| History
of the oldest profession
Sukanya Hantrakul, director of a
community women's health center has one theory about the origins of Thai
prostitutes.
" Firstly, until the turn
of the century (1800) when slavery was abolished by King Rama V, the
Law of the Three Seals allowed men to buy female in financial difficulty
to become wives of third category, the lowest. The first category
being parental-consent wives and the second being women who wed married
men to become minor wives. With the abolition of slavery,the slave wives
disappeared. However this new "freedom" caused many women
to "voluntarily" enter prostitution to earn a living. It is
interesting to note that brothels--the real thing, not those in the
guise of massage parlors or any of the more sophisticated forms of whorehouses
today-- were perfectly legal under the Sexual-Related Diseases Control
Act at that time. Prostitutes as well as owners of brothels were
systematically taxed by the state. Secondly. it was mainly due to a
petition by an unorthodoxThai woman that King Rama lV enacted the Sale
of Wives by Husbands Actin 1868, forbidding husbands to sell wives like
cattle without their consent."
Is prostitution
illegal in Thailand?
Prostitution has been illegal
in Thailand for more than 30 years. Not until recently has the Thai
government made it an offense for a man/woman to have sexual relations
with a prostitute aged between 15-18 or younger. The penalties for customers
are 1-3 years imprisonment and/or a fine ranging from 20,000-50,000 baht.
If the girls are younger, the penalties will be increased to 2-6 years
imprisonment and/or a fine of from 40,000- 120,000baht. [Source: Bkk post
July 5, 1994]. At present, the Criminal Code already stipulates heavy
punishment for those who sexually violate minors aged15 and under. According
to the Criminal Code, any person having sex with minors faces 4 to
20 years imprisonment and/or fines of 8,000 to 40,000baht regardless of
consent. Procurers, meanwhile, will get jail terms of3 to 15 years
and fines of 6,000 to 30,000 baht if the girls are aged between15 to 18.
If the girls are younger than 15, the more severe jail terms are 5 to
20 years and fines of 10,000 to 40,000 baht. For parents who sell their
daughters into prostitution, these penalties will be raised by one-third.[Source:
Bkk Post April 5, 1996]. But until there is an agreement on the number
of prostitutes in Thailand, we may never know if the penalties has affected
the business.
"Customers may be discouraged
from patronizing underage prostitutes because of the penalties stipulated
by the bill. But the legal sanctions will not stop many Thai men from
visiting a brothel or an entertainment place which also offers sexual
services so long as this society believes that it is not morally or
socially wrong, but something very normal, for Thai men to have a little
extra-marital sex with prostitutes from time to time."
-Bangkok
Post July 5, 1994 Editorial page 4
Harsh law has also been passed to
eliminate forced prositutiton. In April 1996, the lower house passed a
bill to punish persons who detain or deprive others of their freedom
or who assault or force others to sell themselves. The punishment
includes jail term of between 10 and 20 years and a fine of between 200,000
and 400,000 baht. If the detainment results in serious injury to victims,
the punishment increases to life imprisonment and if the victims die,
the death sentence. [Source: Bangkok Post April18, 1996]
"In the face of the country's
notoriety as a haven of child prostitution, the House of Representatives
is reacting by issuing a set of more severe penalties for brothel customers,
brothels, procurers and parents who "sell" their daughters.
These efforts assume that once the legal amendments forharsher penalties
pass into law, they will be effectively enforced. The sad reality
is, however, that child prostitution is thriving on policecorruption.
And as long as the Government continues to turn a blind eyeto this cancerous
situation, the sexual oppression of children will nevergo away. And
short of legal enforcement, the most perfect laws will endup as meaningless
bits of paper of use only in assisting corrupt policeofficers in extorting
more money from the parties involved. "
- Bangkok Post April 5, 1996
Editorial
Two
million Thai prostitutes?
The number
of prostitutes in Thailand remains a mystery because manyare
part-time prostitutes and often relocate. Depending on definition
of"prostitute", the data varies (see also BangkokPost
Nov 1994
"Prostitution is acknowledged
as one of the country's most pervasiveand troubling social problems.
