Legalizing Thailand's Sex Industry Unfathomable

[rooster59]

Legalizing Thailand's Sex Industry Unfathomable

By Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

 

This undated image shows two women approaching a passerby in Bangkok's Soi Cowboy. Image: Bangkok 112 / YouTube

 

Last month’s recommendations by a UN body promoting gender equality to Thailand to stop prosecutions of female sex workers and violent raids of entertainment venues have got me thinking further about the issue.

 

While the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, or CEDAW, was bold in making such suggestions in its 14-page report released on July 24 from Geneva, in realities such suggestions are much much easier said than done.

 

Please do not mistake this writer for being a supporter of continued criminalization of “women in prostitution,” as CEDAW’s described it.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/opinion/2017/08/05/legalizing-thailands-sex-industry-unfathomable/

 

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2017-08-06

[z42]

It should be at least considered as it would afford those within it a degree of extra safety. But as ever "face" will win the day ?

[ChrisY1]

K. Pravit is so typically Thai.....he feels unsettled with prostitution in Thailand....yet often referred to as the oldest trade.

Thailand has by some estimates 125K---200K hookers.....no-one can pretend it doesn't happen here!

 

Thailand is no place for puritans....the sex industry cannot be brushed under the carpet, especially when so many of Thailand' influential are in the business.....either openly or covertly. 

[over it]

Of course it's unfathomable. The powers that control it would lose an income stream.

[Cadbury]

12 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Legalizing Thailand's Sex Industry?

Impossible! Too much dirty money at stake including monthly protection (insurance) fees  A flow chart of that money would show that it goes right to the very top.

[darksidedog]

The thing I find unfathomable is that a country so widely known for its sex industry, is so concerned about pretending it isn't there. Thailand is so obsessed with being the pure and beautiful place it wants to be, that they have become totally blind to reality. Hence legalising something that "doesn't exist" could be problematic, to say the least.

[seminomadic]

3 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

The thing I find unfathomable is that a country so widely known for its sex industry, is so concerned about pretending it isn't there. Thailand is so obsessed with being the pure and beautiful place it wants to be, that they have become totally blind to reality. Hence legalising something that "doesn't exist" could be problematic, to say the least.

 

It's called (collective) cognitive dissonance.

 

[Dobredin Ghusputin]

36 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

two women approaching a passerby in Bangkok's Soi Cowboy

 

Women walking around in underwear on the capital's streets.

 

But, let's not legalise the sex industry because it doesn't exist..

 

[Thian]

Sex business must be very bad in BKK, for more than 15 years i pass those huge love-hotels in BKK but never ever have i seen a car going in/out of theml. Also not at night.

[brewsterbudgen]

I doubt it will be fully legalised.  The current regulations allow for it to carry on legally as long as it's not "promiscuous", which is suitable ambiguous!  Also with a higher focus on underage prostitution and human trafficking, publicly legalising it may be thought to be giving out the wrong message.

[jonclark]

It clearly should be legalized - simply to give those involved far greater security and access to a range of support services. - and this applies to all countries worldwide, not just Thailand. By keeping it illegal you are simply giving criminals a gold plated opportunity to make money and thrive, whilst putting those in the trade a great risk with no recourse to any legal protection.

 

It is utter madness that in essence - paying to have sex is illegal!! - Well it must be the only thing (other than air)  that the authorities don't want you to pay for as they charge you for absolutely everything else, including the water you drink. 

[jaltsc]

"Legalizing Thailand's Sex Industry Unfathomable"

  

Let's see. What could possibly happen if prostitution became legal....

1) The industry would move indoors, where the workers and the customers would be better protected from disease (with medical check ups), violence and rip offs, and monitor the workers so that no one underage is providing services.

 

2) The streets would be cleared, and make them more appealing to tourists and the general population.

 

3) The government would control the pricing and the services would be taxed, thus adding a new source of revenue for the nation.

 

4) All the illegal activities and payoffs to local officials would be eliminated.

OHHHHH....Forget about #s 1-3.  #4 is the reason that eliminating the sex industry is unfathomable.  

 

  

Edited August 6, 2017 by jaltsc

[DavisH]

44 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

The thing I find unfathomable is that a country so widely known for its sex industry, is so concerned about pretending it isn't there. Thailand is so obsessed with being the pure and beautiful place it wants to be, that they have become totally blind to reality. Hence legalising something that "doesn't exist" could be problematic, to say the least.

I would go as far to say it is part of Thai culture, though I bet most Thais would deny that. It was like a comment from a Thai in the media that riding in the back of a pickup is "our way of life"...despite the risks involved. No need to deny what is part of your culture and way of life. Prostitution will never be legalised (and thus regulated) here. Too many influential folk would lose too much money. 

