As the epicenter of South Asia’s sex industry, Thailand had appealed to me for years. With my basic Thai and an excellent producer, I finally went there for the first time in 2023, traveling to Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy in Bangkok, and then to Pattaya’s Walking Street and Soi 6 in 2024. What I discovered was a world of the spirit, of visual beauty, and women and Ladyboys working the ‘money game.’
I have since been to Thailand four times to photograph and capture interviews of Thailand’s far ranging nightlife entertainers, from Ladyboys in the Nana entertainment complex in Bangkok, to the high end ‘models’ in Bangkok’s Pleasure Palaces, to the thousands of freelance escorts lining the beach walkways of Pattaya City. These women and Ladyboys work largely in the shadows, with most parts of their job being illegal. Working in such a fashion has allowed these women and Ladyboys to earn a respectable income, and in many cases, a better life for their families. However, sex work is not without its challenges, and for some life can be difficult and exhausting.
There is a gender-change law, named the ‘Gender Recognition Act’ in Thai Parliament that has been on the table for several years. This law would provide legal rights to the tens of thousands of Ladyboy entertainers, opening their scope of career options, so that they might work more easily outside of nightlife. My work calls attention to the various hindrances to equality that Ladyboys experience, making MONEYGAME Thailand especially timely and relevant.
Shot on 35mm film, my photographs present a timeless, grainy look at an exotic culture. I am fond of the richness of cross processed chrome film, as well as the palate of higher speed stocks. I shoot with the Leica M6 and Noctilux lens, as well as the more rapid-fire Nikon F6 with an assortment of prime lenses. Shooting film encourages presence and patience.
My experiences have given me a sense of gathering momentum and galvanized my resolve to publish ‘MONEYGAME Thailand,’ a collection of photography and interviews, to humanize and elevate these women and Ladyboys. The book will be published in 2026 once an appropriate publisher is secured. ‘MONEYGAME Thailand’ is a view into a secret world whose time has come. This is a small preview. Enjoy.
