A Western Girl's Impression of Soi Cowboy

Men of all ages frequent this street, and become the patrons of strip clubs and the clients of women they choose to go home with.
As I stood with my mouth open and eyes bulging from confusion and disbelief at the spectrum of men who walked before me,
I thought about their mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters – and all the other women who played invaluable roles in their lives. Would these men so mindlessly venture down Soi Cowboy if the women in their lives were watching?....

Some dancers looked at themselves in the mirrors as they danced, others watched the crowd, and some noticed us near the bar and gazed with soft, lingering eyes. Around the stage, eager men – many of whom were old, balding and overweight – appeared mesmerized by the girls’ charm.
Though I had read extensively about the Thai commercial sex trade and had even witnessed the dynamic between men and women at a US strip club (first year Women’s studies project – but that’s a different story),
I quickly learned that I was unprepared for the evening’s events. I was caught off guard when I saw the numbers attached to women on stage — and realized the numbers were for purchasing them for the night. I became overwhelmed and turned my head to cry.

After a couple of minutes, I glanced upwards above the stage and realized that a glass ceiling separated two dance floors. The upper level had girls dancing as well, and the floor below them was transparent so clients could have a full view up their skirts.

As we were about to make contact, two dancers came over and swarmed around us, enclosing us in a small circle. It felt as though we were long time friends – just catching up as young, jovial girls often do. We danced, sang, drank and talked together – enjoying each other’s company, without the interference of men, until one of the girls was called on stage to dance and I was jolted back to the reality of the situation.

Erin's Earth Travels

(Editor's note: Just bar-fine one. They are not victims, they are professionals, and will show you a really good time if they like you. And you can hear their story, as they send the money back home for the sick buffalo, and to gain merit with their family.)