Contents:
- A GUI TO BANGKOK'S RED LIGHT DISTRICTS SOI COWBOY | ©GWOEII / SHUTTERSTOCK LLIE FLAY 24 DECEMBER 2019 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT RECENT MENTS OM GAMBIA’S TOURISM MISTER UNTENTNALLY SHONE THE TERNATNAL SPOTLIGHT ON A HHED AND ILLIC DTRY THAT HAS BUBBLED BENEATH THE SURFACE THAILAND FOR CENTURI. “WE ARE NOT A SEX STATN,” MISTER HAMAT BAH TOLD GAMBIA’S FREEDOM NEWSPAPER A JANUARY TERVIEW URGG VISORS TO NOT E TO THE WTERN AIN NATN UNR SUCH PRETENS. “IF YOU WANT A SEX STATN, YOU GO TO THAILAND.” VIEW ALL TRIPS IT WAS THE LATTER REMARK THAT LNCHED A FLURRY OF DIPLOMATIC MEMOS THAT RULTED THE ERNMENT’S FORMAL APOLOGY TO THE KGDOM, AND PROMPTED THAILAND’S OFFICIAL TOURISM BODY TO GO ON THE RERD THAT “STRONGLY OPPOS ANY FORM OF SEX TOURISM.” TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP JAPAN GREECE INDIA MEXI CROATIA SOUTH AI ECUADOR TURKEY SPA BALI MOROC ICELAND EGYPT THAILAND OPPOSED OR NOT, THAILAND’S SEX TOURISM DTRY IS VALUED AT $6.4 BILLN A YEAR REVENUE AS OF 2015, SPE OF S GG ILLEGALY. EXPERTS WARN THAT THE DTRY HAS BEEN SO TOLERATED THAT IS TODAY EPLY ENTRENCHED, AND EFFORTS AT REGULATN SHOULD BE ATTEMPTED LI OF TOTAL SHUTDOWN. SUDN RTRICTNS, THEY CLAIM, WILL LIKELY MOVE THE DTRY UNRGROUND, CREASG RISKS LIKE DISEASE, D, AND EXPLOATN AMONG BOTH WORKERS AND PATRONS ALIKE AND ULD ENURAGE HUMAN TRAFFICKG. REGARDLS OF WHERE YOU STAND ON THE ISSUE, THE SEX TOURISM DTRY THAILAND IS A SIGNIFINT, IF TANGENTIAL, PONENT OF THAILAND’S VIBRANT HISTORY, AND ALL ROADS LEAD TO BANGKOK – HOME TO THE MOST ACTIVE RED LIGHT DISTRICTS THE LAND OF S. MAJESTIC TURKEY TRAVEL OM THE BAZAARS OF ISTANBUL TO THE BETIFUL BEACH OF ANTALYA. VIEW TRIP SEX TOURISM THAILAND THE AYUTTHAYA KGDOM THRIVED ACROSS SIAM OM 1351 – 1767 AND AT THE TIME WAS THE LARGT AND WEALTHIT TRADG CENTRE THE EAST. ITS EMENCE AS AN TERNATNAL HUB HELPED POPULARIZE A SEX TOURISM TRA VERY EARLY ON, AS WISPREAD PROSTUTN WAS LEGAL AND TAXED PRIMARILY THROUGH STATE-N BROTHELS. THE VELOPMENT OF THIS DTRY PERSISTED THROUGH THE VIETNAM WAR WHEN THAILAND BEME THE GO-TO STATN FOR MANY AMERIN SOLDIERS ON R&R, ENURAGG THE GROWTH OF GO-GO BARS. THAILAND’S LONG-PERVADG BUDDHISM ALSO PLAYED A ROLE THIS TREND. STRICT TERPRETATN OF BUDDHIST DOCTRE PLAC WOMEN AS LSER NTRIBUTORS TO SOCIETY, AND CULTURALLY CHILDREN ARE TASKED WH TAKG RE OF AGG PARENTS. WHILE THIS STIGMA HAS EASED TODAY, THE PRSURE FOR WOMEN TO ACHIEVE FANCIAL STABILY FOR THEMSELV OR THEIR FAI HELPED NORMALIZE THE DTRY OVER TIME. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. THEN UNR PRSURE OM THE UNED NATNS, THE THAI ERNMENT FORMALLY LED PROSTUTN ILLEGAL 1960 THROUGH A POLICY LATER REPLACED BY THE PREVENTN AND SUPPRSN OF PROSTUTN ACT OF 1996. THE ACT ACKNOWLEDGED THE ILLEGALY OF PROSTUTN JURE, BUT WAS WRTEN WH SPECIFIC EMPHASIS TO CRIMALIZE CHILD PROSTUTN AND TRAFFICKG, AND WOULD ONLY OCSNALLY POLICE THE OPERATN OF OTHER VENU AND ACTIVY TERG TO “SEXPATS” AND TOURISTS. SOI COWBOY, BANGKOK, THAILAND | ©ADAM SELWOOD/FLICKR INTO THE 21ST CENTURY BANGKOK’S MOST PROMENT RED LIGHT DISTRICTS CLU SOI COWBOY, NANA PLAZA, PATPONG, AND SOI TWILIGHT – ALL ADJACENT TO ONE ANOTHER THE CENTRE OF THE CY. THE WORKERS ARE TYPILLY WOMEN HAILG OM RAL AREAS OF THE UNTRY THAT MOVED TO THE CY TO FD WORK, BUT WH LIMED TN AND THE ABSENCE OF OTHER CRENTIALS REQUIRED THE CREASGLY GLOBALIZED CY, TAKE WHAT WORK THEY N GET. THE DISTRICTS BOAST WELL-KNOWN AND OFTEN HIGH-END TABLISHMENTS THAT ARE NOT THE PRODUCT OF ILLEGAL TRAFFICKG OR FORCED WORKERS – THEIR HIGH PUBLIC VISIBILY GREATLY RC SUCH A PRENCE, ALONG WH THE WATCHFUL EYE OF THE STATE, SELF EAGER TO AVOID TERNATNAL BACKLASH FOR SUCH ETHIL VLATNS. SOI COWBOY, BANGKOK, THAILAND | ©WRY2010/FLICKR PATPONG THIS AREA OF SILOM IS WHERE GO-GO BARS FIRST GAED POPULARY DURG THE VIETNAM WAR ERA, AND TODAY S TWO MA STREETS – PATPONG SOI 1 AND PATPONG SOI 2 – REMA A HUGE ATTRACTN FOR VISORS CUR ABOUT THE CY’S ILLIC NIGHTLIFE. THE MOST FAMO TABLISHMENTS CLU KG’S CASTLE I AND II, KNOWN FOR S MOSTLY POST-OP TRANSSEXUAL PERFORMERS, AND BARBAR FETISH CLUB, THE AREA’S MORE, LET’S SAY, NICHE, GO-GO BAR. THE SAFARI BAR BRGS WANRG TOURISTS WH S BLARG OLDI CLASSICS OM THE LIK OF ELVIS OR THE BEATL, WHILE THIGH BAR IS A TOURIST-IENDLY STAPLE WH SOME OF THE LOWER DRK PRIC AVAILABLE. PATPONG | ©PONGMOJI / SHUTTERSTOCK NANA PLAZA IN THE EARLY 1990S, PATPONG TRODUCED A POPULAR NIGHT MARKET. THE NEIGHBORHOOD’S NEWFOUND FAY-IENDLS CHANGED S LATE-NIGHT ATMOSPHERE, AND TH “THE WORLD’S LARGT ADULT PLAYGROUND” EMERGED NEARBY NANA PLAZA. THIS THREE-STORY PLEX HAS A RNIVAL-LIKE ATMOSPHERE AND HO DOZENS OF GO-GO CLUBS AND KATHOEY, OR “LADYBOY” BARS, ALONG WH SEVERAL SHORT-TERM HOTELS THAT RENT ROOMS BY THE HOUR. ANGEL WCH IS KNOWN FOR S GRANDSE THEMED ROCK SHOWS, AND BILLBOARD AGOGO BAR FEATUR A HIGH-ENERGY ATMOSPHERE ON S ROTATG DANCE FLOOR AND A JACUZZI TO BOOT, WHILE CASANOVA IS KNOWN TO BE A MORE RELAXED HANGOUT. THE GROUND FLOOR LEVEL HAS TONS OF OPEN-AIR BARS AND AN ALMOST PUB-LIKE ATMOSPHERE, PLETE WH SPORTS BROADSTS, LIVE MIC, AND PLENTY OF PEOPLE WATCHG. NANA PLAZA, BANGKOK, THAILAND | ©MARK FISCHER/FLICKR SOI COWBOY EMERGG POPULARY AROUND THE SAME TIME AS NANA PLAZA, THIS AREA WAS NAMED AFTER A WBOY HAT-WEARG AIN-AMERIN WHO OPENED THE FIRST BAR BACK THE 