Prostitution in Thailand: (Myth and Reality)

Prostitution in Thailand deserves special attention, as the country is known as a major site of sex tourism in Asia. The importance of this study revolves around the way the author has been able to explore the sociological factors behind prostitution in general and its particular development in Thailand.

A prostitute is defined as one who offers sexual services in exchange of payments (in cash or kind). The person who receives this service is known as a client or customer. While the prostitute may be a man or woman, the customer is always a male. The basic inequality that exists in these kind of sexual encounters-structures, prostitution and categories of the prostitute. So prostitution is not just a trade, it is a form of life which pushes him/her out of the 'normal' society. He/She at once becomes a deviant.

There is an extensive socio-historical tradition of research in the study of prostitution. Within this there exists three principal theoretical perspectives-(i) functionalist, (ii) social interactionist, and (iii) the feminist. The last two developed mainly in reaction to the functionalist approach. According to the functionalists prostitution is a timeless institution, which is relatively owing little to the societal structure and level of development. Further the upholders of this theory consider prostitution to be a necessary complement to marriage as men have an in-built craving for variety and perverse sexual gratification. Women, particularly the prostitutes in this model feature as the deviants. Since heterosexual monogamous practices are considered to be normal prostitutes are generally regarded as mentally disordered, psychopaths, hypersexual or alternatively frigid and lesbians.

According to this view, which was widely accepted till the 1970s, it was the prostitute who should be controlled and not prostitution in general. These theorists advocated controlling measures for the social disturbances resulting from this kind of sexual practice, i.e., veneral diseases, public disorder and drug problems. Prostitution that does not disrupt the public order was not considered to be any one's concern.

In sharp reaction to this view developed the feminist theories on prostitution. Most of them were agreed on the common stipulation that prostitution is linked to the existing inequality between men and women. Also since prostitution depends upon a demand and supply of sexual services, it is historically perceived that men have answered for the demand and women (also male prostitutes) for the supply. This according to the feminists is not coincidental but rather reflective of the gender, skewed allocations of social, economic and political resource in the society. Prostitution thus conceptualized is not a natural and absolute phenomenon as in the functionalist approach, on the contrary it is constantly being defined and redefined. With the changing power relations in a society, stretched to its logical conclusion the female body in a society where patriarchy and class creates the dominant perspective is a buyable, saleable and exchangeable commodity.

Several models are put forward in feminist research on prostitution. In this the most commonly cited reasons why women have become prostitutes are economic. Historical works have specially shown how the largest member of women entered the sex-market through denial of every other job advantage. Most of the cases record women to be of working class and poor migrant families. According to some prostitution in these cases present a rational alternative-women assumingly preferred prostitution to badly paid around female occupations with low status.

Other general explanations for women's participation in prostitution are social rootlessness, isolation and social marginalisation. Young prostitutes have been thrown out of the family, the school system and the labour market prior to their participation in commercialized sex transaction. Feminist studies of these problems have helped in breaking down the long, standing stereotypes of the prostitute. They have also by pointing to the great influence traditional gender roles have on the lives of men and women show that as little as prostitutes, their customers are not physically, psychologically or socially deviant.

This study by taking into account the historical reasons as to the way women in Thai society opted for prostitution as a career have strengthened the feminist researches. At the same time the author has shown how the prevalence of AIDS have increased the concern of the state. Finally through analysis that 'Thailand' as no more a 'prostitutes' paradise' than any other parts of the third world, Ms. Lipi Ghosh has demolished the myths which helped to treat the study of prostitution as pornography and pushed the prostitute into being treated as a criminal. This book is an welcome addition not only to our knowledge but to our cause. We are made to realize that the Thai prostitutes live like their Indian sisters were marked by the same violence generated by patriarchy and class that we are committed to fight.

Preface

Prostitution in Thailand: Myth and Reality claims to be the first comprehensive study from India, as well as from South Asia about Thai prostitution. The study as a high quality research is expected to inform policy makers and planners as well as common readers to know the situation about prostitution in Thailand.