[brewsterbudgen]

1 minute ago, jonclark said:

It clearly should be legalized - simply to give those involved far greater security and access to a range of support services. - and this applies to all countries worldwide, not just Thailand. By keeping it illegal you are simply giving criminals a gold plated opportunity to make money and thrive, whilst putting those in the trade a great risk with no recourse to any legal protection.

 

It is utter madness that in essence - paying to have sex is illegal!! - Well it must be the only thing (other than air)  that the authorities don't want you to pay for as they charge you for absolutely everything else, including the water you drink. 

In Thailand the act of paying for sex itself is not actually illegal. Soliciting for sex and brothels where paid-for sex takes place on the premises are both illegal, as is underage prostitution.  The Thai model where the client takes his girl/boy from the bar or gogo where he found her/him, (the "barfine"), works well for all concerned, and is specifically regulated under the Prostitution Act.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

off topic post and reply removed

[MrPatrickThai]

Like asking in a bar if drinking should be banned.

 

Can anyone here admit that they have never visited a gogo bar or paid for sex in Thailand?

 

 

[Kerryd]

When I saw the bit "While I do not personally purchase sex" I was instantly reminded of all those posts (usually in the Visa forum) that go "a friend of mine" or "a guy I know". I'm not the only one who suspects that quite often the posters are  actually the "friend" or the "guy". 

People don't tend to be overly passionate about causes or topics they have zero involvement in. It's like travel (and other subjects). If you've never been to Uruguay and never plan on going there and you see a news article about the place, you're likely to skip right past it without a second thought. You probably wouldn't jump in and start researching the country and writing an article about, especially with a phrase something like "While I do not personally ever plan on travelling there".

 

You may consider yourself the biggest soccer (footie) fan in the world and devour every scrap of information about the game from every media source available however if the topic of badminton comes up you are most likely not going to suddenly decide to write  a lengthy article about the joys and splendours and rules of the sport (and note that "While I do not personally ever play the sport").

 

Often as not, when I see the phrase "While I do not personally......." another phrase comes to mind.

"Methinks thou doth protest too much." (Paraphrasing Shakespeare.)

 

Meanwhile, prostitution is a touchy subject (pun intended). On one hand it is often considered to be the "oldest" profession and on the other hand it is most often considered "taboo". One problem with all the people who are against it is, they usually have NO suggestions as to how all those women are supposed to earn a living if they aren't hooking. It's "not their problem" to figure that out and rarely do they consider that many of those women have few marketable skills they could use to earn a more "respectable" living. 
Many people also have the idea that all prostitution is the same as depicted on American TV shows. Drug addicted hookers standing on street corners, turning tricks in alleys and getting beaten up by their pimps. Even of you could show them that it isn't all like that, they wouldn't care. They have (or their religious/community leaders have) convinced themselves that it is "sinful" and no amount of modern reality (or logic) is going to change ideas handed down since the Bronze Age (or before).

 

I've seen the dark, dirty side of the trade. I've also seen the opposite side. "While I do not personally purchase sex" (snicker) I have (on occasion) given girls "taxi fare" in the morning so that they'd leave and I could carry on with whatever I had planned for the day.

Personally, I think Thailand would be better served by providing better education (i.e. up to Grade 12) so that girls (and boys) who've finished school have more opportunities than the ones who finish Grade 8 and have to choose between working in the rice fields or going to the "big city" to try and find menial work.
Even back in our home countries it is pretty much the same. People who graduate from High School tend to have much better opportunities than those who drop out early. Drop outs tend to end up in the lowest paying jobs and have difficulty advancing. These days, in some places, it's even hard to advance anywhere unless you have a college/university degree ! 

So what to do about the situation ?

Ban it ? (Doesn't work - even in very strict countries like the UAE.)

Regulate (legalize) it ? (Has advantages but isn't a 100% solution. Anyone who has spent time in Amsterdam should know that.)

Stick your head in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist ? (Doesn't work either -  there's a reason it's the "oldest profession", because it's been going probably as long as there have been "men" and "women" on the planet.)

All the "banning" and "pretending it doesn't exist" in the world hasn't changed a thing and likely won't in the future.

 

It's time to face modern reality and set the Bronze Age mentality aside when it comes to this issue.
 

[binjalin]

44 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

When I saw the bit "While I do not personally purchase sex" I was instantly reminded of all those posts (usually in the Visa forum) that go "a friend of mine" or "a guy I know". I'm not the only one who suspects that quite often the posters are  actually the "friend" or the "guy". 

People don't tend to be overly passionate about causes or topics they have zero involvement in. It's like travel (and other subjects). If you've never been to Uruguay and never plan on going there and you see a news article about the place, you're likely to skip right past it without a second thought. You probably wouldn't jump in and start researching the country and writing an article about, especially with a phrase something like "While I do not personally ever plan on travelling there".

