The life of girls in Pattaya's red light district 1
When night falls, the lights from the neon signs shine, and the loud music on the streets of Pattaya begins to stir.
Aris `Alice` Sangkharom is a transgender.
Activities take place regularly, every evening.
One of the busiest places, attracting many tourists and most famous here is the red light district – where the sex industry in Thailand operates strongly.
`I like doing this job, because it makes me feel satisfied. I can choose my partner and do it my way, dance, listen to music, drink and relax,` a female practitioner
`Many transgender and gay people also do this job because it’s easy to make money,` said Aris `Alice` Sangkharom – a 34-year-old sex worker in Pattaya.
Sangkharom has 10 years of experience in this environment and is a ladyboy (transgender).
Pattaya is famous for its beautiful beaches and vibrant nightlife.
Pattaya, just a two-hour drive from Bangkok, is not the only place where the sex industry is thriving, although it is still illegal.
Thitiyanun Doi Nakpor, Director of Sisters, an organization supporting transgender people in Pattaya, said there are about 5,000 transgender people living in this area.
Thitiyanun Doi Nakpor – director of Sisters, an organization that always tries to help transgender people in Pattaya.
`Prostitution is still not accepted by Thai society, because it goes against morals and traditions. Therefore, transgender people will have to fight public opinion on two levels: one is that we are transgender, two
`Many people ask me why the Sisters organization doesn’t create jobs for women so they don’t have to make money by selling their bodies anymore. But this is a job where they can make money for themselves and take care of themselves.`
Havocscope website said that the total amount of money that sex workers in Thailand send home to their families each year is about 300 million USD.
For Sangkharom, she works part-time and earns about 20,000 baht (more than 12.5 million VND) per month.
See more:Â Pattaya and its hot nights
