Plot

The wife of a French diplomat in Bangkok embarks on a voyage of self-discovery.

Emmanuelle is a beautiful young model and lives in Bangkok together with her husband Jean, who's several years older. She likes him because he's taught her much, and he likes her because she's learning so well - and wants to often. Both are very tolerant in matters of extramarital affairs, so he doesn't mind the young Marie-Ange coming over every so often, although she obviously wants more than talk from his wife. But Emmanuelle is more fascinated by the older Bee, and joins her on a trip into the jungle.—Tom Zoerner <Tom.Zoerner@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>

Emmanuelle (Sylvia Kristel) is a 19-year-old model who joins her new husband Jean (Daniel Sarky) in Thailand where he is a member of the French embassy. Although she now lives in a beautiful estate full of local servants, Emmanuelle is unhappy because she is bored with the people she meets, especially the unproductive women she joins for some nude sunbathing. They tease her because she has never had and affair... though Jean has suggested that she do so for he is in support of an open marriage. Emmanuelle wishes she could be like the teenage Marie-Ange (Christine Boisson) and have sex without having guilt. That is her goal that Emmanuelle makes to herself.

Although Ariane (Jeanne Colletin) her squash partner, constantly tries to seduce her, Emmanuelle is more attracted to Bee (Marika Green), an archaeologist whom the other women shun for being different and for ignoring them. Emmanuelle pursues Bee, and they eventually make love. Emmanuel is very content in this new lesbian relationship until Bee tells her that she doesn't love her in "that" way, and their brief affair comes to a quick end.

Jean, who was very jealous when his wife was with Bee, is very happy to have Emmanuelle return to him. While he continues to have extramarital affairs with other women, including Marie-Ange and Ariane (who finally manages to seduce Emmanuelle at last), he sends Emmanuel to receive sexual instruction from the elderly Mario (Alain Cuny) who many of the women say is the best love they ever had.

Upset my her failed experience with Bee, Emmanuelle is completely open to Mario's sexual philosophy which includes "Destroy all values, conformity, and morals". He further tells her, "Throw away the pleasure of love, and realize the dream of eroticism". During one night, Mario tells a drunk stranger to remove her panties, escorts her to an opium den where she is raped by local men. Mario then offers her as the prize of a prizefight, and proves to her and sex is the best when there is a third person involved. Mario never actually tries to seduce Emmanuelle and rejects her offer of sex by saying "True love is erection, not orgasm". Feeling as if Mario had freed her from her personal prison, Emmanuelle physically makes herself up into a sexual animal, realizing that this is what she wants to be now.