Bangkok's Red Light District (one of them!)

From an e-mail I sent in 2009

We walked around the red light district during the day when there was real no activity - not like night anyway!  Besides the girly bars, you can see sections like in photo three.  Also, there are many restaurants of all kinds throughout the area.  we noticed Mexican, Irish pubs, sushi bars, Cajun food restaurants, etc.  The first two photos show just how accommodating restaurants can be to western tourists who want it like it is back home.

Bangkok, as you know, has many girly bars and bar girls (prostitutes).  There is also a smaller section of clubs for gay tourists.  (See photo # 3)  In Thailand, there's generally a very tolerant view towards most types of people.  What would be more insulting to Thais would be attitude problems:  being impatient or hot-headed or constantly griping. 

Just to tell you how "out there" Bangkok is (certainly in some areas) there was a huge salon in a bustling part of town with the giant name, Gay Haircut.  Sometimes Thais try to be cute with language, but it can be weird at times.  Like in many hair salons back home, here the stereotype is that males cutting hair (women's) are gay.  But in establishments where certain goods (i.e. sex) are being traded or certain risqué trade is being marketed, well, you can see names like pussy lounge, hot boys, etc.. This would shock most Americans.

Thais are not always as tolerant as I make them out to be. However, concerning gays, they seem far more tolerant.  The big difference I see, between where we were raised and here, is the religion.  Fundamentalist Christianity (evangelicals) teaches in churches, private schools and communities that being gay is a sin and the Bible is perfect.  Here, there's no religious element that shapes minds along those lines.