Chuwit Demands Govt Take Action To Stamp Out Prostitution In Thailand

[SomTumTiger]

The hooker threads always bring out the best and brightest.

[kerryk]

The hooker threads always bring out the best and brightest.

Don't be too hard on yourself. I always enjoy reading your posts. Although the one above I didn't really understand.

[TomTao]

A bit over a year ago I met a missionary who tries to help women who have been tricked into prostitution to get out of it, many are from the northern hill tribes and come from communities that once grew opium poppies. Once the growing of the poppies was prohibited many of the farmers started looking for alternative sources of income, I don't know whether they were approached by anyone or decided for themselves to do the following, they sent their daughters to Bangkok, Chachaengsao and other places believing they would be working giving massage, not the erotic type, very few of the girls could read or write due to being pulled out of school to look after the opium crops, once they arrived at their new jobs they found themselves being asked for more than just massage by some of the customers, and I was told that their employer told them to give the customer what he wants and that if they refused then the money being sent to the family on their behalf would stop. There are some who want out but cannot get another job due to the inability to read and write, but others like the extra money they receive and are unwilling to stop. I also know of a lady who is also trying to help those who want out to find a way out in Pattaya.

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[kerryk]

A bit over a year ago I met a missionary who tries to help women who have been tricked into prostitution to get out of it, many are from the northern hill tribes and come from communities that once grew opium poppies. Once the growing of the poppies was prohibited many of the farmers started looking for alternative sources of income, I don't know whether they were approached by anyone or decided for themselves to do the following, they sent their daughters to Bangkok, Chachaengsao and other places believing they would be working giving massage, not the erotic type, very few of the girls could read or write due to being pulled out of school to look after the opium crops, once they arrived at their new jobs they found themselves being asked for more than just massage by some of the customers, and I was told that their employer told them to give the customer what he wants and that if they refused then the money being sent to the family on their behalf would stop. There are some who want out but cannot get another job due to the inability to read and write, but others like the extra money they receive and are unwilling to stop. I also know of a lady who is also trying to help those who want out to find a way out in Pattaya.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

Interesting story but it happened over 40 years ago when the farmers were prohibited from growing opium.

[TomTao]

A bit over a year ago I met a missionary who tries to help women who have been tricked into prostitution to get out of it, many are from the northern hill tribes and come from communities that once grew opium poppies. Once the growing of the poppies was prohibited many of the farmers started looking for alternative sources of income, I don't know whether they were approached by anyone or decided for themselves to do the following, they sent their daughters to Bangkok, Chachaengsao and other places believing they would be working giving massage, not the erotic type, very few of the girls could read or write due to being pulled out of school to look after the opium crops, once they arrived at their new jobs they found themselves being asked for more than just massage by some of the customers, and I was told that their employer told them to give the customer what he wants and that if they refused then the money being sent to the family on their behalf would stop. There are some who want out but cannot get another job due to the inability to read and write, but others like the extra money they receive and are unwilling to stop. I also know of a lady who is also trying to help those who want out to find a way out in Pattaya.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

Interesting story but it happened over 40 years ago when the farmers were prohibited from growing opium.

Just relating what I was told.

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[maidu]

prostitution in Thailand won't be eradicted, and here's why: Thai society channels their girls toward extreme vanity. Most Thai men are unabashedly lustful and most Thai married men have at least one 'mia noi' (mistress). Even some wats feed in to the hyper vanity. In my Thai village there's a large wat which hosts sexy talent contests for young girls. It's endemic to Thai culture and soceity. Farang are just at the fringes. Chok dee Chuwit, but I for one can see your efforts as pure grandstanding - trying to position yourself for pulling in more money and political power (they go hand in hand).

[Ulysses G.]

