Australia's Channel Seven investigates the sex industry in Thailand

[webfact]

Channel Seven investigates the sex industry in Thailand
Olivia Lambert

SYDNEY: -- GIRLS as young as 13 are being exploited in Thailand for sex and Australian men are contributing to the booming industry.

But an electrician from North Queensland, Tony Kirwan, is fighting to rescue the young girls from the clutches of sex-crazed men.

Mr Kirwan was on holiday in Thailand when his friend was offered sex with an underage girl.

It was that moment he decided to quit his job and create Destiny Rescue.

He relocated to Southeast Asia with his three daughters and wife in a bid to save Thai children from being swallowed by bars and brothels.

Full story: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/channel-seven-investigates-the-sex-industry-in-thailand/story-fnq2o7dd-1227609850288


-- News.com.au 2015-11-16

[nichol]

Good luck with that one buddy

[bristolgeoff]

have they looked in they own back garden as well.it is just as bad in any city.sydney has king cross.thailand has many cities as well.

[z42]

Very brave man. I wish him very well. Will hope this show doesn't get blocked in Thailand because it sounds like a very eye opening doc indeed

[puukao]

Let me guess....he lives ONLY in pattaya, BKK, and phuket...

this horrible stuff happens in possibly every big city in the world...and in one-year living in Thailand I never saw it...but i know it happens.

i'm not sure why he didn't go to Cambodia...isn't it worse there? or japan? or other places? i bet he saw Thailand in the top-10 and said, "well, it is nice there."

Edited November 15, 2015 by puukao

[Inn Between]

I understand that many underage girls are involved in prostitution in Thailand but very few foreign men are actually involved with child prostitution here. Ninety-nine percent of it is completely within the Thai culture in the villages. It seems Australian journos like to pull this sensationalist story out every couple of years, brush it off, and present it again. This time may be more legitimate as they're focusing on a crusading family, and I admire these people for taking up a worthy cause, but they're not going to put any dent at all in the real problem as they won't be able to get to the real source of it in those thousands of villages foreigners will never get to. It's only the Thais themselves that can do anything about it if they want to.

[Happy Grumpy]

Wow, what a white-knight hero.

Why do I foresee him getting back on a plane in 5 years time,, penniless and destitute.

[simple1]

Good luck with that one buddy

From the OP:

Destiny Rescue has been around for about 15 years and has saved more than 1300 girls from bars and brothels.

[ezzra]

Yeah.. big story.. Thailand has prostitutions problems with young girls, Duh....

Where have they been for the last 40 years? this is a sensationalism piece of journalism,

must be very quit in channel 7 to wake up now to Thailand prostitution issues,

Oh yeah.. and don't forget to do another big expose on corruptions in Thailand too....

[catman20]

Good luck with that one buddy

LUV IT

[doggie1955]

Why come here? He could have stayed in his own country to fight and rescue the young girls from the clutches of sex-crazed men.

[cumgranosalum]

There are issues here - and they are no surprise to those of us who know Thailand well.....however one suspects this particular program has to come under the heading of "salacious sensationalism" - is the primary aim of the program is ratings - not welfare?

i haen't seen this particular program yet, but If this is the bunch I've seen televised before I have to say I find the attitudes of some of those guys almost as distasteful as the people they are trying to expose.

Edited November 16, 2015 by cumgranosalum

[metisdead]

A post in all caps has been removed, please turn off your Caps Lock button when posting.

[ratcatcher]

Good luck mate. Dig deep.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/the-sparky-helping-afp-track-down-australian-paedophiles-in-thailand-20150930-gjy17q.html

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=North+Queensland,+Tony+Kirwan&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CCcQsARqFQoTCJGwsI3ek8kCFUEZjgodoH0D9g&biw=1024&bih=653#imgrc=J68hJP5jFMbtLM%3A

Edited November 16, 2015 by ratcatcher

[Briggsy]

It wasn't so long ago that you had the Bangkok Post's Bernard Trink writing columns positively drooling over the availability of underage girls in Thai brothels.

