Thailand's Sex Workers Don't Want To Be 'Rescued'

[maidu]

I would agree that most girls (and guys) in the sex trade don't want to be rescued, but there are some out there that do want and need to be rescued.

Most workers at most other jobs would probably like to be 'rescued.' True story happened to a friend of mine: A dazzling young Burmese sex worker was picked up by a US Christian couple. They got her a special 'missionary' visa (nothing to do with 'missionary position') and took her to tour the US. She was their 'poster girl' and each group of gawking Christians they came to, they would have the Burmese girl recite her 100 word 'victimized' spiel for them. It worked great, and the Christian couple made loads of money from 'donations' - which were promised to the girl's family. The 3rd time the girl complained to the wife about the husband sneaking in to her room at night, the girl was shipped back to Burma, with $20. I've got photocopies of her passport showing the travel stamps.

[xavierr]

Like in every country in Asia, girls in the sex trade in Laos, Burma or Thailand are part of extended families. These families are struggling with lack of income and are naturally happy to receive the money and presents provided by the girl. But questions are not asked regarding where the money is coming from and more often than not the truth is kept from older persons in the family, who would be too hurt or would find the humiliation unbearable. Such a profession is regarded as one more of the indignities and degradations imposed by poverty.

Edited March 6, 2012 by xavierr

[ding]

These stories pop up from time to time. I saw one well-meaning western reporter visit the bargirl scene for the first time and act as an expert. Sad and foolish.

And dullards in the west have no ability to think critically. They just take it as fact that these helpless little brown girls are all being used and exploited by bad bad white mans!

Whereas, the sex for money scene in the west is indeed dirty, dangerous, and riddled with truly helpless drug addicted women (but those women are westerners, so - shhhhh).

Same same but different. Exploitation exists here, but the west needs to spend more time looking in the mirror.

[newermonkey]

Its not like they really have any viable alternatives. As long as you have wealth inequality, you will have the sex trade, which is why it thrives in all corners of the world (just like wealth inequality). As long as they can cut down on trafficking, slavery, and child prostitutes, then at least it is a step in the right direction. No woman wants to work in the sex trade, but given the alternative, many do not have much of a choice. I just hope all of you who purchase their services remember this, and try and treat them like humans. They have had a very difficult life and if they do not harbor at least some sort of resentment for their clients, it means they are already truly dead inside.

I would change it to read, "Every woman wants to work in the sex trade depending on the price."

I would change that further still: "Every Catoy wants to work in the sex trade regardless of the price" LOL

[balo]

Instead of the "legal" sex wokers they should focus on the underage sex industry instead,

So many underage prostitutes are being taken advantage of by both Thais and foreigners , its a

shame . They are strong people but starting life as a sex worker when you are 12 is destroying their life before it starts,

No money can heal that pain.

[GeorgeO]

Its not like they really have any viable alternatives. As long as you have wealth inequality, you will have the sex trade, which is why it thrives in all corners of the world (just like wealth inequality). As long as they can cut down on trafficking, slavery, and child prostitutes, then at least it is a step in the right direction. No woman wants to work in the sex trade, but given the alternative, many do not have much of a choice. I just hope all of you who purchase their services remember this, and try and treat them like humans. They have had a very difficult life and if they do not harbor at least some sort of resentment for their clients, it means they are already truly dead inside.

I totally agree. I do not believe for one second that any girl/woman is happy to be mauled by different men every night - multiples of them on many nights - nor that they would continue to provide such services if they had some sort of aceptable alternative. It's not that they are content with their work ... it's the only work they can get that will pay them a 'decent' [sic] living wage.

As regards the morality of their work, they have been brought up to believe that there is nothing wrong with it, so they do not see why they are constantly being arrested ... "I'm just doing my work" they say.

What's lacking is general education, which might put them in a position to get a good quality job, and which might also provide them with some sound moralistic reasoning as to why prostitution is not a good trade to be in! If such help was provided, the 'bar girl' trade would see an apocalyptic collapse. And that would not be such a bad thing, since in most cases, it would be to the extreme detriment of those who encourage the girls into such work in the first place.

[happysanook]

Its not like they really have any viable alternatives. As long as you have wealth inequality, you will have the sex trade, which is why it thrives in all corners of the world (just like wealth inequality). As long as they can cut down on trafficking, slavery, and child prostitutes, then at least it is a step in the right direction. No woman wants to work in the sex trade, but given the alternative, many do not have much of a choice. I just hope all of you who purchase their services remember this, and try and treat them like humans. They have had a very difficult life and if they do not harbor at least some sort of resentment for their clients, it means they are already truly dead inside.

I totally agree. I do not believe for one second that any girl/woman is happy to be mauled by different men every night - multiples of them on many nights - nor that they would continue to provide such services if they had some sort of aceptable alternative. It's not that they are content with their work ... it's the only work they can get that will pay them a 'decent' [sic] living wage.

As regards the morality of their work, they have been brought up to believe that there is nothing wrong with it, so they do not see why they are constantly being arrested ... "I'm just doing my work" they say.

What's lacking is general education, which might put them in a position to get a good quality job, and which might also provide them with some sound moralistic reasoning as to why prostitution is not a good trade to be in! If such help was provided, the 'bar girl' trade would see an apocalyptic collapse. And that would not be such a bad thing, since in most cases, it would be to the extreme detriment of those who encourage the girls into such work in the first place.

you are deluding yourself man.

many of them aren't "happy" servicing men, but many ARE. it's easy work for relatively good money. surely happIER than being a slave to some 10 hour a day job 6 days a week for 10k baht a month.

Edited March 6, 2012 by happysanook

[Shotime]

"The biggest problem I see is that many of the bar-girls enjoy the high life of their trade so much that they forget that it is only temporary. The smarter ones put some away for the inevitable time when the competition gets to be more attractive."

I wonder what the % of smarter ones there are. 10%? The "high life" becomes an addiction in itself. I always wondered how I'd wind up if I was a young, attractive Thai girl. Probably, I wouldn't reach 30. What happens when a 40 year old working girl hits 45?

[hellodolly]

SOME sex workers don't want to be rescued. I'm sure there are tens of thousands out there that are being exploited / extorted / forced and would love to be rescued.

Perhaps there is a small % who would like to be 'rescued' - yet perhaps there are a greater % of indentured maids, clearing 20 baht a day, forced to work 24/7 for rich Chinese -Thai families who would also like to be 'rescued.' Sex workers, with few exceptions, can walk away if they choose. The #1 reason for sex worker harassment is Christian aid groups motivated by their western puritanical superiority complexes. I had a Christian group wanting to rent my large house. They were planning to do 'improvements' to it - which would have turned it in to a fortress to keep 'rescued sex workers' from having visitors and/or breaking out. I said 'no' to the house rental proposal.

Until these so called Christian's brought there ideas here to Thailand there was no stigma attached to prostitution. They missed that part of the Bible where it says let he who is with out sin cast the first stone.

[Thai at Heart]

Its not like they really have any viable alternatives. As long as you have wealth inequality, you will have the sex trade, which is why it thrives in all corners of the world (just like wealth inequality). As long as they can cut down on trafficking, slavery, and child prostitutes, then at least it is a step in the right direction. No woman wants to work in the sex trade, but given the alternative, many do not have much of a choice. I just hope all of you who purchase their services remember this, and try and treat them like humans. They have had a very difficult life and if they do not harbor at least some sort of resentment for their clients, it means they are already truly dead inside.

I totally agree. I do not believe for one second that any girl/woman is happy to be mauled by different men every night - multiples of them on many nights - nor that they would continue to provide such services if they had some sort of aceptable alternative. It's not that they are content with their work ... it's the only work they can get that will pay them a 'decent' [sic] living wage.

As regards the morality of their work, they have been brought up to believe that there is nothing wrong with it, so they do not see why they are constantly being arrested ... "I'm just doing my work" they say.

What's lacking is general education, which might put them in a position to get a good quality job, and which might also provide them with some sound moralistic reasoning as to why prostitution is not a good trade to be in! If such help was provided, the 'bar girl' trade would see an apocalyptic collapse. And that would not be such a bad thing, since in most cases, it would be to the extreme detriment of those who encourage the girls into such work in the first place.

you are deluding yourself man.

many of them aren't "happy" servicing men, but many ARE. it's easy work for relatively good money. surely happIER than being a slave to some 10 hour a day job 6 days a week for 10k baht a month.

As i said, for how much would they quit?. But then how well educated do they have to be to justify a salary that high? But then are there sufficient well paying jobs available? The only way for the country to slowly whittle away at the size of the sex industry is to educate its people and then develop or attract jobs that pay well enough for these people.

Of course, if you educate all of the people better, that means that the lower classes catch up with the higher classes, they demand more, they answer back, maybe they start to ask why do I "wai" you? and then who will grow all the food for the companies to export? Oh dilemmas, dilemmas.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[jsflynn603]

So Empower seeks to end the exploitation of horny men?