1970S. TODAY, THE NEON-SOAKED ENERGY N BE TIMIDATG, BUT THE BARS – SOME 30+ OF THEM – HAVE AN OVERALL GOOD REPUTATN AND LOW CINCE OF SMS. LIVE MIC SHOWS EMBRACE CUR VISORS AS THEY ENTER THE MA STREET, AND POPULAR TABLISHMENTS CLU SIE WONGS, FAMO FOR S BODY PATG, TILAC BAR, BACRA, AND THE EPONYMO CRAZY HOE. SOI COWBOY | ©PL SULLIVAN/FLICKR SOI TWILIGHT THIS NARROW, FLUORCENT STREET JT NORTHEAST OF PATPONG NIGHT MARKET AND EXCLIVELY OPERAT AS BANGKOK’S LOLE FOR GAY GO-GO BARS – AND THEY LIVE UP TO THE HIGH BAR SET BY BANGKOK’S VIBRANT GAY NIGHTLIFE SCENE. CLASSIC FEATUR UNRWATER MERMEN AND A SWIMMG SHOW, WHILE TAWAN PUTS ON AN IMPRSIVE STAGE SHOW ROTATG ACTS LIKE DANCE PERFORMANC, DRAG EDY, AND MORE. SOI TWILIGHT, OR “SOI PRATUCHAI” | © BLEMISHED PARADISE/FLICKR WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU GO LIKE ANY UNREGULATED DTRY, BANGKOK’S RED LIGHT DISTRICTS ARE FLH WH SMS APLENTY. MANY OF THE LSER-KNOWN, OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH TYPE PLAC – LIKE THOSE “REMEND” BY YOUR T-T OR TAXI DRIVERS – ADVERTISE EE SHOWS, BUT VISORS N ENUNTER ENORMO BILLS FULL OF HIDN STS WHEN THE SHOW ENDS, WH SECURY GUARDS ON THE READY TO MAKE SURE YOU PAY FULL. THIS IS PARTICULARLY PREVALENT AMONG THE “PG-PONG” AND OTHER LIVE SEX SHOWS TRAMARK TO PATPONG. THE WORKERS THE TABLISHMENTS ARE OFTEN PENSATED THROUGH A VARIETY OF PAYMENT STCTUR THAT VARY OM BAR TO BAR. OFTEN THERE’S A SET SALARY, SUPPLEMENTED BY MISSNS EARNED BY METRICS LIKE THE NUMBER OF DRKS BOUGHT BY CTOMERS FOR THE EMPLOYEE. AS A RULT, THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE BARS IS OFTEN LIBERATELY SET UP TO PRSURE S PATRONS TO BUYG MORE AND MORE DRKS FOR THE WORKG GUYS AND GALS, AND EVEN IF YOU’RE PAYG FOR A TOP-SHELF CKTAIL, THEY’RE ONLY ACTUALLY HAVG A SODA WATER. MOST REPUTABLE PLAC MAKE SURE YOUR TAB IS KEPT RIGHT ONT OF YOU, HOWEVER, SO YOU N KEEP AN EYE ON AND ENSURE TRANSPARENCY OF PRICG. INDIVIDUAL WORKERS ARE ALSO EE TO MANAGE THEIR OWN TIME THROUGH A MON PRACTICE KNOWN AS A “BAR FE.” IF A DANCER OR BAR WORKER WANTS TO LEAVE FOR THE NIGHT WH A GUT, THEY PAY THEIR “MAMASAN,” THE EQUIVALENT OF THEIR MANAGER, A FEE FOR THEIR ABSENCE. THIS N RANGE ANYWHERE OM A FEW HUNDRED TO A UPLE OF THOAND BAHT, AND IS SEPARATE OM WHATEVER PRICE NEGOTIATED WH THEIR “GUT.” WHAT’S NEXT FOR THAILAND THE TOURISM AUTHORY OF THAILAND (TAT,) LLED THE GAMBIAN MISTER’S MENTS ON THAILAND’S SEX TOURISM DTRY “BASELS,” BUT NEVERTHELS THE PRIME MISTER PRAYUT CHAN-O-CHA HAS PLEDGED TO CHANGE THE UNTRY’S IMAGE OF BEG A SEX TOURISM STATN. RAIDS ON TABLISHMENTS PROMOTG SEX TOURISM ARE ALREADY RELATIVELY ROUTE BANGKOK, BUT ARE ALMOST