Product Description

"Miss Bangkok" uncovers the hidden world of a go-go dancer in Thailand's vice city, Bangkok. Bua Boonmee gives us an insight into the life of one of the capital's bar girls and exposes the 'Sometimes I wonder was I born to be unfortunate; is this life my destiny? I pray to Buddha that this not be the case. My life seems to be that of a country girl who has spent her days escaping from a tiger, only to be eaten by a crocodile. Mine is an ever worsening tale with no end in sight.' You see, I am a prostitute, though farangs prefer to call women like me 'bar girls'. I believe the term is more acceptable to westerners' ears. But to a girl like me, it is all the same. 'You can buy me for 2,000 baht a night. In return, I will do anything that is asked of me, but I won't kiss customers - some things are just too intimate to do with a stranger. Kissing is for a wife or girlfriend; sex is for Thai girls like me. "Miss Bangkok" is a vivid, powerful and moving memoir of a life spent in prostitution in Thailand. Poor and uneducated, Bua Boonmee escaped an abusive marriage only to end up in the go-go bars of Patpong. There, in the notorious red-light district of Bangkok, she succumbed to prostitution in an effort to support her family. Bua's story is one of resilience and courage in the face of abuse and poverty. Her confessions will make you laugh and cry, cringe and applaud. She will change your perception of prostitution forever.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45310 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From the Back Cover
`Sometimes I wonder was I born to be unfortunate; is this life my destiny? I pray to Buddha that this not be the case. My life seems to be that of a country girl who has spent her days escaping from a tiger, only to be eaten
by a crocodile. Mine is an ever-worsening tale with no end in sight. `You see, I am a prostitute, though farangs prefer to call women like me "bar girls". I believe the term is more acceptable to westerners' ears. But to a girl like me, it is all the same. `You can buy me for 2,000 baht. In return, I will do almost anything that is asked of me, but I won't kiss customers--some things are just too
intimate to do with a stranger. Kissing is for a wife or girlfriend; sex is for Thai girls like me.'

About the Author
Bua BoonmeeBua Boonmee was born into poverty and at a young age fled to Bangkok with her mother in search of a better life. She still lives with her abusive second husband and does all she can for her three children.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Prologue

SOMETIMES I FEEL like a turtle that is being
grilled over hot charcoal. I am slowly dying. No
matter what I do, no matter how much I try to
escape, I cannot. I am powerless to change my
destiny.
I wonder was I born to be unfortunate; is
this life my destiny? I pray to Buddha that this
not be the case. My life seems to be that of a
country girl who has spent her days escaping
from a tiger, only to be eaten by a crocodile.
Mine is an ever-worsening tale with no end in
sight.
You see, I am a prostitute, though farangs
prefer to call women like me `bar girls'. I believe
the term is more acceptable to westerners' ears.
But to a girl like me, it is all the same.
My job means nothing to me anymore. I
have long since given up any hope of happiness.
PROLOGUE
10
I exist for the pleasure of others. You might say
the only certainty in my life is uncertainty.
I couldn't tell you how many men have
bought me, not that it matters. I prefer not to
remember them.
In Thailand, we do not talk about such
private matters. It is not customary to talk of
things that should be forgotten. It is also of little
concern to a girl of my standing. The only thing
that matters is the baht that I am paid.
Though I suspect that mine is not the worst
existence in the world, I must confess I wouldn't
know if it was. I know of little else.
You can buy me for 2,000 baht. In return, I
will do almost anything that is asked of me, but
I won't kiss customers--some things are just too
intimate to do with a stranger. Kissing is for a
wife or girlfriend; sex is for Thai girls like me.