Rangsimon Pholcharoenchit

Jordan Ruyle
College Writing 109C
Report Version 1
10 October 2016

Prostitution: A Report on Gender Inequality in Thailand

The recent State Departments 2014 Trafficking in Persons report has
downgraded Thailand to the lowest possible ranking, Tier 3placing
Thailand along side North Korea, Syria and the Central African Republic
in regard to human rights records (Brown, 2014). This is a blow to the Thai
governments ego. It is a reflection of the governments inability to stop
human trafficking. Although the scope of such topic encompasses many subissues, this report only focuses on the specific issue of prostitution in
Thailand. In the most recent estimate, at least 200,000 women are working
as prostitutes (Baccagno, 2015). This is the equivalent of 1 in every 100
Thai women. Because prostitution is arguably a form of violence against
women (Farley 2004), its prevalence is a shocking reflection of Thai
societys tolerance towards this form of violence. In her article, The
Privileged Lie of Gender Equality in Thailand, Chia argues that such
tolerance is the result of Thailands history of sexual objectification;
pervading social acceptance of prostitution as a necessary evil; economic
pressures on women of lower socioeconomic status; and the lack of effective
legal framework (2016).
History of Objectification: The bars are temples but the pearls ain't
free
The sex-trade industry in Thailand is not a recent development.
During the Japanese occupation, and later during the Second Indochina
War, Thailand aptly fashioned itself as a Rest and Recreation facility for
foreign soldiers (Latstetter, 2000). By the end of the wars, not unlike other
developing countries, Thailand has commercialized its sex industry
(Simpkins, 1997). Today, sex tourism in Thailand accounts for approximately
6.4 billions US dollars annually, a striking 10 percent of the nations entire
GDP (Boccogno, 2015). A study on tourists spendings at Koh Samauia
destination not particularly known for sex tourismfinds that 10 percent of
tourists spending is on sex (Martin, 2006).
Social Acceptance: A necessary evil
The Thai peoples opposing views of premarital sexual experience of
men and women necessitates the social functioning of prostitution. Studies
on urban, middle class population finds that 30.2 percent of married men
has had previous sexual experiences, while the same of married women is a
meager 0.03 percent (Francouer, 1997). Such inconsistency between men
and women is only possible if those premarital sexual experience of men are
to be attained through the service of sex workers. This notion is reflected by
the finding from research on Thai Royal Army. It is found that of the 97
percent of 21 year old samples that have had sexual intercourse, 74 percent
reports having their first sexual experience with a female sex worker. In
contrast, only 12 percent have had it with a lover, and only a mere 8
percent with their girlfriend (Francouer, 1997). Thus, prostitution in Thai

Pholcharoenchit 2/4

society functions not only as a necessary evil needed to preserv[e] the

virtue of good women, but also as a sex educat[or], providing a coming
out of age men with sexual experience that is expected of them (Francouer,
1997).
Economic Pressure: Sex pays
Thailands wealth disparity pushes women from rural areas into sex
industry. Simpkins argues that prostitution is the only mean a woman of
lower socioeconomic status can make any significant earnings. In one
estimate, a female sex worker can earn a relatively monumental earning of
300 US dollars per month, in contrast to 8 US dollars per month of an
average worker; the difference is a striking 20-fold to 40-fold increase
(1998). S ex pays; and as the economy burdens women with their newfound
role of a breadwinner, they have no choice but being forced into this
lucrative business. In fact, it was found that almost 20 percent of the
nations population are financially dependent on avenues earned through
prostitution (Simpkins, 1998). Yet, the urban middle class women, who are
not subjected to the same economic pressure, fail[s] to empathize with
sex workers, disregarding them as immoral. Ultimately, as Chia argues,
Thailands gender problem is intimately connected to class (2016).
Ambiguous Legal Framework: Not to womens benefit
Thailands ambiguous law prohibiting prostitution does little to
protect women against this form of sexual violence. Rather, the Thai
government seems to be preoccupied with upholding the Thai conservative
valuesabhorring female sex workers as immoral and absolving male client
of their guiltwhile attempting to profit from the sex industry (Chia, 2016).
Interestingly, prostitution is not illegal per se; Thailands Penal Code, Title
IX, Section 286, only prohibits any person from subsist[ing] on the earning
of a prostitute, even if it is some part of her income (aHennessy, 2012).
Because these factors work has worked together to emplaced and
propagated prostitution in Thailand, the issue of prostitution, a form of
violence against women, must be addressed holistically. This is not simply to
bump Thailand up from the Tier 3 category, but to resolve a deep rooted
issue within Thai society in the context of a global goal to achieve universal
human rights.

Sources
Julia Boccagno (11 November 2015). "Thailand's trans sex workers seek
empowerment, not pity". Asia Correspondent. Retrieved from
http://asiancorrespondent.com/2015/11/thailands-transsexual-workers-seekempowerment-not-pity/.
Jasmine Chia (30 March 2016). The Privileged Lie of Gender Equality in
Thailand Harvard International Review. Retrieved from
http://hir.harvard.edu/privileged-lie-gender-equality-thailand/.

Pholcharoenchit 3/4

Latstetter, Jennifer (2000). "American Military-Base Prostitution". The

Monitor: Journal of International Studies. College of William and Mary, 6.
Retrieved from https://web.wm.edu/so/monitor/issues/06-2/6-latstetter.htm.
Dulcey Simpkins (1998) Rethinking the Sex Industry: Thailand's Sex
Workers, the State, and Changing Cultures of Consumption. Issue title:
Unequal Exchange: Gender and Economies of Power, 12. Retrieved from
http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.ark5583.0012.005.
Lorna Martin (25 Jan 2006). "Paradise Revealed. The Taipei Times.
Retrieved
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2006/01/25/2003290710.
aHennessy; kilikina (27 Jun 2012). "Current Legal Framework: Prostitution
in Thailand". IMPOWR.org. ABA. Retrieved from
http://www.impowr.org/content/current-legal-framework-prostitution-thailand .
Melissa Farley (1 October 2004). Prostitution Is Sexual Violence.
Psychiactric Times. Retrieved from http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/sexualoffenses/prostitution-sexual-violence.
Sophie Brown (21 June 2014). Tackling Thailand's human trafficking
problem. CNN. Retrieved from
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/20/world/asia/thailand-trafficking-report/ .
Francoeur, Robert T., ed. (1997). The International Encyclopedia of
Sexuality: Thailand. New York: The Continuum Publishing Company.
Retrieved from http://www.sexarchive.info/IES/thailand.html.