Evacuating Bangkok

Last week Marian and I were informed that we may be sent to Pattaya the following weekend if flood water continued to threaten Bangkok. Pattaya is just under a 2 hour drive from Bangkok located along the eastern gulf of Thailand. It’s technically a beach town, though the city has managed to pave a road within 10 meters of the water's edge leaving a short, crowded beach running parallel to bars, strip clubs and a mixture of upscale and dodgy hotels. What Pattaya is best known for is its sex industry, which appears to be booming. Technically prostitution is illegal in Thailand, though one would hardly know it when taking a stroll down “Walking Street”, the main tourism strip in Pattaya. Clubs with names such as “Sexy Airline” and “Pretty Living Dolls” have young, attractive, scantily clad women standing outside to invite in visitors. Those who don’t work for clubs (free-lancers, as one person called them) stand along Walking Street or the path bordering the beach waiting for customers. We even passed a lane called Soi BJ - subtle, no? As an indication of how accepted this illegal activity is, I passed a police car on Walking Street with three policemen inside, all eating ice cream, and watching the world go by. No one seemed phased by police presence in the middle of it all. I contemplated trying to take of photos of them surrounded by the sex trade, but stories of police enforcement in Thailand made me reconsider.

Samae Beach, Koh Larn

We ran into an American couple last night. Both happen to practice law in California. The wife noted that she had read many articles written by feminist lawyers in Canada, something we’re known for she suggested. Her tone indicated that she did not consider herself a feminist, an interesting choice for a female lawyer. And she asked what a Canadian woman, assuming I must be feminist if Canadian and in law, thought of the sex trade in Pattaya. I said I found it hard to swallow. Her view was that the women didn’t seem so unhappy. Most were smiling and some seemed to find husbands. I’m not sure how she expected a woman in this industry to make money if she wasn’t smiling, and I wasn’t about to take that as proof of wellbeing. As for finding a “husband”, well I suppose that depends on the sort of husband one hopes to acquire. This isn’t exactly the sort of place where I would bank on finding my soul mate.

Samae Beach, Koh Larn

At work Wednesday afternoon we were informed that we would be leaving for Pattaya the next day, ideally in the morning, rather than Friday night after work. Water had entered Bangkok’s Chinatown, and Don Mueang Airport, where the flood relief operation had its headquarters, was now flooding too. We found out that we were being sent to the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, where some employees are members. Life is rough. 

Approaching Tien Beach, Koh Larn

The club has a surprising number of people who have left Bangkok to avoid the flooding or at least the lack of drinking water accompanying the flood. On top of those who have unexpectedly found themselves here there is also a regatta occurring this weekend, so club was incredibly busy. To avoid socializing with high society individuals Marian and I took a ferry to Koh Larn, an island 40 minutes from Pattaya in the Gulf of Thailand. There is a possibility that we will be returning to Bangkok this week. Flooding has yet to affect our area of town, nor the firm. In the mean time we'll be taking advantage of the lounge chairs by the pool located just outside of our room.