India's booming massage parlours drive demand for Thai sex slaves

Roli Srivastava - Thomson Reuters Foundation

 

File photo

 

MUMBAI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The booming spa and massage parlour business in India has led to increasing demand for women from Thailand, many of whom are being duped and trafficked into slavery in the country's sex industry, police, diplomats and activists said on Wednesday.

 

At least 40 Thai women have been rescued this year during police raids on massage parlours acting as fronts for prostitution in western cities such as Mumbai and Pune.

 

 "The demand for Thai masseurs is high in India as girls from Thailand are considered high profile for their fair skin," Jyoti Nale, programme director for Save the Children India, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

 

"Girls rescued in raids are usually from different Indian states and neighbouring countries. But if all the girls in one rescue are from Thailand, it means there are many more (working in India)."

 

In July, for example, 10 Thai women were rescued from a parlour in an affluent residential area in Pune, a car manufacturing and tech hub 150 km south of Mumbai.

 

There are an estimated 40 million sex workers globally, according to French charity Fondation Scelles.

 

Activists say most have been lured, duped or forced into sexual slavery by pimps and traffickers, largely due to poverty and lack of opportunities.

 

Girls from countries like Nepal and Bangladesh have long been trafficked into sex work in India.

 

But police and campaigners say there is a rising demand among Indian men and foreign tourists for "more exotic" women from other countries such as Thailand.

 

"This is the first time we have seen this trend," said Police Inspector Sanjay Patil, head of the anti-human trafficking unit in Pune, who conducted the July raid.

 

"They are not so literate, are from poor families and their families back home depend on their incomes."

 

He said following a tip-off about the parlour, an officer posed as a customer and found the Thai women, aged between 25 and 40 years, were being sold for sex. The parlour's manager and another employee were arrested.

 

The Thai women, some of them sex workers from Bangkok and other cities, are lured by the prospect of earning more money in India, said police. On average they earn 305 baht ($9) a day in Thailand, while in India they can earn twice that.

 

"The girls we rescued had been working here for three to four months and had up to 100,000 rupees ($1,570) with them," said Patil, adding the victims were now at a shelter home awaiting repatriation.

 

 Thai embassy officials confirmed more Thai women were being rescued from parlours across the country - including in the capital New Delhi, the tourist fort city of Jaipur, and tech hub Bengaluru.

 

Rehabilitation schemes and skills training is being put in place for victims once they are repatriated, they added.

 

Reporting by Roli Srivastava @Rolionaroll; Editing by Nita Bhalla and Emma Batha.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-10

 

 

Money cures discrimination apparently, means to an end.

"On average they earn 305 baht ($9) a day in Thailand, while in India they can earn twice that."

 

The commute is a bit costly though  . . . .  

But do the girls want to be rescued?

4 minutes ago, mikebell said:

But do the girls want to be rescued?

Btw, the problem is as old as India. I remember reading news about 'Nepal rescuing their female citizens from Indian brothels' in the early 1980s!

When I was working in Kabul I noticed that all our Nepalese staff were male. I thought it a bit odd as many of the jobs were suitable for women. I found out that Nepal actually banned their women from accepting jobs outside of the country !

The reason being was................India ! Apparently soooo many Nepalese women had been tricked into taking jobs in India (often as domestic help, waitressing and other low level employment) only to end up being forced to work in brothels that the Nepalese government finally banned them from taking any jobs outside the country.

(Later on when I was working in Kandahar I asked our Nepalese mechanic about it and he said basically that the government wouldn't let them work outside the country.)

 

Those years in Afghanistan were a real eye-opener as far as how people from other races/cultures treat people. 

Edited August 10, 20178 yr by Kerryd

2 hours ago, mikebell said:

But do the girls want to be rescued?

There's always one. 

 

What do you think? I suppose you think these young women like some sweaty old perv pounding away on them? Or are you one of these who think sex workers are "mostly happy" because its a better living then 7 Eleven. Please wake up.

