Channel 4 Documentary - Uk

[Spee]

Channel: Channel 4

Air date: Wed, Dec 19 2007 - 22:00

Ok, I stayed up. Had a crappy day at work and am finishing off the last part of a nice bottle of wine. I hope I am able to keep my perspective during the show.

Well, for the first segment the parts that didn't make me homesick appeared to be very patronistic and condescending. I'm a bit "sia jai" because I miss my partner Mat and what we are working for in LoS. But the other bits are so patronistic, essentially implying that all Thai men are bums and the only way out for a poor country girl is to hook up with a foreigner. Of course neither implication is entirely true or even in the majority.

The second segment was mostly about a girl's night of work at a club in Nana. It's out of my experience as far as Thailand goes (yes, really! ), but I do have some empathy for the girls. A while back I was a doorman at a topless club to help make ends meet. The story was the same there as with these girls in Nana. They have to make their drinks quota or they don't make sh*t. When the business is slow, the pressure can be brutal, especially when there is little money to show at the end of the month.

Edited December 19, 2007 by Spee

[Spee]

Channel: Channel 4

Air date: Wed, Dec 19 2007 - 22:00

Ok, I stayed up. Had a crappy day at work and am finishing off the last part of a nice bottle of wine. I hope I am able to keep my perspective during the show.

Well, for the first segment the parts that didn't make me homesick appeared to be very patronistic and condescending. I'm a bit "sia jai" because I miss my partner Mat and what we are working for in LoS. But the other bits are so patronistic, essentially implying that all Thai men are bums and the only way out for a poor country girl is to hook up with a foreigner. Of course neither implication is entirely true or even in the majority.

The second segment was mostly about a girl's night of work at a club in Nana. It's out of my experience as far as Thailand goes (yes, really! ), but I do have some empathy for the girls. A while back I was a doorman at a topless club to help make ends meet. The story was the same there as with these girls in Nana. They have to make their drinks quota or they don't make sh*t. When the business is slow, the pressure can be brutal, especially when there is little money to show at the end of the month.

I didn't really care for the third part, another night in the same Nana club, but a slower night with the slow business supposedly causing so much tension that a fight breaks out between the girls. To me it sort of crossed the line where documentary ends an exploitation begins. I also didn't like the high moral ground implication of some girls continuing to work while a potential novice decides the work isn't what she wants and she goes home.

[lawling]

It wasn't much of a programme but I thought it was a lot more sympathetic than I expected it to be. Even the farangs - so-called sex tourists in the title - didn't get the kind of condemnation I have seen in other programmes.

I did worry about the girl that was pining for her boyfriend back in England who drank 3 bottles of brandy a day!

I liked the mamasan's comment "There's a lot of weirdo on the Internet!" You think she has been logging on to Thai Visa?

[ClaytonSeymour]

Not over sensationalized and a pretty fair portrayal really. I wonder if Barry from Romford, AKA Farang Husband of the year, is a TV member?

[ClaytonSeymour]

It wasn't much of a programme but I thought it was a lot more sympathetic than I expected it to be. Even the farangs - so-called sex tourists in the title - didn't get the kind of condemnation I have seen in other programmes.

I did worry about the girl that was pining for her boyfriend back in England who drank 3 bottles of brandy a day! She didn't get the Visa, so maybe he's a prospective client for Scouse!

I liked the mamasan's comment "There's a lot of weirdo on the Internet!" You think she has been logging on to Thai Visa?

[Flash500]

Is someone going to upload a torrent of this for those of us not in the UK, will be an interesting watch.

Anyone got it then? I didnt got the 5 ticks to qualify for 4oD

[onzestan]

What is so difficult about seeing a documentary first. and then comment on it ?

So much energy wasted.

cheers

onzestan

[Robski]

I just watched it and thought it was a very good programme portraying the situation the girls are in and the perspective in which farangs are now seen. (as two girls walk around the villiage pointing out the comfortable villas built by farangs for them and their wives)

I thought the the letter writer ( a woman in the villiage that could write english and had internet) was rather sinister, as girls desperate for a way out of the poverty trap would pay for her services, I felt that she was doing nicely out of it and had an interest in perpetuating the system and reinforcing the girls hope and fears.

