Drug Abuse, Prostitution Still Thailands Woes

[LaoPo]

Drug abuse, prostitution still the country's woes

BANGKOK: -- The country is suffering from widespread drug abuse and a rising number of young male prostitutes, the youngest being 13, the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board's deputy secretary-general, Kittisak Sinthuwanich, said.

These facts were revealed in the agency's second quarterly report, for which a focus group was monitored from April to June on five dimensions, namely the quality of human resources, health and social security, the behaviour and well-being of citizens, the sexual behaviour of young people and the environment.

With regards to human resources, the report found that unemployment had dropped to 1.4 per cent both within and outside the agricultural sector.

Employment in the handicrafts industry, however, had risen to 1.5 per cent due to a dwindling in the labour-intensive industry.

In reference to health, the report showed that Thais needed to watch out for 11 types of infections and diseases. Also, according to data collected by the Public Health Ministry over the past decade, people aged between 15 and 24 were suffering from sexually transmitted diseases - a number that continues to rise. However, in terms of social security, people's lives and property were more secure though drug abuse was becoming a severe problem.

He said, even prisoners had easy access to drugs.

On the other hand, injuries and deaths caused by road accidents had reduced due to the strict enforcement of traffic law. However, people were still breaking speed limits.

With regards to social behaviour and well being, the report showed that households were spending less on alcohol but more on cigarettes. However, alcoholism and consumption of cigarettes among young people was still on the rise. In addition, more and more teenagers were living together outside marriage.

The report also found that there are 48,000 people working in the sex industry, including students, of which 44.4 per cent were aged between 13 and 16.

About 60 per cent of the sex workers earned about Bt20,000 a month.

With regards to the environment, the report said the quality of air in many areas had improved but people in Bangkok, Saraburi and Chiang Mai were still breathing in small particles. In addition, some areas in Bangkok had high levels of ozone gas, while almost every area in the capital was affected by noise pollution.

-- The Nation 2008-09-09

STRANGE............ that a large part of the article talks about prostitution and that most replies are also about prostitution but DRUG ABUSE in Thailand is a lot more serious subject than prostitution.....

Strange, as if people are more interested in prostitution than drug abuse by youngsters, the future of LOS.

LaoPo

[ando]

Thailand's proliferation of prostitution is a sign of widespread social inequity and injustice. A great majority of the prostitutes in Pattaya are from Issarn, --- the poorest part of the country.

Every country has some degree of prostitution within society, however in Thailand it has become semi-acceptable both socially and legally.

If one looks around in any country where prostitution and drug taking is most prevalent one will find it is almost always worse in the poorer sections of the community. The road to reducing the level of prostitution and drug abuse is not through better policing or harsher prison sentences, but through creating opportunities to elevate the poorest section of the population out of poverty and despair. This can only be done through long term social programes involving education, health care, wage justice and employment opportunities.

Issarn, which contains over 20% of the population and represents the poorest section of the population is the countries human production line for cheap labour and prostitutes in the cities. Developing this area and lifting its people out of poverty is a difficult task as the primary industry in Issarn is labour intensive rice farming. The problem there is that the land is not suited to rice farming with poor soils, lack of irrigation and subject to flooding and drought. No large company in a developed country would even consider trying to commercially produce rice in a place like Issarn. So we have a situation where almost a third of the population is involved in relatively unproductive labour and consequently living in an endless cycle of debt and poverty.

Contrary to the impression some readers may think, rice produced in Issarn does not constitute more than a very small proportion of Thailand's export income.

The movement of the youth of Issarn towards the cities for better paying employment only adds to the level of urban poor where the drug and prostitution culture is concentrated.

Only through democracy whereby the people of Issarn are seen as a voting bloc worthy of attention by the politicians will the necessary social and economic changes occur in Issarn. Thaksin, TRT and PPP recognized the value of appealing to this large slice of voters and of course were successful in gaining political power. That's the way democracy works and is also the reason why the PAD is hel_l bent on removing the right of the poor in Issarn to vote.

Of course drug abuse, prostitution and organized crime can never be wiped out completely in Thailand any more than it can in any developed country.

[Plus]

" Drug Abuse, Prostitution Still Thailands Woes '"

I thought they were major tourism attractions.

