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Text: Outstanding Literature and History
Edited by Excellence in Literature and History
●—<前言> —●
"I want to thank AIDS for finding me".
A 15-year-old boy who should have enjoyed a carefree and happy life can earn a living because of his family's misfortune.
Unexpectedly, he was "coaxed" by a person engaged in a "special profession" and embarked on a road of no return for a "sex worker".
After escaping from that place, he uttered such incredible words.
AIDS, which everyone avoids, he wants to be "thankful" of.
What had he been through, and why did he say that?
●—< "Dad was arrested, mother doesn't care" became a "wild child"> —●
What do you think of Thailand as it is?
Is it the beautiful scenery of the brilliant lights, or the shemales who can be seen everywhere singing and dancing?
But there is also a "special profession" here – "sex workers".
In this turbulent city, gray industries are rampant, undercurrents are surging, and bad forces are scattered everywhere.
Bangbon's father was a former underworld tycoon on the outskirts of Bangkok, who controlled a criminal syndicate with his skilful manoeuvres and cunning.
Drug trafficking was one of his main ways to make money, but greed and impulsiveness eventually put him in danger.
One day, the police raided Bangbon's father's home and arrested him.
That scene was deeply engraved in the heart of Bangbon's seven-year-old heart.
This is the family's nightmare, and it is a devastating blow for the young Bangbon.
The arrest of the father put the family in a difficult situation in an instant, and the mother was crushed by reality and fell into a predicament, unable to raise the child independently.
She decided to marry a rich man, and she found her "home" as she wished.
When he thought he was going to live happily ever after, he was driven away by his mother.
It turned out that his stepfather didn't like him and beat and scolded him.
His mother only gave him a few hundred dollars a month, and then abandoned him and didn't care about him.
Since then, poverty and loneliness have become the norm in Bangbon, and he has struggled to grow up in hardship, lacking the care and guidance of his parents.
The money his mother gave him was not enough to support his daily life, so he decided to find a job to support himself.
Source reference: "Thailand's "Male Prostitute Duck King": Thank you HIV for choosing me, so that I can save more people" - Xinjiang Tianwen Public Welfare 2022.6.27
●—<生活所迫靠"卖身"为生> —●
After leaving home, he began a long journey of working part-time to try to make a living for himself.
He tried his hand at working as a porter, but after hours of continuous labor, his weak body could no longer support him, and he was ruthlessly dismissed by his boss.
Switching to food delivery, he was deemed "illegal child labor" because of restrictions on underage labor, and was fired along with other Cambodian colleagues, even with his hard-earned wages deducted.
Even when he was looking for a job as a cashier at a convenience store, the law turned him away.
Faced with the threshold, Bangbon sat on the street in despair and began to beg from passers-by.
At this time, a middle-aged man gave generously, not only giving him a considerable handout, but also promising to introduce him to a well-paid job.
But when Bangbon is taken to his destination, the brutal truth is revealed to him – he will be forced to become a male sex worker, hosting gay expatriate clients in a grocery warehouse in the red-light district.
Although he struggled inwardly, the urgency of survival weighed on his shoulders like a heavy mountain, forcing Bangbon to embark on this road of no return.
His youth was just beginning, only 15 years old, and his countenance was still a little childish, which made him a special commodity in this filthy world.
In the eyes of thrill-seekers, he became a hot target.
It can bring him up to 3,000 baht per night, which is a considerable amount of money in an underdeveloped area of Thailand.
But behind this seemingly glamorous life lies endless darkness and pain.
Not only does he have to deal with malicious clients, who often physically torture him to satisfy his twisted desires, punching and kicking him as a daily routine.
To make matters worse, some clients ask for unprotected sex in pursuit of the ultimate thrill, regardless of their lives.
These experiences sliced through his mind like a sharp knife, shattering his spiritual world.
He longs to escape from this hellish world, but he can't shake off the invisible shackles that wrap around him.
thought that he could make a living by selling his body, but God played a huge joke on him.
In the sixth month of his career as a male prostitute, a medical examination confirmed him to be infected with HIV, and the road of his life suddenly ushered in a desperate situation.
●—< "real heroes"> —●
Suffering from the double blow of illness and social discrimination, Bangbon once felt hopeless and devastated, and even wanted to end his own life.
Fortunately, there is still warmth in this world.
When Bangbon is in the abyss, an unexpected light illuminates his path.
He met many touching people, including other AIDS patients and caring people who were enthusiastic about public welfare.
Their support and encouragement rekindled Bangbon's hope for survival and inspired him to face his illness and adversity.
After receiving help and attention from all walks of life, Bangbon realized that he had an obligation not only to stay strong but also to bring hope to others.
He left his old life behind and set up an AIDS centre to help and support young people who were struggling.
In the process, Bangbon gradually realizes that he is not only facing a test of personal ability, but also a manifestation of the shortcomings of the social structure and system.
He saw many young people with dreams like him struggling with a lack of opportunities, resources, and education.
Many of them have to give up their dreams in order to survive and instead seek jobs that provide a steady income but don't align with their interests and passions.
●—<结语> —●
Bangbon transforms his struggles into strength and becomes a radiant warrior who guides people in search of meaning in life.
The Thai government has also made active efforts in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention and control, but the challenges remain daunting.
Only through the joint efforts of the whole society can we solve the problem of the high incidence of AIDS among minors and LGBTI people, so that more warriors like Bangbon can find a sense of belonging and hope for survival.
Source reference: "About 9,000 new cases of HIV infection in Thailand every year" - Red Star News 2023.12.2