There are many negative factors involved. One of the main ones has to be the Thai Police who are very much involved in every aspect of the prostitution industry. The second most important factor is the widely-held cultural belief throughout Asia that recently post-pubescent virgins represent the pinnacle sexual experience. Thailand is no different in this. This explains why the underage backstreet brothel scene is almost universally for the Asian market.

However I suspect the Australian TV programme will simplistically present the issue as the fault of foreign white sex tourists. This only represents about 1% of the truth.

[Jeremy50]

Can he show proof of this or just the blurred face of a 19 year old? Also he may have missed that the Thai brothels where most of the young girls were to be found have nearly all been closed down over the last 2 years. In Udon for example, whole streets of brothels have simply disappeared.

[thrilled]

It's all over the world.I believe the poorer the country the worse it is.When I was stationed at Udon Thani in 1971,there were

Rumors that A person could buy A young person for $800.Supposely their parents would sell them cause they needed the money.

It's A wild world.

[harrycallahan]

Channel 7, Australia's Live Action News channel.

[AngelHeather]

I admire your courage man! Thumbs up!

[waldroj]

Why was it not a Thai TV station (instead of a foreign one)?

[Expat1]

Another self appointed Western hero. Just what Thailand needs. Where is Immigration when they are needed. Australia, Europe and North America have as many if not more problems in this regard. Gangs kidnapping girls of all ages and races and forcing them into prostitution with violence and drugs. Why could not he start there? Well, because it is DANGEROUS for him personally there and he won't look like such a noble hero saving the poor little brown people from the evil white men. Chr#st, these morons crusader types have rolled through here for decades and they eventually just slink away when the media fanfare is gone and the Thai authorities grow tired of the notoriety they cause.

[DonaldBattles]

Many Thai ladies believe that peddling their bodies anywhere they can beats the hell out of being abused by Thai men in the villages and working the rice fields. Who are we trying to save them from?

[Artisi]

Why was it not a Thai TV station (instead of a foreign one)?

Why, because these things don't happen in Thailand, therefore there is nothing for them to report on.

[Lupatria]

Glad to know this will not hurt Thai tourism.

[DP25]

Why was it not a Thai TV station (instead of a foreign one)?

Because the story is mostly BS and underage girls are very rare among the 'farang bars' in tourist areas. This is sensationalism with little basis in reality from an NGO looking to increase their funding and a news channel looking for a salicious story.

Thai people see farang men with Thai girls every day, but they are older single mothers, not young girls. That is the stereotype of farang men among Thais, that they date older single mothers, and that is based in reality. Farang men here are always being set up with single mothers because Thai men will not take them and they think we prefer them.

[puukao]

Good luck with that one buddy

From the OP:

Destiny Rescue has been around for about 15 years and has saved more than 1300 girls from bars and brothels.

I would like to know where the 1300 girls are now...

let me guess, 1299 are back at it...

sometimes their parents like the money and want to keep the income stream coming in...

i'm sure there is a way to really curtail things, but this isn't it.....but better than what i'm doing about it now, which is nothing

[ChrisY1]

A few negative comments on here today, but at least he's trying something....this foundation has been operative for 15 years and has reported many kids saved.....so it's not a bad thing.

Yes..Kids globally are drawn/sold into the sex industry....but at least in western countries, there are somewhat efficient police forces.....here, the police are the problem!

[worgeordie]

What sex industry !,will be the Thai Governments response

regards Worgeordie

[Emster23]

I would like to see a Thai channel doing investigation of exploitation of young girls by Thai families: selling girls into prostitution and the sexual abuse by uncles, relatives and family friends. I'm not holding my breath on that happening.

[Sheppo]

I have visited Thailand many times both on business and pleasure

I have spent many hours in BKK clubs at both of the main locations.

Have also been to many other places normal visitors do not see.

NEVER once have I been offered an underaged girl in Thailand

I will say though that several times in Cambodia I was offered young girls (& boys) and was horrified when it happened

The same thing in Georgetown, Malaysia when visiting Penang. Rickshaw driver offered to take me to place with many pre-teens upwards

Thailand of course does have prostitution, without it tourism would decline and so many families in villages with food or money being sent to them