In Thailand, the following phenomenon is very noticeable: a girl who works in nightclubs, and, on the panel, becomes the pride of the family, while a Thai woman with an ordinary life easily turns into a prostitute and a drug addict, although only in the eyes of the neighbors. A tourist living in this exotic country told what factors and values underlie such a mentality.
In the local culture, where manifestations of “bad” behavior are often condemned, open prostitution coexists peacefully, although there is a reason. Yes, vapes and cigarettes are banned in this country, and holding hands is considered an indecent display of relationships, but when a young girl from the village decides to work in a bar and connect her life with the night industry to provide for her family, her loved ones are proud of her. As the author noted, remittances of $1,000 per month to the homeland are commonplace for Thai night owls. At the same time, fellow villagers, who understand where the money from the neighboring family comes from, pretend that nothing special is happening.
“Prostitution, for example, is considered something bad, right fu-fu-fu. At the same time, when a girl from a remote Isan village goes to work in Pattaya bars to support her parents and brothers and sisters, the whole family is often proud of the fact that they raised a real nurse,” the tourist explained in his blog.
While the families of these girls greet sponsors with smiles, whose money helps pay for their children’s education and provide for the family, other women find themselves in the crosshairs of society by not getting married. “If another girl in the same village meets with different local boys without marrying any of them, she will be pointed at and violently called a prostitute and a drug addict. Because she does not work, but just lives an ordinary life. So in this situation, one is a worthy daughter and nurse, and the other is a bad woman with easy behavior,” the author added.
This contrast between approval and condemnation is a vivid example of how difficult it is to understand the moral norms of modern Thailand. For some families, daughters working in bars are a symbol of strength and determination. While others, despite their legitimate and honest lives, are just prejudiced and misunderstanding.