A
confused title to this week’s book review, with Angels of Pattaya (ISBN
978-1-908518-09-5, Maverick House, 2012) not really the sole province of
Pattaya’s angels, but also shared by Bangkok and Phuket, and countless
“Thai” venues throughout the country. In fact 75 percent of the first
interviews are with girls from anywhere but Pattaya.
The concept of the book is to reveal the inner thoughts of the Thai bar
girls, or those in the flesh trade in its many different forms from massage
parlors, go-go dancers, service girls from the bars and freelancers who find
their marks in the discos.
All the interviewees have the same story - pregnant early, abusive “husband”
who runs away, the children are raised by their grandparents, and the girl
sends B. 5,000 every month to her mother to look after the children. Most do
not want to return to village life (and their children) but want to stay in
Bangkok or Pattaya where the life is more exciting.
The ones who are drug addicts have the standard ‘drug excuses’ and they are
only involved in prostitution because life has been so hard for them. The
readers may have sympathy for some of the girls interviewed, but it would be
misplaced with the addicts.
Money is for all of them, their god, and undoubtedly they can make money in
amounts far greater than they could working as maids or in factories. Even
in the massage parlors, the masseuse gets B. 500 from each customer and then
solicits for tips on top. They admit to four or five men a day, which means
they potentially are bringing in up to B. 60,000 plus tips each month. Who
would want to work in a factory, even with the new basic wage of B. 300 a
day?
The pervading feeling as you read the book is just how shallow these girls
are. They are really not the stereotype of the abused young girl forced to
run away from home and unable to earn enough money any other way. These
girls are in it for the money. “This is what I do,” is said more than once.
Wise words from one, “I hope farang read this book. I want to tell them if
they want to meet a Thai lady for a girlfriend or wife, better you go to a
nice place and meet different kind of girl. But that other girl maybe do not
want sex right away. Wait, tell the girl okay, just for the movie or eating
dinner. If only want sex, okay, then girl from bar is better. We work for
money, not for love.”
It has often been said that every newbie to Thailand should read Stephen
Leather’s “Private Dancer” to get an idea of the wholesale sex business and
those who work within it. Angels of Pattaya with its collection of stories,
which quite frankly become boring with the repetition, should probably be
added to the newbie’s list. Literary voyeurism might describe this better.
A slim volume and the RRP is B. 460, so less than most of the girls “short
time” charges.
