Prostitution: Thailand's worst kept secret

[Bakseeda]

Without prostitution Thailand would easily lose 50% of Tourists.

People who deny this are just liars and/or ignorant.

But it's all about appearances and saving face.

Sorry, I thought you meant 50% of losers.

I take it that you are NOT married Taco..?

[gemguy]

Majority of these girls come from Issan, They work this for help their poor parent from Issan.... But Issan is not the PTP/Red Stronghold ?

Care to explain, what ANY government EVER has done to change things like poverty in that region?

Oh...and congratulations: the topic is prostitution. but somehow "the reds" had to be brought into this, right!?

You are such a troll...and not even an entertaining one!

Does not matter if the government spent a Trillion dollars into the Issan region.

Prostitution flourishes no matter if the economy is in dire straights or the economy is a boom time economy as it is and always has been a form of income for any person ( man or women ) who decides to sell their sex.

It is a form of free enterprise and 1 person entrepreneurship...detached from the mainstream economy by laws and regulations and politically correct standards and social decorum that frowns upon exchanging money for sexual services....yet it exists and always will exist while many people do not take into consideration the many aspects of ongoing social interactions between the opposite sex and the humanity aspects of how sex for money or monetary gain are interconnected to all societies and the state of the economy and or how the wealth is distributed or not being distributed.

There may be less of it in a boom time economy ....but it is commonly also more expensive when it is practiced and where it exists.

There are many books and studies available to read and digest the information trying to understand the social ramifications and implications of prostitution and all that is entailed....the good , the bad and the ugly aspects of its existence while there are no easy solutions and no clear answers.....and never will be.

Cheers

[willyumiii]

Thailand has never been occupied and colonized by a western, Christian power.

Their view of sex has remained pretty much the same as always. Sex is a part of life and a biological need for most....it is not considered to be a sinful pleasure or a vice!

Christian missionaries have failed miserably here ( thank god! lol) and their puritanical guilt is out of place here.

Thailand is only .2% Christian ( note the decimal point ) and most of those are foreigners and not Thai people.

I have always thought it a little strange that the westerners who do come here for sex ( and that is not all westerners) refuse to leave their Christian guilt about sex at home.

The problem with the sex industry in Thailand is not a Thai problem.

It is the problem of the westerners who come here and want to bring their guilt ridden western values with them.

[jerojero]

What secret? Described as such to save face.

[green job]

Thailand has never been occupied and colonized by a western, Christian power.

Their view of sex has remained pretty much the same as always. Sex is a part of life and a biological need for most....it is not considered to be a sinful pleasure or a vice!

Christian missionaries have failed miserably here ( thank god! lol) and their puritanical guilt is out of place here.

Thailand is only .2% Christian ( note the decimal point ) and most of those are foreigners and not Thai people.

I have always thought it a little strange that the westerners who do come here for sex ( and that is not all westerners) refuse to leave their Christian guilt about sex at home.

The problem with the sex industry in Thailand is not a Thai problem.

It is the problem of the westerners who come here and want to bring their guilt ridden western values with them.

What a load of rubish

[Linzz]

Of course a lot of the difference in attitude to sex and sexuality is due to the fact that Thailand is historically mainly Buddhist (philosophy) not judaeo/christian/islam (superstition/religion) with all the guilt and baggage that goes with them.

This is a very broad brush you paint with! Curious then that the majority of Thai people I know, and the majority of them being Buddhist, are the most superstitious people I have ever met. If what you say is true then Buddhist philosophy does not impact much on Thais..

[Phil Water]

Why is the advert at the top right of this thread from Banggood.com? Are our administrators being cheeky?

Advertisements at the top of the page are individually tailored to the cookies found in your computer. Sorry... You have been outed...

[LannaGuy]

Of course a lot of the difference in attitude to sex and sexuality is due to the fact that Thailand is historically mainly Buddhist (philosophy) not judaeo/christian/islam (superstition/religion) with all the guilt and baggage that goes with them.

