A week wandering in the sex paradise of Pattaya

In the eyes of Western men, the city in eastern Thailand is the world's sex paradise, with 27,000 prostitutes.

Dancers in a bar in Pattaya. Photo: Sodiamond

A European man in his 70s wearing a brown hat and a snakeskin jacket, accompanied by a Thai woman in her 30s, who appeared to be his wife, started talking toLuke Williams, a reporter for the Australian News, on a bus to Pattaya, Thailand in August.

“Hello, I'm Dutch!” He smiled, making his acquaintance with Luke.

“Yes, hello. I'm Australian,” he replied.

There are 27,000 prostitutes in Pattaya. Here, one can freely kiss, dance, flirt, have a few hours of fun with prostitutes, and even find a wife here.

In the city center, luxurious white apartments, teeth whitening shops, and skin whitening billboards stand side by side.The image of an older, overweight white Western man with a beautiful young Thai woman is very common.

"Would you like a massage?" the Thai cross-dressers with big faces and makeup would ask every time a white man passed by.

Luke walks into a bar called Kangaroo Corner. He interviews a man with blue eyes and white hair from Melbourne.

"I like Thai women," he said.

“Are they just interested in money?” Luke asked.

"I know they like money, I don't plan on having a relationship with them," he rolled his eyes, looking at Luke. "They're just sex friends. You're thinking too far ahead, relax and have a drink with me."

Looking for a wife

Luke went to the beach area in Pattaya. He went into a bar and borrowed a lighter from a 50-year-old man. He was from Coffs Harbour, a coastal city in northern New South Wales. He said he met his first Thai wife there 12 years ago. They had two children together, now live in Australia, and had divorced three weeks ago.

He said he had just gotten engaged to a 23-year-old Thai girl he met 10 days ago.

"Thai women are very gentle. They know how to cook, clean, and take care of their husbands and children. I like this kind of life. I know my wife and children will hate me, and even my friends will think I'm a jerk. However, I still have 20 years left in my life, and I want to enjoy it," he said.

A Western man deals with a prostitute in Pattaya. Photo: ABC

On Tuesday night, around 11pm, Luke entered the famous "Windmill" bar. Inside were topless Thai girls, wearing short skirts and high heels, dancing on stage.

The white men sat around the stage, laughing, clinking glasses, and poking the girls with sticks. Luke struck up a conversation with an Australian man and asked if there were any dangers in Pattaya. He replied:

"Of course. Western men come here for a myriad of reasons. If they encounter a girl who is jealous, orIf she has connections with some gang, or wants to kill and rob, then don't get involved. Otherwise, this place is just a place to relax, especially for a divorcee like me."

Ask for money

On the fourth night, Luke's search for more Australian men to interview was interrupted by a prostitute whom Luke believed had been trained to solicit money.

A quarter of the girl’s face was bruised and bruised. In broken English, she described the beating but did not name the perpetrator. Tears streamed down her swollen eyes.

Luke suggested she call the police, but the girl just shook her head and looked away, crying even louder. Luke suddenly remembered the slogan printed on T-shirts sold all over Pattaya: "Good people go to heaven, bad people go to Pattaya."

A transgender person waits for customers on the street. Photo:Thailand News

At 10 p.m. on Thursday, Luke arrived at Boyz Town, an area where male prostitutes work. At the Cupid Boy Doll bar, male prostitutes began their night by praying and lighting candles before a small Buddha statue behind the bar.

They offer Buddha Lord cigarettes or a few cups of Vodka, praying for good luck tonight.

Sitting at the bar, a 73-year-old single Brisbane man explained to Luke that he was attracted to male prostitutes because they only performed manual sex.

"Aren't you afraid they'll get in trouble?" Luke asked.

"They have what I want, I have what they want - money. It's that simple. It's just a transaction," he said, stressing that for people like him, Thailand is a better place than Australia because "they understand you better".

empty pocket

On Friday in Pattaya, Luke felt sad, lonely and frustrated. He returned to Boyz Town hoping that not all the boys there were prostitutes.

A 22 year old guy with smooth skin, braces, six pack abs and spoke very good English approached Luke and got to know him. A moment later, the two went to the hotel together (Luke is gay).

When he was done, he turned to Luke and asked, "Can you give me the money now?"

Luke gave him $12 and said that was all he had in his pocket, because he didn't expect him to be a prostitute.

"This is Pattaya, what do you expect?" He said petulantly and walked away.

On his last day in Pattaya, Luke was almost broke. However, he consoled himself that the feeling of paying for sex was better than feeling lonely and disappointed.

Local authorities say there are many homeless Western men in Pattaya who turn to charities for help after going bankrupt due to heartbreak. Luke was not surprised to hear this. He told himself that if he weren’t wearing 70-cent flip-flops, he would probably sell his shoes and find someone to touch him again.

Workers at a gay club in Pattaya. With 27,000 sex workers, both male and female, Pattaya is a sex paradise in the eyes of Western men. Photo: Flickr

See also: Infiltration of sex paradise in Thailand

According to VNE