Tao Rai?

Welcome to my thinking corner Brother and Sisters!

Warning: should you experience a degree of volatility with the steadiness of your hypertension during the reading of my entry, then quickly scroll at the bottom of the screen for some soothing and hopefully serene photographic images and please avoid the rest of these 3,000 or so words all together. I assure you that life will continue as it was before and I will not be the least offended.

It was about time that someone bothered to share an update on the current Bar scene and Massage parlours and in particular the “Bottom line”, that is, the expected price structures. By the same token we could not have wished better than for those insights to be provided courtesy of Brother Caveman, who, as regular readers will know, is reasonably informed on a number of Thai life style issues and has been contributing many notable entries to this highly respected website. Connoisseurs will be aware that he has TWO not just one Green Star
submissions. When it appeared, I immediately transferred his “What women want”, posted on 24/12/2009, to my IPod and I faithfully re-read and memorise it on the plane every time I am Bangkok bound. No Christmas present was ever more useful
than this and at times I will even recite it word for word in front of a mirror in the small toilet cubicles because it is all about mind over matter, is it not? Yes, Bros and Sis, I am aware that a number of his views may be perceived as forthright
but to his defence (and not that he needs old Tommaso to defend him as he can very well take care of himself) he is a rare example of someone who is not only candid and outspoken (that is the easy part) but he does so in a coherent straight-from-the-shoulder
manner and I hope he will not change his delivery as he approaches the half a century of his own existence. Sadly, I reflect, old age is a high and cruel price to pay for wisdom and one can feel deflated at times upon realising that the years
awaiting us in our credit tab are increasingly less than the ones we have already borrowed. It seems to me that during these times of political correctness, which often seems devoid of common sense, we also need a few more individuals who are
defiantly brave and capable of articulating thoughts and provoking debate in complete openness.

There Brothers and Sisters, we finally have an up to date insight on pricing and places for a number of delectable activities one may wish to undertake when in Thailand. Now, from a quick glance of the photos (it had to be quick, that is how painful the viewing experience was) posted with Brother Caveman’s submission, he is being extremely brave surviving in a land that allows pachyderms to roam freely and even permits them to shop at the local groceries stores. One question that came to mind was “How can one possibly protect oneself from this dreadful and frightening virus of “Femina Rotunda” which seems to have spread so alarmingly this side of the Atlantic too?” Suggestions to my email address at the foot of this entry will be welcome and I will include the best ones in a future submission.

Despite all the available data provided, the few remaining and rare brain cells still residing in my limited and sadly diminishing brain seem to struggle computing the range and variation of information presented before me. So, if I have this right, there are many opportunities and variables within them it seems, including vast differences among freelancers and bargirls and this will vary from soi to soi, bar joint to discotheque, beer bar to locale and even restaurant to bus stop as the case may be between soi 3 and 5 for the latter in the Sukhumvit Municipality. There is variation in prices according to the time of day or night (the latter, just past two o’clock in the early hours seems to offer the best bargains if you can stay up and erect, literally, until then and with some tactful negotiations you may even bag a bargain and buy one and get one free). Price can be negotiated from short time to long time, with or without bar fines and this, by all means, is not an exhaustive list and it may even reserve in some cases the odd surprise of the “Third Kind” because only in Thailand men can be more beautiful than women. Enough said. Well Brothers and Sisters, the array is so wide and so far reaching that I would not know where to begin from and, to tell the truth, my head is hurting a little and I am going to re-read Brother Caveman guidance to massages as I rapidly detect that I am in need of one to my head, neck and shoulders.

So here I am in my little thinking corner again, right in the middle of a mini heat wave, so unusual for the beginning of October in this part of the world, and I am pondering “How much?” or to put it another way “Tao rai?” Yes Brothers and Sisters, if in proximity of anything resembling the delight of a Holy Thai Vulva (HTV) our heart is content and our eyes are dancing a little jig at what they see and our joystick cannot be contained in anticipation, if the whole experience make us rejoice and reach for such a formidable acute as if we were Maria Callas in her prime at La Scala in Milano. If a woman can offer all this in return for our temporary happiness how much should we pay her? I mean I am all in favour for being reasonable but does happiness have a price and if it does, tao rai?