This is a very broad brush you paint with! Curious then that the majority of Thai people I know, and the majority of them being Buddhist, are the most superstitious people I have ever met. If what you say is true then Buddhist philosophy does not impact much on Thais..

yes that's true... "Buddhist philosophy does not impact much on Thais" Buddhism is NOT the source of their superstitions it is Animism a totally different thing and is black is to white

[Tatsujin]

They're are no prostitutes in Thailand but lots of ladies looking for husbands and willing to spend short time or long time with men to see if they are sexually compatible.

Indeed, at least 99% of them are waitresses, or hotel receptionists or work in massage parlors ... and they are more than happy to spend time with anyone, of any age, for a small (in the beginning) financial consideration.

Can't remember where I read it, it was a while ago, but something like 90% of the prostitution here in Thailand is nothing at all to do with foreigners, it's Thai on Thai in those very discreet places that no one admits exist but everyone knows where they are and that has been the way of Thailand for centuries.

"places that no one admits exist but everyone knows where they are"

I do not know where they are!

Could you post a map please?

Can they be found on Google Earth "street view'?

I really feel left out now!

If you walk around any "Thai" areas, you'll find them ... often with a bit of bright neon outside. There's way more Thai places around than there are foreign oriented places.

[micmichd]

No many people knows or understand, and not even health organizations wants to talk about, but HIV can be transmited in many ways....and....just to mention it. In the US, for long time now, HIV virus can be found in saliva.....when the count is very high. In infected people HIV virus counts vary constantly, some times is even 0.....and may take many years or never to show syntoms. That makes HIV even more dangerous infection than any other. You may be passing it to others for years without knowing, even to your partner and children.

Thailand is #1 in HIV infection, and it is the only country in the world that HIV+ people is not reported, and HIV+ kids can attend public schools. So many to be discriminated. Condoms?.....Most women asking about are prostitutes, because its are professional risk takers. They know better.

"Normal" Thai women?...girl friends, wives?...never, even knowing that its males friends, lovers, and husbands frequents prostitution.....

Here, prostitution users are named losers, etc, etc,....but in reality they are just big risk takers for seconds of "love"....until one day....they are so shamed.... that do not want to talk about....even for the good sake of others. They just die....alone..and in misery.

Up to you to believe it or not....

Thailand is the only country where HIV+ people are not reported?

You must be joking.

In Germany, there's strict privacy for HIV tests. Ie even Germans that have been tested positive can go to Thailand and spread their HIV over there. And many say "Well, I can live on AIDS for another 15 years. So what do I care?" Sorry to say, but I heard that very often.

While bar girls in Thailand get regularly checked for HIV.

Ever thought about the risk of uncontrolled re-importing of STD?

[micmichd]

Thailand has never been occupied and colonized by a western, Christian power.

Their view of sex has remained pretty much the same as always. Sex is a part of life and a biological need for most....it is not considered to be a sinful pleasure or a vice!

Christian missionaries have failed miserably here ( thank god! lol) and their puritanical guilt is out of place here.

Thailand is only .2% Christian ( note the decimal point ) and most of those are foreigners and not Thai people.

I have always thought it a little strange that the westerners who do come here for sex ( and that is not all westerners) refuse to leave their Christian guilt about sex at home.

The problem with the sex industry in Thailand is not a Thai problem.

It is the problem of the westerners who come here and want to bring their guilt ridden western values with them.

What a load of rubish

I'm afraid yumiii is right.

Sex is commonly a taboo in the West, and if you break a taboo you're becoming part of it.

[micmichd]

if it werent for pussy, Thailand would not have an international airport. FACT

Maybe Swampy , should be renamed . Any suggestions .

El Dorado?

[neeray]

One of the hottest topics I've seen on TVF yet. What a blast to read.

Great debates with varying opinions.

[tomyumchai]

Thailand has never been occupied and colonized by a western, Christian power.

Their view of sex has remained pretty much the same as always. Sex is a part of life and a biological need for most....it is not considered to be a sinful pleasure or a vice!

Christian missionaries have failed miserably here ( thank god! lol) and their puritanical guilt is out of place here.

Thailand is only .2% Christian ( note the decimal point ) and most of those are foreigners and not Thai people.

I have always thought it a little strange that the westerners who do come here for sex ( and that is not all westerners) refuse to leave their Christian guilt about sex at home.

The problem with the sex industry in Thailand is not a Thai problem.