The study has utilised different relevant primary and secondary sources found in the libraries of India, Thailand and U. K. The Book has also made extensive use of newspapers and periodicals, which contain important information on the subject. I wish to thank the staff and management of the libraries of all the three countries noted above for their ungrudging support and facilities placed at my disposal. These include Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla; ICSSR (Indian Council For Social Science Research) Documentation Centre, New Delhi; National Library, Kolkata; Women's Study Research Centre, University of Calcutta; Centre for Social Science Studies, Kolkata; NICED (National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Disease), Kolkata; National Library of Thailand, Bangkok; Thammasat University, Bangkok; the Asian Research Centre for Migration; Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok; ECPAT (End Child Prostitution and Social Research, Mahidol University; Nakorn Pathom; ESCAP, Bangkok; The National Council of Women of Thailand under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen, Bangkok; Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok; Gender and Development Research Institute, Bangkok; CPCR (Centre for Protection of Children's Rights), Bangkok; Women's Studies Centre, Chiangmai; and School of Oriental and African Studies, London.

I am grateful to Mr. Siddhartha Roy, Librarian, Centre for Social Science Studies, Calcutta, who helped me to collect a few specific materials. I am greatly indebted to Ms. Chitraporn Vanaspong of ECPAT, Bangkok who helped me to a large extent by sending research materials from Bangkok and placed me with persons erudite in the field. I am thankful to my friends Dr. Aaron Stern of Chulalongkorn University (currently in Michigan, USA), who also did not hesitate to handover many important documents of his personal collection. My special thanks goes to Anchalee Khemkrut and Siriporn Wiwattanopas, my two young sisters like friends from Bangkok, who attempted their best to keep my stay and travel in Bangkok comfortable and convenient.

I remember with gratitude the advice offered by eminent persons like Siriporn Skobanek of GATT-W-Kritya Archavanitkul of Mahidol University and Napat Sirisambad of Chulalongkorn University. I have to express my humble gratitude to different persons, whose efficient cooperation helped me to a large extent. I would like to thank Dr. Jaharlal Sen, formerly of Calcutta University who spent a lot of time in helping me to understand the subject from different angles and with lot of patience corrected the drafts of the work. My special thanks goes to Dr. Bula Bhadra and Dr. Ratnabali Chatterjee of University of Calcutta whose meticulous observations of a few specific points undoubtedly helped me.

I am also grateful to the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, which offered me a Research Associateship to carry out part of the work in the Institute. Necessary travel in connection with this work has been funded by University Grants Commission, India. My further debt is also due to UGC for extending necessary publication grant.

I also remember with gratitude the help, which I got from Sima Mukerjee, Gauranga Chakraborty, Nabanita Ganguly, and Manisha Basu regarding preparing index, data sheets and diagrams on computer. I too remember vividly Chaya's (our household maid) help, who with her usual swiftness and mobility helped me to a very large extent in different awkward situations.

Last but not the least, my deep gratitude goes to my parents Mr. N. L. Ghosh and Mrs. Nilima Ghosh without whose untiring patience and loving care it would not have been possible for me to complete the work.

Introduction

Prostitution in Thailand although not unique to the country either as an occupation or as a subject of study, it's importance has been highlighted internationally to a large extent. The present study is an attempt to examine the all, pervasive situation about prostitution in Thailand. The study proposes to analyse the historical as well as contemporary situation of the occupation in land of the so-called "Prostitute's Paradise".

The body of existing literature on Thai prostitutes are not very varied in scope and nature, although prostitution seems to be a very favourite theme for Western authors. Most of the studies, deal with a specific question of the subject. Some studies attempt to relate prostitution in Thailand to gender issues, state policies, violence, etc. Work by Siriporn Skobanek, entitled The Traffic in Women: Human Realities of the International Sex Trade (London, 1997) may be cited in this respect. On the other hand, authors like Jeremy Sea-brook emphasized the question of commodification or marketization of female sex in Thailand tourism sector in his book entitled Travels in the Skin Trade: Tourism and the Sex Industry (London, 1996) and the work argues for a more ample and generous interpretation of human rights for the sex workers. The same theme has been more widely treated by Erick Cohen in his book entitled Thai Tourism: Hill Tribes, Islands and Open-Ended Prostitution, Bangkok (1996). Another significant work has been done jointly by Wathinee Boonchalaksi and Philip Guest. It is a report named Prostitution in Thailand (Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand, 1994). The study shows complexity of the sex industry in Thailand with multiple approaches. However, although informative the work, basically report in nature is hardly of a detail and scholarly analytical nature. The work by Dave Walker and Richard S. Ehrlich named Hello, My Big, Big Honey! (Bangkok, 1992) is also a good work dealing with a single phenomenon-the Western clients' love letters to their fiancée prostitutes in Bangkok brothels. Such being the disparity of the approaches and the character of the existing literature on Thai prostitutes, the present work aims to make an all, pervasive analytical approach to the question of female prostitution in Thailand. The work, within the theoretical frame-work as presented above, will try to judge the phenomenon of prostitution in Thai society.