Let me put a question to you, in your opinion, is the following sentence just gossip?

“The recourse to cocaine and prostitutes are included in my project to establish and develop a network of connivance in our Public Administration. I thought that girls and cocaine would be a key to access success in society”. These are not my words but those recorded in the minutes of the statement given to the Authorities by Gianpaolo Tarrantini.

Who is he? I hear you say. He is an Italian businessman who has confessed to supplying Italian billionaire extraordinaire Signor Berlusconi with women for his parties and if you are interested you will be able to read more at this link.

A journalist recently tracked down and interviewed one of the many women who attended these parties, Terry De Nicolo’ (TDN), and as a result an interview was taped and released on the internet. The following is my own translation of what I have understood she said in Italian during the over four minute video clip and I have tried to be as faithful as possible in my transcript. If you are wondering what Ms De Nicolo’ looks like, you can use a search engine like Google, enter her full name and click on “Images”.

The interview begins with the Journalist (J) asking her “Who is Tarantini?”

TDN “A man of great success, those who criticise him are jealous because they will never be able to live not even one single day like him. Because he could live every day like a lion, all those who spent their existence as sheep were envious of him. He was victim of the same jealousy…like Berlusconi. They are protagonists who are loved and hated”.

J “Would you go back to Palazzo Grazioli?” (one of the venues for the alleged orgies)

TDN “If I were invited, of course, why not? I bet that if you were to ask any woman in the street as to whether she was prepared to go to Silvio she would go immediately on foot…even running. However, if you are a beautiful woman and you can sell yourself you must be able to do it well because even beauty, in fact especially beauty like Sgarbi says (and Italian outspoken art critic) has a value. If you are ugly and look disgusting then you must stay at home because beauty is a value that not everyone has and it needs to be paid for just like the skills of a doctor that’s the way it is and if some woman does not understand that because she feels the woman’s role is undermined as a result, then she should stay at home but she should not break my balls”

J “Were these parties used by Berlusconi to secure contracts and were the women in these transactions used as a payment?”

TDN “I believe that this definition of woman being used as a payment is wrong because Tarantini did not discover hot water (a euphemism meaning this is nothing new) and this system has existed for many years, since the first Republic”

J –“What if this damages the entrepreneur’s business who does not use the women as a form of payment?”

TDN “Well, if the entrepreneur does not use the women as a form of payment then he will surely use cash as a form of bribery instead, so what do you mean?”

J “Do you not believe that there are entrepreneurs who are honest?”

TDN “But when you are honest you cannot create a sizeable business, you will remain a small operation, don’t you think so? This is the way it is, if you want to increase numbers then you have to risk and the first thing you will risk is your ass. This is the way it is, this is the law of the market (street). The higher you aim for the more likely you are to walk over other people’s bodies. This is the way it is and it is right that it be like that. However, here (Italy), no one understands it because we are influenced by Catholicism, here we have this idealistic view of a morality and this pisses me off. That is the left wing moralistic view that we all should earn 2,000 Euros per month, that everyone must have a right…no, no, no. Here the law of the strongest prevails. You need to be like a lion if you are like a sheep then you need to stay home with your 2,000 Euros per month. Instead if you want 20,000 Euros per month then you need to be at the front and be ready to sell your own mother. I am sorry but that is the way it is”

J “Were these methods of bribing for contracts using women as payments also used by the Left wing parties?”

TDN “Of course but with the difference that the left wing socialist are cheap Charlies while the right wing members…possess more style…in truth the “left” have pissed us off, they just rush their accusations”

J “Were women reimbursed for their “expenses”?”

TDN “Well, what do you expect (and pointing to her own dress during the interview) who do you think I am? If I need to wear a good dress I cannot go wearing a 100 Euro piece. How can I go there…as a minimum I need to wear a Prada outfit of 1,200 Euros and this is nothing you should have seen some of the women wearing 5,000 Euros outfits plus jewellery, emeralds and other fine things. You’ve got to understand that you are going to see the Emperor…what the f@#$ do you think you will wear a thin necklace bought from a Chinese stall? You will need to wear something important because he (Berlusconi) will appreciate it because he is an esthete.

