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Slums

Bangkok

Red Light District

Power structures were very evident in Bangkok. It takes literally five minutes to travel from a modern city full of brand name clothing stores to slums  in which poverty and aging was apparent. I mean it's unfair to claim this imagery as Thailand-specific. You and I both know that we see disparity between the rich and the poor everywhere in the world. However, it was nonetheless interesting to be able to see the disparity represented in a different country. Now, I may be making this disparity sound worse than it really is. The buildings, although aging were not inhabitable. Honestly, the most significant area where I saw Power in play was the red light district. Within it, I saw a society that is frivolous, condemning, as well as hidden. I saw females as well as transgender folks congregated in nude or (sexual) clothing - an example of human trafficking at it's finest. 

I also saw an old lady sitting on the street begging for money. I then saw a little child that was roaming around pick-pocketing as well as begging for money. That made me sad. Being from a South-East Asian country myself, I know the horror stories behind beggars on the street. I understand that these are speculations as well as abnormal circumstances, however I just can't shake the feeling every time I see a beggar in Thailand. Are they really going to use that money appropriately? (If they have a kid with them) Were those children kidnapped? Are those children abused? Are the children the ones that are actually working? Are the beggars themselves as injured as they appear? Are they truly blind or were they blinded by their kidnappers - like in Slumdog Millionaire. This paragraph relates to Power in that it displays a possible consequence of an action, or a statement by an elite within Thai society. It's the 21st century, why is there an old lady and a child begging and/or stealing money in one of the shadiest parts of Bangkok? What rules were implemented that caused this scenario? What rules can be implemented to prevent and rectify this scenario. Questions like these are ones that I will be pondering throughout my trip as well. The only problem however is that, I hate politics. Should I give them money? Would that truly go to the right places?

In addition, Power branches out like I thought it would: That there is an "elite" at every level that is governed by another higher ranking "elite". That is, there is a hierarchy that shapes the lives of individuals, a power hierarchy. I want to once again talk about the red light district. We see an interaction of power at first between the visitors and the "waitresses" themselves. In terms of power, the ball in my opinion is in the visitor's hand. The customer can't do everything they wanted, but they could sure as hell do a lot. Be it alcohol or entertainment, favors in the sexual realm or other activities that met shady criteria, the customer could have it within the red light district. That being said, as long as you had money, you were welcomed in the red light district. One can argue that the waitresses actually had the power over the customer: they were the ones attracting the customer and that they are also the ones who motivate the customers to become more intoxicated and spend more money. The closure to these two arguments however is that the customer has the power to leave. The customer can buy a drink and explore their sexual desires, or they can refuse to buy a drink and leave the premise - maybe move onto another bar. In that scenario, the "waitresses" are stripped of the power that they originally had. In addition, if we continue this analysis, we will also see that the "waitresses" are also oppressed by the host/ess of the establishment. The host/ess are constantly monitoring the situation: If the customers do not buy enough drinks, they are kicked out. In addition, if the "waitresses" are not constantly participating in the activities (be it sexual) of the establishment, then they get penalized and reprimanded (Assumption: their pay is deducted, or they get fired). 

I could go on and on about my interpretation of Power. But I guess I'll conclude this talk of Power for today with the topic of the Ladyboys. I've heard two sides of the coin relating to transgender people. 1) Transgender people are more accepted in Thailand than the majority of the world. 2) They aren't accepted within Thai society. The latter point is interesting to me in that it is a possible explanation of one Power conflict within the red light district: that because Ladyboys are often scrutinized and discriminated against by the rest of society, their options remain limited. Therefore, transgender people are "forced" to employ themselves in jobs that society will accept them as, or go against societal norms and employ themselves in situations that concerns the underground world. Unfortunately, what seems to be the norm of Thai culture for transgender people are just that: deviant.