According to Phuket Gazette the Royal Thai Police are about to implement a crackdown on criminal Thai ladyboys in Phuket. Yes I did say ladyboys, that's kathoey, kathoeys or third gender call them what you will and not the recently publicised jet ski scammers whose sexual orientation is irrelevant. Now since Thailand is usually quite accepting of Kathoeys I wonder what has prompted the sudden apparent change in the status quo?
Well it seems the US Navy is at least partly to blame, actually to be more precise I should say a couple of elements of it anyway, since they are due to arrive in Phuket this week for R & R.
Now personally I thought rest and recuperation (R&R) went out with the Vietnam War since it conjures up scenes of sex starved servicemen fleeing the hell hole of the then Vietnam in exchange for the brothels of Bangkok and Pattaya. Surely nowadays ships are making a courtesy call (diplomatic term for R &R) just like the UK marines did early this year. Now we all know what that led to don't we? What you haven't heard of the jet ski scam and Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand?
Now since the crack-down is on Thai ladyboys and not jet ski operators it does of course raise the question(in my mind anyway), why? Is it that the US sailors and marines have different needs to their UK counterparts? Or is it just the Thai authorities trying to prevent another international scandal with the arrival of the high season for tourists?
I also wonder what the local police chief meant when he said his officers will be "checking the ID and employment cards of any suspected criminal ladyboys" and any that were not in order would have "big problems." Now unless Thailand has suddenly become a police state overnight then freedom of movement remains unrestricted. Therefore any ladyboy who feels the need to travel to Phuket to welcome the sailors ashore is surely not breaking the law? Well they are if they offer sexual services for money, but heh this is Thailand.
I mean, what about the straight guys who come ashore, wander into a bar in Phuket and end up paying for the services of a female hooker? Or for that matter what about JJ and his mates and their jet ski's. Oops almost forgot, although female prostitution is illegal in Thailand everyone turns a blind eye including the police so that's OK and of course all the jet ski operators have now changed their modus operandi, have insurance following their recent television exposure and will co-operate fully with the local fuzz should there be any complaints!
Draw your own conclusions about this police action -I have, but then I live in Thailand. Ladyboy crackdown in Phuket? Talk about double standards!
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3 comments:
I think the crackdown is probably aimed at more of the freelancer ladyboys working the streets of Phuket. When they work in the bars records are kept so if there is a problem they can be traced back to a bar.
The freelancers in Phuket and Pattaya have gotten a lot worse recently and with the economy the way it is there have been a lot more drugging's and thefts.
In some cases there have been out right attacks on tourists as they pass a gaggle of ladyboy freelancers.
Having just spent the last few months on and off in Phuket I would have to say its about time. Slowly but surely the number of problem
caused by the freelance ladyboys in and around Patong have increased and with the lack of tourist for the start of the high season its likely to get worse.
I was in Patong when the last Navy vessels arrived, the guys were great and very well behaved however from the few sailors I did speak to most of them had limited shore leave with varying curfews imposed, some crew had to be back onboard by 11pm.
Mike am I reading this right. So the future is a Phuket with no jet ski scams and ladyboys will be thin on the ground.
So the probable number one net search on Thailand is ladyboy and tourism Thailand are going to ban them.
I think the minute the US tug pulls out of Phuket or for that matter any British navy boat, there will be a few ladyboys heading back home with a few bob in their handbags.
They may ban the freelancers during the US navy's visit but one missing 'swallow' doesn't make it a bad summer.
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