Hmmm...as I see it Empower wants to start the maximal exploitation of horny men. (at least exploitation of their wallets)

It's the oldest trade on earth... it will never be "closed."

As far as HIV, I'll agree that there ought to be testing, licensed prostitution with mandatory testing would go a long way but I doubt that we'll ever see it.

A condom properly used is (unless you put it on wrong, or "pop it", or let it fall off, which does happen) almost absolute protection against HIV.

It's little protection against HPV (Human Papiloma virus i.e. venereal warts) which I believe already has spiked the number of cases of female cervical cancer in Thailand since many Thai men use the sex workers and then return home to infect their wives/girlfriends. There are HPV vaccines (Guardasil and another) but they must be administered before infection occurs (ages 12 or so). I also believe there will be a huge spike in oropharyngeal cancers due to the transmission of the virulent strains of HPV via oral sex, since the warts are quite happy to occupy the throat. This phenomena will also likely pop up in Western countries as young people turn to oral sex believing it to be safer than genital sex.

[rotorbreeze]

True, our western morals have little effect in the Sex trade, money cancells out moral issues and here is an example.

My girlfriend Nam comes to visit weekends, her boyfriend likes me and drove his taxi to my apartment to deliver her. Joe trust me as Nam and I are good friends now for 4 yrs... longer than Joe has know Nam, Nam enjoys the break from BKK and looking after her 14 month old child! Strange stuff egh so this is what Nam wants and I pay for her time.

[EyesWideOpen]

A. Go on a trip to Isan , and see people toiling in rice fields in hot weather. By comparison sitting on a bar stool and having a farang buy drinks for you looks pretty good.

B. Prostitution was legalized in Thailand in 1934. The misguided organization of the UN put pressure on Thailand in 1960 to criminalize it, which Thailand bowed to unfortunately....

C. The only " rescuing " the girls need is from their pimp motorcycle taxi Thai boyfriends who take a significant amount of the money the girl makes. The farang customer never knows about this, as the girl saying you are sending his money to help your starving family sounds better than saying you are giving the farang's money to your Thai boyfriend to buy whiskey..... :-)

[ableguy]

How many sex workers in Thailand pay taxes on their income, which in many cases is much higher than their highly educated "straight job" counterparts...Answer: ZILCH, nada, none, zero.

So what is your point?????

[4evermaat]

How many sex workers in Thailand pay taxes on their income, which in many cases is much higher than their highly educated "straight job" counterparts...Answer: ZILCH, nada, none, zero.

but where the money goes it Will be spend an let economy take profit from it, likewise the black money every where on world is the "second circuit ," or Grey one , legal or not it works like a "safety valve " on the peoples economy , i repairs what the normal fails or short in it AND this count not only for the sex trade

Yep, that sex worker pays much more in VAT than the "straight job" counterparts ever will.

[chrisinth]

How many sex workers in Thailand pay taxes on their income, which in many cases is much higher than their highly educated "straight job" counterparts...Answer: ZILCH, nada, none, zero.

If the girls are on the books of the venue that is employing them, then they will be paying tax. Don't know if they would be taxed at source; be a lot better for the employer if the taxman comes knocking.

[Thai at Heart]

How many sex workers in Thailand pay taxes on their income, which in many cases is much higher than their highly educated "straight job" counterparts...Answer: ZILCH, nada, none, zero.

but where the money goes it Will be spend an let economy take profit from it, likewise the black money every where on world is the "second circuit ," or Grey one , legal or not it works like a "safety valve " on the peoples economy , i repairs what the normal fails or short in it AND this count not only for the sex trade

Yep, that sex worker pays much more in VAT than the "straight job" counterparts ever will.

hence why in a strange way, 7-11 and all the bigger retailers are actually performing a wonderful civic service by collecting VAT, whilst all the mom and pop shops that the country is supposed to protect are not. Ironically, there is a huge financial incentive for the government to allow a 7-11, Mcdonalds, Tesco and KFC on every street corner.

This is why they see it as better to load up excise on alcohol or cars, because even if there is no VAT collected, at least they get paid somehow.

[chrisinth]

And yes, the sex workers have a choice. Many factories in Thailand complain that it is difficult to find workers.

I can guess the monthly income would be the same..............

