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Ping-Pong diplomacy
She is more of a man than you will ever be and even more of a woman, the advertising says. She being collectively the ladyboys of Simon Cabaret, and what an extravaganza. One and a quarter hours of non-stop transsexual burlesque; song, dance and humour in a tightly choreographed performance. The quick-change sets are outstanding (everything from Hollywood and Japan to Egypt) and the costumes a brilliant array of feathers and things that sparkle. It is the perfect cliché and the Japanese in the audience cheered with delight at the Oriental section of the show. What a show and not to be missed.
It would be remiss of us to spend a month in Thailand and not comment on the entertainment industry, Patong being right up there with Pattaya and Bangkok among the country’s famed red-light hotspots. Years ago, we spent a few days in Bangkok and for some reason didn’t quite anticipate the sight of love-bitten, usually ugly, white men in the streets, arm-in-arm with beautiful young Thai women or boys. It looked unpleasantly exploitative and must have sparked a latent puritanical streak; we stayed away from Patpong and had no real desire to return to that part of the world.
However, we must have toughened up because, to be blunt, we expected Patong to be much raunchier than it is. We anticipated the Wild West, the internet and guide books warn visitors to leave their prejudices at home or to stay away if offended by a town influenced by sex shows and abounding in prostitutes and ladyboys.
Reality often tempers perception, or perhaps the authorities got in first as our girls tell us that Patong has quietened down since they first visited some years ago. Then, they say, naked women danced the tables in the open-air bars, and put on other, more graphic, displays indoors. It transpires that the police have cracked down, not only on motorcyclists failing to carry their licenses, but on all manner of things including many of the organised scams to rip tourist off and the overt nature of the sex industry. And it has had an effect.
This is not to imply that the sex industry is not here. This is a party town and the Australians and Europeans want their money’s worth. The Aussie miners over for the wedding certainly found one of the legendary shows where Ping -Pong and emptying goldfish into a bowl are the order of the day, but even then they complained about the quality of the performance and price of the beer.
One young man we chatted to at a bar one night explained how the scene works. The bars employ women to lure men in and get them drinking, “hello welcome” they chant as you approach. Then there are the prostitutes who just get on with business and, lastly, there is a large contingent of women who attach themselves to male companions for the time of their visit here. From our observation, many look utterly bored, but content to keep company of foreign men and, in turn, be looked after for a period of time.
It does not look anything near as exploitative as in Bangkok, there is fun here to be had for most. We observed three young women at the Kiwi Bar one evening toying with a young English chap. Our friend, the bar owner told this man had spent 20,000 baht ($NZ1,000) on beer and women in the previous two days in Patong, and these girls were intent on ensuring he kept the spending going. There was no doubt as who was suckering who.