Edited December 20, 2007 by Robski

[meemiathai]

The series isn't specifically focussing on thailand but as it does exist quite openly in thialand then they would feature it wouldn't they? They also featured some resort in Venezuala (I think) where sex torist go & pay for a "girlfriend" for a couple of weeks but this place was all in. I suppose it makes them feel less sleazy by calling her a "girlfriend"? Wonder if they really think it legitamised these trips? I hear it a lot in LOS too from guys who buy a girl out of the bar for a week or two & call her his girlfriend but in thailands case the guys aren't all staying in one venue for the whole holiday.

What gets me is the hypocrisy of it all. Some people are selling sexual services and some people are buying sexual services. It can be sold or discussed with any number of different types of spin, but it is what it is.

I watched parts of the show last night on Venezuela, and if I don't fall asleep first, will probably watch parts of the show on Thailand tonite. Even some of the girls in the show commented on the hypocrisy. It's hard to believe that American tourists and American dollars are welcomed in the Chavez anti-American communist dictatorship in which prostitution is technically illegal yet openly practiced and encouraged. It is similar in Thailand where the trade is technically illegal yet openly solicited and encouraged, with all foreign currencies welcomed.

It is also interesting that shows like these tend to focus on the typical stereotypical places like South and Central America and Southeast Asia. At one time (maybe still) there were Amsterdam-type red light window-shopping areas in Japan even though it is technically illegal. Similar cases can be made for Korea and China (both) where the trade is illegal but still openly practiced and even encouraged in business building. Even in prudish America, there has been an explosion of massage joints all over the place in the last 15-20 years. Whether legal or illegal, prostitution is ubiquitous around the world, and is practiced by the rich, not so rich, and downright poor, by both boys and girls, and by members of most races (and probably most creeds too). It is what it is.

In almost all cases like these, the women are ostracized and treated as less than citizens. If it is going to exist (and other than self-righteous moral judgmentalism why shouldn't it?) then let it be legal and let the women have some rights, freedom to choose, access to frequent proper medical care, etc. I doubt the typical stereotypes and moral stigma are going away any time soon, but if it were legal, it would seem the women would have better choices, protection, reduced risk of STD infection, etc.

At last...a grown-up, well thought-out post!

RAZZ

same same

[mikethevigoman]

Emp. I think the documentary is about sex tourism per sa, as opposed to sex slaves in dodgy brothels.

Don't kid yourself Jim, the vast majority of these girls are slaves in one way or another.

The idea that these girls for the most part enjoy their profession and partake of it out of a clear and informed choice is merely a myth perpetrated by the men who use their services to feel better about themselves.

Certainly in the local sector, but in the sector servicing westerners, many of the girls do enjoy it.

So much so that its not uncommon to meet a woman in a go go bar, fully dressed, drinknig and getting up on stage to dance, who when you ask will tell you that she's married to a westerner and lives in England or Germany or whatever and have come to Thailand for a holiday. Having told the hubbie that she's visiting a sick mother no doubt.

They go back to the bar because they enjoy it. They miss the fun when they're gone. They even miss the sex with strange men.

It is the comfortable sex tourist fly in season. Why be surprised to see the above? Hopefully they will all head down to Pattaya, get arrested, kill themselves, or head back to their homelands with tales.

Whatever

I obviously was unclear. The women I'm talking about that I occassioanly meet in bars are Thai women who used to be bar girls who have now married a westerner, live in the west, yet come back to Thailand on holiday to hang out in the bars, get drunk, dance on stage and go home with men. I ask them if they've gone back home to see their families on this holiday. Yes they went for a couple of days, then got bored so came back to the cities to hang out in bars and discos to have fun. I've met literally dozens of Thai women in the discos of Bangkok who were on holiday from their marital homes in the west

Or perhaps they're all suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder?

Id agree, i have met and seen these sorts too, busy bgs that have returned for a holiday to visit sick mama, i have a friend that married one of these types, she would wait til he went out and then go short time, he was giving her all the money she needed and she drove a porsche boxster in the uk, what is it they say, you can take the bar girl out of the bar ? 2 people told him, he wouldnt have it, til he returned early to the hotel one night and caught her red handed,. I THOUGHT SHE WAS DIFFERENT ! Edited December 20, 2007 by mikethevigoman

[KireB]

I'd say that the girls are working there because of our economic system and the fact that people are so stingy worldwide. If people would spread the wealth more workers would probably be happier in their work.

If Thais would use their heads a bit more when it comes to electing an inefficient, non money grubbing, selfish, vote-buying and corrupt government, I could agree with you.

