A young girl working as a Thai prostitute shares her story

[Nautilus]

Interview by Kate McGeown, BBC News, Bangkok.

Life as a Thai sex worker

Bangkok is a notorious destination for sex tourism. But the lives of many of the city's sex workers are full of danger, disease and the urgent need to send money home. Pim, who recently left her job in a go-go bar, has a typical story.
"I grew up in the countryside in Phetchabun, northern Thailand. My parents were farmers and I helped them in the fields. We were poor but we always had enough to get by.

When I was about 15, my family fell apart. My father always drank a lot, but it became worse and worse, and he started becoming violent. So my mother, sister and I moved out.
I wanted to study to become a nurse, but when my parents split up I had to leave school and find work as a day labourer, harvesting crops for local farmers. I didn't like it much, and it only paid 100 baht ($3) a day. At about that time a good friend moved to Bangkok, and when she came back to visit she told me she was earning a lot of money there as a waitress.

There was gossip in the village that she was doing something other than waitressing, as she was sending 10,000 baht ($300) home a month, but she always denied it.

She asked me to come with her, but at the time I was still 16 and too scared. A few years later, though - when I had given birth to my daughter, and my husband and I had separated - I changed my mind.
I left the baby in Phetchabun with my mother, and told her I needed to earn some money in Bangkok. But I didn't tell her what I was doing - I still haven't. She'd be so ashamed.
'Can I do this?'
When my friend took me to a bar in Nana Plaza for the first time, I was really shocked. I'd never been to a place like that before, and at the beginning I didn't even know what the dancers were doing.
When I finally realized, I couldn't take it and I walked out of the bar. I kept thinking 'Can I really do this?'
Initially I decided to work there just serving drinks, but the dancers earned a lot more money, and eventually I agreed to do that too. For the first month, the bar owners allow girls to get their full salary even if they just work as dancers. But after that you have to meet a quota of at least 10 customers a month, or your wages will be cut.


My first customer was a Western man in his 30s. It was scary and I really didn't like it, but I just kept thinking about the money.
I couldn't wait for him to leave, and when he did I had a shower for a very long time. I started crying, and thought about what my parents would think if they knew what I was doing.
None of my customers ever asked me about my life; they didn't care. There was one time a guy asked me if I was okay, but I didn't know what to say, so I just looked away.
While I was working in the bars, I was often worried about disease, and also about safety. Some girls earned extra by going out of the bars with the men, but I always used a room upstairs as I was too scared of the risks involved.
My friend once went with a guy to his hotel room, and found lots of other men there too. She wouldn't tell me what happened after that, but she was shaking for a long time when she got back home.
I also had some scary experiences myself. One time a Japanese man followed me all the way home at the end of the night, and he kept screaming at me.
Taxi drivers can also be threatening to bar girls, and we would only dare go home in groups.
Looking forward
Despite these problems, new girls often arrive. Many customers prefer children or young girls, and the bar owners always encouraged us to recruit teenagers from our home villages. Even though I got used to it in some ways, I always hated working in the bars. I made some good friends but there was nothing good about the life I was leading.

I felt good about sending money home, but I didn't feel good about myself. Soon I was getting penalized as I wasn't getting enough customers.

That's when a friend of mine told me about Nightlight [a Christian charity offering training and employment for former sex workers, through a jewellery-making business].
Since I've started working there, my life is so much better. I don't earn as much as I did in the bars, but it's worth it, and people here listen to me and care for me.
I've now got the opportunity to look forward in life. I want to finish school, and study accounting, so I'll be able to pay for my daughter to have a good life.
I wish I had never become a sex worker. I think some foreign men think it's okay to pay for sex here in Thailand, as they think the girls actually want to do this. But these men don't understand that most of us have no choice - we're just trying to earn money for our families, and waiting for a chance to leave.

[MrDK]

While there are stories both to the left and to the right, this is so typical BBC (or most new organizations for that matter), select to story you want and make sure you don't paint the whole picture.

There are many girls that don't like what they are doing, and there are many that have a lot of fun. You will never read about the second group. Lastly, the number that exit through a Christian group is absolutely minimal, hence BBC went there to look for the interviewee.

[K2]

Originally Posted by Nautilus

I think some foreign men think it's okay to pay for sex here in Thailand, as they think the girls actually want to do this. But these men don't understand that most of us have no choice - we're just trying to earn money for our families, and waiting for a chance to leave.