[sriracha john]

Of course drug abuse, prostitution and organized crime can never be wiped out completely in Thailand any more than it can in any developed country.

Not everyone shares your doubts...

Thaksin declares the country 'drug free area'

"The government is pleased to announce that the country is now a drug-free area and will proclaim victory in its war on drugs," said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Nation / Published on Apr 13, 2003

[ando]

Of course drug abuse, prostitution and organized crime can never be wiped out completely in Thailand any more than it can in any developed country.

Not everyone shares your doubts...

Thaksin declares the country 'drug free area'

"The government is pleased to announce that the country is now a drug-free area and will proclaim victory in its war on drugs," said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Nation / Published on Apr 13, 2003

If you believe that above quote to be anything more than a goal I think you must be a little naive. A bit like zero unemployment is actually around 3% because there will always be people between jobs. Why condemn a leader for wishing to rid his country of illicit drugs. Condemn his methods for sure but only a fool would condemn the ideology.

[sriracha john]

I condemn his methods AND his penchant for stupidly definitive proclamations.

[ando]

I condemn his methods AND his penchant for stupidly definitive proclamations.

I am sure the feeling would be mutual if in fact he cared at all what you thought.

[kevc]

I can never forget a story I read in The Bangkok Post about 17 years ago from the governor of Song Kla in answer to a story saying there were 90,000 prostitutes infected with Aids in the district, to which his response was " it's totally ridiculous, there are only half that amount".

[Spee]

Of course drug abuse, prostitution and organized crime can never be wiped out completely in Thailand any more than it can in any developed country.

Not everyone shares your doubts...

Would it be a fair statement to say that Thai use of pot and ya-ba (meth-a) has gotten progressively worse over the last 15-20 years?

Would it also be a fair statement that problems associated with illegal narcotics has gotten progressively worse with the influx of western demand?

There is drug abuse everywhere. Even a theocracy like Iran has a major problem with heroin addiction. I'm sure Thailand has always had similar problems with heroin abuse in one form or another.

But it seems like the ya-ba and pot problems are much worse now than they were some time ago. It seems like the problems have gotten worse with the western influence. Are there any numbers to show such a correlation?

[Frotting]

Of course drug abuse, prostitution and organized crime can never be wiped out completely in Thailand any more than it can in any developed country.

Not everyone shares your doubts...

Thaksin declares the country 'drug free area'

"The government is pleased to announce that the country is now a drug-free area and will proclaim victory in its war on drugs," said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Nation / Published on Apr 13, 2003

If you believe that above quote to be anything more than a goal I think you must be a little naive. A bit like zero unemployment is actually around 3% because there will always be people between jobs. Why condemn a leader for wishing to rid his country of illicit drugs. Condemn his methods for sure but only a fool would condemn the ideology.

I think you'll find that SriRachaJohn is being ironic. If you read his posts, you'll understand his dry wit and come to appreciate it. However, this depends on your level of education, as you seem to have taken him literally, which was not the intent.

John is alluding to the 25,000 plus extra judiciary killings initiated by Thaksin in his 'war on drugs'. The message being "There are no drug abusers in Thailand, as I've just killed them all". Get it?

[Theyreallrubbish]

Thailand's proliferation of prostitution is a sign of widespread social inequity and injustice. A great majority of the prostitutes in Pattaya are from Issarn, --- the poorest part of the country.

Every country has some degree of prostitution within society, however in Thailand it has become semi-acceptable both socially and legally.

If one looks around in any country where prostitution and drug taking is most prevalent one will find it is almost always worse in the poorer sections of the community. The road to reducing the level of prostitution and drug abuse is not through better policing or harsher prison sentences, but through creating opportunities to elevate the poorest section of the population out of poverty and despair. This can only be done through long term social programes involving education, health care, wage justice and employment opportunities.

Issarn, which contains over 20% of the population and represents the poorest section of the population is the countries human production line for cheap labour and prostitutes in the cities. Developing this area and lifting its people out of poverty is a difficult task as the primary industry in Issarn is labour intensive rice farming. The problem there is that the land is not suited to rice farming with poor soils, lack of irrigation and subject to flooding and drought. No large company in a developed country would even consider trying to commercially produce rice in a place like Issarn. So we have a situation where almost a third of the population is involved in relatively unproductive labour and consequently living in an endless cycle of debt and poverty.

