The Dark Side of Sex in Bangkok

Many Americans see their nation as promoting a sexually permissive society. The entertainment and advertising industries lure customers with images of attractive men and women, and strip clubs abound in American cities. Some religious leaders claim the United States is a moral wasteland. But the U.S. seems puritanical in comparison to Thailand.Calling Bangkok, Thailand, the "sex capital of the world" would be no exaggeration. The streets are filled with prostitutes looking for business, charging just $25 a night. Some tourists visit to sleep with as many partners as possible.

Gay bars and clubs are popular. Pedophiles paying for the services of prostitutes are commonplace. Sex tour operators earn a lucrative income bringing men from the U.S. and Europe to Bangkok.Yet, Bangkok is not a paradise of pleasure for many of its own people. Thailand is an impoverished nation and women succumb to prostitution because they have no other means to earn a living. Parents in rural villages sell their children, who become sex slaves. Drug addictions keep prostitutes dependent upon their pimps. The dark undercurrent of sexual depravity has destroyed the lives of many Thai women.John Mark Karr, a pedophile who falsely confessed to killing JonBenet Ramsey 10 years ago, was also drawn to Bangkok. After her murder, he traveled around the world working as a teacher.

He spent time in Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.Days before his arrest, he successfully applied for a job at a school in Thailand. He worked for two schools in Thailand including Bangkok Christian Academy. He had been fired from both previous teaching jobs in Bangkok. His confession occurred by chance. He was arrested on unrelated sex charges. Now, Thailand's government officials want to reform the image of their country.They must first institute changes in their education system. Schools hire foreign teachers to teach English as a second language (ESL).

Only a few academies do extensive background checks on potential employees. Since some schools lack money, they are desperate to hire any foreigner regardless of their qualifications or criminal backgrounds. The owners place short-term profits above the safety of their students.Jakrapob Penkair, a high-level government official, announced that Thailand currently has lax recruitment procedures; but cabinet ministers will soon meet to discuss whether more regulations are needed.Frank Moore, teacher and moderator of an expatriate Web site described the prevailing environment:"The vast majority is here trying to help the kids, but some are here for sex, booze, and drugs...

It's obvious to me that more than 80 percent of schools here don't do any background checks."Moore explained the two types of teachers in Thailand, "Those who arrive specifically to teach on official work permits and others who are short-term visitors on tourist visas."He noted that short-term visitors pose the greatest threat.A number of foreign teachers come to Thailand to party, and care little about their teaching jobs. Some of them have even started Web sites that critique Bangkok's nightlife. They rank the quality of whorehouses, offer tips on visiting go-go bars, and hold contests for the search for the best prostitute. Some hold chat forums to discuss their sexual exploits or the pros and cons of different strip clubs.

Sex tour operators have also benefited from Bangkok's debauchery. The Ft. Worth Star Telegram interviewed Gunther Frentz, proprietor of G. F. Tours for more than 18 years, who shuttles men looking for sex in Bangkok at $3,000 for a 10-day trip.Frentz claimed that when he started G. F. Tours it was not to promote sex. But his business did not take off until he began marketing the "sex trade" for his foreign visitors.While prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand, the police and brothels maintain a close working relationship. Police demand bribes, kickbacks, and protection money.

If the payments are not forthcoming, the police raid those businesses and arrest the owners. Prostitutes are apprehended to provide free sexual services.Most sex addicts feel at home in Bangkok, and it is difficult to resist the many temptations available all around you. Some people sleep with a different partner every night and husbands who remain faithful to their wives are looked upon as objects of ridicule. Ironically, Thai culture frowns on sexual conversations so hypocrisy becomes the norm. A Thai man who appears straight-laced, spiritual, and family oriented often leads a double life.

They are admired because they are not likely to reveal any secrets, so Thai mistresses and prostitutes do not have to worry about confronting angry wives.Living the life of a sex addict might be enjoyable for some but the consequences can be deadly. Thailand has a high rate of sexually transmitted diseases, prostitutes are exploited, and a few suffer from insanity as their sexual obsessions grab hold of them. Yes, there is a dark side to sex, and it can be found in Bangkok.

By http://english.ohmynews.com/index.asp

Money talks, and brings change...

And that's not to mention the financial investment. Michael estimates around 100 million baht (about US$ 2,6 million) has been ploughed into Patpong by various high-profile operators in the last twelve months alone. While this seems a certain sign that the Patpong story will stretch long into the future, he is adamant this won't just mean more of the same. Asked where he sees Patpong in ten years, paints a very different go-go scene to the current one. "There'll be less flesh, more mystery, and more charm," he predicts. Many of the more ramshackle establishments will make way for stylish, more atmospheric venues, and the 'in your face' girly bars found on Soi 1 will slowly be pushed out or redeveloped.

One of the management staff for the Salasawan, Radio City and Twilight bar, Neal Forest, agrees. "I see Patpong becoming more like Soho in London, with more nice bars and restaurants popping up", he says. "It's changing". He points to the establishment of Patpong's first boutique hotel, The Strand Inn, as another sign that the area is moving upmarket.