A bit over a year ago I met a missionary who tries to help women who have been tricked into prostitution to get out of it, many are from the northern hill tribes and come from communities that once grew opium poppies. Once the growing of the poppies was prohibited many of the farmers started looking for alternative sources of income, I don't know whether they were approached by anyone or decided for themselves to do the following, they sent their daughters to Bangkok, Chachaengsao and other places believing they would be working giving massage, not the erotic type, very few of the girls could read or write due to being pulled out of school to look after the opium crops, once they arrived at their new jobs they found themselves being asked for more than just massage by some of the customers, and I was told that their employer told them to give the customer what he wants and that if they refused then the money being sent to the family on their behalf would stop. There are some who want out but cannot get another job due to the inability to read and write, but others like the extra money they receive and are unwilling to stop. I also know of a lady who is also trying to help those who want out to find a way out in Pattaya.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

Interesting story but it happened over 40 years ago when the farmers were prohibited from growing opium.

This kind of thing happened a lot in Thailand way back when, but not so much today.

[kerryk]

A bit over a year ago I met a missionary who tries to help women who have been tricked into prostitution to get out of it, many are from the northern hill tribes and come from communities that once grew opium poppies. Once the growing of the poppies was prohibited many of the farmers started looking for alternative sources of income, I don't know whether they were approached by anyone or decided for themselves to do the following, they sent their daughters to Bangkok, Chachaengsao and other places believing they would be working giving massage, not the erotic type, very few of the girls could read or write due to being pulled out of school to look after the opium crops, once they arrived at their new jobs they found themselves being asked for more than just massage by some of the customers, and I was told that their employer told them to give the customer what he wants and that if they refused then the money being sent to the family on their behalf would stop. There are some who want out but cannot get another job due to the inability to read and write, but others like the extra money they receive and are unwilling to stop. I also know of a lady who is also trying to help those who want out to find a way out in Pattaya.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

Interesting story but it happened over 40 years ago when the farmers were prohibited from growing opium.

Just relating what I was told.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

You are correct of course but those things happened in the 1960's when the last mule train packed with opium went through the main street in Chiang Mai.

A lot of thing happened in the 1960's that don't happen today. Perhaps it would be a good idea to differentiate what you have seen as opposed to what you have been told.

You know there are some people who live in Thailand who tell tall tales. There are even some charities who solicit money from unsuspecting good hearted folks by taking photos of village people making up stories of kidnap and human trafficking. I think Andrew Drummond recently ran a story about one such charity.

[spidermike007]

Chuwit's grandstanding is similar to the stock blurb from unscrupulous people who want to suck in donations for start-up do-good foundations. In many cases, they get photos of disadvantaged/crippled kids, put them in a brochure/web site, make the lecture tour, and rake in donations. Whether they actually do any good for the kids is doubtful. When money comes in, they first line their own pockets.

Talking about eradicating child prostitution is another 'hot button' issue - similar to mentioning a campaign to eradicate corruption in gov't, or traffic gridlock in Bkk. Everyone likes to hear it, but when the rhetoric dies away, the reality stays much the same. Chuwit, like Thaksin before him, is grandstanding with hopes of gaining notoriety and wealth, and it will probably work for Chuwit like it worked for Thaksin - with scant advamtage for the little people.

He already has notoriety and wealth. He made his fortune as a pimp, with some of the largest massage parlors in Bangkok. Easy for him to talk now that he has $30 million in the bank. A simple minded monkey would be a compliment for this baboon of a man. How he got into power and was given a soapbox with which to preach his false gospel, is beyond the ability of the average mind, to comprehend.

[TomTao]

A bit over a year ago I met a missionary who tries to help women who have been tricked into prostitution to get out of it, many are from the northern hill tribes and come from communities that once grew opium poppies. Once the growing of the poppies was prohibited many of the farmers started looking for alternative sources of income, I don't know whether they were approached by anyone or decided for themselves to do the following, they sent their daughters to Bangkok, Chachaengsao and other places believing they would be working giving massage, not the erotic type, very few of the girls could read or write due to being pulled out of school to look after the opium crops, once they arrived at their new jobs they found themselves being asked for more than just massage by some of the customers, and I was told that their employer told them to give the customer what he wants and that if they refused then the money being sent to the family on their behalf would stop. There are some who want out but cannot get another job due to the inability to read and write, but others like the extra money they receive and are unwilling to stop. I also know of a lady who is also trying to help those who want out to find a way out in Pattaya.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

Interesting story but it happened over 40 years ago when the farmers were prohibited from growing opium.

