This is the inside story of a very controversial topic. The writer has no affiliation with any newspaper groups or political parties and so can write freely without editorial or other pressure (to date) to "not mention that part please".

The writers opinion is just that - opinion. But remember, there are no facts in the world, just opinions and illusions and opinions (and statistics). Nobody is right - Nobody is wrong. This is the writers point of view.

This week read:-

The Thai viewpoint.

Resident Farang viewpoint.

The Sex Market - who works it and why.

Industry Economics.

The Police, the Army and the Thai "Mafia".

Foreign Crime Syndicate involvement in the Thai Sex Industry.

Most Thai people are Buddhists. Buddhists by nature are very accepting people - it is a philosophy of acceptance. So Thai people simply do accept that there is a sex industry. They also sit back, on the whole, and accept any shit that is handed out to them by anybody who may be perceived as being in a "position of power".

This power may come from blood-lines, political influence or money. All three of these aspects may be seen active in the sex industry here. The sex industry has power - so the Thai people accept it.

Saying that Thai people accept this is not to say they are happy with this. I spoke to several Thai people on this matter. I tried to pick up on a general, across-the-board opinion and feeling on this topic. There was no across-the-board, everybody had a different idea. But each idea was still a form of acceptance.

I guess to put it bluntly it works like this. If Girl-A from Village-X goes down to the big city and gets a job in a go-go bar the village accepts this.

When Girl-A comes back with lots of money she is praised and the fact that she works/ed in the sex industry is accepted even more openly.

When Girl-A comes back with no money she is ignored and the fact that she works/ed in the sex industry is swept under the carpet.

Same goes for Boy-A from Village-Z.

The Thai people accept the sex industry. It has always been there, they know that. The Thai people accept almost anything. If they cannot accept something - they adapt to it. If they cannot do that they force that "something" to adapt to them.

Again, the industry is on the whole accepted. You must remember that normal Farangs do not stay here for long enough for this to become an issue. Farangs that stay here for any length of time and not your average Farang and are by nature accepting individuals.

Otherwise they would not survive S.E.Asia in any case. The general Buddhist "go with the flow", "just run with it" and "accept what you get" feelings tend to rub off on you after some time here.

I spoke to many Farangs on this matter. From radical feminists to drunken sailors - again there was no across-the-board feeling. Everybody had a slightly different pitch, a different opinion.

But not even the feminists turned up their noses in disgust. Their attitude was more of a "yeah we need to do something to help those poor girls" thing. But no disgust, no anger. Just that it was noted that the "girls need help".

You have your ends of the scale. The Farang male who owns a share in a beer bar that runs young girls is obviously not going to say much against the industry. He won't say much for it either. Generally such an individual keeps his or her mouth quite shut.

At the other end of the scale may reside the Farang female, hanging in S.E.Asia writing a book on women's issues here. I have met a few of these. Strangely, they had little to say. It all seemed, perhaps, simply too big an issue to comment on let alone deal with.

If any Farang in Thailand really gave a shit about the people in the sex industry, how come nobody has gone out and motivated the workers to set up a union? How come nobody has gone out there and proved that half the brothels are owned by high ranking government and police/army officials?

I'll tell you why - it's simple. Nobody don't want no bullet in their fucking head is why. And that is what you would get in very short order if you went picking at the scab too much.

OK, the majority of the rank and file workers are female. My perception is that the percentage breakdowns are something like this:-

Female of legal age (18 Y.O. and older):65%

Female, underage:5%

Male of legal age:8%

Male underage:2%

Tranvestite:5%

Transexual:5%

Other:10%

I am not sure what "other" is, but I've seen them out there!

The girls come mainly from up-country rice farming areas. The money is low and mum and dad need some money to send the little kids to school. So young daughter-2 packs the bags and heads for the big city.

She works at Nana Plaza. She shares a small apartment with several other girls. She sends half of her money each month back up to mama and papa.

The girls stick together, help each other a lot. But they never fight back against injustice and unfair practices by their bosses - the bar owners.

The bar owners are both Thai and Farang. Many a Farang is the "up front" manager of a business that is physically owned by a Thai person. No Farang owns the bar. Many of the Farang owners treat their girls like shit. Others treat the workers quite well.

Below the workers and the bar owners/managers are the pimps, touts and go-betweens.

At the bottom of the filth-pile (or the top - depending on your point of view) are the corrupt police and the "Mafia". The pimps, touts and go-betweens work between the owners/workers and the lower level street creeps.

When there is a hassle between a customer and a girl, the pimp or tout will work it out (often with a gun or a "hot shot" of smack).

When a customer beats up one of the girls, the go-between will try to ensure that the "Mafia" is informed that a customer was "damaging stock" and that this customer is dealt with. Again, this dealing often involves guns and hot shots or whatever other method of pain/disposal is handy.

There are ancillary industries also, such as the food vendors that prosper around the sex districts. The men selling balloons. The young kids with bubble gum and cigarettes. These fringe dwellers often shift in and out of the business itself. One day behind a bar, next day behind a chicken-griller.

Industry Economics.

The Police and the Army in Thailand are directly related. At times I find it difficult to even tell who is who. They merge, they become quite grey in my mind.

The Thai version of a "Mafia" exists in extremely strong form. Thailand is a country divided and arranged by blood lines. Politicians get into power not due to skill or knowledge or experience but due simply - and only - to blood lines, family membership, loose affiliations of regional power families - "Mafia".

In Thailand it is in fact quite difficult to find the line between "Mafia" and "officialdom". Family groups "own" the rights to regions of the country. Specific family groups "run" the sex industry and have done for years.

Of course, much of the industry is random - it just runs under its own steam. But large areas are controlled by small groups who are related by blood.

The Police and the "Mafia" own some bars. These bars are protected and never get busted for underage, over-hours, unlicensed, or any of the other many violations that a bar can run into. The "Mafia' take money directly in this manner - direct ownership.

They also run protection rackets. This is their big money spinner. Classic scene, young lads come in, smash up your bar. The next day a nice man in a suit comes and offers to prevent this happening any more - for a fee.

Then there is the area in which the sex industry and the multi-billion dollar drug-trade join hands. This area is dangerous, there is too much money involved. This is another story. Some other day when I am sick of living - I may write it. For now, I love life too much to tamper with those heavies.

There are foreign crime syndicates involved in the sex industry in Thailand. I shall make a brief listing of who and what herein:-

All in all, there is a massive involvement of foreign organised and loosely-organised crime in the sex trade in Thailand. They are both the client and the provider. Every second bloody go-go bar has a Farang manager. And every second one of these dudes has some involvement with organised crime networks and syndicates.

You simply do not work this industry without coming into contact with organised crime groups in some way. It may be a small and casual contact or it may be something bigger.

But no matter what, when you work the trade you meet the dogs of that trade - the organised crime boys.

Come back next week and read on. There are more bent attitudes in store, more ranting and raving, more warped perspectives. Read up! You just might learn something!