Along with this evolution, many tourists will be hoping that the area becomes more palatable to women. Michael admits that in its current incarnation the bluntness of the go-go scene in Patpong unsettles many women, and that "it's not easy" to reassure them. He himself plans to play his part, by opening clubs that move away from the 'meat-shows' and towards a more neutral atmosphere for couples.
Go to the final part, in which we explore Patpong's Fetish Secrets.

by bangkok.com

Fetish Secrets in Patpong

A niche player in this new Patpong landscape might just be BarBar, Michael's recently opened fetish concept club on the corner of Soi 2. Injecting a much needed dose of fantasy into the area, it's a place where customers - men or women - can indulge in nurseplay, Japanese bondage or get a firm hand from a schoolteacher. Unlike the go-go bar, where inert punters just observe in dark corners, customers here are encouraged to be creative, and to actively explore their deepest desires.
Aside from being Patpong's first fetish club it's also notable for its discretion. All the action goes on behind firmly closed Gothic doors, a rare feature in an area where passers-by, even young children, can easily catch glimpses of writhing pole-dancers at work. But, once inside, it certainly couldn't be called tame. On entering I'm greeted by a customer being dragged around on all fours, and later I witness the naughty spectacle that is a show.

During this, one of the girls - clad in PVC corset and stockings - is on all fours and being paraded around on a leash. She's in full character, her tongue lolling side to side, her breath shallow, excitable. Her master walks her roughly around the seating area and right up to the guests. Which - at 19:30, long before things busy up - happens to be me. Another half-naked girl is jostled, chained up in a steel cage and for the next 15 minutes wax dripped provocatively over her body.
Candle wax and whips cracking...
"We spend more money on candles than electricity" whispers Michael proudly, just loud enough for me to hear above the barks and the sounds of whips cracking. The subject of our attention is either a natural slave, or a gifted actress. He tells me that BDSM (bondage, domination, sado-masochism) often doesn't come naturally to Thai people.

However, while many are initially shy, they open up to it once they discover that this whole subculture exists - and is very popular - around the world. "We find that some are natural dominatrix (masters), while others are natural submissives. Some can even move between both roles," he says.
I'm suddenly distracted. A girl is sniffing at my feet and then starts to lick at my heels. He's right, Patpong is definitely changing.

by bangkok.com

Go-Go shopping after dark bangkok

In fact, because of the Patpong Night Market the area's seedy edge has been softened considerably. At night the area teems with tourists and backpackers shopping for that illusive bargain. Some pretend to look interested in the fake Gucci handbags before temptation gets the better of them and they venture inside to witness one of the famous shows they've heard so much about. If you go for this it pays to be careful; while now rare, there have been reports of tourists being ripped off (especially when buying a drink for one of the 'hostesses') and clobbered with hefty bills after heading upstairs into one of the bars.

Also, if you plan to hijack one of the girls for a raunchy rendevous, it's advisable too to take good care of personal belongings once you've paid the 'bar fine'. However, whatever your take is on the Go-Go Bar scene, there's no denying that Patpong is still far safer than your average Western city centre. It's very well policed - there's a tourist police office at the end of the road, and CCTV cameras - and you'll find entire families nonchalantly walking around during market hours.

by bangkok.com

Bangkok Travel and Transport

Bangkok is city with many means of transportation, the standard bus and taxi of course are always available, and you can also travel by two rail methods, the elevated BTS sky train which was has been described as giving a 'Bladerunner' feel to the neon lit city at night and the relatively new MRTA metro subway system which promises to put Bangkok firmly in place as a modern city. On top of all this you can travel around Bangkok by boat along the main Chao Phraya River and by the canals with one of its surprisingly fast Canal boats which gives a great eye opening view of Bangkok’s waterside life with people still using the canals for their daily needs.
Getting around a country whose capital city is described as having some of the worst traffic jams in the world can be awkward at first, but with time and experience you can learn how to avoid the worst of the rush hour traffic and choose the quickest and easiest method of transport every time. It's not simply a matter of having a map of Bangkok and knowing where A and B is and jumping into a taxi as often during peak rush hour this is the slowest form of transport and a Canal boat or the subway / sky train will serve you much better.

Bangkok

Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (IPA: [kruŋtʰeːp mahaːnakʰɔn], กรุงเทพมหานคร or Krung Thep (กรุงเทพฯ) for short, is the capital and largest city in Thailand, with an official year 2000 census population of 6,355,144, but actually numbering at least twice that.[citation needed] Bangkok is located at 13°45′N 100°31 ECoordinates: 13°45′N 100°31′E, on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, near the Gulf of Thailand.
Bangkok is the 22ed most populous city in the world. Although Bangkok now has roughly 7 million registered inhabitants, the actual population is much higher, and including commuters from the surrounding areas, may reach an estimated 10-15 million people during the day time. Recently, the value of Bangkok's economic output has matched that of Singapore, making Bangkok a major economic and financial center in Southeast Asia. Bangkok has one of the fastest rates in the world for construction of high rise buildings. The city's wealth of cultural sites makes it one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.