It is the problem of the westerners who come here and want to bring their guilt ridden western values with them.

What a load of rubish

were you bashing a bible on the table when you typed that reply?

[empireboy]

20% of Thais are prostitutes

80% of Thais are prostitutes customers

100 % of Thais hate and despise prostitutes

Of course, if the 20% of prostitutes are ALSO customers, that leaves 20% that are neither prostitutes nor customers?

[empireboy]

Thailand has never been occupied and colonized by a western, Christian power.

Their view of sex has remained pretty much the same as always. Sex is a part of life and a biological need for most....it is not considered to be a sinful pleasure or a vice!

Christian missionaries have failed miserably here ( thank god! lol) and their puritanical guilt is out of place here.

Thailand is only .2% Christian ( note the decimal point ) and most of those are foreigners and not Thai people.

I have always thought it a little strange that the westerners who do come here for sex ( and that is not all westerners) refuse to leave their Christian guilt about sex at home.

The problem with the sex industry in Thailand is not a Thai problem.

It is the problem of the westerners who come here and want to bring their guilt ridden western values with them.

What a load of rubish

I'm afraid yumiii is right.

Sex is commonly a taboo in the West, and if you break a taboo you're becoming part of it.

Nice viewpoint and perspective! Thanks for sharing.

Then there's the common courtesy among humans of how one should act when in another's place of residence... generally with respect to THEIR traditions.

[DrTuner]

Then there's the common courtesy among humans of how one should act when in another's place of residence... generally with respect to THEIR traditions.

But I don't like karaoke and the beds in the short time rooms are way too hard.

[DrTuner]

Here's what I see as the real problem for Thais: If you admit Thailand is a big whorehouse, you loose face. If you don't, but everybody already knows it, you loose face because you're a hypocrite.

They've painted themselves to a corner. Unfortunately, what happens when Thais find themselves forced to a corner is usually violent, rash and irrational. Keep poking at this and they'll institute the mother of all crackdowns. Which, of course, to the puritanical members of TVF would be an excellent conversation piece to have while getting a BJ at their private clubs.

My stake at the game is, prostitution has acted as a deterrent for keeping the bible bashers out of Pattaya, which is a most excellent thing. Seems it's loosing it's power, unfortunately. Sodom needs a bag of new tricks to keep 'em out.

[gemguy]

No many people knows or understand, and not even health organizations wants to talk about, but HIV can be transmited in many ways....and....just to mention it. In the US, for long time now, HIV virus can be found in saliva.....when the count is very high. In infected people HIV virus counts vary constantly, some times is even 0.....and may take many years or never to show syntoms. That makes HIV even more dangerous infection than any other. You may be passing it to others for years without knowing, even to your partner and children.

Thailand is #1 in HIV infection, and it is the only country in the world that HIV+ people is not reported, and HIV+ kids can attend public schools. So many to be discriminated. Condoms?.....Most women asking about are prostitutes, because its are professional risk takers. They know better.

"Normal" Thai women?...girl friends, wives?...never, even knowing that its males friends, lovers, and husbands frequents prostitution.....

Here, prostitution users are named losers, etc, etc,....but in reality they are just big risk takers for seconds of "love"....until one day....they are so shamed.... that do not want to talk about....even for the good sake of others. They just die....alone..and in misery.

Up to you to believe it or not....

The basis of what you say is true....but the transmission of what are deemed as sexual based diseases, both viral and bacterial, are not exclusive to the realm of prostitution .

Prostitution unfortunately exacerbates the problems of sexually contracted diseases such as HIV and Syphilis or Urinary Tract Infections that are a kin to the common cold in some respects in their commonality but they are transmitted by sexual interaction rather than say water born or food born or air born or coming in contact with people that have an infection.....but there is no sexual interaction.

Commonly , both men and women carry a number of viral infections and bacterial infections that go unnoticed while they transmit the infection to one another by way of sexual interaction..

However they never suffer the ramifications of the infection at the level or strength, so to speak, of their infection such that it is enough to cause any great discomfort, so they never realize that they are a carrier of any viral or bacterial sexually transmitted infection.

