How The Pandemic Has Upended The Lives Of Thailand's Sex Workers

[Moneyhonour]

13 hours ago, khunpa said:

Typical... Let one person in the family work their "butt" off for all the other lazy leeches in the family...

 

 

Take one for the Team

[Hotrudester]

.There still are a large amount of clients for the sex workers. What many of these sex workers have done is change the style in which they operare. Instead of using the past norm they have become more refined and are advertising themselves on free outlets like Locanto where is the personals section you will see dozens of adverts daily that will satisfy the sexual taste of anyone. Plus the use of Tinder and Thai Friendly has increased significantly. They are predominantly sexual sale sites these days.

So for those people in need there are still plenty of sites you can go to find your particular need or desire. 

[Darksidedude]

Will wake up a lot of GOGO girls that have falang boyfriends sending money every month, all that would have stopped 

 

Saying that the girls/boys parents are pure leaches they have a part in why girls go to the bars, they get all the modern things nice house and turn a blind eye as to how they get it

[Walker88]

We in the developed world tend to pat ourselves on the back for what we have achieved individually, forgetting that the vast majority of our 'success' is a result of an accident of birth. There was never a better time nor place nor way to be born in all of human history than as a white male born in the west from about 1950 to 1990. Failure almost would have required a conscious effort. Yea, I became a millionaire by my late 20s, but I know full well there is no way I would have been as 'successful' if I was born a female in Sakaeo or Sisaket pretty much anytime. Thus, I have no business taking some moral high ground and pointing a finger at a woman who chose to go to Patts or BKK and join the nightlife industry. In a cynical sense, her beauty and willingness to engage in paid assignations is her village's 'competitive advantage'.

 

Similarly, I cannot fault such women for not planning for a future nobody anywhere saw coming (international pandemic) nor for spendthrift behavior. I am reminded that 78% of Americans, even before Covid, lived paycheck to paycheck, and perhaps half of all Americans couldn't muster $1000 in an emergency. These Americans are supposedly well educated, yet somehow many people hold to a higher standard an Isaan female who might have completed 6 years of rather poor schooling.

 

Having visited many rural areas in Isaan, I have seen a harsh reality of life there in the Covid Era. At present labor is not in demand. Every regional Big-C or Tesco-Lotus I've been in was already wildly overstaffed, with many employees just chatting it up in aisles during their 'work hours'. Something similar can be seen in most shops, even 7-11s, so not many people are hiring. Construction has also stopped. Oh, and not everyone has a farm with paddy fields and fruit trees and chickens laying eggs each day. A displaced worker from Patts or BKK has few alternatives right now.

 

Thailand enjoyed low UE during its boom years partly BECAUSE it had an industry that catered to basic human male desires, both for foreigners as well as locals. That industry employed not only women who engaged in extracurricular activities, but also wait staff, security, bartenders, PR types, etc. Ancillary beneficiaries included booze producers, clothes makers, beauty salons and a host of other businesses. Many of those jobs supported families back home, and those jobs are gone. The local trade might still continue, but even that is impacted in an economy falling by 8-10% due to Covid and border closures.

 

Yes, some women might still be doing fine, but the majority have likely seen their income slashed by upwards of 90%. Families back home might not be as understanding as they should be, which likely puts added pressure on women who already have untold pressure from the work into which their circumstances sent them. Making moral judgments on these women is pretty unfair, as few of us have walked in their flip flops.

 

Some understanding is due, even from the self-claimed highly moral and the sanctimonious.

[NanLaew]

13 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

13 hours ago, Airalee said:

One could expand on this and ask why Germany (supposedly, if the statistics are reliable), a wealthy country, has substantially more sex workers per capita than Thailand?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_statistics_by_country

 

You’re pretty much answered your own question with your comment ‘if the statistics are reliable’... 

 

IF these statistics are reliable Dubai with 32 per 10,000 people has more sex workers per capita than Thailand’s 20.

And, Singapore has no data, everyone knows one foot in the door of 400 Orchard Rd or a walk down Geylang tells an obvious story. 

 

Having run a factory in Abu Dhabi for a couple of years, I reckon those UAE stats are pretty close.

 

Thailand's mid-table showing belies their 'legendary' status though. It's funny how nobody recalls their pay-for-pleasure rendezvous in bronze medal-winning Russia with such sweet remembrance as much as their one-hour thrash with Noi from Buriram in a 2-star flop at the bottom-end of Sukhumvit.

