This night started like any other but quickly took a bit of a weird turn. I observed what must have been a group of about twelve children accompanied by what I assume is their parents or family, walking through Soi Cowboy. Some of the youngest, eight or nine-year-olds I am guessing, held each other’s hands like they were on a school trip as they passed me. I was unsure if this was a cultural difference in parenting due to a Western ideology or possibly more unsettling, a form of grooming. I watched as the children, mostly young Asian boys, passed among the adult entertainers, drunken revelers, and the people hocking their wares, no one seemed to be shocked or consider this behavior to be out of place. The police nor security made any attempt to intervene or discourage their entrance. As you can imagine, their eyes were wide and darting over their surroundings in an attempt to comprehend this alien environment. The body language they exhibited was a mix of apprehension, exhilaration, and shock. It was easy to see they were not where they wanted to be but their parents, or whoever they were, continued forward. It should be noted that they also were well below the age of consent for Thailand which is fifteen years old.
Other than the children passing through Soi Cowboy the evening was pretty quiet and I did not see the group I mentioned in the earlier post regarding the two women and what appeared to be their handler. I plan to change my location tonight and observe the area around Nana Plaza for similar behaviors.
Add comment
Comments