Would accept that this is a true synopsis of 80%+ of the girls in the bar/naughty nightlife scene, but they (the media) focus on the farang element - what is hardly ever mentioned is the by far much larger number of girls that cater to the locals and other asians and which the girls work in much worse conditions, often are much younger, tied to the house, indebted etc etc.

[stevem]

As soon as I saw the reporter was female, I knew what it would be focused on.

[fun2have]

the bbc site did show, that most sex workers are working in thai focused industry.
but as 1 sided as usual.

they never seem to talk about the hard core girls, who love the money and the life.

[perverted1]

oooohh. that was such a pitiful story. as usual they manage to portray bargirls as the victims and the mongers as the bullies. never mind the fact that many mongers are just as victimized by bargirls as bargirls are by mongers. what about our broken hearts? our financial exploitation? i wanted to marry this one bargirl. she broke my heart and all she wanted was my money. where is the sympathy for me? men just gotta have sex. i really don't understand how they're being victimized anyways. i mean, if she's having sex with her husband, why does she feel so bad about having sex with a falang in bangkok?

[Oasis]

Originally Posted by perverted1

: men just gotta have sex. i really don't understand how they're being victimized anyways. i mean, if she's having sex with her husband, why does she feel so bad about having sex with a falang in bangkok?

Man you dont understand Thai's at all..............

Whoring is not the same as having a loving relationship with your husband/wife. Sure you have your hardcore tg's who love it but you also have tg's who do it because they dont have any other options..........

Mate there are plenty of bad farangs who go to LOS to exploite the woman working in the sex trade.

This story is very general. Another example of reporting to make $$$$

[perverted1]

Originally Posted by Oasis

Man you dont understand Thai's at all..............

Whoring is not the same as having a loving relationship with your husband/wife. Sure you have your hardcore tg's who love it but you also have tg's who do it because they dont have any other options..........

Mate there are plenty of bad farangs who go to LOS to exploite the woman working in the sex trade.

This story is very general. Another example of reporting to make $$$$

i dont understand how it's not the same as a loving relationship. they boom boom their husband and it's ok with them, but when they boom boom a falang customer it's as if they're about to eat a chocolate covered cockroach. and you say that men go to thailand to exploit women? of course they go to expoit them. the costs back home are outrageous and exploitive. i would have never gotten laid if i hadnt gone to thailand. isnt' that cruel to deny me that experience?

[Oasis]

Mate I think you have no idea!!!

How can you say that having sex with your partner is the same as having sex with someone you just met 30 minutes ago in a bar. Are you ***ked up or what? And maybe you are a chocolate covered cockroach and thats your problem........

I said *some* men go to thailand to exploit woman. Its all about respect and obvoiusly you have none

[Oasis]

correction: many & some is same same to me 55555

I've taken your bait perveted1 and now you can go and get rooted
ya maggot!

[LivinLOS]

Originally Posted by perverted1

i dont understand how it's not the same as a loving relationship. they boom boom their husband and it's ok with them, but when they boom boom a falang customer it's as if they're about to eat a chocolate covered cockroach. and you say that men go to thailand to exploit women? of course they go to expoit them. the costs back home are outrageous and exploitive. i would have never gotten laid if i hadnt gone to thailand. isnt' that cruel to deny me that experience?

Your posts have been from bad to worse..

'deny you that experience' 'of course you exploit women'

Sadly this is the reason articles like this have some basis in fact.

[LivinLOS]

Originally Posted by perverted1

the costs back home are outrageous and exploitive. i would have never gotten laid if i hadnt gone to thailand. isnt' that cruel to deny me that experience?

Are you actually saying you have never had purely consenual non monetary sex ?? Or only that you were a virgin the first time ??

[ATMwalking]

Originally Posted by fun2have

they never seem to talk about the hard core girls, who love the money and the life.

Seems that the TV show Lost is on the bandwagon this week as well (did some screen caps on another thread). I'll watch it tonight. I'd be surprised if it wasn't same old same old.

Agree with you. There are some that really love the life and that's ok. But they'll never talk about it.

[perverted1]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Are you actually saying you have never had purely consenual non monetary sex ?? Or only that you were a virgin the first time ??

nonmonetary sex? what is that? i've always paid for sex.

[LivinLOS]

Back under your bridge troll..

[Sabajjto]

When a poor Thaigirl makes a choice to go into prostitution, everybody's
supposed to feel sadened, and she's so exploited etc etc.

But why doesn't anybody make a "look tung" version, of the poor falang boyfriends story also ?.

