2023-06-29 11:11:34
“Everybody knows about it. Everybody sees it. Nobody talks about it.” This is how activist and lawyer Chatchalawan Muangjan defines the situation of sex workers in Thailand, a country often seen as a playful destination to explore carnal pleasures, but where prostitution is illegal.
Paid sexual activities are no secret in Thailand, and the sex industry generates billions of dollars in revenue each year, according to estimates by various human rights organizations.
The country is also known worldwide for its exoticism and erotic practices, such as the famous massages with “happy ending”, that are part of the popular imagination inside and outside the Asian nation.
While in practice prostitution is part of everyday life, the activity is illegal and, today, tens of thousands of sex workers find themselves unprotected from abuse, although a proposed law that seeks to regularize the sector could change the landscape
Official statistics suggest that some 300,000 people offer sex for money in Thailand today, although activist organizations say that the figures are outdated and the real number “it’s much bigger.”
“We all see that the industry is there and it generates a million-dollar amount of money, but there is the issue of corruption and, to a lesser extent, society’s perception that prostitution is immoral,” says in an interview with EFE Chatchalawan, a lawyer who has worked for 16 years in favor of the rights of sex workers at the NGO Empower.
Prostitution was banned in 1996 by the Thai government in an attempt to put an end to this ancient practice in the country, which intensified as a result of the Vietnam War and the presence of the US Army, which came to move more than a million soldiers to its rear in the Asian nation.
To this must be added some intrinsic cultural components of Thai society, where about 95% of the population professes Buddhism and whose philosophy is traditionally more tolerant of worldly activities.
“Thai society is conservative but as long as things are not talked about it is as if they did not exist”, explains with Chatchala.
Law proposal
Now, Empower and other organizations for the rights of sex workers are moving pieces to promote the approval of a law to legalize and regulate the profession, a proposal that could materialize in view of the formation of the new Government after the general elections last May. .
“The bill aims to protect sex workers and include them as part of the workforce. It also proposes to regulate entertainment venues and patrons,” points out the lawyer.
One of the key points of the initiative is to establish a minimum age for professionals who sell sex, in order to prevent “clients and pimps from exploiting or coercing sex workers under 18 years of age.”
It also seeks to put an end to, or at least minimize, the abuses to which they are repeatedly subjected.
“I’ve had a lot of bad experiences. Working in this industry you have to deal directly with men. And most of the men who come are drunk, with different kinds of emotions. And it’s up to me to respond to their sexual needs,” Manow, who has worked for more than a decade as a sex professional, tells EFE.
“I have met all kinds of clients; some were sadistic, others did not want to pay or did not want to use condoms. Others would also rape me to orgasm,” reports.
The hardness of the streets is a constant. For this reason, Manow believes that the law could mitigate the violence.
“The law would bring a lot of positive changes and it would protect sex workers. With it we will be able to work without worries. If there is a problem, we can report it to the police. Things will be much better.” tint.
“Invisible visibility”
Every night, the exotic dancer Guest goes to the lively Soi Cowboy, a small street about 150 meters long and where there are fifty bars, karaoke bars, discos and massage spaces, in the heart of Bangkok, to kick off at your work.
Although many times the girl offers “additional services” to her exotic dances, she does not consider herself a prostitute – a definition that may have different perceptions in the West and East.
“I am not a prostitute. Sometimes I sell sex, but I choose who I do it with,” says Guest, who also works as a barista at a coffee shop during the day.
Regardless of the labels, Guest is enthusiastic about the possible new law, which would guarantee minimal rights to a working class that remains “invisible despite all its visibility.”
“Negotiating sex is a business like any other and workers in that industry should have their rights and guarantees guaranteed,” finish
EFE
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