Maria:
In Thailand there are three red light districts; Soi Cowboy ,Nana Plaza and PatPong, all filled with bright lights, neon signs, bars, restaurants and crowds of locals and tourists. There are “go-go’s”, “sex complex’s” and “ladyboy bars”; which attract anyone who is looking to hire a woman for pleasure. Prostitution is not officially illegal in Thailand however, they regulate and monitor solicitation of prostitution. Unlike the floating world discussed in Saikaku’s Life of a Sensuous Woman, people come to Thailand’s red light district for one night stands rather than looking for temporary wives. Women are sometimes forced to sell themselves in the red light district at a very young age, similar to the sensuous woman. Some women decide to engage and work in the red light district by choice and do not hide the fact that they are selling themselves for sex or pleasure but are standing outside bars and restaurants looking for business. Prostitution has impacted Thailand by attracting tourism. The benefits to the prostitutes include physical money however the liabilities can often exceed the money such as their safety and health.
Tara:
Thailand’s red district consists of young women and sometimes teenage girls performing sexual acts in exchange for money. The women often work in bars and provide entertainment for tourists, however some engage in relationships for extra compensation. Although many insist these women are well off because they make good money in this profession, there is also a significant amount of violence associated with prostitution in Thailand. Many women become involved with gangs which then leads to violence and sometimes death. Although prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand, government officials can be easily paid off in order to continue with business. Unlike the woman in Saikaku’s Life of a Sensuous Woman, these women have no intentions of falling in love with the men they engage with. Some women even end up marrying the men they meet at the bars, however they rarely develop feelings nor do they yearn to. The narrator in Sensuous Woman was always looking for love and confused many of her relationships with being in love.
Nicole:
Continuing what both Tara and Maria have sex. Thailand is known for their red light district in Bangkok. There is one specific red-light district that is in Patpong, Bangkok. This specific red light district is primarily targeted to foreigners in tourists. This is one thing I found interesting. Being that these types of places are looked down on in some other countries, Thailand saw this as an opportunity to bring business into their country. As Tara mentioned, Thailand’s red light districts include go-go dancers as well as nude women doing stunts. Customers are also able to pay a “ bar fine” to take dancers home with them. In patpong there is also a market where they offer souvenirs, gifts and clothes. The individuals working in these red light districts are usually early-late teens. Some are also forced into service and have very little authority in their services. There is also a movie called “Bakara” that shows some of these women.
5 responses so far ↓
j.guzman3 // Mar 2nd 2017 at 9:08 pm
“Prostitution has impacted Thailand by attracting tourism. The benefits to the prostitutes include physical money however the liabilities can often exceed the money such as their safety and health.” This usually the case with Red Light District cities. Because of its almost “lawless” air it breeds debauchery such as trafficking, sex trade, etc. Yet often the case, as highlighted by the quote it still attracts tourism. De Wallem, Amsterdam’s very own red light district is the main attraction of the country habitually overshadowing its other qualities.
j.yatcha // Mar 2nd 2017 at 11:18 pm
Maria and Nicole mentioned that these red light districts don’t only bring business to the prostitute herself but have begun to influence tourism. This simple transaction of sex for money has had global ramifications and has had the power to influence a whole country’s economy. I think this really goes to show how one action can move and have ramifications on many other seemingly unrelated subjects.
p.cheung // Mar 3rd 2017 at 2:56 am
This was very interesting to read about. When someone asks me about Thailand, the only thing that came to my mind was that it was filled with beautiful islands and beaches. Prostitution was definitely not something that I thought was such a big thing for tourists there. I’ve watched many travel videos about Thailand because it is somewhere I’d like to visit soon and all the information that I saw were about the monkeys and how cheap it was to eat and stay. Reading what this group has said about its red light districts definitely opened my eyes about the what brings some tourists to Thailand.
j.devine // Mar 3rd 2017 at 10:11 am
I enjoyed how this group implemented Life of a Sensuous Woman into their research of Thailand’s Red Light Districts. Reading your pieces, I noticed that Thailand definitely has different aspects than the Saikaku’s writings on prostitution, maybe because of the difference in time periods and cultural backgrounds. I also found it interesting how you guys mentioned that Thailand has made prostitution into a market for a major source of income for their country. Because of this aspect though, I could see how this would cause a sense of pressure to become engaged in the work to the women who are in poverty there. Being that it is a good source of money for the owners of these prosutition rings, I also wonder how much crime might be involved in Thailand’s prositution industry and whether or not Thailand’s government does anything to control this.
sh125650 // Mar 3rd 2017 at 12:37 pm
After read this group’s post, i knew a lot of information about Thailand Red Light District. In Thailand, night life is one of the biggest business for attracting tourists. I had been to Thailand last year, Bangkok’s nightlife is quite safe to visit, and all of th e Thai really respect their king. After the death of the king, Thailand’s red light district turns black, had shut down business and limited the sale of alcohol, empty streets and shops closed for business. That is real one Country’s culture.
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