Quote Originally Posted by a447 View Post
But isn't it a bit hypocritical stating that foreigners are disrespecting Cambodian culture by acting obscenely, when just about every tuk-tuk driver will offer a single male "lady boom-boom", and the authorities tolerate the girlie bars in the back streets of Phnom Pehn?
Agree it's an interesting article. But it's not just a 'bit hypocritical', but very hypocritical. And that's okay. That's is how it is in Cambodia and other SE Asian countries, and this is really hard to understand for many western people. Cambodia and like-minded countries don't mind their young guys to have a good time with older western male tourists. Most of the local probably don't mind their young women to spend a night in the hotel with a western man who pays her generously for her company. But they do mind if these things surface too much and suddenly appears to be part the official 'face' of Cambodia.

In the west, we recognise this behaviour as double standards, but in SE Asia I do believe it's different. These countries (incl. Thailand and Cambodia) have a long tradition for officially banning or trying to reduce pay sex, yet embracing it fully at practical face-to-face level. Not only among the marginalised people in society, but in society seen as a whole organism.