Hard to come down from a good income to please the social expectations of the glass towered do-gooders

[chrisinth]

5555

hookers have internet, yes, so they can milk 5 - 10 boyfriends to send them 1000$ per month so they can 'stop' working, the bad thing is, the 4 - 9 other boyfriends do not know that there are other suitors

This is the advancement of technology. To make the above statement work, you need the idiots that play the internet game. That said, who is stupid here?

[oevna]

How many sex workers in Thailand pay taxes on their income, which in many cases is much higher than their highly educated "straight job" counterparts...Answer: ZILCH, nada, none, zero.

I will maybe some day consider entertaining this point when politicians disclose all of their income, how much of it is legitimate income, and how much tax they pay.

Add to that the draw that the nightlife has for foreign tourists, who contribute significantly to the economy by spending money on goods and services (and paying VAT), and I'd say the government owes those girls a tax credit.

[Thai at Heart]

And yes, the sex workers have a choice. Many factories in Thailand complain that it is difficult to find workers.

I can guess the monthly income would be the same..............

Hard to come down from a good income to please the social expectations of the glass towered do-gooders

Local chicken factory advertising wanted "3000 workers, 278 baht a day", any takers here?????????

[prvtdetdave]

If these people are looking for a cause, why don't they direct it toward corporate corruption and exploitation of the common worker.

[chrisinth]

SOME sex workers don't want to be rescued. I'm sure there are tens of thousands out there that are being exploited / extorted / forced and would love to be rescued.

Perhaps there is a small % who would like to be 'rescued' - yet perhaps there are a greater % of indentured maids, clearing 20 baht a day, forced to work 24/7 for rich Chinese -Thai families who would also like to be 'rescued.' Sex workers, with few exceptions, can walk away if they choose. The #1 reason for sex worker harassment is Christian aid groups motivated by their western puritanical superiority complexes. I had a Christian group wanting to rent my large house. They were planning to do 'improvements' to it - which would have turned it in to a fortress to keep 'rescued sex workers' from having visitors and/or breaking out. I said 'no' to the house rental proposal.

Good post maidu. Heres to the socially correct!

[sfbandung]

No woman wants to work in the sex trade, but given the alternative, many do not have much of a choice.

5555 A lot of these prostitutes, especially ones that work with foreigners, have multiple men sending them tens of thousands of baht each every month in order to 'rescue' them from their bar. And they STILL are out there 'working' each night even though they already have a monthly income higher than most Thais and many of their foreign customers can only dream of.

And good luck to them I say! Ever known someone who works for Western Union? Some of these poor girls are making in excess of 100,000bt a month. Back and forth from their computer at home and back to WU for another pickup.

[chrisinth]

No doubt some will always enter this industry. However, if you asked how much salary per month they would "quit" for, I wonder how high it would be.

50k, 80k, 100k?????

Thus, they aren't doing for "pleasure" of the job, but the money, but then how many people work for the pleasure of the job????

Exactly right Thai at Heart, what is the alternative that is offered to be "saved" from their well paid job. Everytime I hear about these poor exploited girls/women I have to smile. The majority are not as stupid as a lot would like to think.

Of course, there certainly are those who are being abused and forced against their will, and these are the people that these organizations should be concentrating on. Give the girls a choice, with a safe passage out of the life if that is what they want.

[DocN]

SOME sex workers don't want to be rescued. I'm sure there are tens of thousands out there that are being exploited / extorted / forced and would love to be rescued.

Perhaps there is a small % who would like to be 'rescued' - yet perhaps there are a greater % of indentured maids, clearing 20 baht a day, forced to work 24/7 for rich Chinese -Thai families who would also like to be 'rescued.' Sex workers, with few exceptions, can walk away if they choose. The #1 reason for sex worker harassment is Christian aid groups motivated by their western puritanical superiority complexes. I had a Christian group wanting to rent my large house. They were planning to do 'improvements' to it - which would have turned it in to a fortress to keep 'rescued sex workers' from having visitors and/or breaking out. I said 'no' to the house rental proposal.

Until these so called Christian's brought there ideas here to Thailand there was no stigma attached to prostitution. They missed that part of the Bible where it says let he who is with out sin cast the first stone.

Not sure about this.

If there is no stigma on prostitution here...why do you get the dirtiest look if you say "som phee nee"?

Why do they call themselves "working girls" instead of ...

Why do some (most?) hide their "profession" from their families?

And in general: if it is "easy money"...why do I not know ONE "working girl" who is not drunk or stoned out of their eyeballs on a daily basis?

Just think for a second: how do Thai-girls/ women go to the beach?!

