Sex Work Industry

When we booked our guesthouse, we were not aware that it was in the heart of Kata's Night Club District. So just steps from the lobby were bars to our left and right. Around happy hour in the evening to the wee hours of the night, some form of beats or outdated Western music played in bars with questionable poles coming out from tables that made The Spot or Smijies look like a million dollars.

On our way to dinner one night, a sharply dressed young man came up to us and introduced himself. He shook Nevil's hand but would not let go. We did not quite understand why he was so chatty but we started to clue in when he asked if I was his sweetheart or girlfriend. These are very different terms here where the former refers to a paid escort. Later as I looked away, he asked Nevil if he was checking out the good looking girls in the bar across the street and urged him to go over. We promptly left and realized we had just encountered a pimp soliciting business. Well-dressed and always stopping foreigners in front of bars, we saw quite a few of these smooth talking gentlemen during our stay in Phuket.

We also saw a great number of scantily clad women wearing heels of incredible height beckon to men all night to come into bars. And they were just as friendly to a man walking with his family as a man by himself. I suppose it must work because night and day, we saw many Caucasian men in their 40s or older in the company of one, two, or even three very attractive local young women. Nevil does not understand why someone would hire a sex worker but I think it has a lot to do with having a companion who will dote on you. Everyone wants to feel wanted and hear compliments. Of course I am not naive enough to think none of these men are paying for other services as well. From what I can tell, the locals have accepted this as part of the culture. Receptionists at hotels do not blink an eye when a visitor comes back with a significantly younger local. Waitresses do not shy away from tables with a foreigner surrounded by three local women. It is an interesting part of the life here and vastly different to what we are accustomed to at home. Our experience with the pimp has taught us not to go around accepting people's handshakes and to always carry hand sanitizer for such occasions.