Perhaps one of the most talked about aspects of Thailand - the sex industry. Regularly posters who have never been to Thailand, or those that have been but not seen much beyond KSR and KPG will make comments - positive or negative - about the prevalence of the sex industry in Thailand. They've obviously spent too much time reading sensationalistic tabloid stories.
View Six Degrees Thailand. Video hosted on Google. Prostitution in Thailand first was mentioned in the West in reports by European sailors visiting what was then called Siam as early as the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the Vietnam War, Thailand has gained international notoriety among travelers from many countries as a sex tourism destination. Thai society has its own unique set of sexual mores. A polygamist tradition of mia noi or "minor wifes" at least amongst the wealthier elites including the Thai royalty existed right up until modern times and still does effectively as de factos today. Consequently, visiting prostitutes is considered a common, but not necessarily an acceptable, behavior for men, and many Thai women believe the existence of prostitution reduces the incidence of rape.
Estimates of the number of prostitutes in Thailand vary widely and are subject to controversy. One estimate published in 2003 placed the trade at US$ 4.3 billion per year, about three percent of the Thai economy. There are around 10,000 prostitutes in Koh Samui alone a place not usually associated with prostitution, and Thai officials have an uncomfortable relationship with this side of their country.Although centers such as Bangkok (Patpong), Pattaya, and Phuket (Patong) are often identified as primary "prostitution" areas (called "entertainment" in Thai), with Hat Yai and other Malaysian border cities catering to Malaysians. Nearly every major city has it, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui (Chaweng) are also major centers. In Bangkok, many roads have saunas or massage parlours that front for sex. Even "concerts" in small provincial towns have their own versions, with scantily dressed women singing Traditional Thai Isaan music.
Support of prostitution is pervasive in political circles, as the BBC News reported in 2003 that "MPs from Thailand's ruling Thai Rak Thai Party are getting hot under the collar over plans by the party leadership to ban them from having mistresses or visiting brothels"..."One MP told The Nation newspaper that if the rules were enforced, the party would only be able to field around 30 candidates, compared to its more than 200 sitting MPs." Attitudes towards women can be described by MP Thirachai Sirikhan, informing The Nation newspaper, "To have a mia noi (mistress) is an individual's right. There should be no problem as long as the politician causes no trouble to his family or society". Having many wives was a common attribute of Thai culture in the past, but because prostitution is so pervasive a common attitude among women is that they expect their husbands to cheat, and don't believe them if they deny it.
Both politicians and police has been supporting and indulging in the prostitution industry openly. Tavich, a veteran politician at 76 years was under fire in 2005 for impregnating a 14 year old girl, who worked across the street from the congressional building. After a police raid on some Bangkok parlours where policemen had sex with prostitutes, "Acting Suthisan Police chief Colonel Varanvas Karunyathat defended the police action, saying that the (police) officers involved needed to have sex with the masseuses to gain evidence for the arrest." Apparently, this is standard practice as a separate police force did the same in Pattaya in May 2007. Even more evidence of politicians supporting prostitution industry and the sexual habits of elderly Thai men in general is how Viagra is being given to elderly voters in exchange for their votes in an election drive.[9] The general attitude of Thai politicians towards the sex industry can be inferred by the incident where an unidentified member of the Cabinet who had a penis enlargement was called upon to support a lawsuit. When asked to inspect one by one the Cabinet members to find out who did it, Deputy Public Health Minister Anutin Charnveerakul implied jokingly to reporters that all of the male Cabinet members have had the operation at one time or another, so it would be impossible to know.
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed
