Inferno—Patong Beach, Thailand

Bennett Cain July 5, 2016

Instastory originally published on Instagram 12/22/14. These photos are a little raunchy. You've been warned.

Starting in the north of Thailand, I spent about a month making my way down to the beaches and islands of the south. There are so many of them, figuring out where to begin was daunting but Phuket seemed like a decent place to start as other islands are easily accessible from there. Patong Beach is the hub of Phuket island so I chose to begin there despite being warned of the sleaze and debauchery; tourists from around the world on their absolute worst behavior. After spending nearly a month in Thailand though I felt fairly numb to the country's multi-billion dollar sex industry as it's visible everywhere. On the ferry over to the island I realized what I was getting myself into.

High season in the islands. There is no escape from the crowds.

Those looking to kill brain cells will have no problem taking care of that in Patong. This is a 24 hour party designed to extract as much cash as possible out of every "farang" on the beach.

"Farang" is a Thai word used for "foreigner" which supposedly comes from the Vietnamese word for "French", a little vestige of the colonial era. As a farang, some Thai people in touristed areas view you as an ATM awaiting extraction and will go out of their way to get you into their establishment, possibly even trying to physically pull you in. Being referred to as a farang here is part of the experience as there seems to be an invisible line dividing Thai society and the hordes of visitors in their country. It's a strange and alienating feeling being called a racial epithet to your face even though the Thai’s insist the term isn’t racist. It feels racist to me.

Everyone and everything is for sale in Patong and there's no shortage of customers. It's just part of culture here but for a first time visitor it's definitely shocking.

Prostitution is technically illegal in the Kingdom of Thailand. Even so it's somehow a multi-billion dollar industry employing hundreds of thousands of people and countless cities and towns. Minimum wage in Thailand is 300 Baht per day or about 10 USD. Salaried employees don't do tremendously better and despite the appearance of a prosperous and relatively developed nation, poverty remains persistent. Cultural acceptance of the oldest trade in the world has meant little social stigma so many women here earn far better money by prostituting themselves. Thailand is a place of enormous cultural and natural beauty, the only Southeast Asian country to resist colonization which a tremendous point of pride for this country but there’s also a dark and ugly side. A side that is very easy for many visitors to experience first and might supersede all the other wonderful aspects of this country.

Russians comprise a large contingent of the tourist mass in southern Thailand and in places like Patong Beach, they have their own nightclubs, restaurants, and organized crime.

Many Russian girls are lured to Thailand with the promise of work in 5 star hotels and posh night clubs and instead find themselves passport-less, addicted to drugs, and walking the street in shitholes like Patong. Thailand sadly has one of the world's worst records in human trafficking

There are now officially three genders in Thailand. Male, female, and "kathoey" which is neither one nor the other and has recently earned legal status as its own identity. In Thailand the term has become synonymous with "Ladyboys," men found not just here but in every Southeast Asian country who live their lives as women. In this part of the world, gender and sexual identity are much more amorphous than in the west and acceptance of non-traditional norms has made Thailand perhaps the most sexually progressive place on the planet.

Muay Thai in Bangkok

Bennett Cain July 5, 2016

These images were shot 11/03/14 at Bangkok’s Ratchadamnoen Stadium and were originally published on Instagram 11/07/14.

One of the coolest things you can experience in Thailand is going to a live Muaythai fight, more commonly known in the west as Thai Kickboxing. It is Thailand's national sport and is wildly popular everywhere. On any night of the week you can see live fights in any town or city but the best are those held in Bangkok at either national stadium, Lumpini or Ratchadamnoen.

Muaythai is the cultural martial art of Thailand; richly entrenched in Buddhist beliefs and tracing its history over the past 500 years. Thailand I’ve come to find, is a country of extreme contrasts. Yes it’s true every culture isn't without its contradictions but I’ve found many things in opposition here to be uniquely Thai. There's a cultural appreciation for being calmly detached and non-confrontational that’s rooted in the Theravada Buddhism that 95% of the people follow. A socially valued sense of serenity on one hand and the massively popular and brutal Muaythai on the other, where a match often ends with someone carried out on a stretcher.

Muaythai, which began as the form of close-quarter combat for soldiers in the ancient Siamese kingdoms, uses the whole body to mimic the weapons of war. It is known as the "Art of 8 Limbs,” 2 fists, 2 feet, 2 knees, and 2 elbows. Hands function as swords; shins and forearms become shields; elbows are used like hammers; legs and knees like staffs. Watching a Thai fight you can see this as fists and knees search for an opening with disciplined control and powerful blows are absorbed with little indication of pain.

A match begins with hypnotizing traditional Thai Sarama music, which starts slow during the "Wai Krhu Ram Muay” ritual dance to honor its seriousness. Here the fighters pay respect to their trainers, their ancestors, and to each other but also to warm up, show their skills, and excite the crowd. It’s completed by each circling the ring three times, touching each corner and saying a prayer to seal and consecrate the space. During the fight the Sarama music gets more frenetic, increasing in tempo to encourage them to fight harder. The music combined with the intensity of the crowd and the brutality of the fight creates an atmosphere here that is electrifying in a way unlike anything else.

Though codified over 500 years ago, much of the history of Muaythai was lost in the Burmese destruction of the then Siamese capital at Atthutaya. Today the sport’s cultural heritage is recognized by the Thai Royal Government and regulated by its World Muaythai Council. This modern incarnation is governed by rules, judges, and a point system and is far more civilized than the original version that was fought in courtyards with fists wrapped in hemp, dipped in hot wax, and then ash and broken glass (just like in Blood Sport!)