Estimates of the numbers of women and children engaged in prostitution
vary widely. According to the Public Health Department, there are
approximately 75,000 prostitutes in Thailand. The large number of
temporary sex worker and the migratory nature of prostitution in Thailand
makes an accurate estimate of the number of women involved in the sex
industry difficult. Several well-informed nongovernmental organization
(NGO) groups estimate that the number of prostitutes at any given time
range at close to a million. However, all NGO's generally
discount the 75,000 figure reportedby the government as grossly misleading."
- US Human Rights report, Thailand,
Section 5. Discrimination basedon Race, Sex, Religion, Disability,
Language, or Social status, Page 744
Reports constantly isolate prostitution
as a problem inhibiting Thailand'sgrowth as a sound nation. Rather than
complaining about the articles inthe World's press which highlight the
plight of women, it is time for the powers that be to do something about
it. They must look down on exploitation. Society must look towards equality
of all people in cohesion with internationally acceptable morality.
- BangkokPost
Feb 8, 1995 Editorial page 4
What's
the problem?
Most people believe that in Bhuddism,
prostitution is morally wrong,as Ajarn
Tawit Chitsomboon has explained in soc.culture.thai. However, Professor
Chatsumarn Kabilsingh. argues in the book, "Thai women in Bhuddism"that
Bhudda did not turn his back on prostitutes, but
it's the Thai Bhuddism mixed with chauvinistic values which degrades promiscuous
women while accepting promiscuous men. She also suggest that the
reestablishment of the nun (MaeJis) institute will provide a spiritual
sanctuary for the homeless or prostitutes and may also help reduce prostitution.
Without workers right, prostitution
is slavery for low-income prostitutesin local brothels. The interviewer
for the July 1994 survey (see detailsin the section "Prostitutes,
who are they?") observed that in one low-tier brothel the prostitutes
are fined 2000 baht (~80 dollars)if they went out shopping without permission,
while in another brothel,prostitutes are prohibit from going out with
a male friend. For some brothels, letters to/from the family back home
are also opened and read by the owners. Many brothel
owners tell their employee to stop menstruation by eitherusing cotton
balls or taking all but the last 5 birth control pills. Aside from
pleasing customers and following the rules set by brothels owners and
pimps, prostitutes deals with the pressure of being
far away from home,health concerns and sometimes guilt. The effects
are more drastic when the stress is passed on to the children of the prostitutes.
Proper counseling for prostitutes and their children is far from sufficient..
Health is the main issue of concern
involving prostitution. Although, form interviewing with the brothels
owner the survey shows that routine checks is provided by the owners.
Prostitutes argue that they were chargedfor the health service afterwards
which results in less frequent checks.(see the section on Prostitutes:
Who are they? for alink to a AIDS in Thailand homepage) Among all
the problems that surroundprostitution, the Thai government puts Thailand's
Image in the highestpriority. Politicians spend their efforts in covering-up
the problem insteadof solving it. For example, the former name of the
Soon Pitak Sitti YingBorikarn or the Empower Center (since 1985) , meaning
"Center forthe protection of the rights of women in the entertainment
sector",was rejected by the Office of National Culture Commission
for the reasonof inappropriate meaning. The present name Mooniti Song
Saern Okard Puying(Empower Foundation), meaning "Foundation to promote
opportunity forwomen", was used in since July 1994.
Child
Prostitution
While there are many disagreement
on how the problem of prostitutionshould be handled, most people agrees
that child prostitution must be eradicated.
There is a widespread abuse of
children in prostitution and child labor.The government is committed
to eliminating child prostitution, and thecabinet passed a resolution
in September to begin revision of the existingCriminal Code to include
clients and procurers of child prostitution. Asin the case of adult
prostitution, the current laws against prostitution have not been adequately
enforced.
- US Human Rights report, Thailand,
Section 5. Discrimination based on Race, Sex, Religion, Disability,
Language, or Social status, Page 745
No matter how widespread prostitution
may be, Nakhon Nayok Deputy Governor, Charoen Chaiprasith believes eradication
of that involving children is possible. "Personally, I think campaigning
against all prostitutes is very difficult. But with child prostitutes,
I think it is very possible,"he said.
-Bangkok
Post July 5, 1994 Editorial page 4
Whois
to blame?
As with any other social problem,
there are many factors which causethe prostitution problem in Thailand.
Some prefers to blame the prostitutes,the parents who sell them, the customers,
the gangsters, the corruptedpolice, or the social and financial inequalities.
