was here three months ago, once again I am the only customer in sight. I see this girl sitting in the corner, a bit removed from the others. She’s the prettiest one. It’s 2000 baht because she’s sort of, kind of hi-so looking, which is fine but not something I’d thought of. Thais like them white so that’s what you get in the provinces. I already regret it because she’s not smiling, and I fear it’s not going to be pleasant. Well, as soon as we are alone she’s all smiles, and she comes with a bag of skills. I compliment her hair and she does some hair modeling. I’ve had this crazy idea for some time, I say politely. Could I… take pictures? Of course you can, she says. She’s been out and about, but I notice that she has no tattoos. I have this question for the forum: what’s the percentage of foreign girls in go-go bars? As has been widely reported, local gals are not as available as they used to be —the economy of Isaan grew 40% between 2007 and 2011— so would it be a stretch to argue that foreign workforce will take over in the near future, making it all seedier than it already is? This is what happened in Western Europe. I won’t be a clear-cut process, though. It’s not all about figures. We’ve all seen street markets thrive in the shadow of monster malls, which leads me to think that capitalism in Thailand is less ruthless and more community-oriented.