There's been quite a lot of back and forth, some moral outrage in some recent post regarding Bar Girls and Thai attitudes to sex and the discussion thereof. So, thought it worthwhile to post my thoughts.

I live in Isaan, and married to a woman from a fairly well to do family, but in Isaan there is only six degrees of separation from somebody you know in the 'entertainment' industry. Several years ago we went on vacation in Pattaya. It was the first time I'd ever been there, and with our sons being quite young at the time, I was kind of shocked at the overt sexuality of the place. However it was my wife's reaction that probably shocked me more than anything. She was pretty sanguine about it all. "They have to make a living to support the family. This makes a lot more money than working on the rice or sugar farm". Over the years I've thought about that, and as you live here and get accustomed to it, you (well me at least) realized that the moral outrage I would have had in the US, or the rest of the West I suspect doesn't really apply. I don't 'think' the majority of working girls are junkies, making money for the next fix, but they are as my wife believes, just trying to do the best for their families. Moral Outrage doesn't apply here, maybe a little more compassion and understanding is required.

Just a Thought

Thanks for that, I know while it happens in Thailand the whole country is not involved in those activities

Time to quit blaming the entire country for the sex industry, Pattaya only became such during the Vietnam war. in the 1960-1970's

Cheers

Do you honestly believe the girls do it to support their families??

NO, they sell their bodies to get the latest iphone, the newest motorbike and hoping to meet the ultimate sucker, who is going to buy them a house and/or car!

What Thais think:

No there isn't something like that.

There are conservative Thais, there are liberal Thais, there are right wing Thais, there are communist Thais, etc etc.

Would you ask: What does Americans think about ......?

Nice romantic notions and reasonable excuse as to why someones daughter that you may know is doing it.

Ultimately it comes down to easy money and greed. The easiest way to get what they want and they dont partucularly care who they get it from.

That can also be said of many countries, not just here.

Here the "working in the fields" excuse is more plausible for those who wish to believe it.

Edited November 5, 201312 yr by CharlieH

Do you honestly believe the girls do it to support their families??

NO, they sell their bodies to get the latest iphone, the newest motorbike and hoping to meet the ultimate sucker, who is going to buy them a house and/or car!

A little harsh aint it ? Its IMO a combination of supporting the families, leading a relaxed holiday life at the beachresorts, away from the constraints in the villages (freedom), buying luxury stuff, saving money and looking for a rich hubby to pay for their, families, needs. In general the 1s ending up with a girl like that are the lucky 1s because they always have the most, financially, responsible girl of the family !!!

Not sure where this will go, but for now, let's move it over to The Pub.

Topic Moved.

To be honest i couldnt care a monkeys fart why they do it ,who cares ,the same as i didnt care why they did it back in the UK , i reckon its just for the money and an easy life , but as i said ,who cares?

Pretty much every Thai that I've ever spoken with share remarkably similar opinions about prostitution. On the one hand, they find it distasteful, i.e., they'd never want their daughter doing it. At the same time, they're also very sympathetic, saying basically "who am I to look down on these girls who are just trying to make a living." These are Thais not in the industry. Those in the industry may have differing views, but they are only a small minority of the population at large.

But..but...I thought they did it because Mum's Buffalo was sick !

But..but...I thought they did it because Mum's Buffalo was sick !

Thats what they said in the past. Now it is..........iphone iphone can buy me please for my friend you ?

I agree with the OP.

I am in rural Isaan and I know a few girls who work in the south and send/ bring the money home for family.

They don't advertise what they do for the money and don't do it at home.

People know what's going on and do not disrespect the girls for doing it.

Many would be very poor families now do pretty well. Nicer house, nicer clothes for the children, maybe a truck or tractor to make the farm more profitable.

It's all good.

Good merit

If I were an attractive young woman with a needy family, in Thailand, I would have no problem with helping the family like this!

In the west...forget it!

P.S. Hanging out, partying in bars and getting rubbed for a l good money, expensive gifts and sponsorship doesn't sound like an unpleasant occupation! to me!

IMHO Time for Thailand to clean it up!! Thailand's level of prosperity is a lot higher than during the Vietnam era, there are opportunities for young women outside the sex industry...it's all about greed, corruption, and laziness nowadays.

