The cold water hit my spine and slid down my back. I was in the women's change room of the community pool in Buriram, alone. It was approximately noon. I had finished my laps and was preparing to go pick up some lunch. There was a knock on my shower door. This was unusual. I asked who it was. It was one of the pubescent boys I had met in the pool. The conversation as I remember it: "I'm showering. I'll see you when I'm done." "I want to shower too." This confused me. "I'll see you when I'm done." "I want to shower with you. Can I shower with you?" The fact this individual was … [Read more...]
The Drone- Sexual Predatory Behaviour In Thailand
It's difficult to convey a nameless feeling that encroaches with time, one that shadows the furthering of one's understanding of their place in a culture alien to the one they left behind. This difficulty is deeply accentuated when little is written on the subject and the subject itself is taboo to approach. For those of you who read MBSB regularly, you are keenly aware that for months now, I've been discussing my experiences as a Foreign woman in Thailand with tenacity. Today will be no different. Today's entry is a direct result of my post, Visa Runs In Thailand And Why I Now Fear Them. However, the stories presented on this day have no summary, no effort … [Read more...]
Officers – My Experiences With Thai Police As A Solo Female Traveler
Please note, for the sake of the privacy of all people involved and my own personal safety, I have omitted names and cities and will not respond to any emails inquiring about either. My dealings with the police in Thailand have been as varied and seemingly random as most other things here, which lends both to the country's beauty and its instability. The Thailand I know is not as systematic as Western countries I'm familiar with and the accountability of one's actions is often overlooked. This is dependent on, but not limited to, one's connections, social standing (which is often dictated at birth), wealth and the Thai convention of not approaching things directly. … [Read more...]
Visa Runs In Thailand And Why I Now Fear Them
The stress, frustration and rage that I felt this passing week in regards to my upcoming visa run to the Cambodian border exasperates me. I'm confused by my response to it. I judge my inability to be impartial to it. I wonder if living in Thailand has made me stronger or it has broken me. I will not leave this country the same as when I arrived. To be brief, visa runs essentially fall on the dates Thai immigration deems you must leave the country. You are allowed back into Thailand on the same day without having to obtain a new visa. For example, I was given a triple entry tourist visa after not being able to extend the business visa I was allowed for … [Read more...]
Blonde Hair and Red Lips
Lately I've been catching glimpses of myself in the mirror and thinking, What's up Armando? You're looking pretty worn out. Translation: I see my father with dark circled peepers, a bad wig and clothes that look like they've been pulled in opposing directions staring blankly at me. Or, as stated by a female who, when sitting at my laptop lurking portraits of prior Thailand me, turned her head in my direction and said, "Wow, you really have given up a lot to come out here." So my recent manifesto is to bring the stereotyped feminine back into my life. Dresses, hair treatments, perfumed sheets, clothes that weren't made for boys, and today, straightened, freshly blonde … [Read more...]
If You’re Good…On Being A Foreign Woman In Thailand
Thai massages generally last two hours and during that time multiplied by a few visits, you can get to know a lot about the person administering the massage, and them about you. It's sort of reminiscent of getting your hair cut in the West. Today, as I sat with my legs crossed and head bent, signifying the end of my massage, my massage lady rubbed my back softly and in the tone one uses when one wants to impart wisdom and comfort said, "You have the soul of a man but the body of a woman." Her hands paused and she squeezed my shoulder blades lightly. "If you're good/do well, in your next life you will be born a … [Read more...]
Sexuality in Thailand – Lolito
Standard swim gear for women out here in Buriram isn't on par with the West, nor with the tourist areas of Thailand. Country chicks tend to wear a t-shirt and shorts. The community pool in the city has a regulation against this, so most girls wear full piece swimsuits. Full piece swimsuits I couldn't imagine wearing when I'm sixty. Full piece swimsuits I couldn't imagine wearing if I was sixty in 1960. Bikinis seem to be out unless you're a hooker with the Farang-of-the-week-you-picked-up-in-Pattaya-and-brought-back-to-meet-your-family-to-prove-you-really-do-love-him. And even that's rare. They usually cover up too. So, I've taken to wearing a mock … [Read more...]
Tales Of The Zombie Hooker
Determining what I was going to discuss on MBSB has proven to be more of a challenge than expected. I'm hit with a lot of interesting moments, but what do I write about? What is too much? The protocol is to relay my truth, to not dance around things while maintaining an atmosphere of respect. At the very least, as much respect as I believe the situation allows while maintaining my truth. Sensationalism is empty and weak. An attempt to elicit attention, reaction in its most base form. It lacks soul. I want the reader to understand the context of the content on MBSB via my experiences, hence the personal nature of this site. … [Read more...]