Editor;

C. Schloemer’s ‘social commentary’ made some valid points but I wonder if the two archetypal depictions of bar-girls and their customers didn’t also add fuel to the western media-fire the article appeared to be attempting to dampen. Having done much intensive research since arriving in Thailand I can assure anyone who is interested that the “basket cases of poverty and problems” in the Thai sex trade, and of which there are indeed many, rarely work in the bars which Western women, or indeed men who visit Pattaya might just wander into. Sure the girls working the more obvious places might be looking to improve their standard of living but many are far more discriminating than is often portrayed.

Not so long back indeed more than a few had ‘good’ jobs in banks and offices and even more are worthy of better than the Western portrayal of a ‘prostitute’. There are of course many establishments catering for the male (or female) seeking company of one sort or another. This surfeit ensures that relatively few men will want to take a girl who makes it known they don’t want to go with the man and largely precludes exploitation at this level, at least of the girls themselves.

Western ‘conditioning’ stigmatizes sex to the extent opportunity to debate it seriously is limited. For this reason many Westerners, even those living in the East but in expat communities, digress. They simply cannot renounce the repression they’ve been subjected to since birth and talk from ivory towers of things about which they in fact know little. With all due respect to C. Schloemer, whether it be in Pattaya or Timbuktu it should be noted that no man buys a woman simply by giving her cash in return for providing sensual pleasure and any more so than him taking a girl out for a meal, be it one or ten times before managing to get down to the nitty-gritty makes her his property.

Am I mistaken but didn’t I detect a note of ‘elitism’ in this article? I would certainly be interested to hear just who it is the writer deems to comprise the many Western men in Pattaya who have “fallen on the dust heap”. Do these particular men know who they are?

Further on this article I would add that I have found the farang women of various ages who are now finding their way to Pattaya in dribs and drabs more able to accept the place for what it is and even appreciate it than many of their younger male counterparts who find disconcerting the obviation of ‘challenge’, the need to ‘chat a bird up’ or otherwise falsely impress to seduce her. Success in this manner you see makes it a victory over the female rather than a physical relief and which ‘achievement’ many men need to view it as to motivate themselves.

Any replies or comments from females in the farang community?

Dear Sir,

The following is for your amusement and maybe help to cheer up your hard working day:

The Pattaya Mail throughout Eastern Seaboard comes to us via “Postage-snail”. But we rejoice to read the news from many a-voice with different views. In an isolated place amongst Northern Hills, with verdant foliage, fields where farmer tills. No news is known except from Pattaya Mail. Thus thanks to you and may you have good sales.

Transportation is a means of carrying from one place to another.

Without it, it seems we’d be in rather a bother.

When a babe, in loving arms, or tucked snuggly in perambulator

In a “Knapsack” has its charms. Even on hip of elder sister.

When grown older, on buffalo’s back, or on mule or horse as ride.

In bullock cart with market pack. On howdah is a good ride.

Uphill carried in sedan-chair. Rickshaw pulled by man.

Rattling trams clanging bells, beware. Steam engine train also ran.

Seated on a buggy, horse bell rings. On bar of sweetheart’s bicycle.

Seat on tractor has no springs. Or squashed in manpowered tricycle.

Cruising over water can be fun. Especially in a yacht.

Via sampan is a slow run. On liner can cost a lot.

A speedboat gives a real thrill. A barge packed with chattel.

A ferry stopping at every rill. A warship ready for battle.

Thus transport is quite varied. Choose the means by which to travel.

On land or water you’ll be carried. Even flying is no marvel!

Have a good day!

Sincerely,

Editor;

I wrote a letter: “Beyond Belief” to Mailbag on August 18. Along comes Fearful, Frequent Falang with a reply to my letter: “Everyone Knew What They Were Doing” on August 25. I say Fearful because like me he didn’t want his name displayed in public. I’m sure Fearful didn’t want his name displayed for quite a different reason than mine. Fearful is truly a defender of the faith and a defender of police tactics. It’s quite clear he knows nothing about the law or even what it should be. He is also a rabid anti-ped to boot. If he wasn’t an anti-ped he wouldn’t have said, “but the Brit involved deserves absolutely no sympathy. I hope he is prosecuted and jailed IN THAILAND for a long time.” Frequent wasn’t so vehement when he said that the bar owner should only be jailed and his bar closed. It’s been my intention to show that the bar owner and the police should come under more criticism than the Brit.

If the police had followed what I regard as proper tactics, Leo’s Palace should have been closed and the owner should have been taken into custody long before the Brit arrived on the scene. You can’t tell me the police didn’t know what was going on because the bar had been under surveillance, or should have been, for some time. Surely the Crime Suppression Unit of the “Foreign” Center wasn’t looking for a single farang when they could have had the whole kit and caboodle. I understand the owner is also a foreigner.

The police didn’t get their priorities right. It’s as simple as that. We are made to think the Brit was the first order of business when it should have been the boy and the owner. I know they do things differently in Thailand, but even here the police should not be able to single out someone for arrest and ignore the larger problem. The bar owner is the larger problem and he got off relatively easy. In drug terminology he is the “pusher”. In prostitution terminology he is the “pimp”. Now under law which one gets the axe, the pusher-pimp or the client?

I have to say that such weird procedures take place not only in Pattaya. According to the Bangkok Post a bar in Patpong was raided and the customers jailed. Five days later the bar was again open for business.

I don’t think the Brit’s arrest is “almost guaranteed to stick” as Frequent Falang wants us to believe. If it does I will lose faith in the whole justice system. It’s the owner that should be in jail in THAILAND for a long time, and the police should get their priorities straight. I understand Leo’s is now open under another name.

I agree “Everybody Knew What They Were Doing”. I’m not so sure about Frequent Falang.

Hi and Greetings from Finland!

I’m a hardcore motor racing fan as well as a true fan of Thailand. It was nice to read about the upcoming racing action from Bira Circuit but it would have been even nicer to hear about the results, too. I tried to find the results from the Bangkok Post without any luck. I think that people will get information about the F1 races anyway so it would be great to hear more from local car & motorcycle racing from you. This is just my opinion. Anyway, keep up the good work!

Regards,