Clean it up if they don't want other countries to look down on them as they do now! The problem, again IMO, is that (generalizing) Thai people will do anything for money, no matter how shady or dishonest, it is deeply embedded in their national psyche, much more so than in other developing countries. That's why Thailand is the brothel of the world, no other reason.

Thanks for that, I know while it happens in Thailand the whole country is not involved in those activities

Time to quit blaming the entire country for the sex industry, Pattaya only became such during the Vietnam war. in the 1960-1970's

Cheers

Pattaya, yeah, but in case you are thinking that prostitution in Thailand was invented by foreigners, you'd be very wrong. The domestic sex industry dwarfs the one for foreigners - it is just much more discrete, without neon and spread all over the place, not so much concentrated on single streets. Thailand has had large-scale prostitution for a very long time. And at least in the foreigner sex zones, the girls are somewhat independent and not held prisoner.

I do not know what Part of Issan you 2 guys come from--but even in the smallish town I live in there are 4 Red Light Soi's full of young Lao Girls of questionable age for 300 baht. On the other side of Issan its the Khmer girls, ---No there are No bars ---there is no pole dancing or nudity, but if you want to hear what the average Thai guy thinks about prostitution ----take a walk down some of those Soi's and ask, & yes not a Thai girl to be seen, maybe some of the posters have it correct---there are not to many Iphones to be brought from the wages there.

Somehow I doubt if there is really "six degrees of separation" between wealthy Thais, and the sex biz.

Thanks for that, I know while it happens in Thailand the whole country is not involved in those activities

Time to quit blaming the entire country for the sex industry, Pattaya only became such during the Vietnam war. in the 1960-1970's

Cheers

Pattaya, yeah, but in case you are thinking that prostitution in Thailand was invented by foreigners, you'd be very wrong. The domestic sex industry dwarfs the one for foreigners - it is just much more discrete, without neon and spread all over the place, not so much concentrated on single streets. Thailand has had large-scale prostitution for a very long time. And at least in the foreigner sex zones, the girls are somewhat independent and not held prisoner.

True. 'Don't understand why the it-all-started-with-Americans-during-the-war chorus can never get this. The empty-headed USA hating thing just has an irresistable lure to it I guess.

Boy! Has there been some pretty nasty responces to the original post! While I'm sure that most of the women who sell for a living wouldn't give it up for a ฿3000 a month cleaning house or washing clothes. None the less, what gives any man the right to comment on how any woman makes her living? I'm a man who has lived in Asia for nearly 50 years and I've seen all sort of demeaning jobs handed out to both men and women...selling the body would have to be one of the best, if you have a choice that is!

It has been said that women like Elizabeth Taylor,who married 8 times, was engaged in legalised prostitution...Zaa Zaa Gabor likewise! Do the wowsers on TV critize them?

Please complainers go back to watching your porn and frequenting your dives...let's not forget church!!! IMHO

Thanks for that, I know while it happens in Thailand the whole country is not involved in those activities

Time to quit blaming the entire country for the sex industry, Pattaya only became such during the Vietnam war. in the 1960-1970's

Cheers

Pattaya, yeah, but in case you are thinking that prostitution in Thailand was invented by foreigners, you'd be very wrong. The domestic sex industry dwarfs the one for foreigners - it is just much more discrete, without neon and spread all over the place, not so much concentrated on single streets. Thailand has had large-scale prostitution for a very long time. And at least in the foreigner sex zones, the girls are somewhat independent and not held prisoner.

True. 'Don't understand why the it-all-started-with-Americans-during-the-war chorus can never get this. The empty-headed USA hating thing just has an irresistable lure to it I guess.

Sex for sale and mia noi's was going on in Thailand for hundreds of years before the Viet Nam war.

may be in pattaya it is for tourists but in every town in thailand there is more sex offers for thais or asian people than for tourists,

and who think the girls have a easy live is wrng, 80% are alcoholics or using drugs every day, to be able to <deleted> old tourist,

and there are more than the Isan girls, everywhere all young girls have 1 ore more gigs, to have a good life, to go out, to be able to study,

to get new phone, clothes, make up, this is thai style, husband or boyfriend has no money, than every thai woman is looking for a new man,

this is no problem of bar girls, this is comon in thai sociaty and ever woman do it,

in each village in thailand you have a karaoke house with girls from Laos, Burma, aso, and all thai men go there, in Chiang Mai where i living there work for sure 10 - 20 times more girls in karaoke Bars than in redlight bars for western tourist, easy to find a student like a gf or gig, in CM, most of the girls want a easy life and since they are born they got teached daughter has to take care parents and family, never sons, only girls

Do you honestly believe the girls do it to support their families??