 

You may consider yourself the biggest soccer (footie) fan in the world and devour every scrap of information about the game from every media source available however if the topic of badminton comes up you are most likely not going to suddenly decide to write  a lengthy article about the joys and splendours and rules of the sport (and note that "While I do not personally ever play the sport").

 

Often as not, when I see the phrase "While I do not personally......." another phrase comes to mind.

"Methinks thou doth protest too much." (Paraphrasing Shakespeare.)

 

Meanwhile, prostitution is a touchy subject (pun intended). On one hand it is often considered to be the "oldest" profession and on the other hand it is most often considered "taboo". One problem with all the people who are against it is, they usually have NO suggestions as to how all those women are supposed to earn a living if they aren't hooking. It's "not their problem" to figure that out and rarely do they consider that many of those women have few marketable skills they could use to earn a more "respectable" living. 
Many people also have the idea that all prostitution is the same as depicted on American TV shows. Drug addicted hookers standing on street corners, turning tricks in alleys and getting beaten up by their pimps. Even of you could show them that it isn't all like that, they wouldn't care. They have (or their religious/community leaders have) convinced themselves that it is "sinful" and no amount of modern reality (or logic) is going to change ideas handed down since the Bronze Age (or before).

 

I've seen the dark, dirty side of the trade. I've also seen the opposite side. "While I do not personally purchase sex" (snicker) I have (on occasion) given girls "taxi fare" in the morning so that they'd leave and I could carry on with whatever I had planned for the day.

Personally, I think Thailand would be better served by providing better education (i.e. up to Grade 12) so that girls (and boys) who've finished school have more opportunities than the ones who finish Grade 8 and have to choose between working in the rice fields or going to the "big city" to try and find menial work.
Even back in our home countries it is pretty much the same. People who graduate from High School tend to have much better opportunities than those who drop out early. Drop outs tend to end up in the lowest paying jobs and have difficulty advancing. These days, in some places, it's even hard to advance anywhere unless you have a college/university degree ! 

So what to do about the situation ?

Ban it ? (Doesn't work - even in very strict countries like the UAE.)

Regulate (legalize) it ? (Has advantages but isn't a 100% solution. Anyone who has spent time in Amsterdam should know that.)

Stick your head in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist ? (Doesn't work either -  there's a reason it's the "oldest profession", because it's been going probably as long as there have been "men" and "women" on the planet.)

All the "banning" and "pretending it doesn't exist" in the world hasn't changed a thing and likely won't in the future.

 

It's time to face modern reality and set the Bronze Age mentality aside when it comes to this issue.
 

TIT ain't going to happen as Thais will be in denial about anything that appears to make their 'heaven on earth' in the least bit worldly. Thailand is a mass of hypocritical 'values' tied up in a mess of 'face saving' gibberish placed into a box of illusion.

 

The reality is sex is on sale everywhere here, corruption is commonplace and they can't drive for toffee!

[worgeordie]

Unthinkable,more like it,just think of all the "tea money" that would be lost

if it was ever legalised,that's why it will never happen.

regards worgeordie

[Broken Record]

1 hour ago, MrPatrickThai said:

Like asking in a bar if drinking should be banned.

 

Can anyone here admit that they have never visited a gogo bar or paid for sex in Thailand?

 

 

This is ThaiVisa, members here do not do such things, 99% have highly educated partners from rich and powerful families.

[jaywalker]

2 hours ago, MrPatrickThai said:

Like asking in a bar if drinking should be banned.

 

Can anyone here admit that they have never visited a gogo bar or paid for sex in Thailand?

A friend once told me that the free P***y is the most expensive kind. They are also called a wife.

 

He is right. I've spent FAR and AWAY more money on my wife than hookers.

 

2 hours ago, Kerryd said:

Many people also have the idea that all prostitution is the same as depicted on American TV shows. Drug addicted hookers standing on street corners, turning tricks in alleys and getting beaten up by their pimps.

I would not touch a hooker in the USA with a 10 foot pole.

 

They ARE all drug addicted crack-heads/meth-heads due to the Puritanical laws.

 

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by jaywalker

[saminoz]

3 hours ago, MrPatrickThai said:

Like asking in a bar if drinking should be banned.

 

Can anyone here admit that they have never visited a gogo bar or paid for sex in Thailand?

 

 

Yes.

They usually go hand in hand, so it should have been and, instead of or!

[hansnl]

4 hours ago, darksidedog said:

The thing I find unfathomable is that a country so widely known for its sex industry, is so concerned about pretending it isn't there. Thailand is so obsessed with being the pure and beautiful place it wants to be, that they have become totally blind to reality. Hence legalising something that "doesn't exist" could be problematic, to say the least.

Well, there you are.

The difference between "face" and "honour".

Face is a system to ignore the truth, to pretend what you see is not there, to uphold lies.

Honour is the mostly the opposite.

Forget the idea it might ever change, the powerful can't change a moral compass thousands of years old.

