A friend of mine once asked me if I knew when the sex trade in Thailand started. I told him it was spawned by the Vietnam War. He shook his head and said the war created awareness that later resulted in a booming sex “tourism” trade, but prostitution in Thailand dates back several hundred years. He went on to say the number one consumers of prostitution in Thailand today are the Thais themselves. He said if all the foreigners, farang and Asian, were banned from Thailand it would have little influence on prostitution in the Land Of Smiles. Of course, it would have a huge economic impact, but that’s not relevant to the point he was making.

Photo Courtesy of Private Boy Movie

Not satisfied to take his word for it I did some poking around on the Internet and discovered he was correct. Most telling are these figures I plucked from a 2004 Bangkok Recorder article:

95% of all Thai men have, at least once in their life, purchased sex
4.6 million Thai men regularly see prostitutes
Approximately 500,000 tourists annually engage

NOTE that the tourist figure does not distinguish between Westerners and Asians.

Photo Courtesy of Private Boy Movie

My friend also told me there are straight and gay Thai 4 Thai brothels all over Thailand, even in rural communities. He said boys make 300 baht short-time, and services are rendered in private rooms within the brothel. I already knew about the places in Bangkok that are for Thais only, and farang are not welcome, but had no idea this was so commonplace throughout the country. My additional research confirmed all of this except the amount boys get paid in rural areas.

I’m writing about this, because when I started Rice Queen Diary I got some rather nasty comments from zealots complaining we farang are the reason all these boys are being “exploited”. The suggestion being, if we foreigners would stop coming to Thailand for the sex trade, the “problem” would go away. Come to find out, our contribution to the sex trade in Thailand amounts to a drop in the bucket.

Photo Courtesy of Private Boy Movie

Below are links to the more notable pages I found on the subject:

Prostitution in Thailand
Thailand’s Long Tradition of Prostitution
Prostitution in Thailand: Facing Hard Facts

There is good and bad during the summer months in Thailand. The temperatures are hotter than hell, and the boys are not as abundant, but for the tourist, everything is cheaper, and less crowded. So, if you want to enjoy Thailand on a budget, this is definitely the time to do it.

Considering the only reason someone would want to visit Thailand at this time of the year is to save money, Pattaya is the only place I’d go. Of course, that’s also assuming you want to enjoy the boys. There are nicer beaches in Thailand, but for the cheapest stay, and largest selection of boys, there is only one choice.

While a lot of boys do return home during this time, you will still find a better selection in Pattaya. Although some might argue in favor of Chiang Mai, I believe your chances of finding the really good boys are also much better in Pattaya than any other location.

One of the things I hate about the gay beach in Pattaya (Jomtien) is all the vendors pestering you to buy their service or product. You can never get a moment’s peace, because there’s a continuous stream of them all day long. Then one day I discovered the area at the far end of the gay beach has substantially fewer, and much less aggressive, vendors. The only downside is little or no boys hang out there either.

Whatever your destination, you need to protect yourself from the heat. I’m not going to go into all those things you need to know about beating the heat. You can easily read about them at most tourism sites. A lot of it is common sense anyway. However, I will offer these three pieces of advice:

Walk slowly. Don’t be in a rush. It’s the quickest way to get yourself heated up.

Make good use of baby powder, particularly in those sweaty areas. All the Thai boys know about this. It really helps to avoid fungus infections by keeping you dry.

Let the boys do all the work, like carry your bags or run to the store for something.

Photo Courtesy of Asia Boy

With the exception of Sankron Festival, a celebration of the Thai New Year (April 13-15), high season for tourism has come to an end in Thailand.

For Westerners living in Thailand, not depending on the tourism trade, it brings a sigh of relief. The crowds of ignorant, and often arrogant, guests tend to grate on the expats’ nerves. However, expatriates that enjoy the abundant sex trade see it as a bit of a mixed blessing, because a large percentage of the working boys pack up and return to their home towns.