Security in the Bangkok stadiums is provided by the Royal Thai Army. The Thai army has basically been in charge since the first coup in 1932 when the constitution was established and the monarchy ceased to be absolute. Though Thailand has always been considered to be politically stable this is only in comparison to its neighbors. Every now and again the Thai army finds it necessary to remind everyone who is in charge with a coup d’etat, the most recent one happening earlier this year! However after spending a month here, as an outsider I’ve found little indicating this country is under martial law.

Thailand is a place quite unlike any other. If Southeast Asia aka “Indochina" is the axis between India and China and countries here are more culturally aligned with either one or the other, then Thailand definitely leans towards India. This is apparent in their language and religious and cultural practices however Thailand has evolved an extremely unique identity. Part of this comes from the fact that they are the only Southeast Asian country to resist colonization. This allowed them continue to develop their culture indecently without an occupier intent on destroying it as was happening in every country around them. This is widely attributed to the effective and stable leadership of the Chakri kings who have been in power since 1782, the current being the 9th in the line. The fact the the Thai monarchy has been so effective in holding the country together and keeping foreign powers out is part of why the Thai people hold their king in such reverence. More on this some other time!

One of the aspects of Muaythai I find most intriguing is the great respect the fighters have for one another. They are usually quick to apologize if an illegal move has mistakenly been made or if excessive damage has been done. To watch the victor bow deeply in honor of the defeated takes you back for a second and then fills you with awe and respect for this ancient and still thriving fighting art. It’s things like this that make you fall in love with Thailand. Like many a “farang” before me, I’ve become a bit smitten with the place and would like to stay for longer than my visa says I can!

Nam Ou River Elephant Sanctuary, Laos

Bennett Cain July 5, 2016

Originally published on Instagram December 3, 2014.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to visit the Nam Ou Elephant Sanctuary near Luang Prabang in Laos. When traveling in Southeast Asia you see advertisements for elephant shows in all countries. On them are pictures of the animals walking around on their hind legs, kicking soccer balls, and having their backs overloaded with heavy tourists. I heard a lot about the mistreatment in places like this like during the high season they're often worked to the point of exhaustion.

Throughout Asia the concept of animal welfare is a relatively new one. Many cultures here historically do not hold the value that wildlife has the right to exist undisturbed. They view anything in nature as something there for their own use. These are very deeply seeded beliefs and I saw countless displays of it in the two months I spent traveling in China and have been reminded of the sentiment throughout Southeast Asia. Because of this, I had a lot of apprehension about taking part in any kind “elephant experience” here.

But then I learned there are basically no wild elephants left in Laos. The ancient name for this county was Lan Xang which means "Land of One Million Elephants." Today there are about 1,000 and over 70% of this remaining population have been put to work in inaccessible deep jungle logging camps. Here they knock down massive mahogany trees and drag them down the side of steep hills that are impossible for conventional, mechanized logging equipment. Ironically these animals are very well suited to the task of destroying their own habitat. I'll admit I knew nothing about this before coming here.

Some of the “mahout,” or elephant handlers working in parks like this learned their craft in illegal logging camps so are not crazy about having a lens on them.

Organizations like the Nam Ou Sanctuary offer constructive employment to the villages nearby and the park has proven to be a good thing for the local economy. Because land and animal conservation are not traditionally held values, it’s only through education and showing people alternative practices that long-term sustainability will be achieved. I’ve ascertained from those on the front lines that it’s a depressing uphill battle.

Elephants in Laos don't get a name until they’re 3 years old. This little one was born at Nam Ou Sanctuary and will be “Naughty Baby Elephant” for another year.

Had she the unfortunate luck to have been born in a logging camp, next year upon receiving her name she’d be taken from her mother and then tortured for several years to completely break her spirit. Essentially elephants in logging camps are used as living tractors and worked just as hard. The process used to get them to his state of servile submission is an absolutely brutal one that results in these animals being terrified of any human. It can often take years before a rescue is able to be shown to visitors.

The elephants at Nam Ou are all female rescues aged 20-45 or were born at the sanctuary. The process of getting an elephant here is costly, time intensive, and dangerous. It involves going to an illegal camp numerous times and observing the elephants working there. The management will always try and sell animals that are on the verge of death so sanctuaries with limited resources try and purchase ones not beyond rehabilitation. It's about 80,000 USD for one elephant and the price is going up as zoos in China and Korea are becoming more popular domestic tourist destinations. The sad reality is that these animals are much safer here in captivity than if left in the wild where they would certainly be poached or end up in a logging camp.

Part of the experience here is taking a short ride on the elephant with a mahout. It’s an amazing sensation feeling your bare foot against the elephant’s massive head.

I was initially skeptical but having such close contact with an endangered animal really does change your perception about their situation. It makes you care more. If most people alive could have this experience, it would likely improve elephant welfare worldwide. Such a shame that for most, a picture in a book or magazine is all they'll ever know about these remarkable creatures. This park is very concerned with their animal's well being and only allows them to be ridden for one hour at a time twice a day. Some of these parks, those in Thailand in particular, put their animals under too much stress so I recommend researching any company in Asia offering “wildlife experiences” before giving them your money.

After the ride the elephants are guided down to the Mekong River for a refreshing dip.

If ever in Laos, which is the most amazing country in Southeast Asia, I can’t recommend a visit to this elephant sanctuary enough. The organization responsible for the the Nam Ou park is doing excellent work in a totally unscrupulous business. Awareness doesn’t change anything unfortunately but is the only place to start.