Home to prostitutes or sex slaves??
After reading this book..
I decided to follow a few of the leads that the author brought to my attention. These being that the majority of prostitutes that provided a service for Thai men in the provinces were doing it because they absolutely have no other choice, and are infact bought and paid for 'sex slaves'.
I started my research here in Issan and approached the supposed house of ill repute with cunning and vital stealth, but was quick to notice that the local clientele were doing far from this..strolling in, chests out, heads held high and balls, of course, hanging low. From the outside, this den of sordid filth, looked rather quaint and hospitable. Nice brick work on the outside, rather than the usual concrete shite and some nice wooden lattice type windows..although the entrance was small and very discrete.
So, in without a hitch and I take the place in. I note around 10 or so local chaps milling about the place, sipping beer or pepsi and checking out the merchandise..to the left side of the room there is a poorly stocked bar, containing large bottles of Chang or Singha beer only. About 20 girls..(and I mean girls, some of them look as young as 15) are busy pouring drinks and exchanging what is no doubt 'sexy chit-chat' with the punters...at the back of the room the boss (mama-san) is overseeing every single transaction that takes place. Not one single setang escapes her grip...she, after all, is the owner.
I order a beer and before I can take a sip a young lady of around 20 walks lazily in my direction and starts 'flirting' with me with all the conviction of a diabetic dung beetle..the feeble rubbing of the bollocks failed to stir..for this lady was to be the subject of some rigorous questionng by yours truly.
I invited her to sit down and take a drink, before I whipped out my notepad and pen..first things first..Where was she from? As I expected, Mae Sai..right on the Burmese border..Next question, how long had she been involved in her current occupation and how old was she?...6 years and 22 years respectively..hmm sold into the game in her mid teens..
Further questioning..how long have you been here and how long are you planning on staying..6 months in the current brothel and no idea when she'll ever leave.
Because thorough research is required for such an investigation, when she invited me to see her dwellings I had to accept. I was lead up a set of stairs onto the first floor, where we passed many rooms on the left and right side of the corridor. Her room was at the end..and it really was her room..she had posters of her favourite pop stars all over the room, but very little else..still this was her private space and it would be breached 10's of times a day by randy old bastards stinking of lau kau...so it made a nice change for her having a fat white cnut stinking of beer in the place, I could tell..
Anyway..I left the place 500bt lighter but contents of sack still very much intact...
The quest will continue...
Pics will follow..
At some stage..