Asia features

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, among visitors from Japan, North America, and Europe, an average of one million more men than women come to Thailand every year. A large number of these men come here for sex.

recent Ministry of Public Health study says that roughly three quarters of all Thai males regularly visit prostitutes. It also found that half of all Thai teens have sex for the first time with prostitutes. A man taking his son to a brothel to lose his virginity is a rite of passage here. Indeed, for centuries, prostitution has been an accepted part of Thai culture.

The roots of prostitution trace back 700 years, when Theravada Buddhism first swept over Thailand and began to influence attitudes and beliefs. Its emphasis on polygamy is said to have fostered an acceptance for commercial sex. Today’s sex industry can be considered a variant of polygamy, in the sense that in both situations, men are provided with the sexual services of more than one woman.

Just like we can thank Americans for giving the world bacon triple cheeseburgers, automatic weapons, and superbowl “fever”, we can also finger them for making the Thai sex industry the powerhouse that it is today.

After the Americans invaded Vietnam, US military bases started popping up in Thailand. With the polygamy and brothel vibe already ingrained, sailors coming ashore with cash on their pockets during the 1960s found tons of young women ready and willing to spread their legs. As the cash flowed, prostitution with westerners became an accepted option for young women seeking a source of income.

By the time the war ended in 1976, sex-industry establishments had expanded across the county.

By the 1980s, tourism began to be heavily promoted as a means to gain foreign exchange. Both converged, and male tourists started flocking to Thailand to indulge in sexual services. Even though foreign men make up just a small portion of the sex industry’s total clientele, they generally pay more for commercial sex services. As a result, sex became a huge business in Thailand. Today, it is a very well organized industry that is supported by very powerful entities.

The women who do the work

The majority of sex workers in Thailand come from poor, rural families in the northeast (Issan), while more come from Burma and China.

In Issan, over 30 per cent of the population is landless, while 20% of farming families own less than a half-acre of land. Women who don’t farm typically earn a pittance as day laborers on cash crop farms or in factories.

Sex workers in Bangkok typically earn between US$500-US$1000 per month, although real stunners can earn a lot more if everything falls into place.

Sex with children

The definition of “adult” is murky. The international benchmark is 18. In Thailand, it is illegal to have sex with anyone under 15, while a woman must be at least 18 in order to have sex for money. Did we mention that having sex for money is technically illegal?

That said, said with children is wrong, m’kay? In 1998, the International Labor Organization (ILO) released a report entitled The Sex Sector that concluded that children "are clearly more helpless against established structures and vested interests than adults" and much more likely to be "victims of debt bondage, trafficking, physical violence, or torture."

Sure thing. And when you get into things like young girls getting sold by their parents to slave traders and things, well, it’s pretty fucked up. 'Nuff said...

The Sex Tourist

All right, let’s generalize: westerners who use sexual services in Thailand typically fall into the following broad categories:

Thailand’s top 5 sex destinations

Sex bars

In a typical go-go bar, several dozen dancers in bikinis (or less) crowd the stage, shuffling back and forth to loud music, while trying to catch the eye of punters in the audience. Some of the raunchier places have “shows” (ping-pong balls shooting out of pussies-type stuff) as well. By law, nudity is forbidden, but there seem to be a lot of loopholes.

A similar vibe with a different setup are beer bars. Beer bars don’t have stages, and all of the girls are dressed in street clothes. The basic procedure is to come in, find a lass that catches your eye, and invite her over for a drink. If things click, you can make a deal to "rent" her for either a "short time" (quick shag) or "long time" (overnight marathon). Note that if punters want to take a girl out of the bar, they have to pay a "bar fine". Basically, if the girl is to leave, the mama must be compensated.

The going rate for barfines in most places is 500 baht. As for the girl, you negotiate with her directly, but the standard seems to be 1500 baht short time, 2500 baht long time.

Conclusion

Sex for money… sex with children… rape… exploitation… yes, it’s all bad, if you want spin it that way. Planet Asia sees it like this: Men want sex and are willing to pay for it. Thai women need money, and many are willing to open their legs to get some. The only losers in the equation are the puritans.

PAzine once met a sexpatriate who thought of himself as a refugee – an exile from the land of "feminazis" who take great joy in crushing the spirits of western men. He told us that that the allure of Thailand is that here, the old order of the sexes still reigns. Women know their place, they wash your feet before they have sex with you, and they clean the room afterwards. When you pinch their ass they blush, and they think (or pretend -- whatever) that giving blowjobs is fun.

PAzine doesn’t go in for the whole sex-for-money thing, but we’ve been hiding from domineering western she-buffaloes long enough to understand where these dudes are coming from.

In conclusion, we neither endorse the sex trade nor condemn it. That part is up to you.