Photo Courtesy of Asia Boy

For a variety of reasons, mostly the poor exchange rate, tourism has been on the decline over the past two seasons. When the money was good, the smart boys would bank roll enough to carry them through the lean months, but not any more. And those that try to ride it out are in for some very hard times, particularly the older boys, as it is difficult for them to compete with their youthful 18 to 23 year old peers.

I wished I could say it becomes a buyer’s market during these lean times, but it doesn’t. For whatever reason, the bars and the boys don’t seem to understand this concept. If anything, they’ll try and get more money out of you to make up for the difference.

Like a shrinking waterhole during dry season in Africa, with the rains comes life. Next September the boys will start returning, new bars will open, and the party will be on again for another six months.

I’ve just added a new page about Khao San Road, a place I highly recommend seeing at least once while visiting Bangkok.

On the 24th of this month Thailand will celebrate the festival of Loy Kratong. It is a Buddhist celebration honoring the Lord Budda. Among other things, it includes the ceremony of floating down river a floral arrangement with one lit candle and three burning sticks of incense.

Source: Asian Cultural Center of Vermont

This ceremony is intended to symbolize the letting go of all negative in one’s life and starting fresh. It is also believed to bring good luck, and like our birth day celebrations, participants make a wish.

It is not my purpose to cover all the details of Loy Kratong. In this post there are links to other web sites with much more detail and/or photos. You can also Google “Loy Kratong” or “Loy Kratong gay” for a wealth of information on the subject.

If just visiting Thailand, during the festival, I highly recommend experiencing it. For those of you planning to live in Thailand, I have something extremely important to share with you.

Thais take this celebration very seriously. Thus, if you have been seeing a Thai boy, at a level beyond that of a one night stand, and he invites you to participate in this ceremony with him, it means he REALLY likes you. It is a sincere gesture you should take note of. What you do with this information is up to you. Just realize the boy is making a statement, and if you have not told him otherwise he probably assumes you are completely unaware of just how heartfelt it is. That is what makes it so very special.

Photo Courtesy of Asia Boy

That said, keep in mind Thais also believe when romantic couples, married or otherwise, perform the ceremony together, it will enhance the longevity of their relationship.

Loy Kratong at Wikipedia

Loy Kratong Photos

Thailand is in the heart of its rainy season right now. Starting around the middle of August and ending around the middle of November, if it’s not raining it’s probably about to. Actually, there are days when it doesn’t rain, but it can be so unpredictable. The rain usually lasts for about 30 minutes to an hour, but it’s a pain having to carry an umbrella that isn’t much use anyway in a heavy down poor.

Photo Courtesy of Asia Boy

All this rain tends to get in the way of trying to see the sights. Consequently, the rainy season, combined with the preceding hotter than hell summer, comprise the off season for tourism in Thailand. For those wanting to save money, this is a good time to visit, because many things, like hotel and air fare, are cheaper. The rain also helps to cool temperatures off a little.

Photo Courtesy of Asia Boy

One of the things I discovered is the Thai boys have this uncanny ability to predict when it is going to rain. They know if it is going to rain that day, and they can usually tell you when. I’d give them about an 80 percent accuracy rating. For those wanting to visit Thailand in the rainy season, having a Thai boy around to help navigate the weather can make the trip more enjoyable. Hell, having a Thai boy around can help make the trip more enjoyable period, but it is something to consider. Not to mention he will carry your umbrella for you all day.

Photo Courtesy of Asia Boy

Locking into one boy for a particular excursion, or for your entire stay, does have its advantages. Provided you get a good boy, and there are lots of them, the only disadvantage, unless he’s into doing 3-ways (sandwiches), is you can’t fool around with any other boys.

Photo Courtesy of Asia Boy

To each his own, but even though I am a top I’d prefer my full time companion to be a top, as well. As long as he’s good at sucking dick, and comfortable with 3-ways, I much prefer the more masculine guys for everything outside the bedroom. I’m sure some would disagree, no doubt there are exceptions, but I find the tops are more assertive, an important consideration when you are depending on the boy to take care of everything while traveling.