On Friday night I was having a beer with a mate down a notorious street filled with naught bars (Soi Cowboy) here in Bangkok. The street I’m talking about is lined up with go-go bars which are a little like strip clubs you would find in the west, although in these particular bars the girls don’t strip (most of the time)… they just dance around some chrome poles in revealing clothes. Outside the bars there are girls trying to pull customers into the bars, some use force while others just scream out the rates of drinks and so on. Here’s an image of this particular road so you can get an idea of whats it’s like:
As we started walking down the street, I noticed what seemed like a family coming up from the other direction: a guy, his wife and 3 kids aged between 7 and 14. My first reaction was to think what the fuck are they doing bringing their kids down this area… but then I began to think some more of what I had just witnessed and started to question myself as whether it wasn’t that bad of an idea. As I type this I’m sitting on the fence.
I wonder what kind of questions they asked mum and dad? I also wonder what mum and dad replied…
Should kids start to learn how the real world works as quickly as possible or should parents do their best to shelter parts of real life and leave them to find out that by themselves?
The most probably explaination is they were new to Bangkok and didn’t realize where they were. :)
It’s kind of unmistakable with all the girls hanging around, plus it’s in an area where the average tourist wouldn’t walk past. If they didn’t realize what the road was for, they would have worked it out by 10 feet inside.
The first time I came to Thailand was with my dad at 18, some of his friends still couldn’t believe that he would bring an 18 year old here for a holiday.
As a 7 year old would you really understand what’s going on? I doubt it.
I guess it all depends on your up-bringing… My Dad took me to Amsterdam with his friends when I was 15 and I understood everything :)
Obviously at 8 years old it’s going to be different, but surely the kid must have had some curiosity?
At 8 years old I don’t think I even knew what prostitution was:)
The only question I probably would have asked is why are there so many woman?
One thing I do thing is wrong though is when I see a 6-10 year old in a bar with his pissed up dad at 3am.
Taking kids along with you while you partake in the action is plain wrong.
It’s really sad but in Phuket I see it Weekly!
Well, I don’t take my kids to such places. There is no need for them to be exposed at a young age. It always saddens me to see this farang guy drinking a beer with his mates and his 11 year old daughter sitting there, often head on the table waiting to be able to go home…Let kids be kids!! They have the rest of their lives to go whereever THEY want to go !
Do you go to such places Lillian? ;)
In CM? no… I’m too pretty :-P
btw.. point taken.