EXCLIVELY FOCED ON THE DISVERY OF UNRAGE OR ILLEGAL WORKERS. IT’S ANYONE’S GUS WHAT THE PRIME MISTER’S PLEDGE WILL MEAN FOR THIS DTRY AND THE RED LIGHT DISTRICTS, BUT THE JUNTA’S HARDLE APPROACH TO CRACKG DOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATN AND DG TRAFFICKG RECENT YEARS DIT CHANG MAY BE STORE. IN THE MEANTIME, PATRONIZG TABLISHMENTS LIKE GO-GO BARS OPERATG BANGKOK’S RED LIGHT DISTRICTS IS NOT STRICTLY ILLEGAL – ALMOST ALL OF THEM ARE SIGNATED UNR LAW AS “ENTERTAMENT ZON” – AND SOME BOAST SHOWS RANKED AMONG THE HIGHT QUALY THE CY. PROSTUTN IS LS BLACK AND WHE. WHILE WILY TOLERATED TO DATE, CREASG PRSURE ON THE THAI ERNMENT ULD MEAN MORE ENFORCEMENT THE NEAR FUTURE. AS A VISOR, UNRSTAND THAT YOU’RE EXPECTED TO ADHERE TO THE LOL LAWS – JURE OR OTHERWISE – AND MT ACCEPT RPONSIBILY IF YOU’RE UGHT RED-HAND THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT. VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
- FIRST GAY EXPERIENCE WH THAI PROSTUTE
A GUI TO BANGKOK'S RED LIGHT DISTRICTS SOI COWBOY | ©GWOEII / SHUTTERSTOCK LLIE FLAY 24 DECEMBER 2019 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT RECENT MENTS OM GAMBIA’S TOURISM MISTER UNTENTNALLY SHONE THE TERNATNAL SPOTLIGHT ON A HHED AND ILLIC DTRY THAT HAS BUBBLED BENEATH THE SURFACE THAILAND FOR CENTURI. “WE ARE NOT A SEX STATN,” MISTER HAMAT BAH TOLD GAMBIA’S FREEDOM NEWSPAPER A JANUARY TERVIEW URGG VISORS TO NOT E TO THE WTERN AIN NATN UNR SUCH PRETENS. “IF YOU WANT A SEX STATN, YOU GO TO THAILAND.” VIEW ALL TRIPS IT WAS THE LATTER REMARK THAT LNCHED A FLURRY OF DIPLOMATIC MEMOS THAT RULTED THE ERNMENT’S FORMAL APOLOGY TO THE KGDOM, AND PROMPTED THAILAND’S OFFICIAL TOURISM BODY TO GO ON THE RERD THAT “STRONGLY OPPOS ANY FORM OF SEX TOURISM.” TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP JAPAN GREECE INDIA MEXI CROATIA SOUTH AI ECUADOR TURKEY SPA BALI MOROC ICELAND EGYPT THAILAND OPPOSED OR NOT, THAILAND’S SEX TOURISM DTRY IS VALUED AT $6.4 BILLN A YEAR REVENUE AS OF 2015, SPE OF S GG ILLEGALY. EXPERTS WARN THAT THE DTRY HAS BEEN SO TOLERATED THAT IS TODAY EPLY ENTRENCHED, AND EFFORTS AT REGULATN SHOULD BE ATTEMPTED LI OF TOTAL SHUTDOWN. SUDN RTRICTNS, THEY CLAIM, WILL LIKELY MOVE THE DTRY UNRGROUND, CREASG RISKS LIKE DISEASE, D, AND EXPLOATN AMONG BOTH WORKERS AND PATRONS ALIKE AND ULD ENURAGE HUMAN TRAFFICKG. REGARDLS OF WHERE YOU STAND ON THE ISSUE, THE SEX TOURISM DTRY THAILAND IS A SIGNIFINT, IF TANGENTIAL, PONENT OF THAILAND’S VIBRANT HISTORY, AND ALL ROADS LEAD TO BANGKOK – HOME TO THE MOST ACTIVE RED LIGHT DISTRICTS THE LAND OF S. MAJESTIC TURKEY TRAVEL OM THE BAZAARS OF ISTANBUL TO THE BETIFUL BEACH OF