I mean the ones that actually came to support a girl, and then got screwed, both financially and emotionally.
It's not every tg/bg that finds "salvation" in christian charitys.
I think the most prevalent exit strategy out of the "trade", is with a guy.
There must be literally thousands of good examples of that.
Despite that,
The sextourist always gets treated like a clubbed seal in the west.


There's always 2 sides of a coin.

[Coolhand]

Originally Posted by Sabajjto

The sextourist always gets treated like a clubbed seal in the west.

Unfortunately, the sextourist is not the only one tarred with the same brush. Many people from the 'west', who go and set up home in Thailand, and try and live a normal life, and maybe even start a business, regular folks like are seen by many, small minded people to be Gary Glitters who only live in Thailand for one thing.

Now, although this article may have some valid points to make, all it does, in reality is to re-inforces the prejudices of people who like to judge everyone who goes to Thailand, as perverted mongers.

[RobRoy]

Originally Posted by Coolhand

Unfortunately, the sextourist is not the only one tarred with the same brush. Many people from the 'west', who go and set up home in Thailand, and try and live a normal life, and maybe even start a business, regular folks like are seen by many, small minded people to be Gary Glitters who only live in Thailand for one thing.

Now, although this article may have some valid points to make, all it does, in reality is to re-inforces the prejudices of people who like to judge everyone who goes to Thailand, as perverted mongers.

Right on, CH. I don't even bother to comment now when people here jump to conclusions. Germany is full of service girls of many nationalities, including Thai. If I wanted sex with a Thai there are 2 knocking shops behind my local shopping centre with some charmers (I have been known to take my pleasure there on odd occasions). Why would I buy a ticket to LOS only to get what I can get here? Most of this attitude is from people who've never even been there and are never likely to go but the coverage of LOS on TV here is almost invariably negative with the same tired old footage from the sleazy sides about poor exploited girls and fat, depraved, drunken farangs. As if that's all there is to see there. Sad, isn't it?

[LOSdelights]

Originally Posted by K2

Would accept that this is a true synopsis of 80%+ of the girls in the bar/naughty nightlife scene, but they (the media) focus on the farang element - what is hardly ever mentioned is the by far much larger number of girls that cater to the locals and other asians and which the girls work in much worse conditions, often are much younger, tied to the house, indebted etc etc.

Agreed, but it's more in the interest of Western readers to read about something with a Western element ie. The Western tourists exploiting the thai girls rather than the Thai locals exploiting the thai locals.

I really can't see the point in that article though- it just doesnt do anything for Thailand or tourism there. The extra little nail in the coffin was the talk about the bars and their customers liking children- thats just bollox.

[RobRoy]

Originally Posted by LOSdelights

Agreed, but it's more in the interest of Western readers to read about something with a Western element ie. The Western tourists exploiting the thai girls rather than the Thai locals exploiting the thai locals.

I really can't see the point in that article though- it just doesnt do anything for Thailand or tourism there. The extra little nail in the coffin was the talk about the bars and their customers liking children- thats just bollox.

I like children, and I mean like! I work with quite young kids on study tours and school exchanges. I'm pleased to report that the German authorities are extremely stringent on vetting anyone professionally involved with juveniles and not many wrong 'uns slip through the net. They even asked for permission to check out my background in England and other countries where I've worked. Do the Thais do this with teachers?
P.S. I've got my 5 year old grandson staying with me while his parents get lives. As I'm convalescing, I've been chosen for the honour. The little git is driving me out of my tree.

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by Sabajjto

When a poor Thaigirl makes a choice to go into prostitution, everybody's
supposed to feel sadened, and she's so exploited etc etc.

The ones we should be feeling sorry for are the girls who are still working in the fields for 100 Baht a day. But why is the media not doing their story? Why is the Christian NGO not helping them out. It was totally to her advantage to become a BG, not just to make the good money, but it also enabled her to gt training and support to better her life. The Christians are rewarding her for the choice she made to go to BKK and prostitute herself. They are not helping the day laborer girls. She was of age, and fully knew what she was getting into. She was obviously not cut out for the BG life, and girls like her don't last. But nobody forced her. She could have just as easily stayed in the rice field as many do. Not all are pretty enough to even have a choice!! They are the ones who are forced, forced to work as day laborers! She was lucky to have a choice to work as a BG.

[whuakito]

Originally Posted by stevem

As soon as I saw the reporter was female, I knew what it would be focused on.

there would be no difference, if it was a male,it will always be a one side story. I also wish I didn't read it today.