To blame the people worldwide for being stingy and creating this " problem" is like sticking your head in the sand. If there's any luming financial crisis or economic misery, the Thais (as a people) are to blame, no one else! This country does not need to be poor! This country is poor because a small group of Thais want it that way. And this id exactly the small group of Thais who is winning the elections in land-slidish style time after time! You say it now!

[marquess]

Is someone going to upload a torrent of this for those of us not in the UK, will be an interesting watch.

Anyone got it then? I didnt got the 5 ticks to qualify for 4oD

It can be found on Utorrent Minorva.

[jonniebkk]

I believe you can view any programme shown within the last 30 days or so.

Be resident in the UK or Eire

OK, so who can post a work-around for those living in LOS. I know I have seen Channel 4 programs available for download in Divix format on Stage 6.

[designersing]

Fellas,

http://www.mininova.org/search/?search=sex+tourist

DSG

[kmart]

It might be nice if Thailand reciprocate the favour by making a documentary about the child prostitutes working around, say King's Cross, London, Hampstead Heath, etc...? And the wonderful people in power that use them...

[Scott]

Was the name of the show "World's Most Dangerous Catch", or I am getting it mixed up with another channel?

[jayjayjayjay]

Sponsored by travels companies or airlines!!!!

It does keep planes full between UK and Thailand!!!

[altman]

Channel: Channel 4

Air date: Wed, Dec 19 2007 - 22:00

Description: Documentary which takes a look at the other side of the sex industry through the eyes of working girls. The Thai village of Kranuan holds an annual competition celebrating the best foreign husband. Sex-bar worker Fon is being paid for by her Birmingham boyfriend, and hopes he will take her back to Britain. Meanwhile, single mother Lek tries to find a western spouse via the internet to help support her children, but as the e-mails dry up she reluctantly heads to Bangkok's red light district

Type: Documentary

channel 4 documentary to be shown tonight at 10pm in the UK - title 'my boyfriend, the sex tourist'.

I forecast a period of maximum cringe.

here is an alternate reading:

Description: Documentary which takes a look at the other side of life through the eyes of working girls. The American/English/French/German town of Krapustan holds an annual beauty contest/election/awards ceremony celebrating the wealthiest/hardest working/most popular husband. Female Mary is being paid for by her boyfriend, and hopes he will 'take her away from all this'. Meanwhile, single mother Bridget tries to find a spouse via the internet to help support her children, but as the e-mails dry up she reluctantly heads to the city and it's corporate job opportunities/red light district/welfare agencies.

[TopDogger]

Is someone going to upload a torrent of this for those of us not in the UK, will be an interesting watch.

Seems to be a torrent on Isohunt for it already.

"UK

LRG My Boyfriend The Sex Tourist PART 1, C4, British Documentary"

Part one? Theres more to follow?

[game4shame]

I liked the mamasan's comment "There's a lot of weirdo on the Internet!" You think she has been logging on to Thai Visa?

well, I watched it in it's entirety and tbh it wasn't as bad as I expected. the parts in kranuan were pretty fair - the e-mail writer, the houses paid from the bank of farang, the young mums heading to bkks bars etc etc etc. the farang husband competition got a laugh from me.

the squawking hookers fighting in that dingy bkk bar made me squirm - I had no doubt they would find a dump to film in though.

hearing 'fon' on the phone to her english 'boyfriend' was a cringe moment too (darleeeeeen, miss yoooou etc etc). vomit.

I was just thinking - was there not someone on thaivisa a couple of years back asking for volunteers for a documentary? this could be the result.

[pointofview]

Watched this programme last night: it was quite moderate and infact sypathetic to the lives of the girls.

Compaired to the previous programme (aired the night before) about girls in Venizuala thai girls came out looking like angels.

[katana]

Is someone going to upload a torrent of this for those of us not in the UK, will be an interesting watch.

Seems to be a torrent on Isohunt for it already.

"UK

LRG My Boyfriend The Sex Tourist PART 1, C4, British Documentary"

Part one? Theres more to follow?

Part I was Venezuala, part II Thailand.

[Theyreallrubbish]

I liked the mamasan's comment "There's a lot of weirdo on the Internet!" You think she has been logging on to Thai Visa?

well, I watched it in it's entirety and tbh it wasn't as bad as I expected. the parts in kranuan were pretty fair - the e-mail writer, the houses paid from the bank of farang, the young mums heading to bkks bars etc etc etc. the farang husband competition got a laugh from me.

the squawking hookers fighting in that dingy bkk bar made me squirm - I had no doubt they would find a dump to film in though.

hearing 'fon' on the phone to her english 'boyfriend' was a cringe moment too (darleeeeeen, miss yoooou etc etc). vomit.

