I suppose there are a thousand Bangkoks, in the same way there must be
a thousand Paris’s, Londons, Jerusalems or Torontos. There’s the Bangkok
of Patpong Road and its market of broken hearts and cheap flesh. The Bangkok
of Kao San Road with its millions of tourists, the Habad House, and the
wonderful Rabbi Nehemyia. There’s the Bangkok of Soi Ngan Duphli with
its hotels full of long time residents of Bangkok; the strangest bunch
of misfits and sociopaths you’d ever want to meet.
Bangkok also has temples and palaces and prisons. Speaking of prisons, if
you do visit any major city in South East Asia, call your embassy for the
name of a prisoner who needs a visit. I had the immense privilege of meeting
Lyle Doniger at the Bangwang Central Prison. He’s doing 50 years for possession
of heroine. 41 grams. Meeting him was a lesson in courage and freedom and
I will always be in debt to him for what he taught me in one short hour. Don’t
bring anything with you for the prisoners since you can’t give it to them.
Once you speak to them and find out their needs, you can post them anything
you want.
I sort of liked Bangkok for its crazy air of anything-goes. It’s really like
anywhere else: if you have money you can buy anything. Only in Bangkok it’s
so much cheaper. One of the overwhelming sights of the city are the hundreds
of Thai women walking around with middle-aged or down right old men. These
are not little girls. The Thai government has, thank G_d, come down very heavily
on paedophilia and anybody caught with an under-aged girl or boy gets life
in prison. The law is strictly enforced and I don’t think these are guys you’d
want to visit in prison, either. Let ‘em rot. The story is that the teeny-tiny
skin trade has moved on to Cambodia. We’ll be bringing you updates on associations
dedicated to fighting this scourge.
We highly recommend a visit to Jim Thompson’s house. The structure, decoration,
and grounds are magnificent. It sits on a canal, and if you cross it you can
find the best soup in the world.
Mair
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