The Crime Suppression Division is, however, blaming child prostitution
problem on foreigners.
In soc.culture.thai, Mark C.Squire
also present an interesting viewon howone
can help to reduce the child prostitution patronage.
Crime Suppression Division commander
Pol Maj-Gen Khamnueng Thamka semsaid said there are quite a few places
where boys are provided for sexually demented foreigners including entertainment
places at Patpong, Soi Cowboy,Silom, Surawong, Lumpini Park, and Khao
Sarn Road. "There are also agents who contact customers at various
major hotels to offer boys undertheir control to customers for sex,"
he said. "In order to suppress child prostitution we are trying
to cut the links between suppliers and customers, as well as monitoring
the activities of foreigners with strange sexual urges and desires."
-
BangkokPost May 15, 1995 page 7
While the police tries to put the
blame on foreigners, it is evident that the lack of enforcement and possible
involvement in the business bythese officers are also responsible for
the widespread of prostitution.KhunBusakorn
Suriyasarn explains in soc.culture.thai about where she thinksthe
demand for prostitution in Thailand is coming from.
Whoare
the prostitutes? 
In an attempt to solve the problem
of AIDSand
prostitution in Thailand, a behavioral research was conducted. Six hundred
and seventy-eight prostitutes in 91 places in 3 provinces werer andomly
interviewed. These three provinces, Bangkok, Saraburi and Udonthani,were
picked to represent three levels of economy. The results (From thebehavioural
research for AIDS prevention in Thailand July 1994) are postedhere
Whereis
the solution?
Is illegalization a part of the solution?
What do we gain from changing a once legal profession
regulated by the health ministry into an organized crime? Currently,
the law requires the prostitutes to be sent to rehab
centers as a part of the punishment while
the big boss of the trade remains untouched. In the face of our
lack of law enforcement, would worker rights and other career options
be a more practical solution in the best interestof the prostitutes? Decriminalization
and other preventive measures maybe possible solutions to this complex
problem.
Some are already working towards
the solution :Daughters'Education
Program which is funded by the UNICEF ;counsellingfor
prostitutes; education for prostitutes (the Empower Foundation).The
contact addresses of these organizations are given at the end of this
homepage.
Education is not a silver bullet
solution but it is an important key to eliminate
the financial needs of prostitutes. A 1994 Survey (details in the
section: Prostitutes: Who are they?") shows that the average number
of years in school of prostitutes from 91 different business establishments
is 6 years while the average income is 6100 baht per month (the equivalenceof
the salary of a person with 12 years of school.) However, only reducing
the supply will not help as long as there is no reduction in the demand.
Document No. 178 from the Population
and social research institute at the Mahidol University suggest that the
reason for the growing number of prostitutes in Thailand is the war (U.S.
Navy Base) , tourism, the Thai double standard, and traditional guest
welcoming activities. The existing double standard also enables
prostitution to be in such high demand. While"good" Thai
women are expected to minimize their sexual activity, Thai men are introduced
to prostitution as early as their adolescent years. Many Thai men
continues their activity beyond their marriage while their spouses accept
that it is an alternative to having an affair. Prostitutes
in Thailand has always been a male-bonding ritual regardless
of the legal situation. Efforts in changing these attitudes may be more
worthwhile than punishing the prostitutes.
"Prostitution is not a problem
which can be tackled by legal measures alone, but one which must
be dealt with on different fronts simultaneously. A major target
area is to change the attitude of Thai men towards the fleshtrade through
re-education. This will definitely be an uphill and time-consuming task.
If this does not work for people of this generation, hopefully it will
be successful with succeeding ones."
-Bangkok
Post July 5, 1994 Editorial page 4
Other
resources on Thai prostitution
- The Survivors'Voice
joins the fight against Thailand's child sex tourism trade.
- An article in german about side
effects of prostitution. EinArtikel
auf deutsch ueber Nebeneffekte der Prostitution.
- Coalition against Prostitution
and Child Abuse in Thailand (CAPCAT)is
an internet "clearinghouse" for sharing information and resources
on prostitution, child abuse and child labor. The site includes information
supporting non-profit efforts in Thailand dealing with these problems,
and lists volunteer and intern opportunities for individuals in Thailand
and overseas.
- An articlefrom
the Gemini news service about Thai's prostitution law.
- An articlefrom
UNICEF about the Daughters' education program.