Contrary to the impression some readers may think, rice produced in Issarn does not constitute more than a very small proportion of Thailand's export income.

The movement of the youth of Issarn towards the cities for better paying employment only adds to the level of urban poor where the drug and prostitution culture is concentrated.

Only through democracy whereby the people of Issarn are seen as a voting bloc worthy of attention by the politicians will the necessary social and economic changes occur in Issarn. Thaksin, TRT and PPP recognized the value of appealing to this large slice of voters and of course were successful in gaining political power. That's the way democracy works and is also the reason why the PAD is hel_l bent on removing the right of the poor in Issarn to vote.

Of course drug abuse, prostitution and organized crime can never be wiped out completely in Thailand any more than it can in any developed country.

It might be useful for you to read some of the accounts by early European and Chinese visitors to Siam to get a broader perspective on prostitution in Thailand and the history of Thai cultural views towards the matter.

The drugs situation has changed for the worse in recent memory, but not due to westerners but due to the flooding of the country with synthetics from Burma aimed entirely at the Thai population rather than being aimed at foreigners and somehow spilling out to fuel Thai demand, in particular ya ba. Historically marijuana and opium were cultural drugs used by huge sections of the population. Not unreasonably in a tropical agricultural country with long periods of inactivity.

If anything the ya ba situation was definitely improved by Taksins war on drugs as evidenced by the fact that the price of ya ba is still 4 times higher than it was before the war.

[PaddyThai]

Thailand's proliferation of prostitution is a sign of widespread social inequity and injustice. A great majority of the prostitutes in Pattaya are from Issarn, --- the poorest part of the country.

Every country has some degree of prostitution within society, however in Thailand it has become semi-acceptable both socially and legally.

If one looks around in any country where prostitution and drug taking is most prevalent one will find it is almost always worse in the poorer sections of the community. The road to reducing the level of prostitution and drug abuse is not through better policing or harsher prison sentences, but through creating opportunities to elevate the poorest section of the population out of poverty and despair. This can only be done through long term social programes involving education, health care, wage justice and employment opportunities.

Issarn, which contains over 20% of the population and represents the poorest section of the population is the countries human production line for cheap labour and prostitutes in the cities. Developing this area and lifting its people out of poverty is a difficult task as the primary industry in Issarn is labour intensive rice farming. The problem there is that the land is not suited to rice farming with poor soils, lack of irrigation and subject to flooding and drought. No large company in a developed country would even consider trying to commercially produce rice in a place like Issarn. So we have a situation where almost a third of the population is involved in relatively unproductive labour and consequently living in an endless cycle of debt and poverty.

Contrary to the impression some readers may think, rice produced in Issarn does not constitute more than a very small proportion of Thailand's export income.

The movement of the youth of Issarn towards the cities for better paying employment only adds to the level of urban poor where the drug and prostitution culture is concentrated.

Only through democracy whereby the people of Issarn are seen as a voting bloc worthy of attention by the politicians will the necessary social and economic changes occur in Issarn. Thaksin, TRT and PPP recognized the value of appealing to this large slice of voters and of course were successful in gaining political power. That's the way democracy works and is also the reason why the PAD is hel_l bent on removing the right of the poor in Issarn to vote.

Of course drug abuse, prostitution and organized crime can never be wiped out completely in Thailand any more than it can in any developed country.

Nice post Ando

[animatic]

Drug abuse, prostitution still the country's woes

BANGKOK: -- The country is suffering from widespread drug abuse and a rising number of young male prostitutes, the youngest being 13, the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board's deputy secretary-general, Kittisak Sinthuwanich, said.

With regards to human resources, the report found that unemployment had dropped to 1.4 per cent both within and outside the agricultural sector.

Employment in the handicrafts industry, however, had risen to 1.5 per cent due to a dwindling in the labour-intensive industry.

He said, even prisoners had easy access to drugs.

-- The Nation 2008-09-09

Of course they wouldn't possibly make ANY note of the UNDER 13 prostitutes...

If they are not counted they don't exist, so international human trafficing groups

won't ride the gov. as hard. If you count them, then you know there there

and have to act... expensive and no profit for police.