The study begins with a general theoretical framework about prostitution. The chapter named "Sociology Behind Prostitution: Sexuality, power, the Theories and Realities" discusses how sexuality is related to prostitution and Realities" discusses how sexuality is related to prostitution and how prostitution itself as a phenomenon has been defined by scholars with multi-disciplinary approach. In law prostitution has been defined as hiring out of one's body for the purpose of sexual intercourse. The existing literature on female prostitution is marked by a mixture of disciplines in which history, sexology, psychology, sociology and women's studies are discerned. This chapter reviews those existing literature. Feminist theory challenges the implicit assumption of free choice and argues that prostitution is a paradigm of other interactions between men and women. The work discusses how prostitution has been defined by society as a response to female sexual seductiveness and a male sexual drive. The chapter also discusses different theories on prostitution by feminists and radical feminists. Radical feminism draws on nineteenth century models. It argues that prostitution is a paradigm, not only of women's sexual vulnerability but of our vulnerability to sexual conditionings and economic discrimination. Radical feminism claims that the element-reductionism of gender issues such as prostitution is one of the most pernicious forms of and-rocentric thinking and they analyse system of prostitution and its relation to the nuclear family and especially to capitalism, where fundamental economic inequality and subordination place women in this potentially exploitative position. However such a view is not free from debates and this chapter presents the details of the opposite views. Moreover the work discusses prostitution as a question of social relation too. Patriarchal power and male privilege also explains the narratives of prostitution. This part of the work refers again to different theoretical views in this context. Finally, this introductory chapter refers to a crucial question in debate-whether prostitution-the very term can be accepted or is to be replaced by the term-sex worker. There exists a debate whether prostitution is to be accepted within society and prostitute women be assimilated and treated as any other women and if there should be working rights for prostitute women. This chapter deals with the radical feminist approach to this crucial question and reviews the opposition views.

The chapter 2 of the work begins with the specific question of prostitution in Thailand. This chapter entitled "Prostitution in Thailand: its Historical Evolution" discusses the social and cultural ambience in Thailand answerable for the growth of prostitution. The influence of Brahmanical philosophy and the role of Buddhism behind are narrated in this part. It discusses the historical evolution of prostitution from the ayuthia period (i.e., fourteenth century itself) and refers to the social position of women in Thai society. In this context it refers to women in traditional society and the system of polygamy. Analysis of customary Thai laws and social-legal environment as a factor behind growth of prostitution are also discussed. The factor of colonical infiltration by the middle of nineteenth century and its role behind growth of commercial economy and bureaucratic class and related changes in social order also helped to change the social position of women and in the growth of the practice and trade of harlotry. In large commercial houses of Bangkok, for male folk it was not deemed unusual to have concubines, and once men with numerical superiority of concubines began to acquire some kind of status symbol. At the fag end of colonialism or during the time of Second World War, the presence of armed forces in Thailand and entire Southeast Asia helped the practice of prostitution to grow further. This chapter deals with the history of evolution of sex industry at that time. In fact change in Thai society from agricultural to industrial exports or in other words commercialization of Thai society enhance Durban employment opportunities for women and its negative impact was male demand for service of prostitutes. Such being the history of prostitution in Thai society, the work proceeds to discuss the question of contemporary situation in post-World War II Thailand.

The chapter 3 entitled "Sex Industry: Dynamics of Economic and Social Bases in Post-World War II Thailand" discusses the economic, social, political, institutional and ideological factors which underpin the growth of sex-industry in present day Thailand. Globalization and commodification of economy brought women in touch of outside world and all these served as the background factor behind the growth of prostitution. This work, in this context also refers to the question of sex-tourism, and provides empirical data on the attitudes, motivations and activities of male Western tourists in Thailand. It identifies the principal trends in Thai tourism and its expansion. Dealing with this subject this chapter basically attempts to find reply to the question-if sex tourism is to be recognized as a form of economic exploitation. The development of tourist industry has also expanded employment in the service sector. This chapter discuses the crucial question: role of Thai Government to encourage organized sex tours and to use women in it. Finally the question of cultural factor behind the growth of prostitution is dealt with. This part of the study seeks to analyse if prostitution has been culturally and socially defended in Thai society. The question of general socialization of Thai girls, the family expectation and role of girls are points of study and analysis. It is concluded that social and cultural environment of Thailand, at least in some parts of the country contributes to the easy growth of the occupation.