Well glad they are being rescued but most of them knew anyways what they are stealing into. At least thai , Nepal government is doing their best , but as for Bangladeshi poor women their government remains silent . Let the Indians do all the prostitution in their own home land then making others as sex slave. They have earned a great mane for one of the most in safe place for women and sexual harassment. In Thailand because if their reputation people from the other region who are far far better than them are also being discriminated cause they look alike, example tourists front Nepal, Bangladesh,Srilanka, Pakistan, Myanmar  aren't like them at all. I'm sorry but for few of them the entire countries reputation is at stake

Now I wait for the news: Thai exports are booming.

47 minutes ago, Lupatria said:

Now I wait for the news: Thai exports are booming.

 

And inward forex is causing the Baht to rise.

and had up to 100,000 rupees ($1,570) with them,

 

so its not like they where not being paid

Rubbish! These girls knew exactly what was expected of them!

1 hour ago, Nemesis7 said:

Well glad they are being rescued but most of them knew anyways what they are stealing into. At least thai , Nepal government is doing their best , but as for Bangladeshi poor women their government remains silent . Let the Indians do all the prostitution in their own home land then making others as sex slave. They have earned a great mane for one of the most in safe place for women and sexual harassment. In Thailand because if their reputation people from the other region who are far far better than them are also being discriminated cause they look alike, example tourists front Nepal, Bangladesh,Srilanka, Pakistan, Myanmar  aren't like them at all. I'm sorry but for few of them the entire countries reputation is at stake

Don't try to point score in the middle of the crisis. I don't know what is your nationality, but if you are one of the Nepal, Bangladesh,Srilanka, Pakistan, Myanmar , you were under British Raj one day in the past, and separated for your various political reasons. Or the colonials designed such a way that we fight for ever, and never grow together again. In 1920 One single Rupee was exchanged for 30 Dollars, when we were all together.

 

Even after 100 years you will never reach the heights the reached by India.

 

 

 

Edited August 10, 20178 yr by NextStationBangkok

31 minutes ago, wvavin said:

Rubbish! These girls knew exactly what was expected of them!

All i can say is, they just get caught working in India with wrong visa. Anyhow they will not be punished, just will be deported with dignity.

 

All i can say is they are willingly going to India on tourist visa (6 months for Thais) and working there in massage industry. I know many massage girls disappears for few months and come back again. They goes to various countries Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Japan etc for short term working with tourist visa.

305 baht a day ???  is that in some squalid thai brothel/massage place in the villages out in the sticks?

where are they getting that figure from?

 

in pattaya soi honey/+other massage parlour areas, gals get 1000 baht for 'full' service +200 for the actual massage

i dont know if the ladies have to give any of their 'service' fee to the boss, but even if they gave 25% of their 'service' payment

2 customers daily would give them 1500 baht a day, in soi chayiapoon ive seem gals get as many as 4 or 5 customers a day 

 

a popular massage lady can get many 'returnees' if they give a good service and earn quite a pocketful of baht a month,

 

if thai girls go to India they will be pretty desperate as to be frank every thai gal ive ever spoken to, when asked the question

say they dislike Indian men

 

4 hours ago, mikebell said:

But do the girls want to be rescued?

 

From India where than earn $18 a day according to the OP - what do you think?

vs the smelly disgusting Indians some falangs look like a prince!

8 minutes ago, inThailand said:

vs the smelly disgusting Indians some falangs look like a prince!

That is what self made supremacist Prince thinks.

 

But the Princess thinks, the one who pay more stinks less!

 

It is a very simple formula for ages, and in history books.

Gotta larf. "Fair skin" - a relative term. These women undoubtedly come from Isan, are "dark" skinned according to Thais.

