step into the unknown is less daunting to Fon than a future in Nana Plaza's Godiva bar.
Lek is the village girl who is just as keen to find a foreigner but cannot bring herself to work in a bar. She dabbles briefly with the idea but a few hours in Nana Plaza is enough to make her mind up. Whether it was the all out brawl amongst the bargirls or the mamasan's comment: "we don't expect much in terms of looks so you should be OK," that did it, is hard to say.
The real winner in this film is Pompelai, the lady who offers translation and letter writing services to eager Thai ladies, anxious to keep in touch with their farang men.  They say that during the Gold Rush in the Klondyke, the real winners were not the people who did the digging, it was the ones that sold the picks and shovels. Pompelai and her Thai lady customers offer an interesting 21st century parallel.

This is a fascinating film which offers an authentic portrayal of bar life in Thailand. The makers let the participants tell their own story.

Watch it here: Girlfriend for sale

Latest on the controversial YouTube clip from Saturday Night Live

My last post was a grudging nod to a US sitcom which had taken a swipe at Thailand as a haven for sex tourists. The video rehashes the old cliche that people only visit the country for sex and the people who go are sad losers.

I hate the stereotype but the video is quite amusing - so I would not be too critical of it.

The Thai authorities have taken a different view and want the video removed.

The story is here : Phuket News

The unerringly brilliant web-site Not the Nation followed up with this: Not the Nation