Though missionaries preaching the word of the Lord near raunchy entertainment spots have become a Bangkok mainstay in the last few years, I must say I have never witnessed any man or woman heed the advice of a preacher and refrain from descending into the Devil’s pit of scantily clad young ladies.

Perhaps this is why new tactics are being deployed. A recent CNN article reported the story of Bonita and Roy Thompson of The Home of New Beginnings outreach centre. The centre is situated on the same street as Bangkok’s infamous red-light zone, Soi Nana. Rather than simply preaching to passers by, the Thompsons’ tactic is to pay the girls’ bar-fines to bring them inside the centre.

Funded by churches and foundations, the couple have paid bar owners over 335,000 Baht (£6,100) to take girls home and attempt to persuade them to accept Jesus. The reward for acceptance is a weekly income of 800 Baht (£16), free accommodation and vocational courses.

Thais and expats alike are sceptical of such initiatives, questioning whether the missionaries have the best interests of the sex workers at heart, or whether they are simply fulfilling their duty to God to make sure Saint Peter keeps the gates wide open.

The Thompsons’ motive is ultimately one of religious conversion and the fringe benefits are the lure in a somewhat deceitful sales pitch. But perhaps it is short sighted to view the entire offering with such contempt. There is nothing stopping a girl taking up the opportunity, utilising the resources, saying Jesus is wonderful for six months and then moving on to a better life, and a new career .

The majority of bar-girls are uneducated and have children to support from failed teen marriages. Ignorance convinces many tourists and expats that the majority of girls choose to work the bars, yet most have no idea how limited the alternative choices are. For example; a simple 7,000 Baht a month (£140) job in the hospitality sector often requires a university degree and a monetary guarantee from a civil servant, something the average girl from a poor family in a rural province cannot provide.

There are always alternatives in life, but cleaning hotel rooms is not going to support one, two or possibly more family dependents. I am sure some girls find alternative opportunities, but most girls who end up working the bars would not know where to start in looking for social support services, free vocational courses or back to work schemes.

In Thailand, options are few and far between for those without higher education, a wealthy background or a competent command of the English language. If you are a single mother with a failed marriage, and you lack one of these key credentials, the likelihood of finding a decent job, governmental support or a well-intentioned partner who can provide for you are very low.

Girls who go into bars generally view the career as short term. They are lured by the rumours of fast money and a rich Western boyfriend. The reality is irregular money, an abundance of competition and having sex with undesirable men. The amount of money a girl earns and her ability to bag a wealthy sponsor is dependent on her looks, charm, performance in the bedroom and general luck. At best, most girls can hope to end up partnered with a man twice their age, or a man whose funds will diminish quickly in an extended holiday of debauchery, which will eventually see him broke on a plane back home.

Missionaries may be providing the ultimatum of Christianity or prostitution, but the choice need not be so limited in the long term. Regardless of the critics, this is a stepping stone that provides a choice, albeit a conditional one - a choice for girls who have experienced little choice of good fortune in their lives.

The Thompsons cite that 35 out of approximately 1000 girls have taken them up on their offer of sanctuary. Contrary to what most bar crawlers believe, the figures suggest some girls are desperate for a viable alternative. Even at 3.5%, the missionaries have the potential to offer a better life to 70,000 of the estimated 2 million Thai sex workers.

I fear the only thing stopping more girls from honesty or dishonesty agreeing to the Thompsons’ proposal is loyalty - loyalty to the Buddhist faith, which is followed by approximately 95% of the nation and an integral part of a Thai family bond.

To denounce Buddhism and follow Christianity as an exit strategy is the flip side of a double edged sword. Prostitution is one family betrayal too many, Christianity would mean yet another. In essence this conversion would mean surrendering a part of one’s nationality and identity, something most girls would simply not be prepared to endure. Regardless of the work they do, the girls remain faithful Buddhists along with a deep sense of systematically engrained nationalism. Buddhism and national pride may be the only saving graces they have left in an industry plagued with corruption, greed and sleaze.

Words: Alfred James. Alfred is a freelance writer currently residing in Bangkok.
 

Photos from: here.