According to the Website rabbit daily ( 2016 ), ten popular drama series are all
about the male main characters raping the female main characters:
(1) Saneha sanya kan (affection and revenge). It is about the male main character
who lost his just married wife in an accident. He thought that the female main
character was the murderer. He, therefore, pretended to be good with her and
then raped her until she became pregnant.
(2) Rang Ngao (shadow power). The female and male main characters had a
quarrel, and the male raped the female.
(3) Sawan Biang (skewed heaven). The male main character did not like the elder
sister of the female character for so many reasons, and he then raped the
female character. She became pregnant. Later, they fell in love.
(4) Dao Phra Suk (Venus). The female main character was forced to be a pros-
titute. She fell in love with a customer (a male main character who already had
afiancée). She wanted to quit the relationship, and he then raped her.
(5) Fai rak asoon (demon’s fervent love). When the wife of the main character
disappeared, he was looking for her. He found that she was going to marry
another man. He then dragged her home, chained her, and raped her. It turned
out that she was a twin of his wife. Later, the woman who got raped had a
happy ending with the man who raped her.
(6) Game rai game rak (mean game, love game). The male character raped the
female character who lost her memories, but he did not know the facts.
(7) Roi Leh Saneh Luang (a hundred tricks, a seduction). As the dad of the female
main character raped the mom of the male main character, the male main
character then raped the female out of revenge.
(8) Jamloei Rak (victim of love). The sister of an innocent female main character
used her name to commit a crime. The male main character then kidnapped the
female to an island. Slapped and kissed and raped her. Later, they fell in love.
(9) Tawan Tor Saeng (shining sun). The male and female characters, who are in a
relationship, had a quarrel. Then, the male raped the female.
(10) Koo Karm (karma couple). The main male character was drunk and raped his
wife, the female main character.
Another kind of melodrama rated as popular among the audience is the kind that
two or three female characters catfight both physically and verbally over a male
character. What does this mean? Why do Thais consider physical and verbal vio-
lence and rape a kind of entertainment?
Many researchers on Thai society confirm that the socioeconomic change in
Thai society has not affected the tradition and sexuality of Thais (Archawanitchakul
and Tarawan 2005 :80–81). The roles of females and males as portrayed by the
media are still very much in conformity with the mainstream discourse. That is
males are the leaders in family and society. They have better administrating jobs
and better education while females are the followers or practitioners. The females’
jobs can be in the service industry, employees in companies, healthcare services,
etc. Moreover, the males in advertisements are lively, vigorous, and active while the
44 3 Violence Against Thai Females