Went down to find some ladyboys to photograph today and was sitting drinking some water when a lady sex worker I had met briefly the night before came up and sat down beside me to talk.
The girls name was Bee, 21 years old. She came from a farming community in Issan (poorest area of Thailand). Bee had never known her mother, her father died when she was young, she was raised by an Aunt with a farang husband and a grandmother. When the grandmother died the Aunt through Bee out. Bee has a son that is 2 1/2 years old. The son lives with her ex Thai husband in Issan.
Bee came to work in Pattaya and now has a farang boyfriend who is 37, she misses him but is not sure the farang man loves her. Her boyfriend is from Ireland and according to Bee he will come back to Thailand and marry her he will pay 500 000 baht in dowry along with 5 baht in gold (weight of gold for the rings and necklace at the wedding). Bee's dream is to own a house and a small business of any kind. When I suggested she use the money he is sending her to go to school she told me she was to old now for school.
Bee was friendly and nice but very street smart and not shy in the words she used. She said to me "I do not fuck other man only my boyfriend". She was walking a street thou that is frequented by freelance sex workers so am not sure how much of her story is true. She told me the boyfriend was sending her 20 000 baht a month if that was so why wsa she working a street that paid 500 baht for short time sex? She might be alone or the boyfriend might not be sending her money.
I felt sorry for her she was polite and funny, talking openly and freely to me. There is so much more she could do with her life, she speaks English well, she is a quick and smart lady. She told me "I know everything no farang can bullshit me!"
A very practical and upfront lady far to savy for a 21 year old, her life has be tough and she has become strong.
Maybe I will try to photograph her, my film almost finished thou.