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Bangkok Girl the Canadian Documentary

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Posted by bigbadanddangerous (581 days ago)

I watched this last night and have formed an opinion and was wondering what other people think. The guy in the documentary was basically saying that the Thailand sex industry is destroying womens lives, etc. etc. The film showed us one example of such a life, a young woman who had a hard life and was working in a bar basically for the money. But this film didn't make me feel that the route of the cause could be entirely placed upon the falangs and the sex industry. The girls name was Pla - she was an undereducated girl whose father had left her family when she was 7 and never came back (I gather that thai men are equally adept at being "butterflies" as the falangs painted as evil in this film are). She had her hand disfigured as a child when her stepmother put it into a pot of boiling water and she was in hospital for 3 months. Now, with her lack of education and her slight disability, she has only one option according to this film, to work in the sex industry (which could well be true). Now i am not saying that the sex industry is good, there are many elements of it which do exploit woman who are vunerable and in need of money; but on an equal note you cant put it as simply as it was in this film, that the sex industry in the main evil here and should be stopped. We have to be realists here, rather than idealists. What would happen if it was stopped? There would be many more women in poverty who cant support themselves or their families. There is a lady boy in the film who is filmed working the streets, she has paid for her sex change with foreign sex tourists and boasts on camera of one man giving her 4000baht. Now who are we to say that she cant do this if she wants... who are we to label her as a sad individual worthy of our pity!! She could be perfectly happy with her lot and earning a lot more than most of her fellow thais. And remember that it is not only the falangs who pay for sex in Thailand... it is an equally big business among thai men as well.. but if a woman goes with a thai she wont get paid as much, and i am not sure what the conditions would be like. Basically, I think the key is that the bars should vet their girls in a much better way - they need to work out their motives and decline those who are simply doing it out of desperation for money (i know this is easier said than done). But being a realist it is important to remember that the sex industry wont go away - a lot of people dont like it but it exists in practically every country in the world... and then there is the porn industry!! You could say that men are rotten to the core and that is why we have such depravities (spelling!!) in this world. Again that is too simplistic. Men have natural urges, and these urges have to be met... sometimes in socially acceptable situations and sometimes in not so socially acceptable situations. You can also say that there are certain types of men. The one thing that did make my blood boil was seeing one particular man in the film (British - and a teacher in an international school no less). He is your typical jack of the lad who thinks of woman as objects and is there just to satisfy his carnal desire at any cost. These are the type of men that give the sex industry a bad name - they are probably going to play out their own porn fantasies!! My feeling is if you treat the girls with respect, look after them, be honest with them and treat them right - you are saving them a night with one of the less savoury characters. Sorry for the long rant - but i just felt that I should give my opinion - it is so easy for people to be moralistic about this and sit on their high horse... but the reality is very different!!

(I am based in Other)

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Posted by lambada (580 days ago)

Good to see someone writing so much about a topic that has obviously moved him. It's not a simple problem - in fact it is a very complex one. I believe the solution to many of the issues in Thailand is a systemic approach to reducing the exploitation of women. This will not necessarily make the industry any less prolific but would generate a modicum of control for the women themselves. Thais themselves have a long tradition of minor wives and prostitution and the western variant is but a small part of that, albeit less subtle and more visual.

In short, it is necessary to increase the barriers to entry to the sex industry and reduce the barriers from the industry. Education, specifically of post primary school girls, is an obvious starting point along with reduction in poverty in general. Thailand is developing very fast and poverty is primarily in certain demographic (single parent, old, and children) and geographic sectors (rural and borders). For example, many of the girls working in the bars come from North Eastern Thailand (Isaan) and there is a long tradition of girls supporting rural farming families and being married of to wealthier Thais as minor wives. Having said that, it is only a minority of girls that enter the sex industry and the vast majority still seems to cope with boring old factory or rural work and a less consumerist lifestyle etc. If you educate and generate economic power among women, you at least give them the choice. An educated girl with some economic power has some choice as to whether they enter the sex industry or not.

It is very important not to view women in Thailand, and Asia in general, as powerless pawns at an individual level. Whilst many have suffered as a result of unsavoury situations such as child trafficking, alcoholic parents and being physically abused, the economic wealth gained from this industry can and has greatly influenced their position in society at least at an economic level if not socially. The most dangerous aspect of this industry, apart the obvious issues of HIV and violence, is the rampant problems of alcohol and drug dependence - specifically Yabba and Ice. (Amphetamine and heroin / cocaine based concoctions that rapidly remove all semblance of humanity from the victim.)

A separate but linked issue is the booming industry in women marrying relatively wealthy foreigners, evidenced by substantial increases in wealth throughout Thailand. Many are ex bar girls whether the husband knows or not. Some are a complete lie, pre-meditated, cruel and conducted at a family level milking the foreign victim for all they can. Others are based on honesty and mutual acceptance of both cultures and are as successful as any other intercultural relationship. I can’t comment on relationships where the parties move abroad. In general, but not always, their seems to be some kind of rough justice in the process. The stupider / older you are the more money you loose. In either case, several families in each village will have had their lives totally transformed from the input of a foreign partner. Thai universities are now conducting academic studies of this phenomena and its influence of local economies.

This is an interesting development, with significant successes and failures at a personal level for both parties. Thais that leave Thailand to live with partners in other countries face the problems of other migrant groups, mail order brides (talk about an oversimplification!) etc. Thailand is littered with victims from this process and not just local people. Suicide / murder rates for Westerners in Thailand is high with much of the legal power held by Thais. Westerners have a hard time protecting purchases of houses, cars etc and have little chance of retaining children. Having said that, it is an increasing trend, which for many will eventually end in success, perhaps on the 2nd or 3rd relationship. Certainly, I have seen little evidence of Thai women reverting to Thai men after having relationships with Western men or Western men giving up on Thai women for that matter.

I wrote this off the top of my head and I could write far more, if anyone is interested. I could and probably should rewrite it. My personal experiences of watching Thai / Western relationships unfold and unwind makes for sad, strange and funny reading. Nothing is simple or straightforward in the “Land of Smiles”.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

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