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.

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

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.

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. 

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.      

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 

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