Trouble On Walking Street

I’m a regular reader of your website, but this is the first time that I’ve written to you. I lived in Bangkok from 1996-2005 and 2007-2009 before moving to the Middle-East and then returning to the UK 2 years ago. I still visit Thailand every year and have just arrived back home this morning after a 3-week visit.

I spent some time in Pattaya at well-known, inexpensive hotel on Walking Street (I have stayed there often in the past). I like the hotel and had never had a problem there nor seen any. However, the number of young Indian men that use the hotel is growing rapidly. One night/day I was woken at 4 A.M. by a Thai woman shouting ‘Why you take my (inaudible)?’, then as I looked through the spy hole at the room opposite, I saw all hell break loose as a young Indian man attacked her. Other Indian men came out on to the corridor followed by some Thai women and they all ran downstairs. The noise downstairs continued for 20 minutes. Nobody returned to the room, and the maids were in there early to clean up.

2 nights later and the room next to mine was occupied by a group of Indians and 2 or 3 Thai women. I could hear everything unfortunately and can now confirm that it appears to be some sort of organized abuse that starts with the women thinking certain things will take place for an agreed price but the males then pressure/force the women to do more, and then refuse to pay the women what they had initially agreed.

One of the women was distraught and ran out of the room in tears whilst another older sounding woman held out for the money. As things got heated, I heard/saw more Indian males going past my room and into the one next door. Again, I have to say that it seemed to me that the Indian men had planned the whole thing; I found it disturbing, felt I should do something, but know Thailand well enough to recognize that would not have been a wise move on my part.

This is not an anti-Indian rant: some of my compatriots have murdered Thai sex workers in the past. But I do believe the ever increasing number of young Indians on Walking Street will eventually kill it as a tourist attraction; not because people dislike Indians but rather that young Indians have an attitude towards the women that creates a toxic environment.

I could hear what was going on and it suggested to me that Whitey may be getting it wrong when he thinks the reason Indians ‘share’ women is that they can’t afford to have one each. It sounded to me like some sort of acting out of a gang-rape scenario of the sort that seems prevalent in Indian society.

Could it be that after so many recent high-profile gang-rape/murders in India that have provoked huge demonstrations there against organized abuse of women, that some Indian males have decided to use Thailand as a place to carry out their ‘rituals’?

It would be interesting to hear your readers’ thoughts on the suggestion that these men choose to operate in gangs and have no desire to find a teeruk all for themselves, that they actually go to Thailand to have group sex rather than straight sex.

I have to admit I was of the opinion that they were just sex-starved young lads trying to learn about life, but what I experienced last Friday has made me think that that an altogether more sinister motivation may be behind their actions.