1.4 and 1.5 % unemployment this is beyond laughable.

Economists estimate it's impossible to go below 3-4% in developed countries, let alone here.

USA can barely EVER get below 5% and France has trouble even getting below 9.5%

What prison doesn't have drugs available in any country?

Heck there's nothing but criminals there,

and the guards like money same as any other Somchai.

[animatic]

Wow! 48,000 people working in the sex industry. Was that just within a 1 Kilometre radius of Walking St, Pattaya? or did they include Soi Cowboy and Nana? What a ridiculous figure!

48.000 work the others don't work they just f.....

Cowboy, Nana and Pattaya are just a very small percentage of the prostitution here. There are tons of massage parlours, karaoke's, lounges and restaurants out there that offer far more prostitutes than most foreigners would even care to meet.

Waerth

Yes,its always assumed this is a farang tourist trait when in fact after travelling all over thailand i can assure you the thai males are not adverse to some bg indulgance , one small town in particular i stayed in i was invited out for a drink and we drove into the rear of a premises car park and a tarpaulin was draped over the car,they are just more discreet than us

Yes and these are ALL over the country, not just cities or tourist spots.

Most tourists don't even know they exist.

I was doing a visa run with wife in tow, actual got too cold to ride the bike,

we stopped at a police box in the middle on BLEEDING NOWHERE, and asked

for hotel directions.

One of the cops hopped on his bike and we followed him to

the local mia noi auditioning hide out with tarp and DVD player and giant shower etc.

No farangs for 50km in any direction in this area, but 90% of the tarps were pulled.

Tourist are just a tip on a giant iceberg.

[dumball]

Thailand's proliferation of prostitution is a sign of widespread social inequity and injustice. A great majority of the prostitutes in Pattaya are from Issarn, --- the poorest part of the country.

Every country has some degree of prostitution within society, however in Thailand it has become semi-acceptable both socially and legally.

If one looks around in any country where prostitution and drug taking is most prevalent one will find it is almost always worse in the poorer sections of the community. The road to reducing the level of prostitution and drug abuse is not through better policing or harsher prison sentences, but through creating opportunities to elevate the poorest section of the population out of poverty and despair. This can only be done through long term social programes involving education, health care, wage justice and employment opportunities.

Issarn, which contains over 20% of the population and represents the poorest section of the population is the countries human production line for cheap labour and prostitutes in the cities. Developing this area and lifting its people out of poverty is a difficult task as the primary industry in Issarn is labour intensive rice farming. The problem there is that the land is not suited to rice farming with poor soils, lack of irrigation and subject to flooding and drought. No large company in a developed country would even consider trying to commercially produce rice in a place like Issarn. So we have a situation where almost a third of the population is involved in relatively unproductive labour and consequently living in an endless cycle of debt and poverty.

Contrary to the impression some readers may think, rice produced in Issarn does not constitute more than a very small proportion of Thailand's export income.

The movement of the youth of Issarn towards the cities for better paying employment only adds to the level of urban poor where the drug and prostitution culture is concentrated.

Only through democracy whereby the people of Issarn are seen as a voting bloc worthy of attention by the politicians will the necessary social and economic changes occur in Issarn. Thaksin, TRT and PPP recognized the value of appealing to this large slice of voters and of course were successful in gaining political power. That's the way democracy works and is also the reason why the PAD is hel_l bent on removing the right of the poor in Issarn to vote.

Of course drug abuse, prostitution and organized crime can never be wiped out completely in Thailand any more than it can in any developed country.

Please tell me about it , water , water and water is the answer to rice productivity , so why have the farmers of issan not dug/erected water resevoirs ? In answer to methods that could produce a higher % of higher quality rice , the answer was NO , BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE 10 MORE DAYS OF LABOUR . It is about the incentive to work ? NO , it is the fact of WORKING , it is known the world over that the have nots have not because they do not .It is far easier and more productive in a monetary fashion , to send your lazy children (boy/girl) to the city to lie on their backs for 5/10minutes and produce more income than is possible in a whole week of work in the rice paddy .Yeah , yeah , please denegrate me , but it is a fact of life , learn to live with it , sex by the children is welfare for the extended family

[Johpa]

