The thermae

Soo-Pha at The Thermae, Bangkok, 1988.

The thermae

At the Thermae at five in the morning, there was no risk of meeting the wrong kind of person. No girls from good families, no militant tourists, no students in the throes of self-discovery. The kinds of girls you could meet were stranded, disappointed and empty-handed, or were taking a break on their way home from work, heigh-ho. Tired, they weren’t pretending anymore, and they were truly beautiful with their make-up worn off, gladly sharing a drink and their sleepiness with others as drained as they. Their skin had taken on the scent of the pink soaps of the brothels. If, by chance, one took your hand, it was for nothing more than a little human warmth and affection, and to not sleep alone. But watch out : if you were so lucky to wake her, she may no longer have let you sleep.