It is time we start reviewing the indiscriminate use of the words "Prostitution" which labels a group of people mainly women who want to make a living by selling sex or related services. Prostitute is a humiliating word. People engaged in trafficking and exploitation should be punished - whether in sex industry or elsewhere. There is no fun in western comments on sex industry in Thailand or in India or vice versa. There is lots of hypocrisy around sex in east, west, south or north - poor or rich countries. But I think we can avoid humiliating people based on their occupation or birth.  

34 minutes ago, wotaplonker said:

305 baht a day ???  is that in some squalid thai brothel/massage place in the villages out in the sticks?

where are they getting that figure from?

 

in pattaya soi honey/+other massage parlour areas, gals get 1000 baht for 'full' service +200 for the actual massage

i dont know if the ladies have to give any of their 'service' fee to the boss, but even if they gave 25% of their 'service' payment

2 customers daily would give them 1500 baht a day, in soi chayiapoon ive seem gals get as many as 4 or 5 customers a day 

 

a popular massage lady can get many 'returnees' if they give a good service and earn quite a pocketful of baht a month,

 

if thai girls go to India they will be pretty desperate as to be frank every thai gal ive ever spoken to, when asked the question

say they dislike Indian men

 

I live in Phayao Province where the average daily wage for women workers on the farm is 300 baht/day

In the past a minority of Thai females preferred the company of Arab and Indian customers who kept to their own locations in places within the Pattaya area. However cash has no barriers and Eastern males are providing a steady income for the ladies and katoys .

39 minutes ago, jippytum said:

In the past a minority of Thai females preferred the company of Arab and Indian customers who kept to their own locations in places within the Pattaya area. However cash has no barriers and Eastern males are providing a steady income for the ladies and katoys .

 

Do you mean male prostitution by Arab and Indian who have been kept by Thai ladies ?

3 hours ago, Lupatria said:

Now I wait for the news: Thai exports are booming.

soon to be a new HUB of sex slave girl exports .....

6 hours ago, BasalBanality said:

Money cures discrimination apparently, means to an end.

Quality tourist as far as thailand concerned so why can't those quality tourists that frequent 7/11 family mart take a few thai lady take away back home to Mumbai for 100 rupees stupid thai girls believe its ok then cry criky just kwais to go in the first place no sympathy they knew already 

 

2 hours ago, wvavin said:

Rubbish! These girls knew exactly what was expected of them!

You would be surprised!! I have actually talked 2 girls out of going to India.... They would not believe me, until I showed them ads and Indian websites....
Their excuse: "my 'friend' told me good money and no sex........."
They believe their 'friends' more than common sense
PS not unlikely that the 'friend' gets some commission...

6 hours ago, CelticBhoy said:

"On average they earn 305 baht ($9) a day in Thailand, while in India they can earn twice that."

 

The commute is a bit costly though  . . . .  

Your joking right?

2 hours ago, inThailand said:

vs the smelly disgusting Indians some falangs look like a prince!

YEAH FOR SURE!

2 hours ago, wotaplonker said:

305 baht a day ???  is that in some squalid thai brothel/massage place in the villages out in the sticks?

where are they getting that figure from?

 

in pattaya soi honey/+other massage parlour areas, gals get 1000 baht for 'full' service +200 for the actual massage

i dont know if the ladies have to give any of their 'service' fee to the boss, but even if they gave 25% of their 'service' payment

2 customers daily would give them 1500 baht a day, in soi chayiapoon ive seem gals get as many as 4 or 5 customers a day 

 

a popular massage lady can get many 'returnees' if they give a good service and earn quite a pocketful of baht a month,

 

if thai girls go to India they will be pretty desperate as to be frank every thai gal ive ever spoken to, when asked the question

say they dislike Indian men

 

Absolutely bang on ,  many Thai bar girls earn far more than a government school farang English teacher.  Where did they get those figures from???

 

Not just India.  Many Thai women are being trafficked to other countries as well.  Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Bahrain etc.  Most of the time by Thai's themselves all willing to help others and try to make a fortune.  Sad really sad.