Into Thailand... On arriving in Thailand Paul realised that the accommodation would take some getting used to. In the same way he had to get to know his co-workers, which required the development of patience on both sides. Communication was tricky too because he spoke very little Dutch and they spoke very little English. It is fair to say that it was a greater thing which united them than divided them. That was a common desire to help people.
The landscape of Thailand may be beautiful and have an abundance of wonderful sights and sounds but it was the many cultural differences there which struck Paul initially. It is true of course that one could travel the length and breadth of Thailand and still not uncover it’s every treasure. Of course, with his western palate Thai food took some getting used to, to say nothing of his western digestive system! In fact he states that even now on occasion he can still have problems keeping it down!
Wildlife is also abundant in Thailand and of course since his visit to Africa Paul is well acquainted with snakes! Snakes are fond of him so to speak - he was bitten by a Black Mamba in Africa!
In Thailand many girls have to work the bars and massage parlours (where they sell themselves) as this is the only work they can find. All tourist areas and small towns have girls ‘working the bars’ (these girls have to pay to work the bars). There are as many as ten thousand girls working in Phuket, twenty one thousand in Pattaya and of course, in Bangkok countless more. They sit long hours waiting for customers and will often find themselves ‘servicing’ very uncaring clients.
These girls may appear to smile and show affection, but one just has to look into their eyes to see the hopelessness that resides there and the stark absence of joy and any type of peace. The girls who are not able to find clients by the end of the night have to sleep on the floor of a small room (up to twenty at a time) which again they have to pay for.
Some girls are sold into the trade to pay off debts. So many of the girls working the bars do so with the sole purpose of providing for their families (who often have no idea what their son or daughter is actually doing). Most of them come from small rural towns and villages and tell their families that they have good jobs in shops or hotels. This could of course be a possibility but almost all of the girls have little or no education and work is impossible to find.
Paul’s work in Phuket was at first spent trying to befriend the locals and getting to know some of the bar girls and ladyboys to assess their needs. He and his co-workers would hand out condoms, sexual health leaflets from local authorities and information on the pill etc. This often involved paying for the girl’s time to do this. They would also pay for meals whilst being mindful of not giving the wrong idea. Many of the girls could speak English and other languages.
Most seemed to tell the same story, but over a period of time they soon found many girls who wanted help to escape their soul destroying lives. Paul and two other members of the team decided it was worthwhile staying longer in Phuket to pursue strategies and different ways of helping.
First they rented an apartment for five girls and gave them money to send to their families. As well as giving them food and paying their bar fines (so they did not have to work) they also
also gave them brief lessons in English and Dutch. At the same time they tried to learn Thai! Paul got to know some of the Tourist Police and was asked if he would help by taking photos of suspected sex offenders or underage girls working the bars.
This proved to be awkward at times as some locals thought he was with The Police and wouldn’t talk to him, also some thought he may be gay (as he didn’t go home with any of the girls). This eventually led to attention from the ladyboys and advancements were made (which he had to diplomatically talk himself out of). Sometimes it was easier for him just to pay and walk away as bullying was a common tactic, as was gang intimidation.
Close to Christmas Paul and Miranda (his Dutch co-worker) went to meet one of the girl’s families (the girl’s name was Cat), to see for themselves their needs and how they may be able to help. Paul decided to ‘adopt’ this family and help. He reasoned that they needed to focus on the few rather than spread themselves too thinly to reach the many (as he had been doing previously).
On his return to Phuket Paul was met with what can only be described as a living nightmare. The Boxing Day Tsunami had hit. Many of his friends were found to be dead or missing. During the time he spent looking, however, many of them were found to have made their way home or were trying to get home. He stayed for a while, helping, trying to clear up, looking for friends etc, sifting through baggage and papers he’d found to help identify those that were missing or dead.
With support Paul was able to get some bus tickets to get some of the girls back to their homes. In addition he was able to hire a bus for a reasonable price and drive others back too. This turned out to be a five day long trip and was hugely tiring and very emotional. Later he and his co-workers had to go to Cambodia to renew their visas.
The strain was immense; Miranda was too distraught to continue and returned home. Others in the team had come to the end of their three months and went on to other destinations. Paul decided to stay on and is in the process of renting a place on the East Coast. Many of the people Paul worked with went to other tourist areas, as the south coast was no longer considered safe due to the expected after shocks and potential for disease outbreaks etc.
Paul still hopes in time to track some of them down. Until then he plans to spend time building relations with the ‘adopted’ family he is working with and doing what he can to help them. He believes with all his heart that this is exactly where God wants him to be. Despite working in very difficult situations he remains committed. Although he does say it gets lonely at times as not many people there speak any English.
Much was seen on the news about the death and destruction caused by the Tsunami which hit southern Thailand. Being in the midst of it was hard for Paul. Thailand was un-prepared and without warning the waves came in. No one in the areas affected had any defence against this natural disaster.
What was once a tourist paradise now resembled a war zone. Many were dead. Many more were missing and injured. Thousands were left homeless and without jobs. Now in Phuket sickness is rife and poverty has trebled. So often we think of the owners of properties but what about the general workers… bar staff, cleaners, hotel staff, shop workers, street traders and of course the bar girls? Now with no tourists places to work and therefore no money, most of the girls tried to get to other destinations. Some also tried to get back to their home towns or villages to let their families know that they were ok.
They say a rolling stone gathers no moss but Paul believes that a rolling stone can create ‘The Snowball Effect’ – what does he mean? Well…by helping just one of the girls there it turns out that he is also helping the whole family as well as their extended family.
Thai families are very loyal to one another and whenever possible try to help one another. They work long hours for little money to meet basic needs and very rarely complain. They often sleep in the same room on thin mattresses and these rooms are very hot at times. One man’s meagre income often supports his entire family and that of his extended family too. If that man is not educated his basic wage is often never above six thousand baht per month – that’s around sixty or seventy pounds Sterling!
For Paul and his co-workers helping Cat to leave her ‘bar work’ meant helping her to find alternative ways to support her family. With your help he will continue to do his utmost to do this. He also helps with education, so that Cat and her brother Poo may find work and support themselves (without living a life of abuse). Paul’s work also helps to meet Cat’s mother’s and her grandmother’s medical needs.
Currently Paul is in the process of making friends in Bansoon and is looking at different ways for Cat and Poo to gain an education at a level greater than that which he himself can provide. He is also looking at getting more Thai language lessons for himself in order that he may converse and communicate better (and therefore achieve more).
Paul is also slowly putting together a job information sheet and a catalogue to give out to other girls who may want to find alternative work. However, this will take some time and if Paul has learned one thing during his time there its ‘one step at a time’ – he’s learnt this the hard way.
For Paul, at first it seemed impossible to help so many but by God’s grace he now sees so many needs being met. As God holds Paul in the palm of his hand, he is empowered to stretch out a helping hand to others. ‘Hand in Hand’ he’s reaching the lost one soul at a time.
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Click the play button to watch a short clip of 'Cat' one of the girls this Ministry has helped so far.
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