[Henryford]

On 2/4/2021 at 6:32 AM, scubascuba3 said:

Tough times for them and families, maybe learn a lesson to save and not get into debt

 

Hard to save when your only income is from rice and roots.

[Jiggo]

Poor Darlings, no more 2 week millionaires'(Mugs) for them to ask for 5000 baht ST, loving it, Thai Friendly, is a down to earth crash for them.

[Jiggo]

12 hours ago, CALSinCM said:

"Upended" with maximum "social distancing, like doggie-style?  ????

Reverse Cowboy....

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, Henryford said:

 

Hard to save when your only income is from rice and roots.

but you could save when the money starts rolling in opening your legs

[smylee52]

On 2/4/2021 at 7:46 AM, colinneil said:

 

What a load of rubbish, to my knowledge only 1 girl from this village went to Pattaya to sell her body.

My wife is 1 of 4 sisters, each 1 of them works as civil servants/ teachers.

 

Only one (admitted) went to sell her body in Pattaya but the all others worked as cashiers  ???? after they graduated from the local karoake bars .  I am sure your village is different .

 

Judgemental people who disparage sex work are those that don't profit from it . What really cranks up some people is the thought that  a sex worker isn't guilt ridden but actually enjoys his/her work . Then some of them have the gall to make their money , build their home , buy a car ,buy some land and retire to the their village where they are often asked by family and friends " how can I be lucky like you ?" .

 

 

 

[Walker88]

17 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

but you could save when the money starts rolling in opening your legs

I'm going to guess the financial acumen and probity of women in the trade is about the same as people in western nations who earn, on average 7x the average wage in Thailand, a place where the cost of living is NOT 1/7th of the west.  Those westerners also are better educated, too.

 

Somehow, many people expect Isaan women, many of whom have less than a high school education, to have financial acumen superior to the typical westerner. That seems kind of unfair, even sanctimonious.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, Walker88 said:

I'm going to guess the financial acumen and probity of women in the trade is about the same as people in western nations who earn, on average 7x the average wage in Thailand, a place where the cost of living is NOT 1/7th of the west.  Those westerners also are better educated, too.

 

Somehow, many people expect Isaan women, many of whom have less than a high school education, to have financial acumen superior to the typical westerner. That seems kind of unfair, even sanctimonious.

So your advice is do nothing

[Stargeezr]

I chatted with a sex worker in Phuket years ago. She had started working the trade, in her 

teen, as she had been raped by her dad, and brother. Her mom found out and sent

her away to live in Phuket with her aunt. She did start by working in her aunts restaurant, and

going to school, but a few richer Thai guys offered he money to give them some services.

  She found out that she could make a lot of money even just with Thai guys. Then after 

learning English, she started chatting up some customers in her aunts restaurant and made

even more money.  Only her aunt knew what was going on, and when she told the aunt about her dad

and brothers and what they did, the aunt did not give her any scolding anymore.  She sent her

mom some money, but not much, as she did not want even her mom to know what she had

started doing.  She said that many of her friends had met the same fate in their teens and

that is also why they got into the business and did what they did.  Many women have been

raped as teens and many have not gone into the sex trade as well.  I have heard many sad stories

over the years, and I do not judge any of the women in the sex trade.  In Canada I have heard of

some who were in the industry, but married a Canadian man and moved to Canada for a much

more respectable live, even though the word does get around of what they did.  It is a tough

world that we live in.  I feel very fortunate every day. I feel very lucky every day. There is lazy

people all over the world as well.  Also many corrupt people, and sleazy people.

  Geezer

[kiwikeith]

On 04/02/2021 at 1:20 PM, WineOh said:

why didn't he go to college, the lazy toe rag.

Answer, no money. 

I wonder what they do now. 

 

In fact worldwide, suffering for toe rags. 

It's only a matter of time before the people that call the mass toe rags, realise that they have shot themselves in the foot. 

Realising this obvious thought, and affording to ground airlines, manufacture weapons, and start a price war on vaccines, says, modern day slavery is here now. 

 

During the last 12 months we have seen a one eyed approach to a solution that has made the rich extremely wealthier, the poor riot, and governments print money. 

This quantivtive easing still has to be paid back to invisible money lending banks, that have plenty of money to finance armes and supply terrorism on steroids to young men. 

 

In the mean time, the leaders of Europe will convince you that vaccine committed to them has been compromised, when actually, it's a political war conducted by billionaires. 

 

At the greatest cost to surfs, airlines are a small play, this is a testing ground of how far they will be able to go. 

Woh betide Molly Woppy. 

