EXCERPT: Patpong Sisters

An American Woman's View of the Bangkok Sex World

by Cleo Odzer

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The Children's Rights Protection Center estimated that two million females in Thailand earned their living from prostitution, including 800,000 children under sixteen. During the year of my study, 1988, men poured into Thailand from all parts of the world. Some ethnic groups had their own areas, so the women specialized in certain people. Those working in the Arab sections learned to speak Arabic. Others focused on French or Japanese or, if they worked the cargo dock, perhaps Burmese. In Bangkok, two main areas targeted Westerners, Soi Cowboy and Patpong. Thais called Westerners--Americans, Europeans, Australians, Israelis, etc.--farangs.

Many male farangs who resided in Thailand were there because of the bar girl scene and because of the way they were treated as royalty. They viewed Thailand as a paradise for foreign men. One morning in my apartment building, while reading the English language newspaper that the building kept in the lounge downstairs, I overheard two journalist neighbors--one Australian, one English, both male--tell a joke.

"This farang dies and goes to heaven," said the English neighbor with the sports section resting on his knee. "He arrives at the pearly gates and Saint Peter is there checking the book. 'My, my, you've led an exemplary life' says Saint Peter. 'And because you've been so good, we're going to grant you all the wishes you want. What do you fancy?' 'I have only one wish,' the farang answers. 'Send me back to Thailand. I want to live in Thailand forever.' 'Very well,' Saint Peter says. And presto! the man gets his wish. He's back in Thailand. But guess what! He is reincarnated as a Thai man!"

"A THAI! Bloody hell!" The two farangs laughed and made agony faces. "Poor sod!" Ho ho ho.

The see-through lace barely reached her crotch, leaving her legs bare as they pressed against mine... I felt overwhelmed by naked female flesh.

I pretended to be absorbed in my newspaper. I couldn't join their merriment, for as a Western female I'd been excluded. They didn't regard me with any more esteem than they had for Thai men. Western men often used the notion of Thailand as a foreign male's sexual utopia to needle Western women. The number of female farangs living in Thailand was far smaller than that of males, and farang men treated them as outsiders who didn't belong. "What are YOU doing here?" was the men's attitude to me, whether spoken with a chuckle or implied; it served to perpetuate the idea of Thailand as "For Men Only."

"Pussy Write Letter Show? You want see? I take you," the tout offered again. He'd followed me the entire length of the block.

Well, why not? I thought. I'd have to do this eventually. Why not take the first step? Here was the opportunity to set forth on my task. Studying Patpong could also be a way to retaliate against Western men. By becoming an expert on Patpong, I'd be invading their privileged territory. If I could know everything about prostitution on Patpong, I could make it mine too.

"Okay," I said to the tout with determination. I'd found the well of motivation I needed to start the research, only it wasn't fueled so much by courage as by pique. "Show me."

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