 

[scotchonrocks]

The whole society is in denial on this topic. Underneath the facade of conservatism is a deep distancing from the realities. The core problem is inequality and that's not going to change anytime soon.

[inThailand]

Legalising implies govt regulation and taxes. Short time will hit your wallet big time if this occurs with no added happy ending time.

[Classic Ray]

I think face can change here. The power of mass media and low cost international travel on attitudes should not be underestimated. The cork is out of the bottle with young people refusing to continue the traditions of their forebears.

 

Social media is forcing those in power to succumb to the will of the people against corruption, inequality of justice and acceptance of religious and political privilege.

 

When the junta finally relinquish or are forced out of power, watch the change in social behaviour and mores as the country moves rapidly forwards to the 20th century!

[JAG]

When I saw the bit "While I do not personally purchase sex" I was instantly reminded of all those posts (usually in the Visa forum) that go "a friend of mine" or "a guy I know". I'm not the only one who suspects that quite often the posters are  actually the "friend" or the "guy". 

People don't tend to be overly passionate about causes or topics they have zero involvement in. It's like travel (and other subjects). If you've never been to Uruguay and never plan on going there and you see a news article about the place, you're likely to skip right past it without a second thought. You probably wouldn't jump in and start researching the country and writing an article about, especially with a phrase something like "While I do not personally ever plan on travelling there".
 
You may consider yourself the biggest soccer (footie) fan in the world and devour every scrap of information about the game from every media source available however if the topic of badminton comes up you are most likely not going to suddenly decide to write  a lengthy article about the joys and splendours and rules of the sport (and note that "While I do not personally ever play the sport").
 
Often as not, when I see the phrase "While I do not personally......." another phrase comes to mind.
"Methinks thou doth protest too much." (Paraphrasing Shakespeare.)
 
Meanwhile, prostitution is a touchy subject (pun intended). On one hand it is often considered to be the "oldest" profession and on the other hand it is most often considered "taboo". One problem with all the people who are against it is, they usually have NO suggestions as to how all those women are supposed to earn a living if they aren't hooking. It's "not their problem" to figure that out and rarely do they consider that many of those women have few marketable skills they could use to earn a more "respectable" living. 
Many people also have the idea that all prostitution is the same as depicted on American TV shows. Drug addicted hookers standing on street corners, turning tricks in alleys and getting beaten up by their pimps. Even of you could show them that it isn't all like that, they wouldn't care. They have (or their religious/community leaders have) convinced themselves that it is "sinful" and no amount of modern reality (or logic) is going to change ideas handed down since the Bronze Age (or before).
 
I've seen the dark, dirty side of the trade. I've also seen the opposite side. "While I do not personally purchase sex" (snicker) I have (on occasion) given girls "taxi fare" in the morning so that they'd leave and I could carry on with whatever I had planned for the day.
Personally, I think Thailand would be better served by providing better education (i.e. up to Grade 12) so that girls (and boys) who've finished school have more opportunities than the ones who finish Grade 8 and have to choose between working in the rice fields or going to the "big city" to try and find menial work.
Even back in our home countries it is pretty much the same. People who graduate from High School tend to have much better opportunities than those who drop out early. Drop outs tend to end up in the lowest paying jobs and have difficulty advancing. These days, in some places, it's even hard to advance anywhere unless you have a college/university degree ! 

So what to do about the situation ?
Ban it ? (Doesn't work - even in very strict countries like the UAE.)
Regulate (legalize) it ? (Has advantages but isn't a 100% solution. Anyone who has spent time in Amsterdam should know that.)
Stick your head in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist ? (Doesn't work either -  there's a reason it's the "oldest profession", because it's been going probably as long as there have been "men" and "women" on the planet.)
All the "banning" and "pretending it doesn't exist" in the world hasn't changed a thing and likely won't in the future.
 
It's time to face modern reality and set the Bronze Age mentality aside when it comes to this issue.
 

Good post.
I've taken note of it, and next time I post on the subject I will kick off with " Whilst I enjoy a good shag..."

Thank goodness best beloved does not read this forum.

Still, a good post.

[inThailand]

My "friend" says legalising it or not will result in no material change here in our lifetime. Shag on!

[Get Real]

Legalize everything. Seems like it´s ok for people already.

[Megasin1]

Its not unfathomable, its just impossible logically and financially. There is a cost to legalisation that inevitably the customer has to cough up. They would price themselves out of the market, as you can't keep paying the mafia (police, governors etc.) whom wont give up their kickbacks, the taxes due, the accommodation costs, the cleanliness certificate etc. and all the other costs around legalisation. Money does not grow on trees it comes from the pocket of the customer (mark)

You would just drive the illegals underground.

Its the age old problem, you cant clean up anything until you cleanse from the top down and we will never see that happen in our short stay on this planet.