Until they become aware of the related symptoms ( feeling of being tired, burning sensation when urinating , abdominal area pains, headaches etc etc ) they carry on having unprotected sex while not aware that they are transmitting the infection to another person, who may or may not develop the infection to a level of infection such that that they become aware that something is wrong and then seek medical attention to be told they have a urinary tract infection or a yeast infection ( Candida Albican ) commonly found in both men and women or an infection of the vagina ( several varieties ) that was obtained by way of being sexual active.

Sometimes it takes months and even years before the infected person is finally diagnosed with the infection and then treated for the infection to eliminate the infection.

Until that time occurs ..if it ever does occur, if that person, man or women, has being sexually active they could have transmitted the infection to how many other people????...who in turn transmitted the same infection to how many other people???? ...and on and on it goes while prostitution is not at all a factor in 98 % of the cases of sexually transmitted infections....amongst the common masses of people at large.

And this has been going on for 10,000 plus years....but can be addressed at present with drugs and or natural remedies ...or ...wear your condom..... and you will not suffer the ramifications of unprotected sex.....but ......many do not realize that you can still contract a sexual infection of the throat and or lungs or your digestive tract if you like eating pussy.........

Cheers

[Bernard Flint]

Thailand has never been occupied and colonized by a western, Christian power.

Their view of sex has remained pretty much the same as always. Sex is a part of life and a biological need for most....it is not considered to be a sinful pleasure or a vice!

Christian missionaries have failed miserably here ( thank god! lol) and their puritanical guilt is out of place here.

Thailand is only .2% Christian ( note the decimal point ) and most of those are foreigners and not Thai people.

I have always thought it a little strange that the westerners who do come here for sex ( and that is not all westerners) refuse to leave their Christian guilt about sex at home.

The problem with the sex industry in Thailand is not a Thai problem.

It is the problem of the westerners who come here and want to bring their guilt ridden western values with them.

What a load of rubish

were you bashing a bible on the table when you typed that reply?

The problem with westerners is that many will not admit they are going with prostitutes, arm in arm, they walk down the road, convincing themselves that she is not a freelancer, but a girl, just going out for a drink, then the payment of mobile phones, designer handbags,and dresses starts. After a few weeks of having tilak ja with them, so they dont pay a barfine, they realise that the freelancer doesnt have a job, well, yes they do, they FREELANCE.

[Guest]

but sir she was not a prostitute just a close friend

[ravip]

20% of Thais are prostitutes

80% of Thais are prostitutes customers

100 % of Thais hate and despise prostitutes

You sure do sound like an expert on Thailand.

Where did you do your relevant research & studies?

[ravip]

Prostitutes are bad.

But their customers are good?

Who should take the blame primarily (IF anyone is at fault)?

[gemguy]

Thailand has never been occupied and colonized by a western, Christian power.

Their view of sex has remained pretty much the same as always. Sex is a part of life and a biological need for most....it is not considered to be a sinful pleasure or a vice!

Christian missionaries have failed miserably here ( thank god! lol) and their puritanical guilt is out of place here.

Thailand is only .2% Christian ( note the decimal point ) and most of those are foreigners and not Thai people.

I have always thought it a little strange that the westerners who do come here for sex ( and that is not all westerners) refuse to leave their Christian guilt about sex at home.

The problem with the sex industry in Thailand is not a Thai problem.

It is the problem of the westerners who come here and want to bring their guilt ridden western values with them.

What a load of rubish

were you bashing a bible on the table when you typed that reply?

The problem with westerners is that many will not admit they are going with prostitutes, arm in arm, they walk down the road, convincing themselves that she is not a freelancer, but a girl, just going out for a drink, then the payment of mobile phones, designer handbags,and dresses starts. After a few weeks of having tilak ja with them, so they dont pay a barfine, they realise that the freelancer doesnt have a job, well, yes they do, they FREELANCE.

While this may be true in a varying percent of all the Prostitution occurring... in its many forms and ways ......that particular aspect of prostitution is hardly worth any attention at all....while the focus should be on Human Trafficking and its common connection with prostitution and the many police protected and or police operated illegal brothels and the several forms of indentured servitude occurring in the form of prostitution forced upon those that reluctantly provide sexual services while having to pay back on a debt incurred by someone else.