Just relating what I was told.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

You are correct of course but those things happened in the 1960's when the last mule train packed with opium went through the main street in Chiang Mai.

A lot of thing happened in the 1960's that don't happen today. Perhaps it would be a good idea to differentiate what you have seen as opposed to what you have been told.

You know there are some people who live in Thailand who tell tall tales. There are even some charities who solicit money from unsuspecting good hearted folks by taking photos of village people making up stories of kidnap and human trafficking. I think Andrew Drummond recently ran a story about one such charity.

I agree that the growing of opium poppies has been mostly stopped, I saw a program on ASEAN tv a while ago which showed people working for one of the foundations His Majesty the King set up to encourage farmers to grow alternative crops, in the program it was stated that the prosecution of the growers was being reduced because of taking the income earner away from the family, retooling and re-education were being used to show the farmers that growing high yield vegetable and cereal crops could earn them a higher income than an opium crop. According to what the program the growing of opium, while now illegal in Thailand was at least until very recently still happening in some of the more remote areas where some of the hill tribes live.

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[maidu]

I can picture Chuwit standing in front of a forum of middle aged women, and declaring in a booming voice and a solemn gaze; "I will stamp out prostitution in Thailand!" and eliciting gleeful smiles and enthusiastic applause. It's no surprise that politicians and actors are always bestowing accolades on themselves, they're peas in the same pod.

[RogueLeader]

AND THEN SINGLE GUYS OR OLDER GUYS WOULD COME HERE FOR ???????????

Let's see no gambling no sex = no tourists

Your equation is wrong:

no gambling no sex = no "low class" tourists "and higher percentage of desireable tourists with families and money to spend on taxable items".

Haha. Wait to see how much of the money that those 'high class' tourists spend stays in the country. Breakfast in their international hotel, dinner in their international restaurant, all their tours booked before they leave home through their American/Chinese/Indian tour agency.

Still, a few chambermaids and waitresses might be given 4000-baht-per-month jobs from their new foreign paymasters and end up dependent on tips from those same tourists.

Thailand is making a big mistake selling all of its assets to rich foreigners for the enrichment of a few.

Edited February 19, 2012 by RogueLeader

[RogueLeader]

"

... if you want to crusade agaist the abuse of the prai, you will do far better to train your sites on the Thais, who squeeze the <deleted>' life from their victims, aka Thai employees ... I love your intentions, but give us a break!

Sure, OK. But the Hilton is ultimately not Thai-owned. Most of the department stores in Siam Paragon are not Thai-owned. And anyway, what do you think will happen to the owners of food stalls and small guest houses, stores and restaurants when foreign tourists are booking their accommodation with travel agents in their own countries in 'preferred supplier' international hotels? Salaried positions as chambermaids, receptionists, travel desk clerks and cooks, if they're lucky.

Thailand is selling its heart. Bangkok wants to be Singapore. It isn't alone. Most countries are now following this path of economic liberalism and extreme social authoritarianism.

Edited February 19, 2012 by RogueLeader

[blows]

Many people consider marriage a more expensive form of prostitution.

[kerryk]

You might want to look up franchise law. Of course the business is owned by Thais. You think some one in the US owns the 7/11's in Thailand?

Presumably you accidentally hit the submit button before you could do me the courtesy of pointing out where I mentioned 7/11s?

It is a franchise like everything else you are talking about. The Thai person pays for using the name and everything else is Thai owned.

[metisdead]

An off topic discussion has been removed.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Sure, OK. But the Hilton is ultimately not Thai-owned. Most of the department stores in Siam Paragon are not Thai-owned. And anyway, what do you think will happen to the owners of food stalls and small guest houses, stores and restaurants when foreign tourists are booking their accommodation with travel agents in their own countries in 'preferred supplier' international hotels? Salaried positions as chambermaids, receptionists, travel desk clerks and cooks, if they're lucky.

Thailand is selling its heart. Bangkok wants to be Singapore. It isn't alone. Most countries are now following this path of economic liberalism and extreme social authoritarianism.