The chapter 4 named "Prostitutes, Clients and the Commercial Sex Sector: The Situation Analysis" deals with the underground world of this sex industry in Thailand. It makes detail analysis of the Thai prostitutes as well as of those migrates and trafficked from outside into the Thai brothels. All evidences suggest that incidents of child prostitution are increasing in Thailand and the prostitution racket is rapidly expanding into poorer rural areas and among the hill tribes. This part of the work presents qualitative and quantitative data about the extent of prostitution in Thailand. There will be enumeration and estimation of sexual service establishments and sexual workers and discussions about workplace environments. It also refers to the foreigner clients who have important role to play to flourish this industry. It presents different case studies about prostitutes, clients and people involved in trafficking. Finally the work compares the Thai situation with all Asian situation and the chapter claims to be the first organized presentation of Thai commercial sex sector.

Chapter 5 named "Sex Workers, HIV-AIDS Behaviours and Policy Towards Eradication: The Thai Situation" presents the details about HIV/AIDS among Thai female prostitutes. The chapter begins with the social dynamics of HIV infection in Thai women. It discusses how in Thailand AIDS and prostitution are interrelated. It also refers to child prostitution and the question of AIDS and the scale, volume and potential different AIDS epidemic on Thai education. It discusses the different AIDS prevention and control measures and the plans of actions taken by Thai government for its control. In this context, it refers to different pilot projects on AIDS in different parts of Thailand. The most important point discussed in this chapter is the survival tactics of Thai sex workers and the mobilization of women's organizations/NGOs in the prevention and control of HIV infection AIDS.

The chapter 6 is named as "Prostitution and Law: Convention, Acts and Attitude of the Country." It discusses the statutes of Thailand constitution and narrates Thai laws regarding the question of prostitution, commercial sexual exploitation of children and trafficking in women and children. The very question of law however is presented in the context of women's general legal position in Thailand. It also refers to NGO movements regarding implementation of tougher laws for prostitutes other. While dealing with laws this chapter discusses the extent of ideological dimensions and the question of actual enforcement practices.

Chapter 7 of the work is named as "Prostitution and the Contours of Control: National Policy and Plan of Action in Thailand." At the outset this part of the work discusses government level policies and plans of action for the prevention and eradication of the commercial sexual exploitation of children, it refers to perspective policies and planning for the development of women in the period between 1992-2011. it also refers to the joint ventures of government agencies and non-government organizations in the delivery of the social services for women and promotion of community awareness for the prevention of prostitution. In this context directory of projects on the prevention of prostitution in Thailand is also presented.

Finally, the work attempts to judge and validity of the preposition: is Thailand really a country full of prostitutes? Is the number of Thai prostitutes abnormal compared to other Asian situation? Is the usual belief true that Thailand is a land of moral degradation?-the work attempts to resolve all these questions.

About the Book

Prostitution in Thailand: Myth and Reality is a comprehensive research work about prostitution in Thailand.

The study looks into the historical evolution of female prostitution in Thailand, discusses the social, economic, political, institutional, and ideological factors which underpin the growth of that sex-industry in contemporary times, submits an organised presentation of Thai commercial sex sector, takes to the social dynamics of HIV infection among sex workers, discusses the statues and laws of Thailand regarding the question of prostitution and finally talks about government level policies and plans of action of the prevention and eradication of the commercial sex workers in the country.

The study as a high quality in-depth research will not only help serious scholars, policy makers and planners to know situation about prostitution in Thailand but with many unrevealed interesting fact and features it will also be very arty and attractive reading for general readers.

About the Author

Dr. Lipi Ghosh is a historian with specialization in Southeast Asian studies. She has obtained her M.A. and Ph. D. degrees in History from the University of Calcutta.

Currently she is a Reader (Associate Professor) in the Dept. of South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Calcutta. Formerly she was visiting Scholar at Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, Maison des Sciences de l'Hommes, Paris, School or Oriental and African Studies, London and Ford Asia Fellow and Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.

She has wide range of publications in national and international academic journal and international academic journals. Her other published work is Burma: Myth of French Intrigue (Calcutta, 1994)

Foreword
Preface
Introduction