ANTALYA. VIEW TRIP SEX TOURISM THAILAND THE AYUTTHAYA KGDOM THRIVED ACROSS SIAM OM 1351 – 1767 AND AT THE TIME WAS THE LARGT AND WEALTHIT TRADG CENTRE THE EAST. ITS EMENCE AS AN TERNATNAL HUB HELPED POPULARIZE A SEX TOURISM TRA VERY EARLY ON, AS WISPREAD PROSTUTN WAS LEGAL AND TAXED PRIMARILY THROUGH STATE-N BROTHELS. THE VELOPMENT OF THIS DTRY PERSISTED THROUGH THE VIETNAM WAR WHEN THAILAND BEME THE GO-TO STATN FOR MANY AMERIN SOLDIERS ON R&R, ENURAGG THE GROWTH OF GO-GO BARS. THAILAND’S LONG-PERVADG BUDDHISM ALSO PLAYED A ROLE THIS TREND. STRICT TERPRETATN OF BUDDHIST DOCTRE PLAC WOMEN AS LSER NTRIBUTORS TO SOCIETY, AND CULTURALLY CHILDREN ARE TASKED WH TAKG RE OF AGG PARENTS. WHILE THIS STIGMA HAS EASED TODAY, THE PRSURE FOR WOMEN TO ACHIEVE FANCIAL STABILY FOR THEMSELV OR THEIR FAI HELPED NORMALIZE THE DTRY OVER TIME. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. THEN UNR PRSURE OM THE UNED NATNS, THE THAI ERNMENT FORMALLY LED PROSTUTN ILLEGAL 1960 THROUGH A POLICY LATER REPLACED BY THE PREVENTN AND SUPPRSN OF PROSTUTN ACT OF 1996. THE ACT ACKNOWLEDGED THE ILLEGALY OF PROSTUTN JURE, BUT WAS WRTEN WH SPECIFIC EMPHASIS TO CRIMALIZE CHILD PROSTUTN AND TRAFFICKG, AND WOULD ONLY OCSNALLY POLICE THE OPERATN OF OTHER VENU AND ACTIVY TERG TO “SEXPATS” AND TOURISTS. SOI COWBOY, BANGKOK, THAILAND | ©ADAM SELWOOD/FLICKR INTO THE 21ST CENTURY BANGKOK’S MOST PROMENT RED LIGHT DISTRICTS CLU SOI COWBOY, NANA PLAZA, PATPONG, AND SOI TWILIGHT – ALL ADJACENT TO ONE ANOTHER THE CENTRE OF THE CY. THE WORKERS ARE TYPILLY WOMEN HAILG OM RAL AREAS OF THE UNTRY THAT MOVED TO THE CY TO FD WORK, BUT WH LIMED TN AND THE ABSENCE OF OTHER CRENTIALS REQUIRED THE CREASGLY GLOBALIZED CY, TAKE WHAT WORK THEY N GET. THE DISTRICTS BOAST WELL-KNOWN AND OFTEN HIGH-END TABLISHMENTS THAT ARE NOT THE PRODUCT OF ILLEGAL TRAFFICKG OR FORCED WORKERS – THEIR HIGH PUBLIC VISIBILY GREATLY RC SUCH A PRENCE, ALONG WH THE WATCHFUL EYE OF THE STATE, SELF EAGER TO AVOID TERNATNAL BACKLASH FOR SUCH ETHIL VLATNS. SOI COWBOY, BANGKOK, THAILAND | ©WRY2010/FLICKR PATPONG THIS AREA OF SILOM IS WHERE GO-GO BARS FIRST GAED POPULARY DURG THE VIETNAM WAR ERA, AND TODAY S TWO MA STREETS – PATPONG SOI 1 AND PATPONG SOI 2 – REMA A HUGE ATTRACTN FOR VISORS CUR ABOUT THE CY’S ILLIC NIGHTLIFE. THE MOST FAMO TABLISHMENTS CLU KG’S CASTLE I AND II, KNOWN FOR S MOSTLY POST-OP TRANSSEXUAL PERFORMERS, AND BARBAR FETISH CLUB, THE AREA’S MORE, LET’S SAY, NICHE, GO-GO BAR. THE SAFARI BAR BRGS WANRG TOURISTS WH S BLARG OLDI CLASSICS OM THE LIK OF ELVIS OR THE BEATL, WHILE THIGH BAR IS A TOURIST-IENDLY STAPLE WH SOME OF THE LOWER DRK PRIC AVAILABLE. PATPONG | ©PONGMOJI / SHUTTERSTOCK NANA PLAZA IN THE EARLY 1990S, PATPONG TRODUCED A POPULAR NIGHT MARKET. THE NEIGHBORHOOD’S NEWFOUND FAY-IENDLS CHANGED S LATE-NIGHT ATMOSPHERE, AND TH “THE WORLD’S LARGT ADULT PLAYGROUND” EMERGED NEARBY NANA PLAZA. THIS THREE-STORY PLEX HAS A RNIVAL-LIKE ATMOSPHERE AND HO DOZENS OF GO-GO CLUBS AND KATHOEY, OR “LADYBOY” BARS, ALONG WH SEVERAL SHORT-TERM HOTELS THAT RENT ROOMS BY THE HOUR. ANGEL WCH IS KNOWN FOR S GRANDSE THEMED ROCK SHOWS, AND BILLBOARD AGOGO BAR FEATUR A HIGH-ENERGY ATMOSPHERE ON S ROTATG DANCE FLOOR AND A JACUZZI TO BOOT, WHILE CASANOVA IS KNOWN TO BE A MORE RELAXED HANGOUT. THE GROUND FLOOR LEVEL HAS TONS OF OPEN-AIR BARS AND AN ALMOST PUB-LIKE ATMOSPHERE, PLETE WH SPORTS BROADSTS, LIVE MIC, AND PLENTY OF PEOPLE WATCHG. NANA PLAZA, BANGKOK, THAILAND | ©MARK FISCHER/FLICKR SOI COWBOY EMERGG POPULARY AROUND THE SAME TIME AS NANA PLAZA, THIS AREA WAS NAMED AFTER A WBOY HAT-WEARG AIN-AMERIN WHO OPENED THE FIRST BAR BACK THE 1970S. TODAY, THE NEON-SOAKED ENERGY N BE TIMIDATG, BUT THE BARS – SOME 30+ OF THEM – HAVE AN OVERALL GOOD REPUTATN AND LOW CINCE OF SMS. LIVE MIC SHOWS EMBRACE CUR VISORS AS THEY ENTER THE MA STREET, AND POPULAR TABLISHMENTS CLU SIE WONGS, FAMO FOR S BODY PATG, TILAC BAR, BACRA, AND THE EPONYMO CRAZY HOE. SOI COWBOY | ©PL SULLIVAN/FLICKR SOI TWILIGHT THIS NARROW, FLUORCENT STREET JT NORTHEAST OF PATPONG NIGHT MARKET AND EXCLIVELY OPERAT AS BANGKOK’S LOLE FOR GAY GO-GO BARS – AND THEY LIVE UP TO THE HIGH BAR SET BY BANGKOK’S VIBRANT GAY NIGHTLIFE SCENE. CLASSIC FEATUR UNRWATER MERMEN AND A SWIMMG SHOW, WHILE TAWAN PUTS ON AN IMPRSIVE STAGE SHOW ROTATG ACTS LIKE DANCE PERFORMANC, DRAG EDY, AND MORE. SOI TWILIGHT, OR “SOI PRATUCHAI” | © BLEMISHED PARADISE/FLICKR WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU GO LIKE ANY UNREGULATED DTRY, BANGKOK’S RED LIGHT DISTRICTS ARE FLH WH SMS APLENTY. MANY OF THE LSER-KNOWN, OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH TYPE PLAC – LIKE THOSE “REMEND” BY YOUR T-T OR TAXI DRIVERS – ADVERTISE EE SHOWS, BUT VISORS N ENUNTER ENORMO BILLS FULL OF HIDN STS WHEN THE SHOW ENDS, WH SECURY GUARDS ON THE READY TO MAKE SURE YOU PAY FULL. THIS IS PARTICULARLY PREVALENT AMONG THE “PG-PONG” AND OTHER LIVE SEX SHOWS TRAMARK TO PATPONG. THE WORKERS THE TABLISHMENTS ARE OFTEN PENSATED THROUGH A VARIETY OF PAYMENT STCTUR THAT VARY OM BAR TO BAR. OFTEN THERE’S A SET SALARY, SUPPLEMENTED BY MISSNS EARNED BY METRICS LIKE THE NUMBER OF DRKS BOUGHT BY CTOMERS FOR THE EMPLOYEE. AS A RULT, THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE BARS IS OFTEN LIBERATELY SET UP TO PRSURE S PATRONS TO BUYG MORE AND MORE DRKS FOR THE