March 12 2004

The curse of your mummy's womb

In Thailand, the birth of a son is sometimes greeted with dismay. Mango Sauce reader David explains why.

My girlfriend's mother, Khun Joom, is a lucky lady. Everyone says so. Why? Because she has four daughters. A thousand miles away, the late Sir Y.K Pao was Hong Kong's richest and most respected man but when people saw him in the street they shuddered and said "Ay yah! Such a shame! Poor man he has four daughters!"

What's going on? In China daughters are considered a curse. In fact, traditional Chinese didn't even give their daughters names, other than daughter number one, number two etc. Daughters can't work properly in the fields, are extra mouths to feed and you have to give a dowry to another family to get rid of them.

In north-east Thailand daughters are a blessing. Khun Joom, who lives in a small village near Buri Ram, packed her daughters off to Bangkok as soon as each one became seventeen. Two have Farang boyfriends, one is a hostess in a night club while number four has just arrived and is feeling her way in Patpong.

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Why is she lucky? AnswerÔø? the Money Train. Every month the remittances from Bangkok roll in like clockwork. Money flows from the pockets of Farangs from Germany, France, the UK, or wherever into the hands of her daughters and is transmitted as foreign aid to the shores of Buri Ram

Khun Joom has a new three bedroom house, a shiny new pick-up truck (the appropriately named Toyota "Tiger") and almost everything she could want (apart from a new husband as her existing one, she says, is quite useless). When she walks down the village main street people whisper "Khun Joom so lucky, so many daughters, so rich".

In fact, with her spare cash she has even started a little money lending business. She is quite choosy who she lends to. Only families who have daughters receive a loan as she knows they have the means to repay. She would never do anything as foolish as lending to a family with just dead-beat sons.

Turn over any rock in China and you find the body of a baby girl. Thai fellas should pray that similar gender selection methods don't catch on here.

[Posted to Your Letters by David]

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Readers' comments

Ayyik says:

Yeah, fair point on the Chinese point of view, it really is ingrained in all Asian countries with a cultural debt to China, i.e. most of Asia.

But, not defending any pimps, earning potential is a huge factor. Country people will struggle to make 4 thousand baht an hour, in fact factories offering 160 baht a day for sewing in Bangkok are full.
My only exposure to Thai "higher society" has shown me that, if you aren't connected or educated, you really have very little earning potential.
Compare that to the cinderella stories, as seen through Thai parents eyes, and you must be able to see the attraction, there are social causes for everything, to show it as a choice amongst other possibilities is just not accurate.

p.s. Pentium 28 not sure that Thais can spot a rich Farang, took an exceedingly rich American friend, atourney of some sort, out one night. He was badly dressed, even though the clothes were expensive, and the girls wouldn't step over me to get to him, and I'm worth about as much as and Enron share these days...

March 12, 2004 5:11 PM

Prorogue says:

You may well have been in an 'upper middle' class hookers joint. Maybe Spazzo's where the hookers are a little discerning. But on the whole (and I suppose that hole counts too) Most bargirls can't distinguish between a twat in a shell suit and someone with a little more taste and flair.

March 17, 2004 9:45 AM

tj says:

whats up with shell suits la ? the lads down the kop tell me there comming back in fasion.

May 22, 2004 11:50 PM

A mother says:

I accidentally found this site as I was looking for a Chinese fable.

I'm horrified and sickened by each and every image and word you have posted here.

The lucky mothers are the ones who push their daughters to be paid for sex with your stinky foreign selves? For a goddamn pickup truck?

January 22, 2007 5:29 AM

Mac says:

"I'm horrified and sickened by each and every image and word you have posted here."

And the accolades for MangoSauce keep rolling in ...

January 22, 2007 9:52 PM

Road Natzi says:

David,

I'm cruising around checking the posts and was hoping you would hurry up and post my remarks to 'A mother' because she really needs to hear what I have to say.

I'm a little scared ur playing editor again !

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Hi Road Natzi

I'm sorry but that one went over the line. If I publish stuff like that, I could lose my hosting account.

Regards
David

January 24, 2007 2:58 PM

Road Natzi says:

David, I admit that one was over the top a little, even for me. I am happy knowing that you ran ur eye over it and know what Im thinking. Maybe in our next lives we can be brothers.

January 25, 2007 2:23 PM

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