So Brothers, if you thought that maybe that sweet girl you had met at Baccara, or Tilac or Rainbow or any other bar was after a few of your satang then stop for a moment and compare her rather modest requests with the above and reflect how much easier and cheaper your opportunities are in Thailand with those willing to offer such services, which of course should never be confused with the rest of the populace who do not engage in such transactions!

My name’s Brandon, “James” Brandon and no one would be arguing with such an imposing name. No one, unless you happen to be Brother Dana. Well, as rumour has it Brother Dana has just placed a 1,000,000 million baht bounty on anyone delivering to him Brandon’s appendage and the search is on as I write this entry. When I asked Brother Dana what could possibly have infuriated him so much to take such extreme actions and come out of self imposed retirement, he slammed his fist on the table with the little stumps which remain of his once beautiful hands after all these years writing submission upon submission with not a dime in payment and no health care insurance either. He then showed to me a print out of a recent submission titled

American Dating and The Thai Nightlife – A Hi-So American Perspective by Brandon and he asked me to read it, which I did and then he asked me to tell him what I thought. I explained that the writing was clear and reasonably concise and it seemed to give a well constructed and truthful account. Then he asked me if I had carefully read it and if I had evaluated the gravity of what had been written. Well, it was only at the second reading that I spotted what had caused Brother Dana’s heart to become so agitated and his mind so turbulent as if travelling on a roller coaster ride. There, towards the end of the penultimate section was the cause of his anxiety

A note on pricing – I generally paid these girls 10K baht discretely in the morning.

“Can you believe it?” Brother Dana yelled and then trying to regain some composure “and this, from one of my own countrymen, what is this world coming to? How can he call himself an American? Has he not been reading my 985,254 Thai thoughts and anecdotes?”

Now, poor Dana, he is no longer the awesome internet warrior he once was but he is still a lovely guy and full of passion nevertheless and I have a lot of time for him. Thus, I simply did not have the heart to tell him that only 300 of his submissions had been published and the rest have never seen the light (or the blackness as the case may be) of the “Hall of shame” also known as the Readers’ submission.

Luckily, I noticed that Ajhan Stick had already tried to limit the damage by inserting, as per his helpful style, a more considerate approach by alluding that a reasonable fee may have been nearer 3,000 baht. OK, for the sake of exactness, Ajhan Stick did not give a price in baht, it was expressed as a comparative example and referred to a $3 Big Mac, which does not require to be bought for $10.

In light of that, Brother Brandon, one can tell that you are a considerate man gifted with a level of distinction and confidence which allows you to express yourself as if you are gifted with an enviable tuberosity in the nether regions and also, it seems, judging by what you write a refreshingly erudite fellow and on behalf of all of us, I appeal to your common sense that while on one end we can accept your perceived snobbery as innocuous and not the least ill meaning, not all our Brothers’ paths are necessarily illuminated by divine light like yours apparently is and if you really mean what you think when you write

“…my intention is not to stir up controversy for the sake of it”

Then please, spare a thought for your “poorer” American Brothers (and, at this rate, also our Brothers from Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Italy quickly following in tow) for whom 10,000 baht still remains a significant sum for what amounts to no more than a fleeting amorous encounter, especially with the dollar taking such a beating of late. Also bear in mind that our Japanese Brothers don’t like being number two in the “Money is no object” tables (allegedly this is due to an inferiority complex steaming from the second world war) and they may be alarmed that someone may be paying more than them. In turn this may provoke a commotion among them and lead them to redefine well accepted perceptions and change them to four-inches-for-forty-thousand-baht-in-four-seconds and with good people like them near us who needs friends? God forbid though if this idea of such easy pickings takes hold among the maidens of Thailand it will spell the end for many ordinary punters, particularly during these bleak and seemingly prolonged periods of economic turmoil…you know, for example, how carefully Brother Dana counts his cents and budgets for the many Chickens he hopes to be able to buy with his baht when visiting Pattaya.