What a jumble of misguided tripe. There is only one departments store in Siam Paragon, and that is Thai owned. And the whole point of the place is to have international (by definition foreign-owned brands) luxury goods available for the Thai elite to spend their wealth. This keeps more of their spending in-country than if they could only buy Prada et al in HK or Singapore. I wouldn't be surprised if many of these are even franchise, and would also be surprised if they have been making much in the way of profits, most are probably being run for status/marketing reasons anyway.

The Thai elite have been pushing for decades to target "quality tourists" and try to keep the riff-raff backpackers and skirt-chasers out - everyone knows the latter's spending patterns benefit more common Thais, but the rich who run the place don't care about them. For many reasons, the riff-raff will continue to dominate the actual numbers, and they will never pre-book anything, only timid idiots looking for a sheltered Disney-fied "travel experience" have ever done that anyway.

Thailand is far from "selling its heart" - "Thailand for Thais" is simply jingoistic xenophobia motivated by the corrupt elite wanting to shield itself from having to compete with more effective outside players. The economy (and IMO country in many ways) as a whole would be much stronger if the elite were willing to open up more, actually encourage skilled immigration and raise the bar of competition domestically, reducing nepotism and corruption. But of course the elite don't want that, they'd rather control a higher percentage of a smaller pie, much more important to them than the benefit of the country as a whole.

Foreign ownership of land and other infrastructure hasn't in any way held back the prosperity of developed nations, their past abandonment of a manufacturing base and general decline in competitiveness has other much more complex sources.

[taff33]

Chuwit is great at exposing things (and love the publicity that goes with it)! His talent is wasted as an MP. He should immediately resign and take up the post of Police Chief!

M

[ttthailand]

If you want to stop prostitution make every girl/boy who wants to sell their body apply for a permit from their local village government and have the permit sent to their registered address. If under 20 their mama or papa will have to co-sign. I think 90% of the girls would not want to let everyone in the village know what they really do and thus the number of prostitutes would drop. The price also would go up for services thus limiting the number of buyers. If the police do a check and a girl does not have a permit and is working she should have to pay a huge fine, perhaps 25,000 baht and her name put in the paper.

[DocN]

If you want to stop prostitution make every girl/boy who wants to sell their body apply for a permit from their local village government and have the permit sent to their registered address. If under 20 their mama or papa will have to co-sign. I think 90% of the girls would not want to let everyone in the village know what they really do and thus the number of prostitutes would drop. The price also would go up for services thus limiting the number of buyers. If the police do a check and a girl does not have a permit and is working she should have to pay a huge fine, perhaps 25,000 baht and her name put in the paper.

The problem with the latter is: the police hardly ever does a surprise raid! Mostly the bar owners are well informed before.

How do I know?

Seen it many times.

"XY holiday today! Police come later!"

[ttthailand]

If you want to stop prostitution make every girl/boy who wants to sell their body apply for a permit from their local village government and have the permit sent to their registered address. If under 20 their mama or papa will have to co-sign. I think 90% of the girls would not want to let everyone in the village know what they really do and thus the number of prostitutes would drop. The price also would go up for services thus limiting the number of buyers. If the police do a check and a girl does not have a permit and is working she should have to pay a huge fine, perhaps 25,000 baht and her name put in the paper.

The problem with the latter is: the police hardly ever does a surprise raid! Mostly the bar owners are well informed before.

How do I know?

Seen it many times.

"XY holiday today! Police come later!"

There is a thing called a sting operation where an informant would act like a customer and once money has exchanged hands then it is all over. They could setup a task force of Thais and farangs...... but you are correct about the raids and the police.

[millwall_fan]

You can tell from my Signature where I stand on Chuwit. Sure he had a bad past, but because he faced several death threats from the police I seem to recall, he has decided to front it out. He is the only politician who is not a hypocrite here because he is not hiding his past. All of the other men in power have contracts closed in these places; it is ingrained in the culture. He is not pretending the problems do not exist though; or faking big surprise. So I say good for him. I would also guess that the information he has on all the properly powerful people in this country with evidence as well, means he is fairly safe. After all, why kill him if the whole system will collapse straight after wards? I do have a feeling though that the casino's, dodgy contracts, sex trade, drugs et al is all run by all the big old school families and if they were all exposed, there would be a collective shrug of their shoulders saying "yeah, we did it all, and will keep doing it. So what can you do about it? Call the cops? the army? they're in it with us so go tell someone who cares". This is the most sad part of it all. In the mean time, Chuwit is the best person in Thai politics.

