BANGKOK BOY: THE STORY OF A STOLEN CHILDHOOD by Chai Pinit

There have been lots of books written about the Thai sex-worker scene, both fictional and true accounts; some humorous, others serious. A few really good ones come to mind, including Stephen Leather’s Private Dancer. I’ve always thought that it would be informative and useful if one was written from the male worker’s point of view. So, when I spotted the somewhat misleadingly titled, Bangkok Boy: the Story of a Stolen Childhood, at Asia Books, I immediately purchased it. Most of the readers of this publication have had experiences with the delightful boys that populate the various go-go and host bars of Bangkok, Pattaya and other cities. We worship them, enjoy them, fall in love with them, and sometimes, unfortunately, abuse them. Most of them seem happy with their lot and appear to enjoy making love with older and, often, not so attractive foreign tourists.

The author, Chai Pinit provides us with a first person account of his descent into prostitution. Although he partly connects this life-style to an incident of abuse involving a teacher when he was fifteen years old, it soon becomes clear that his position in life was largely a result of poor choices (or karma, depending on your point of view). He was not forced into prostitution as a result of human trafficking or grinding poverty. Chai, the son of a primary school teacher, was raised in Si Saket Province and came from a relatively well off family. Although given every opportunity to attain an education, he becomes a delinquent and an alcoholic. Chai, eventually, chooses to make “easy” money by becoming a go-go boy on Soi Twilight. He describes, in detail, the downward spiral of drinking and gambling, ultimately resulting in his becoming homeless and sustaining a severe beating which nearly kills him. The book spans over twenty years of his self destructive life-style.

The book is an easy and interesting read. Chai gives lots of insights and details about what it’s like to be a male sex worker, without being prurient. Although I definitely sympathized with his various travails and predicaments, I couldn’t accept that the early incident with the teacher led to his turning to a life of prostitution. It seemed that he made many bad choices and tried to find the easy way out. I give the author credit for recognizing this, himself, and sharing his story with others.

It’s well worth the 525 baht cover price. (If you join their club, Asia Books will give you a ten percent discount.)