NO, they sell their bodies to get the latest iphone, the newest motorbike and hoping to meet the ultimate sucker, who is going to buy them a house and/or car!

Yes, that is true in some cases, but there are lots of girls working in the bars to support their families, some have left their kids with parents etc, because their husbands have ran off and left them. There is nothing wrong with prostitution as long as no one is forced to do anything against their will and no one gets hurt.

all thai i know avoid thinking about things that don't affect them (being too busy thinking about food anyway).

all thai i know don't care what some ugly (dàm) isaan girl does.

i'm sure they do "judge" but generally they mind their own business and let be.

i've visited local brothels not catering to farang several times (lao girls or shan or 12-pana girls) and my male friends were very friendly and respectfull to the girls. they had a few beers, a good laugh (sanouk), no pampam... i do think quite a few of these girls have a drug problem (yaba) and most i spoke with were not having the time of their life (at all, i know the various asian smiles by now). they support family back home, no glamour in the LOS since they ain't thai.

i think the pattaya type of bargirl is a different league anyway. some enjoy the life (money, freedom, meeting "cool" farang-types, we all know how easily impressed thai girls can be) and others are just victims of a vicious system/circle and live a miserable life.

Edited November 5, 201312 yr by stickylies

I have lived in tourist areas for the past 13 years, Samui, Phuket, Khaolak, Koh Tao, etc....never a shortage of bars or girls fishing for the big catch. I always thought the nightlife just came with the tourist area's until I moved to Samutprakarn 2 years ago. Occasionally I see the odd farang in FoodLand or the shopping malls but this is not a tourist area by any means. Despite that, I can attest that there sure are allot of massive Thai style Karaoke/Massage clubs, VIP lounges, and this that and whaterever else they can dream of...Parts of Theperak Rd. put Samui's nightlife to utter shame!

My Thai buddies all know about these places and many have frequented them in their earlier years. They conclude that allot of relationships spawn from such places. They are like try before you buy matching making clubs.

Seems to be an unwritten side of the culture us farang are not so knowledgebale about.

so siggicm

must be great to have your vast knowledge ,so every Thai woman who has a husband with little money will ditch him for a richer one or turn to prostitution ,amazing you know so much and with a vast array of 45 posts to your name as well

Thanks for that, I know while it happens in Thailand the whole country is not involved in those activities

Time to quit blaming the entire country for the sex industry, Pattaya only became such during the Vietnam war. in the 1960-1970's

Cheers

I'm guessing you are totally unaware of the huge sex industry catering to Thai men ... throughout the entire country. It FAR outweighs the 3 or 4 "In your face" Farang sex ghettos.

Edited November 5, 201312 yr by Fullstop

IMHO Time for Thailand to clean it up!! Thailand's level of prosperity is a lot higher than during the Vietnam era, there are opportunities for young women outside the sex industry...it's all about greed, corruption, and laziness nowadays.

Clean it up if they don't want other countries to look down on them as they do now! The problem, again IMO, is that (generalizing) Thai people will do anything for money, no matter how shady or dishonest, it is deeply embedded in their national psyche, much more so than in other developing countries. That's why Thailand is the brothel of the world, no other reason.

I think you are wrong, the biggest majority of Thais are decent and honest, though I do have reservations about their mentality especially when they are riding or driving.

This happens in every city in the world. Simply more open in someplaces than others. Do gooders, take off the blinkers!!

When they compare the salary of a rice farmer to the salary in a bar,

They look at it as a promotion..

When they compare the salary of a rice farmer to the salary in a bar,

They look at it as a promotion..

My current GF is an ex rice farmer from Roiet. Now she's working/training as a beautician. The ARE other options. Just saying...

Its the same the world over. Education is the key.

If you were sexy enough to make good money selling your body. Would you do it if you were well educated and able to get a well paid professional job?