The thing that you omit to mention is Chuwits motivation for his anti vice and gambling crusade. It is all about revenge. Chuwit, as has been mentioned in other posts had one of the biggest 'goldfish bowl' massage parlour empires in Bangkok. some top cops demanded more and more 'tea' money from him until in the end he cracked and closed down or sold off his massage parlours, with billions of baht in his pocket, and then set out get back at those that had fleeced him. Everything we are now seeing from Chuwit is his attempt to have as many places as possible that pay 'tea' money closed down so that the police lose income and come to rue the day they took on the great porn king Mr. Chuwit.

He has no desire to' clean up Thailand' He is not on a moral crusade and he has got the establishment squirming!!

[looping]

Priceless OMG

Girl on the far right looks strangely familiar... Can't quite place her

[BigJohnnyBKK]

If you want to stop prostitution make every girl/boy who wants to sell their body apply for a permit from their local village government and have the permit sent to their registered address. If under 20 their mama or papa will have to co-sign. I think 90% of the girls would not want to let everyone in the village know what they really do and thus the number of prostitutes would drop. The price also would go up for services thus limiting the number of buyers. If the police do a check and a girl does not have a permit and is working she should have to pay a huge fine, perhaps 25,000 baht and her name put in the paper.

You're right, this would be very effective, and is therefore a horrible idea 8-)

[whybother]

I haven't read any of this. I just assumed it was from NotTheNation.

[kerryk]

If you want to stop prostitution make every girl/boy who wants to sell their body apply for a permit from their local village government and have the permit sent to their registered address. If under 20 their mama or papa will have to co-sign. I think 90% of the girls would not want to let everyone in the village know what they really do and thus the number of prostitutes would drop. The price also would go up for services thus limiting the number of buyers. If the police do a check and a girl does not have a permit and is working she should have to pay a huge fine, perhaps 25,000 baht and her name put in the paper.

You're right, this would be very effective, and is therefore a horrible idea 8-)

Gee I am the dumb Farang in the village and I know. Why wouldn't everyone else know? And as far as the price going up do you remember reading about prohibition in the USA. It put organized crime on the map and started the Mafia in America. Sorry, but your ideas are silly.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Gee I am the dumb Farang in the village and I know. Why wouldn't everyone else know? And as far as the price going up do you remember reading about prohibition in the USA. It put organized crime on the map and started the Mafia in America. Sorry, but your ideas are silly.

Sorry, I don't understand, you know what? Whose ideas are silly?

I'm just guessing, but are you saying that the price wouldn't go up if prostitution were made legal?

I don't think ttthailand ideas were meant seriously, nor my response, but since you brought it up 8-)

There's both demand and supply factors in a market determining prices, with the actor's imperfect knowledge and the status gained by paying too much distorting things, but let's ignore those for now. Let's also for the sake of simplification assume that demand for paid sex is the same whether it's technically legal or not.

The fact that prostitution is in theory illegal in Thailand does not in fact restrict the supply at all. ttthailand pointed out the fact that the parents and neighbors of the working girls either don't know what's going on or (more likely) can publicly pretend things are more socially acceptable than they really are, is what gives the young lovelies the freedom to get down to business.

If the law he proposed was effectively enforced, and everyone back home knew what she was up to, well then the supply would be very sharply reduced very quickly, much more so than in trying to actually stop the world's oldest business.

Hence a rise in prices. Are you saying all those rice farmers' daughters would be allowed to continue to operate as they do now if their activities were public knowledge?

Or maybe you're saying everyone already knows that the girls supposedly working in factories or as waitresses are actually turning tricks? Maybe for some, but certainly not all, especially the younger ones - often only the mother knows, usually not the father, and **most** frequently not the neighbors.