I was just thinking - was there not someone on thaivisa a couple of years back asking for volunteers for a documentary? this could be the result.

I just watched it as well and had the same general feeling as you and cringed at the same bits.

I was quite surprised it wasn't pitched as evil white men exploiting vulnerable brown women but more as how getting a foreign man is like winning the lottery for these women and something worth fantasising about.

There was nothing in there about problems in relationships either. It was almost the classic Cinderalla story, girl from terrible background, struggle against the odds and if you make it and win a Prince Charming you live happily ever after. Although they did make it clear that for these girls the primary attraction of the western husband is almost entirely his economic power.

I was delighted to see that they almost exclusively showed ugly girls so hopefully it won't have inspired too many more Mark's from Birmingham to get on a plane and bring their 3 bottles of Hennessey a day drinking habits to the Kingdom.

In Chiang Mai in the early 90s girls would bring letters from their foreign boyfriends to me to translate. I didn't realise I could have made a business out of it like the woman in that Issan village! Although I did draw the line at writing letters back as I didn't want to be part of a fraud, so I probably wouldn't have made much money if I had done that as a business.

[Boo]

I was delighted to see that they almost exclusively showed ugly girls

True but did you see the state of these farang "prizes" too. Both the contestants for hubby of the year & the punters in the bar were nothing to write home about.

[Theyreallrubbish]

I was delighted to see that they almost exclusively showed ugly girls

True but did you see the state of these farang "prizes" too. Both the contestants for hubby of the year & the punters in the bar were nothing to write home about.

They were all quite shockingly ugly. It made me worry for a moment if that's what I look like in Thailand But a quick glance in the mirror reminded me I am genuinely a hansum man.

Maybe its because I watched it with a hangover, but everyone in the film was ugly. All the Thai women, all the farang men, and all the Thai men as well.

Although the karaoke singer girl looked great in her traditional Thai photo for the internet even though she was a bit of a minger without the costume

[NALAK]

Emp. I think the documentary is about sex tourism per sa, as opposed to sex slaves in dodgy brothels.

Don't kid yourself Jim, the vast majority of these girls are slaves in one way or another.

The idea that these girls for the most part enjoy their profession and partake of it out of a clear and informed choice is merely a myth perpetrated by the men who use their services to feel better about themselves.

been here for 7 years, managed a go go bar for sometime, married ex bar girl, i say they enjoy the life not all but most. even when they have a farang sending them more than enough money to quit each month they carry on why, well in the village they are tied to there kids. no smoking no drinking and only drunken bums for boy friends. here they can drink smoke earn loads of money with sex thrown in. in my opinion the slave factor is a myth. i had some girls with several boy friends sending them oney as much as 50,000 per month. did they go home no way only as far as BKK airport. what i could never get my head around was most of them had a Thai boyfriend to go home to. most of the time it is consenting adults

[Boo]

But a quick glance in the mirror reminded me I am genuinely a hansum man.

naturally none of our esteemed thai visa posters look as bad as them blokes They are all, hansum men.

[game4shame]

I was delighted to see that they almost exclusively showed ugly girls

True but did you see the state of these farang "prizes" too. Both the contestants for hubby of the year & the punters in the bar were nothing to write home about.

They were all quite shockingly ugly. It made me worry for a moment if that's what I look like in Thailand But a quick glance in the mirror reminded me I am genuinely a hansum man.

Maybe its because I watched it with a hangover, but everyone in the film was ugly. All the Thai women, all the farang men, and all the Thai men as well.

Although the karaoke singer girl looked great in her traditional Thai photo for the internet even though she was a bit of a minger without the costume

I didn't want to seem like the pompous prick I am by bringing that up. since it's been mentioned now.....spot on.

[ClaytonSeymour]

But a quick glance in the mirror reminded me I am genuinely a hansum man.

naturally none of our esteemed thai visa posters look as bad as them blokes They are all, hansum men.

I thought at least one of them would have come forward and identified themselves; surely there's a TV member amongst them.

[Boo]

lol, yes better add disclaimer for the sensitive;

True but did you see the state of these farang "prizes" too. Both the contestants for hubby of the year & the punters in the bar were nothing to write home about. disclaimer :except any of them that may be thaivisa members, in which case they are great catches & very hansum men)