I mean this truthfully Brother Brandon, you seem to be a man gifted with deep analysis and acute common sense, which makes one wonder what made you lose your sensible perspective when your fingers drew the no doubt crispy banknotes from your leather wallet? Did you think is was monopoly money? Were you under the influence of Yabba or other hallucinogens? Now, there is a time and place for everything and as you asked for

“Recommendations and advice by insiders are appreciated”

My own advice is to learn the economic value of the “market” you wish to trade in. As many knowledgeable Brothers have previously posted, the monthly salary for a Thai office employee of standard Thai education is unlikely to exceed 10,000 baht and often it is much less. Even Government officers with Master degrees at what they call here levels 7 or 8 will not gross more than 30,000 to 35,000 baht per month unless they operate at Director’s level and many young people including bar girls will share very basic lodgings consisting of a medium to small room with just a fridge, a television, a bed and the tiniest of bathrooms (the latter a misnomer by European standards) with a hole in ground and a hose for a shower and all this for a few thousand baht per month. No wonder these cute vixens rather seize any opportunity to repair in one of our Brothers’ comfortable pads or hotel lodgings for the night with breakfast included in the morning instead of returning to their little box rooms.

Meanwhile, please leave it with old Tommaso and I shall do what I can to intercede with “Il Cavaliere” through the resourceful Tarantini and, who knows, perhaps a discreet invite at Palazzo Grazioli in Roma may be arranged for you through one of my good friends there and where, as the venerable Ms De Nicolo’ hinted, women will wear for you Prada outfits and adorn their delicate necks, arms and fingers with jewellery, emeralds and other fine things that you seem to be more accustomed too. That will enable you to sample something that surpasses anything from the night life in Nana Plaza or the glittering lights of Soi Cowboy or dancing to the tune of an Argentine Tango or an Italian Mambo until the early hours. It will be your experience of a life time, your opportunity to taste the nectar of the finest international produce and over there they call it “Bunga Bunga”. Meanwhile, Brother and Sisters, enjoy your 1,500 to 2,000 baht experiences with the lovelies hoping that Brother Brandon does not spoil it for you in Pattaya and probably he won’t when Brother Dana gets to those friendly Immigration officers first and bribe them to report him as Persona non grata on his next arrival.

Hmm, I feel a power nap calling but before I pull my curtains for the day Brothers and Sisters, let me share one more fact with you about Anuradha Koirala. If you take a first look at her, she may come across as a shy and reserved pensioner but for prostitution trafficking gangs she has been the enemy number one for over 18 years thanks to her raids in several of Bombay brothels and to the creating of a welcome shelter in Kathmandu (wait a minute, isn’t that where Brother Korski has been staying recently? Is he collating material for a case study to be used over here?). Koirala has managed to save from rape and maltreatment more than 10,000 women so far. In an interview by France Press she recently said

“I dream of the day when there will not be any woman or minor forced to sell herself”

Hmm, one cannot help thinking that she is likely to dream on for a while longer as I am reliably informed that the female representatives of Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy are not being forced into anything unless they want to, which is re-assuring. In Nepal, victims of sex trafficking involve children as young as twelve and they average around 12,000 per year, which is deeply deplorable and very disturbing. To save them from closed brothels where they are sold to business men and sex tourists, Koirala has risked her life more than once. In 1993, she founded a charitable association called "Maiti Nepal" which is financially supported by a number of high profile donors such as Demi Moore and Prince Charles and has been working tirelessly since.

Can you imagine a Koirala in Thailand? Oh, please, let’s hope not, that would just be too much…did I say too much?…hmm I was meant to say “Tao rai?”

Stickman's thoughts:

Many factors contribute to the prices requested by the girls and the amounts offered by customers.

I do feel though that in-depth discussion about how much it costs to spend a night with a woman rather dehumanises her. Some seem to think that any"thing", be it humans or whatever, have a price – and that is something I find distasteful.