Of course the tiny percentage that are dealing with the farang side of the business will often show up eventually with a particularly promising catch, but they're pretty selective, the odds have to be good he's actually going to put a ring on it, she can't keep showing up with different guys at different song kran's without tongues wagging the wrong way.

Unless she's so successful that she's finagled a new pickup for Dad, schooling and scooters for the brothers and sisters and a nice house for everyone, then she's got respect no matter how she got it. But that's a truly tiny percentage, most of then end up with little to show for it. Not to mention all the AIDS cases, but let's not get depressing here 8-(

[KeyserSoze01]

"

... if you want to crusade agaist the abuse of the prai, you will do far better to train your sites on the Thais, who squeeze the <deleted>' life from their victims, aka Thai employees ... I love your intentions, but give us a break!

Sure, OK. But the Hilton is ultimately not Thai-owned. Most of the department stores in Siam Paragon are not Thai-owned. And anyway, what do you think will happen to the owners of food stalls and small guest houses, stores and restaurants when foreign tourists are booking their accommodation with travel agents in their own countries in 'preferred supplier' international hotels? Salaried positions as chambermaids, receptionists, travel desk clerks and cooks, if they're lucky.

Thailand is selling its heart. Bangkok wants to be Singapore. It isn't alone. Most countries are now following this path of economic liberalism and extreme social authoritarianism.

Not sure what your "Thailand is selling it's heart to foreigners" rant is about. Most people would call this business and nothing more. Every store or place of business in these locales pays rent to the owners, thereby benefiting the Thai companies which own the property. Whether Thai or foreign owned.

Are you suggesting that only Thai owned businesses be allowed to operate in Thailand? If so, then invent the next Prada or Porsche or Armani brand, bring it to market and open a place of business. Until then you should stop whinging about those companies that can provide jobs for the people that didn't exist prior to the opening business.

[PingManDan]

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL anymore realistic topics here?

[kerryk]

Gee I am the dumb Farang in the village and I know. Why wouldn't everyone else know? And as far as the price going up do you remember reading about prohibition in the USA. It put organized crime on the map and started the Mafia in America. Sorry, but your ideas are silly.

Sorry, I don't understand, you know what? Whose ideas are silly?

I'm just guessing, but are you saying that the price wouldn't go up if prostitution were made legal?

I don't think ttthailand ideas were meant seriously, nor my response, but since you brought it up 8-)

There's both demand and supply factors in a market determining prices, with the actor's imperfect knowledge and the status gained by paying too much distorting things, but let's ignore those for now. Let's also for the sake of simplification assume that demand for paid sex is the same whether it's technically legal or not.

The fact that prostitution is in theory illegal in Thailand does not in fact restrict the supply at all. ttthailand pointed out the fact that the parents and neighbors of the working girls either don't know what's going on or (more likely) can publicly pretend things are more socially acceptable than they really are, is what gives the young lovelies the freedom to get down to business.

If the law he proposed was effectively enforced, and everyone back home knew what she was up to, well then the supply would be very sharply reduced very quickly, much more so than in trying to actually stop the world's oldest business.

Hence a rise in prices. Are you saying all those rice farmers' daughters would be allowed to continue to operate as they do now if their activities were public knowledge?

Or maybe you're saying everyone already knows that the girls supposedly working in factories or as waitresses are actually turning tricks? Maybe for some, but certainly not all, especially the younger ones - often only the mother knows, usually not the father, and **most** frequently not the neighbors.

Of course the tiny percentage that are dealing with the farang side of the business will often show up eventually with a particularly promising catch, but they're pretty selective, the odds have to be good he's actually going to put a ring on it, she can't keep showing up with different guys at different song kran's without tongues wagging the wrong way.

Unless she's so successful that she's finagled a new pickup for Dad, schooling and scooters for the brothers and sisters and a nice house for everyone, then she's got respect no matter how she got it. But that's a truly tiny percentage, most of then end up with little to show for it. Not to mention all the AIDS cases, but let's not get depressing here 8-(

I find it difficult to believe everyone does not know who is a prostitute and who is not a prostitute. Especially if you live in Thailand and speak Thai.