It’s amazing to me the insight I gain through the eyes of the people I meet through my many journeys around the world. Eyes truly are the window to the soul and as I came back to Thailand, I immediately was drawn to what people were communicating through their eyes.
You see, Thailand is known as the “Land of Smiles” and indeed, from an initial perspective, one would htink the Thais are the happiest, friendliest people on the planet. Yet, as time goes on, you see past the smiles to their eyes, the window to a myriad of sad realities.
I want to share with you four different type of “eyes” that spoke to me the most during my two weekend vision trip in the Red Light areas of Thailand. Every night, as we entered the red light district to visit my friend, Ploy, I noticed the eyes of the many bar girls lining the bars. At first, the naive foreigner aka farang might presume the bar girls enjoy their life styl
e yet as you take a closer look at their eyes, their faces change from pretending to be interested in the many foreign men buying them drinks and so on, but as these beautiful girls look away, their faces change immediately to a lifeless stare, a numbness of sorts….what I presume to be an incredible focus to the play the part all so they can “responsibly” provide for their families. In Thailand, women as young as 18 are expected to be the financial provider for their parents and younger siblings, especially brothers. They quit school by sixth grade and start working, some much younger, and start sending money to their families and children, no questions asked.
e yet as you take a closer look at their eyes, their faces change from pretending to be interested in the many foreign men buying them drinks and so on, but as these beautiful girls look away, their faces change immediately to a lifeless stare, a numbness of sorts….what I presume to be an incredible focus to the play the part all so they can “responsibly” provide for their families. In Thailand, women as young as 18 are expected to be the financial provider for their parents and younger siblings, especially brothers. They quit school by sixth grade and start working, some much younger, and start sending money to their families and children, no questions asked.
The next set of eyes that fascinate me yet often highly overlooked by most passers in the red light district were those of the many street children working as young as 5 years of age selling flowers to the foreigners in the bars. They offer very little eye contact at first and seem at times forceful, aggressive…yet scared, but as I initiate conversation while silently praying for them, their childlike spirit returns and their eyes brighten up as a child’s should be. I see the glimmer of hope that exists. There IS another way.
The third and most disturbing set of eyes to observe are those of the many farang sex tourists looking for a companion. These men have the same glazed over eyes that reveal a deep sense of lonliness, desperation and a huge hole they’re trying to fill in all the wrong ways. They need love.. God’s love!
The last set of eyes and the most mesmerizing to watch are the eyes of Christ, those seen in the many believers who live and minister in Chiang Mai. These eyes contain life, joy, hope, freedom and love. They’re the kind of eyes I want the bar girls, street kids and farang sex tourists to see in me. That something special, attractive, unique , desirable and welcoming. The kind that shows people their value and how much they’re worth! 