[SupermarineS6B]

Luxury !   When i turned 17 the old fellah asked me out for a drink and promptly took me to the Army, Navy, and Air Force recruitment centre in York. I purposely failed everything including spelling my name wrong, and then the bloke behind the counter looked at the old fellah and asked " Navy" ?  the old fellah replied "Navy"...... ( Me old man had been a Chief in the Navy in the last big dust up )  and that was that...... No bars for me....... Welcome to the South Atlantic..... Fill yer boots....  So i'm not exactly crying my eyes out over the plight of Thailands sex workers..... Over the years i've met some girls who've made an absolute fortune doing something that a lot of them loved and would of done for free...... and why not, a night in the Peninsula is somewhat better than in the back of someones Mini...... 

Edited February 5, 2021 by SupermarineS6B

[Eindhoven]

4 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

I chatted with a sex worker in Phuket years ago. She had started working the trade, in her 

teen, as she had been raped by her dad, and brother. Her mom found out and sent

her away to live in Phuket with her aunt. She did start by working in her aunts restaurant, and

going to school, but a few richer Thai guys offered he money to give them some services.

  She found out that she could make a lot of money even just with Thai guys. Then after 

learning English, she started chatting up some customers in her aunts restaurant and made

even more money.  Only her aunt knew what was going on, and when she told the aunt about her dad

and brothers and what they did, the aunt did not give her any scolding anymore.  She sent her

mom some money, but not much, as she did not want even her mom to know what she had

started doing.  She said that many of her friends had met the same fate in their teens and

that is also why they got into the business and did what they did.  Many women have been

raped as teens and many have not gone into the sex trade as well.  I have heard many sad stories

over the years, and I do not judge any of the women in the sex trade.  In Canada I have heard of

some who were in the industry, but married a Canadian man and moved to Canada for a much

more respectable live, even though the word does get around of what they did.  It is a tough

world that we live in.  I feel very fortunate every day. I feel very lucky every day. There is lazy

people all over the world as well.  Also many corrupt people, and sleazy people.

  Geezer

 

Indeed, you only need to read the recent story of the school director who, allegedly, enticed a pupil using money in to a sexual relationship. Abuse of children is not uncommon here. 

Corrupt and sleazy is apt.

[Nanaplaza666]

On 2/4/2021 at 6:36 PM, hotandsticky said:

 

 

"working their butts off" ?

 

 

Have you ever lived in an Isaan village? The area that I lived in was a one crop rice growing area where the busy times were preparation for rice planting (misnomer for throwing rice seed), a bit of work in throwing some more rice seed when not all the first batch took, some ongoing maintenance and then preparation for rice harvest (all mechanical except for the rice drying). Most of that happened between June and November.

Still would you want to do it ?? Well there's your answer . 

[hotandsticky]

4 minutes ago, Nanaplaza666 said:

Still would you want to do it ?? Well there's your answer . 

 

 

Of course not  -  but I am rich and have the option not to do it. 

 

 

My point was that it is not 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, all year round............................ but then again, that is what helped me to become rich.

[elliss]

On 2/4/2021 at 7:05 AM, fishtank said:

As there is no prostitution in Thailand this must be fake news.

 

          Correct ....

[BangkokReady]

On 2/4/2021 at 10:31 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

I think we should not judge people one way or the other.

 

Others need only a few months to mess up their lives and brains permanently. 

 

I think that one issue in terms of "judging people", is that part of a judgement and disapproval of a certain behavior is the fact that it deters people from doing something bad.

 

What I mean to say is, looking down on prostitutes (or whatever) is often something natural because we know that it is damaging to individuals and to society.  I think it's a bit of a myth that people should be free to do whatever they want sexually and anyone who objects is a prude who is projecting some sort of sexual hang-up.

 

So, really, judgement may seem bad, but it can also potentially save the ones that "mess up their lives and brains permanently".   If you imagine that one of the girls (possibly young and naïve) who would have gone that way didn't because of fear of public shame, that would be a good thing, right?

[BangkokReady]

23 hours ago, Bill Good said:

How many times that at a gathering I have been chatting to a Western guy and his wife and or girlfriend and the guy will come out with, “I met her in xxxx, she wasn’t a bar girl “ 

 

What are you saying with this?  You don't believe them?

[Nanaplaza666]

1 hour ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Of course not  -  but I am rich and have the option not to do it. 

 

 

My point was that it is not 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, all year round............................ but then again, that is what helped me to become rich.