T-shirt and boxers, right?!

And now: dance in front of total strangers, barely or not dressed!

Get shagged by fat old sweaty drunk and often abusive foreigners, sometimes 4 times a night....

Easy money?

Well....

Most of them dont get it.

They sold their heart and soul, most of them dont even know what you mean, when you mention something crazy like "love"!

And most of them don't get it, that they are having customer now, because they maybe 25 and look 18.

At the rate they use alcohol, drugs and live an excessive live, they will be looking 45, when they reach 30!

Easy money?

No stigma?

[tragickingdom]

Personally I think that NGO's and Christian missionaries want to be rescued by sex workers. Look around and wherever you see the soft sector boys one women they lead a comfortable life off the back of sex workers. They eat in fancy restaurants they drive good cars and live in big houses were the work is done by rescued "girls". For those who are not convinced, there is a great documentary out there called children of a white god or simply have a look at the list of fake orphanages and rescue centers at: http://www.akha.org/content/missions/index.html. Be careful though, the rescue Mafia is quite powerful, they protect hundreds of millions of dollars on income in donations and cheap labor.

There are numerous rescue centers in which they lock up minors without the knowledges of the courts or their parents, all in the name of the greater good.

[sfbandung]

The biggest problem I see is that many of the bar-girls enjoy the high life of their trade so much that they forget that it is only temporary. The smarter ones put some away for the inevitable time when the competition gets to be more attractive.

I have a good (and once VERY close) friend who retired at 40 and returned to the home village where she is quite the little capitalist, with a nice house and a couple of businesses. Who should sneer at her success through hard work?

Not me.

[MegaMik]

Its not like they really have any viable alternatives. As long as you have wealth inequality, you will have the sex trade, which is why it thrives in all corners of the world (just like wealth inequality). As long as they can cut down on trafficking, slavery, and child prostitutes, then at least it is a step in the right direction. No woman wants to work in the sex trade, but given the alternative, many do not have much of a choice. I just hope all of you who purchase their services remember this, and try and treat them like humans. They have had a very difficult life and if they do not harbor at least some sort of resentment for their clients, it means they are already truly dead inside.

Why don't you get to know a couple of sex workers before you have an opinion. I will agree that many, too many are treated badly by clients, police and other people trying to live on sex workers and becomes if not dead inside, damaged mentally.

My wife and me have become friends with a few sex workers and NO, I don't use their services but because we have become friends and treat them as human beings, aka friends, their share some of their experiences with my wife and sometimes me. Mostly it's funny stories but of course not all stories.

They are NOT dead inside and don't resent all their clients, some yes but absolutely not all, and they are still very much the same persons as when they first started a few years back, a bit more experienced in life and whatnot though.

The sadness isn't them being hurt by their trade, it's more the fact that some make just as much money or more as a lawyer, a doctor, an air hostess or a managing director in a big company per month.

That's the reason why most girls/women are so keen getting into this business.

The girls/women I'm talking about have targeted their efforts on us farrangs but the majority have Thai customers and might not get as much money as the "tourist" girls but most of them make way over the normal wage.

Most times three, four times or more, over Thai men salary.

I don't want to justify prostitution with my reply just ask of you to stop look down on people who made a choice (and those who didn't, I'm sure we all support them and would do the right thing when discovered) even if it's in the sex trade business.

Please don't use the same moral preaching as some do referring to the western world prostitutes, even if it's wrong doing that about them too.

Just try to treat everyone with respect and kindness, even police officers and sex workers a like.

Is your last line "they are already truly dead inside" based on experience or just what you think you know about Thai sex workers?

[Beetlejuice]

Legalize it!

I fully agree.

The problem is that this will never happen while the sex industry is being owned and controlled by mafia, corrupt officials and corrupt police. Legalising would be bad for business. There is also the do gooder factions, those who claim in the name of righteousness that the flesh trade is immoral and that the sex workers themselves are products of abuse who are involved because they have no other options and all they are seeking is to live normal lives by having regular jobs, proper relationships and being settled. Of course we now know this is all BS.

As a matter of fact it is the do gooder mentalities such as the so-called charitable and religious organisations who by sustaining the illegitimacy of prostitution, are prolonging the seediness of the industry and the incentives for human trafficking.

Prostitution is not a profession staffed by forced workers or those with no other options. The most logical way to protect the sex workers is to eradicate the criminal elements from the industry and legalise prostitution, giving these woman the same rights and conditions as in any other professions.