If memory serves me correctly, one of Achaan Phasuk's earlier works published by the ILO, From Peasant Girls to Bangkok Masseuse, noted that, and hold on to your hats, that at the time of publishing (1982) that 30% of all women in Thailand between the ages of 15 and 50, or there about as I have not read the book in decades, had at one time or another worked in the sex industry. And within that industry only about 10% worked with the foreign tourists while the other 90% worked with local and regional clients. I would imagine that with the rise of the middle class over the intervening decades that the per cent of Thai women having worked in the industry has dropped a bit. But I would also imagine that with the regional importation of women from across the borders to replace the Thai women, that the percentage of foreign to regional business has remained the same. The Thai media as well as the international media always like to focus on the foreign, especially Farang customer base, especially when it comes to child prostitution. It is all a smoke screen to avoid looking into the mirror.

[dseawarrior]

Wow! 48,000 people working in the sex industry. Was that just within a 1 Kilometre radius of Walking St, Pattaya?

or did they include Soi Cowboy and Nana? What a ridiculous figure!

And 44%, that means 21000 are aged between 13 and 16?????????????

Who was it who said there are lies, damned lies and statistics?

You are referring to the great Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910),[1] better known by the pen name Mark Twain...

Enjoy...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Twain

[Dakhar]

"BANGKOK: -- The country is suffering from widespread drug abuse and a rising number of young male prostitutes..."

A rising number of male prostitutes, heaven forbid. Female prostitues... well yea, thats Ok and welcomed....

Thai logic at its best again.

You have got to love this place

[Pierrot]

When talking with Thai regarding prostitution, I usually get the answer that these women are doing this job by choice, they serve a social purpose, protecting honest women from men basic instincts (men should not be blamed, boys will always be boys) and the problem, if problem there is, is mostly a foreigners problem, just look at patpong and pattaya.

[Pierrot]

Furthermore, every big western city has is red light district, so why foreigners always try to put Thailand down ?

[animatic]

When talking with Thai regarding prostitution, I usually get the answer that these women are doing this job by choice, they serve a social purpose, protecting honest women from men basic instincts (men should not be blamed, boys will always be boys) and the problem, if problem there is, is mostly a foreigners problem, just look at patpong and pattaya.

Rightyo Issan women are not honest, but do a public service,

so 'good honest women' need not service their men enough to keep them happy.

But the obvious Thai controled zones of western targeted prostitution are bad;

Why? Because they are farangs and so not as good as dishonest Issan service providers.

No mention as to the fact Patpong, Nana Pataya and the like are where a BIGGER price is

charged by those willing. ie shorter time, less work load, and better pay for the 'willing' girls.

No mention that the hi so people support the kleptocracy that keeps most of Issan poor,

and incidentally makes a huge profit off most of this indirectly.

Yes there are red light districts in MOST countries,

but NOTHING approaching the size and breadth of Thailand's scene.

If you think the farang Thai market is big, you've never really looked at the 100% Thai scene.

But blame the farangs they are leading all our poor honest women astray

with bigger budgets and 'tools' to if rumor be true LOL.

[Pierrot]

But blame the farangs they are leading all our poor honest women astray

with bigger budgets and 'tools' to if rumor be true LOL.

You miss my point here. Falangs blame Thailand for prostitution but at the same time Falangs are responsible for the most visible part of prostitution in Thailand (as far as foreign medias are concerned). If the falangs are not happy with prostitution, they should clean their act first because as far as Thai are concerned, there is no prostitution problem in Thailand.

Agreed, there is hypocrisy on both sides. But,as it is a farang forum, I believe we should clean our acts first.

[jitagon]

Furthermore, every big western city has is red light district, so why foreigners always try to put Thailand down ?

Becoz 'Thailand' in the eyes of the West, iz THE Red Light Distric' ov the worl' Parrot. Still a bit fick aren' yoo?

By the way. You related to that other prik PettyChevvy? You're a lot alike

[gunnyd]

You ask any Westerner what first comes to mind in regards to Thailand or Bangkok and I assure you that the majority of answers will be the pervasive sex industry. The numbers quoted in the article are awfully low IMHO. Thailand is so synonymous with prostitution that it has a large page on Wikipedia on this subject alone. Wikipedia article Prostitution in Thailand It's worth a read.