It is this close to slavery...in this case, sexual slavery....and that folks is where the real criticisms of Thailand are directed concerning this issue of prostitution while the government likes to ignore the criticism while seldom if ever addressing that all too sinister aspect of prostitution in Thailand and it is many forms and ways and avenues of access....while nothing at all has changed in that respect.

Free lancers and GO GO bar Girls and hook up places and most of the rub and tug facilities are somewhat quasi legal while very few workers are being forced by anyone to work in that level of the sex trade.

Meantime there is a significant percent of what goes on that you would not want to be exposed to while you would or easy could become a staunch critic and opponent of what is going on behind the scenes...so to speak, knowing the misery and suffering that is occurring and happening to all too many people....but you will never really be exposed to it so you may think there is nothing to really be criticized while unknowingly sustaining the ugly aspects of prostitution if and when you argue that there is nothing to be concerned about...that is when you discuss the level of prostitution that you know about ...but not the other half...so to speak.

Cheers....and do not patronize the brothels and numbered hotels.

[stickylies]

Facts:

All my Thai male friends have had sex with prostitutes (call it a tradition). Preferably Shan girls from Shan state or 10-Songpanna (or alternative Lanna girls). They keep their hands of Isaan girls except for "happy massage" where they don't seem to care about complexion, age, physics.

The cheaper guys prefer Lao girls over Isaan girls cause Lao girls are more submissive and cheaper (500thb/30 min).

[micmichd]

Most prostitutes I know are good.

Maybe I'm bad because they make me feel good

[stickylies]

Thailand has never been occupied and colonized by a western, Christian power. Their view of sex has remained pretty much the same as always. Sex is a part of life and a biological need for most....it is not considered to be a sinful pleasure or a vice!

I don't agree with the 2nd part of the statement. The only difference with most Westerners is that most Thai don't judge (openly) because they tend to mind their own business, especially when it concerns all things seedy, evil, bad, not-to-be-proud-of, etc. This being said, they are as conservative as any Western "power" as far as nudity, sex, intimacy, etc is concerned. We Westernes judge all the time, disapprove, condemn other's behaviour. That's a typical christian thing unfortunately and utter irritating imo.

(typo corrected)

Edited July 4, 2015 by stickylies

[stickylies]

20% of Thais are prostitutes

80% of Thais are prostitutes customers

100 % of Thais hate and despise prostitutes

You sure do sound like an expert on Thailand.

Where did you do your relevant research & studies?

what he meant was:

20% of my time here i hang out with Thai prostitutes

80% of of time I wish I was hanging out with Thai prostitutes

100% of my time I hate and despise prostitutes

;-)

[Linzz]

Here's what I see as the real problem for Thais: If you admit Thailand is a big whorehouse, you loose face. If you don't, but everybody already knows it, you loose face because you're a hypocrite.

They've painted themselves to a corner. Unfortunately, what happens when Thais find themselves forced to a corner is usually violent, rash and irrational. Keep poking at this and they'll institute the mother of all crackdowns. Which, of course, to the puritanical members of TVF would be an excellent conversation piece to have while getting a BJ at their private clubs.

My stake at the game is, prostitution has acted as a deterrent for keeping the bible bashers out of Pattaya, which is a most excellent thing. Seems it's loosing it's power, unfortunately. Sodom needs a bag of new tricks to keep 'em out.

Let the good Dr. loose with the English language and we all lose

[Sviss Geez]

"It’s said that about US$16 million from Vietnam War foreign soldiers’ pockets went towards the Thai sex industry, the catalyst of what gave Thailand its seedy image. But the industry, apropos tourism, is hardly even the tip of the iceberg."

Thailand can thank the good old American GIs and vets for kick-starting its tourist industry. Thais were always busy copulating with "working" ladies long before the guys in khaki showed up.

What would Pattaya be without their help?

What would Thailand have had to attract tourists apart from a lot of sandy beaches, a few nice mountain areas in the north and a lot of crumbling ancient temples. Oh, and the elephants too.

"Thais were always busy copulating with "working" ladies long before the guys in khaki showed up."

That is also no secret and, if you had bothered to read the full article, that was made perfectly clear. The report was not blaming anything on US soldiers.