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, struck up a conversation withLuke Williams, a reporter for the Australian News, on a bus to Pattaya, Thailand in August.

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

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

There are 27,000 prostitutes in Pattaya. Here, people can freely kiss, dance, flirt, have fun for a few hours 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 make-up asked every time a white man passed by.

Luke walks into a bar called Kangaroo Korner. 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 of ​​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, lived in Australia, and had divorced three weeks ago.

He said he had just gotten engaged to a 23-year-old Thai girl he had 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 life," he said.

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

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

White men sat around the stage, laughing, clinking glasses, poking girls with sticks. Luke struck up a conversation with an Australian man, asking 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's connected to a gang or wants to kill and rob, then don't get involved. Otherwise, this is just a place to relax, especially for a divorced person like me."

Ask for money

On the fourth night, Luke's search for more Australian men to interview was interrupted by a prostitute who 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 beatings, 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 harder. 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 sits waiting 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 into 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 excellent English approached Luke and got to know him. A moment later, the two went to the hotel together (Luke was 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 spending money on 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 broke over heartbreak. Luke was not surprised to learn 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.

Employees 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