Edited September 21, 2008 by gunnyd

[Pierrot]

Furthermore, every big western city has is red light district, so why foreigners always try to put Thailand down ?

Becoz 'Thailand' in the eyes of the West, iz THE Red Light Distric' ov the worl' Parrot. Still a bit fick aren' yoo?

By the way. You related to that other prik PettyChevvy? You're a lot alike

Edited : not worth it.

Edited September 21, 2008 by Pierrot

[animatic]

I have lived on 3 continents

traveled to 16 or 17 countries, lost track

lived in 3-4 large to world class great cities

and several smaller cities.

I think I have visited two dozen MAJOR cities.

And made a point of exploring them with and without guides.

There is NO PLACE on the planet that I have seen

that had as wide open, in your face, and HUGE like a

900lb gorilla in the corner, sex business as exist JUST in Bangkok.

I have also seen a dozen + cities in Thailand.

There are two levels of this in Thailand.

That more discrete, but clearly LARGER Thai on Thai industry

And the blatantly direct marketed 'here's where you go' visiter's industry.

The former dewarfs the later.

The HUGE places on big roads, among others, have big group rooms

and several bedrooms off it. For that up scale Thai male / male bonding experience

with girls between rounds of Sangsom. This is all over BKK and in smaller

kariokes in the country, rarely is EVER a farang to be found. If so, just one

and he's there bonding for business reasons, and feeling really out of place,

no doubt. But that's the way it's done.

Like communal baths in Japan, followed be enough sake to sink the Bismark.

One need only be riding in a taxis and look in on any given evening and

see the types and numbers of clientel.

What is more obvious externally is the write homes about the farang direct sales.

Prostitution is so prevalent across the country, why not make MORE money

selling to the imported punters. It's just another market with special needs,

and a good markup. But isn't the bread and butter business.

It IS a good place for those with blinkers on, to lay blame and deflect face loss.

[Spee]

every big western city has is red light district,

Every city? Do tell. Where is the red light district in Chicago? St. Louis? Minneapolis? Phoenix?

so why foreigners always try to put Thailand down ?

I wouldn't go so far as to say "always," but in many cases because it is about 1000% easier to be abruptly and self-righteously judgmental than to be tolerant and understanding of all the factors involved.

I would also speculate that most (western) foreigners have absolutely no clue of how rampant the sex trade is through every single Pacific Rim and ASEAN country. Thailand is simply the one that gets the most publicity and sterotyping. It just goes to show how narrow-minded many people are, not by intention perhaps, but just because of they way they live and where they get their information.

[AlKing]

Furthermore, every big western city has is red light district, so why foreigners always try to put Thailand down ?

Becuase The Thai make in value for money. So Farang keeps coming back for more (or for whore).

[johnnyk]

Thailand has a big sex industry, yes.

Most Asian countries do. There economies don't create enough jobs for poorly educated, unskilled women who have been left with child by infantile alcoholic males.

And remember a great many of the western media's "sex industry" stories are from lazy journos who churn out the same moralistic drivel before they head off for a short time, and by dweeby academics who crunch numbers but have never shared pillow talk with a Thai.

Edited September 22, 2008 by johnnyk

[dseawarrior]

You ask any Westerner what first comes to mind in regards to Thailand or Bangkok and I assure you that the majority of answers will be the pervasive sex industry. The numbers quoted in the article are awfully low IMHO. Thailand is so synonymous with prostitution that it has a large page on Wikipedia on this subject alone. Wikipedia article Prostitution in Thailand It's worth a read.

Great Reference Gunnyd!

Thanks! Well worth reading...

Yep, I generally don't trust these "official Thai press releases" -- the Chula professor research noted in the Wikipedia article is interesting... Most farangs only see the tip of the tip of the iceberg on this... This phenomenon is deeply ingrained in Thai culture and is supported by many "Thai" factors -- poverty, low education, weak women's rights, weak employment, corruption, the history of slavery, polygamy, hierarchical social structure and the "kleptocracy" as one poster already mentioned...

Amazing Thailand -- the Land of Smiles

go out and do some of your own research....

Here's an idea... How about we all create a collective book on the subject?

I am SURE it would be much better than the trash that comes out of Thai official press conferences...