- D!B!T!,
an international effort to stop the vicious child prostitution in Thailand.
- A link to An
anthropologist's homepage by Rebecca Goolsby, Ph.D. who has a dissertation
on women's issues in Thailand.
- A link to the Prostitution's Education
Network (contains statistics, discussion on issues concerning prostitutes
in the U.S. and around theworld)
- The story of "Dawn"."The
words prostitution and trafficking separate women from all women, but
actually, we are all together.The same laws should apply to all of us,
women who are immigrants in the garment industry, in the restaurant
business or who work as dancers in as prostitutes. What we need is to
get rid of some of the laws we have, so that women in who do the work
are legal, and they are able to call the police and file charges against
people who abuses them or exploit them." - Dawn Passar
- A reviewfrom
Z-magazine September 1995 by Ryan Bishop and Lillian S. Robinson on
the book, "Patpong sisters" by Cleo Odzer.
- Hall's report
onprostitution in Thailand which listed 29 references.
- The film, Goodwomen
of Bangkok and the Ph.D. thesis, Patpongsisters
portrays a life of a prostitute in Patpong.
- Another homepage about Thaiprostitutes
can be found in here.
Articles
- Text and Context: Buddhist sex
role/ the culture of gender revisited. American Ethnologist, 12: 302-330
(1985)
- The demographic and behavioural
study of female commercial sex workers inThailand. Bangkok: Institute
of population studies, Limanonda, Thirasawadand Chongwatana , Chulalongkorn
University. Publication No. 207/36 (1993)
- Mother sold food, daughter sells
her body: The cultural continuity of prositution., Muecke, Marjorie,
Social Science and Medicine, 35 (7):891-901 (1992)
Books:
- Sex, Money and Morality: Prostitution
and Tourism in Southeast Asia,Thanh-Dam, Truong (1990), London: Zed
Book Ltd.
- ˹1/4Ô´ äËÁ*Õè¢ÒµÑÇ ºÃÔº**Ò§Êѧ¤ÁÇѲ¹¸ÃÃÁ¢Í§ËÔ§ºÃÔ¡ÒÃ*Ò§à3/4È
(Am I wrong to sell my body?) ISBN 974-587-890-1 (July 1994) contains
data from theBehavioral research for AIDS prevention in Thailand.
- ÃèÇÁáçáºè§»Ñ¹ÃÑ¡ ÊÀÒ3/4¢éÍà·¨¨ÃÔ§áË觻ÑËÒâÊàÀ³ÕáÅÐàÍ´Êì
ISBN 974-587-800-6(1994) is a 206 page report on every aspects concerning
prostitution inThailand by ʶҺѹÇԨѻÃЪҡà áÅÐÊѧ¤Á ÁËÒÇÔ·ÂÒÅÑÂÁËÔ´Å
- Confession
of a Mail order brideby Wanwandee Larsen. Jan 1991. ISBN 006-100-1368
(The papar back is currently out of stock, but the hardcover is still
available.)
- Thai
women in Bhuddism by ChatsumarnKabilsingh. October 1991. ISBN: 0938077848
- AIDS
and Pregnancy : Reactions to Problems of Hiv-Positive Pregnant Women
and Their Children in Chiang Mai(Thailand) by Cisca Batterink ,
Rena De Roos , Ivan Wolffers(Et Al).November 1994. ISBN: 9053833293
Solving the domestic prostitution
problem alone may not be enough. A bigger challenge confronts us as we
become globalized. Women are being exported from Burma to Thailand, from
Thailand to Japan, Germany and the United States.
The trend of trafficking in women
from hill tribes and neighboring countries continued. Brothel operators
reportedly favored such women because they are cheaper to buy and their
inability to speak Thai makes them easier to control. In a widely publicized
brothel raid in Ranong in July, 150Burmese women were arrested by police
as illegal immigrants and prostitutes. Because They are considered illegal
immigrants, the women have no right to legal counsel or health care
while imprisoned.
- US Human Rights report, Thailand,
Section 5. Discrimination based on Race, Sex, Religion, Disability,
Language, or Social status, Page 745
Nongovernmental
organizations
In addition to urging the government
to solve our prostitution problem, there are many ways that people can
help, i.e. through donation and re-education. Click hereto
see a list of organizations dedicated to women's issues
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