There we go , you are rich and have the option not to do it . That's axactly what i was saying , having options . But then again you are rich and happy to say so on a public forum , bit of insecure of the size of your ...... then ? (Note to TV , this is a joke not bashing anyone before you block me ) ????

[Leaver]

 

Thailand is not like an impoverished African nation.

 

Don't believe all the stories of how young Thai girls are "trafficked" into the sex trade in southern Thailand tourism areas.

 

Most are prostitutes by choice, with greed influencing their decision.

 

 

Edited February 5, 2021 by Leaver

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

I think that one issue in terms of "judging people", is that part of a judgement and disapproval of a certain behavior is the fact that it deters people from doing something bad.

 

What I mean to say is, looking down on prostitutes (or whatever) is often something natural because we know that it is damaging to individuals and to society.  I think it's a bit of a myth that people should be free to do whatever they want sexually and anyone who objects is a prude who is projecting some sort of sexual hang-up.

 

So, really, judgement may seem bad, but it can also potentially save the ones that "mess up their lives and brains permanently".   If you imagine that one of the girls (possibly young and naïve) who would have gone that way didn't because of fear of public shame, that would be a good thing, right?

I understand your thinking. But let's not forget that this is Thailand.

It seems the opportunities to study and earn good money are very limited. And for children from poor families it's even worse.

 

Is it so much better when that innocent girl meets a boy up country who makes her pregnant and then walks away?

How many poor parents exist in Thailand who absolutely don't want that their daughters work in the nightlife business?

It seems parents like that (almost) don't exist. 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Leaver said:

Thailand is not like an impoverished African nation.

 

Don't believe all the stories of how young Thai girls are "trafficked" into the sex trade in southern Thailand tourism areas.

 

Most are prostitutes by choice, with greed influencing their decision.

And often it's the greed of their parents.

[Leaver]

6 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And often it's the greed of their parents.

 

Sure, I accept that. 

 

In a lot of cases it's generational, since the Vietnam War. 

 

Gran was a hooker, mum was a hooker, aunt was a hooker etc. 

 

The big money from the previous generations still being p*ssed away so now their children also have to continue to go on the hook. 

 

Over the decades and decades of money sent for sick buffalo, and cheap brides for lonely western men supporting extended Thai families in Issan, you would think Issan would be a wealthy province by now, but no.    

[DBath]

“He wanted to eat pork and pizza...”. Perhaps if he had expanded on these goals he could have  achieved a more meaningful and useful purpose. 

[teacherclaire]

A mom in a friend's village introduced her good looking daughter to me and asked me if I couldn't find a Farang for her.

 

 I denied it, as I didn't want to become part of something with an unknown outcome, and she took off two days later to Pattaya or Bangkok.

 

After two years, she came back with gold necklaces, expensive clothes, and money. She bought her mom a motorbike and others something else.

 

   After a few more years, she was brought back to the village to die. 

 

Her Japanese husband didn't want anything to do with her anymore.  She had contracted HIV, which then turned to Aids, at this time a death sentence.

 

 So much about what some of them have to go through. It's not fun at all to sleep with a guy on Viagra wanting all sorts of stuff she'd never want to do.

 

     Now even the government seems to understand how much money these women made. 

[Leaver]

52 minutes ago, teacherclaire said:

A mom in a friend's village introduced her good looking daughter to me and asked me if I couldn't find a Farang for her.

 

 I denied it, as I didn't want to become part of something with an unknown outcome, and she took off two days later to Pattaya or Bangkok.

 

After two years, she came back with gold necklaces, expensive clothes, and money. She bought her mom a motorbike and others something else.

 

   After a few more years, she was brought back to the village to die. 

 

Her Japanese husband didn't want anything to do with her anymore.  She had contracted HIV, which then turned to Aids, at this time a death sentence.

 

 So much about what some of them have to go through. It's not fun at all to sleep with a guy on Viagra wanting all sorts of stuff she'd never want to do.

 

     Now even the government seems to understand how much money these women made. 

 

Tragic story, but was she forced into the sex trade?

 

Was a job in the 7/11 in the village below her expectations of earning potential?  

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/4/2021 at 1:46 PM, colinneil said:

 

What a load of rubbish, to my knowledge only 1 girl from this village went to Pattaya to sell her body.

My wife is 1 of 4 sisters, each 1 of them works as civil servants/ teachers.

IMO the myth, as perpetuated by foreign media looking for sensational stories, is that almost every female in LOS is a sex worker looking for farang money, when the opposite is true. The vast majority of Thai women never have sex with a foreigner, let alone work in a bar that caters to farangs.