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silentbob1234
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And before anyone asks...Tina Turner has nothing to do with this release of "Private Dancer."
Ike Turner, on the other hand as can be expected, is still taking credit for everything. 
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:34 pm on Jan. 16, 2005
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nokna
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maybe so,but Private Dancer (the song) is about a 'Lady of the Night'.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 2:22 am on Jan. 17, 2005
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Luke
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Hey Bro's - Always thought this was one of the better threads on the forum. I just finished Private Dancer after spending two glorious weeks in Bangkok. Reading it might be considered a good antidote for the post-LOS blues, like taking a bromide after a drinking binge. It brings you right down to earth. Reading it, I said, ah, great, just what I needed to help me put Thailand out of my mind. Then my TGF called me three times this morning...and my dreams of peace evaporated like the morning mist! : )
Seriously, as "bad" as the story got, it's helpful to keep three things in mind. 1.) Until just before the end, it entailed as much suffering and confusion for the girl as it did for the Farang. 2.) The author points out repeatedly that for Thais, love and support - including financial support - are overlapping and not separate values. 3.) This means that in her own way, the girl might well have loved our hapless protagonist, just not in a way that he could fathom or accept.
One of the members of this forum, with whom I shared some nice times in BKK, has been living with his Thai girlfriend (ex P4P) for five years. His own perspective might sound a bit optimistic to some who have been badly burned, but for what it's worth, it did take a bit of the edge off the cynicism for me. Yes, he said, it's a business, but at the end of the day these are real human beings with feelings, and they are often playing out their own fantasies with us, just like we are with them. They too get hurt, and like us, they might do unskillful things in an attempt to protect themselves. When they get burned, they too can turn into grotesque characters, just like some of the Farangs in Private Dancer who came to believe that the girls were no better than dogs, and should be treated as such.
I'm still a newbie, but a virgin no longer! My own intuition is that while stories like Private Dancer can and no doubt do take place in LOS, they are not the rule. I think that some of the insights in the book are extremely valuable for folks going over there, especially the insights into the backgrounds and rural peasant families of the girls in the bar scene. All in all a great read and highly recommended.
Cheers,
Luke
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 5:23 pm on Jan. 26, 2005
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marc69
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I got back from Bangkok just a couple of weeks ago and happened to see this thread and got interested in reading the book.
I have to say that I had to skip some parts of the book because occasionally the main cahracters in the book were acting like calculating robots with no human feelings or decency at all. It is always hard when people with different cultures and backgrounds meet and creating stereotypes about other cultures is not going to make life any easier, for any part.
All in all it is a good read as long as one doesn't generalise too much to take the main character's attitudes and thoughts to be representative for every TG or Farang.
BTW, I think I read somewhere that the book will be soon published in Thai and it makes me wonder how it will be received by Thais. Just my 2 cents.
Cheers,
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 8:31 pm on Jan. 26, 2005
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MadStockBroker
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Quote: from marc69 on 8:25 am on Jan. 27, 2005
BTW, I think I read somewhere that the book will be soon published in Thai and it makes me wonder how it will be received by Thais. Just my 2 cents.
Cheers,
The book will be published in Thailand, but in English not Thai language. There were some plans for a German translation but it never happened.
Asia Books and Bookazine will stock it from Feb 1st and it will also be sold on line through DCO Thai books. The free download from Stephen Leathers web site has been removed.
Also several of the leading gogo bars in Nana and some in Pattaya will have signed copies for sale.
The book has been re-edited and has an epilog to bring the reader up-to-date from the events set in 1996.
FYI The book is almost entirely based on true events.
Cheers,
MSB
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 10:50 pm on Jan. 26, 2005
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The Machine
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"FYI The book is almost entirely based on true events."
I am not sure what this is supposed to mean as the book is a work of fiction and doesn't purport to be a true story.
Of course as with many stories they are based on experiences and anecdotes but how close to reality the story is only the author really knows.
A good read with many useful insights but entirely too pessimistic and dark.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 12:21 am on Jan. 27, 2005
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MadStockBroker
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Quote: from The Machine on 12:15 pm on Jan. 27, 2005
"FYI The book is almost entirely based on true events."
I am not sure what this is supposed to mean as the book is a work of fiction and doesn't purport to be a true story.
What I mean is that just about everything that happened in the book actually happened in real life.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:28 am on Jan. 27, 2005
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DSBones
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Steven Leather has admitted that some of the characters were based on people he knew in Bkk.
There is no question in my mind (& I think that Steven Leather has confirmed as such) that Jools on soi 4 features strongly together with snippets of individuals personalities.
The only thing that he does say is that altho' the characters and locations may be based on real individuals the circumstances, beliefs & viewpoints are pure fiction.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 5:01 am on Jan. 27, 2005
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Luke
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One of my main fantasies in reading the book was that it would be published in Thai. Too bad not yet. I'm sure that Leather could get a Thai publisher to do it. The "sex tourist" controversy is always hot in LOS, with articles appearing in the local press and some very strong opinions being voiced (for example there is a constant thread on the subject on the Bangkok Post website that makes some of the insults we see here on BTF seem tame by comparison). For that reason alone it would seem to me that there would be a ready Thai audience for Private Dancer. And it would be really fascinating to see the Thai commentary after they read it.
The one perspective I found missing from the book was that of Joy's Thai boyfriend, Park. If Leather revamps the book, he could flesh out this character. Another thing to bring up to date: in 1996 cell phones were expensive and more of a status symbol. This month I met only one freelancer on Suk who didn't have one. Also, the agonizing letter writing has been replaced to a great extent by email - all the TG's have it.
Stephen Leather, if you're reading this, great work!
Cheers,
Luke
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 12:22 pm on Jan. 27, 2005
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