Why a Booktrail?
2000s: Thailand seen by a visiting Westerner and the Thai girl he meets when there
Thai Girl
What you need to know before your trail
Ben and Emma are a rather mismatched couple who set off on holiday to Thailand. by the time they’ve reached Koh Samet, Ben is already attracted to another woman
This woman Fon, works as a (non sexual) masseuse in one of the clubs on the island and the whole world of this seems so exotic and new to Ben that he is enthralled with the whole atmosphere and even goes so far as to be invited to the girls home and to meet her parents.
Whether this affair will grow to be something permanent or fleeing remains to be seen but there the differences are interesting. Could he return to England one day and end it all? Having the freedom and money to do what he likes. What about the Thai girl stuck in a cycle of bar work and looking for an escape? Just who is exploiting who here?
Travel Guide
Well immediately we are introduced into the seedy side of Thailand and the sex industry where Fon is working although we do see very different images of one perceived image of the culture and country where such places exist. Just who are the human faces behind the flashy signs , the hard work behind the scenes not to mention the panic of supporting your family
Away from the seedy streets, the hustle and bustle of Bangkok hoots and beeps it way off the page. Take for example the traffic –
“By the big intersection on Ratanakosin Avenue, twenty four hours a day, the traffic pauses when the lights go red. As they turn to green, the race is on…”
When we say traffic, well it’s a mixture of the tuk tuks, cars, buses, vans, animals, carts and anything else with wheels really. Those trying to avoid the men and women carrying their daily wares on their head on the way to the market.
However it is the sex industry and the ‘ whole story’ behind it that seems to be the focus here. some parts hard to read because of it but it should not be ignored, people are exploited every day and so little seems to be being done.
However the cultural differences shown and the locations describe are soon through the eyes of a backpacker who falls in love with a local girl and these are the most inquisitive eyes of all.
Where Next?