WORKG GUYS AND GALS, AND EVEN IF YOU’RE PAYG FOR A TOP-SHELF CKTAIL, THEY’RE ONLY ACTUALLY HAVG A SODA WATER. MOST REPUTABLE PLAC MAKE SURE YOUR TAB IS KEPT RIGHT ONT OF YOU, HOWEVER, SO YOU N KEEP AN EYE ON AND ENSURE TRANSPARENCY OF PRICG. INDIVIDUAL WORKERS ARE ALSO EE TO MANAGE THEIR OWN TIME THROUGH A MON PRACTICE KNOWN AS A “BAR FE.” IF A DANCER OR BAR WORKER WANTS TO LEAVE FOR THE NIGHT WH A GUT, THEY PAY THEIR “MAMASAN,” THE EQUIVALENT OF THEIR MANAGER, A FEE FOR THEIR ABSENCE. THIS N RANGE ANYWHERE OM A FEW HUNDRED TO A UPLE OF THOAND BAHT, AND IS SEPARATE OM WHATEVER PRICE NEGOTIATED WH THEIR “GUT.” WHAT’S NEXT FOR THAILAND THE TOURISM AUTHORY OF THAILAND (TAT,) LLED THE GAMBIAN MISTER’S MENTS ON THAILAND’S SEX TOURISM DTRY “BASELS,” BUT NEVERTHELS THE PRIME MISTER PRAYUT CHAN-O-CHA HAS PLEDGED TO CHANGE THE UNTRY’S IMAGE OF BEG A SEX TOURISM STATN. RAIDS ON TABLISHMENTS PROMOTG SEX TOURISM ARE ALREADY RELATIVELY ROUTE BANGKOK, BUT ARE ALMOST EXCLIVELY FOCED ON THE DISVERY OF UNRAGE OR ILLEGAL WORKERS. IT’S ANYONE’S GUS WHAT THE PRIME MISTER’S PLEDGE WILL MEAN FOR THIS DTRY AND THE RED LIGHT DISTRICTS, BUT THE JUNTA’S HARDLE APPROACH TO CRACKG DOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATN AND DG TRAFFICKG RECENT YEARS DIT CHANG MAY BE STORE. IN THE MEANTIME, PATRONIZG TABLISHMENTS LIKE GO-GO BARS OPERATG BANGKOK’S RED LIGHT DISTRICTS IS NOT STRICTLY ILLEGAL – ALMOST ALL OF THEM ARE SIGNATED UNR LAW AS “ENTERTAMENT ZON” – AND SOME BOAST SHOWS RANKED AMONG THE HIGHT QUALY THE CY. PROSTUTN IS LS BLACK AND WHE. WHILE WILY TOLERATED TO DATE, CREASG PRSURE ON THE THAI ERNMENT ULD MEAN MORE ENFORCEMENT THE NEAR FUTURE. AS A VISOR, UNRSTAND THAT YOU’RE EXPECTED TO ADHERE TO THE LOL LAWS – JURE OR OTHERWISE – AND MT ACCEPT RPONSIBILY IF YOU’RE UGHT RED-HAND THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT. VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
Mos, 26, was a "moneyboy" — a sex worker — at a gay bar the Thai tourist hub of Pattaya. Soi Twilight This narrow, fluorcent street jt northeast of Patpong Night Market and exclively operat as Bangkok’s lole for gay go-go bars – and they live up to the high bar set by Bangkok’s vibrant gay nightlife scene.
FIRST GAY EXPERIENCE WH THAI PROSTUTE
“There is more stigma around transgenr women than even homosexual men, ” said McGee.
For some male workers who are already attracted to men, or who are transgenr or effemate gay men, beg dancers, strippers, massrs, and service workers n feel more sued to their temperament than heavy work, such as nstctn or other typ of work. Neverthels, there are some male service workers who are not gay.