Sex Work in Thailand/ Thai Sex Industry
Summary of the episode:
In this episode, students discuss Thailand as an example of how sex workers are treated in the global south. They compare Thailand’s illegal sex work industry to Canada’s, which operates under the Nordic model. We present jarring facts and statistics about the Thai sex industry, like the fact that the Thai sex industry contributes to an estimated 10%-12% of Thailand’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Garrick, 2005). We will take an intersectional feminist approach to discuss different types of sex work protection and how their implementation creates a safer work environment for sex workers. The UN does recommend the nordic model in order to protect sex workers human rights and we will discuss how it would change the sex work industry in Thailand. The sex work industry is inherently gendered; therefore, we are taking a feminist and gender approach in order to fully understand the complexities of the industry. We will also take a decolonial approach to the history of the Thai sex industry to fully comprehend the impacts of the global North imperial project on Thailand.
Further materials to be explored on this topic:
If our audience wishes to learn more about Thailand’s sex industry after listening to our
podcast, our group has found several interesting resources to recommend. First, we recommend Miss Bangkok: Memoirs of a Thai Prostitute by Bua Boonmee and Nicola Pierce. This is about the author's experience of being a Thai sex worker. In addition, we recommend listening to the podcast episode “Exploring Thailand’s Sex Industry” from Sex with Strangers. This episode includes interviews from Thai sex workers as well as interviews from the EMPOWER Foundation, an organization in Thailand dedicated to the education of sex workers and the empowerment of sex workers. Finally, we recommend watching “The Third Gender”, which is a documentary available on YouTube that explores Thailand’s transgender sex workers, which is an important topic that we were unable to discuss in depth.
Sources:
The Prostitution Problem: C. Benoit, M. Smith, M. Jansson, P. Heally, and D. Magnuson (article)
Thailand's sex worker petition to decriminalize prostitution (article)
UN Statement to Thailand (2018)
Decriminalize Sex Work - Debunking the Nordic Model (article)
Decriminalize Sex Work - Why Decriminalize (article)
Decriminalization vs. Legalization; L. Shrage (article)
Why Not Amend CEDAW: L. Baldez (article)
Global Network of Sex Work Projects: Guide to CEDAW (article)
Amnesty International publishes policy and research on protection of sex workers' rights (article)
Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the
Prostitution of Others (1949)
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979)
Convention for the Suppression of the Trafficking in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (1950)
Brown, G. D. A., Lewandowsky, S., & Huang, Z. (2022). Social sampling and expressed attitudes:
Authenticity preference and social extremeness aversion lead to social norm effects and
polarization. Psychological Review, 129(1), 18–48.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/10.1037/rev0000342.supp (Supplemental)
ExodusCryKC. (2020, March 13). Prostitution in Thailand | nefarious documentary clip. YouTube.
Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIJ9dxtiv3g
Jamnarnwej, W. (n.d.). Family law of Thailand. Thailand Law Forum: Family law of Thailand.
Retrieved November 23, 2022, from http://thailawforum.com/articles/familywimol2.html
OUYYANONT, P. (2012). Underdevelopment and Industrialisation in Pre-War Thailand. Australian
Economic History Review, 52(1), 43–60.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/10.1111/j.1467-8446.2012.00340.x
REYES, C. A. Z. Z. I. E. (n.d.). History of prostitution and sex trafficking in Thailand. End Slavery
Now. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from
https://www.endslaverynow.org/blog/articles/history-of-prostitution-and-sex-trafficking-in-thailand
T. (2022, May 10). Thailand's sex industry - A brief history. Thaiger. Retrieved November 22,
2022, from https://thethaiger.com/video-podcasts/thailands-sex-industry-thaiger-stories
Thailand. Hofstede Insights. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2022, from
https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country/thailand/#:~:text=With%20a%20score%20of%202
0%20Thailand%20is%20a%20highly%20collectivist%20country.
Walker, W. C. (n.d.). Contagion how the sian RISIS pread - asian development bank. Asian
Development Bank. Retrieved November 24, 2022, from
https://aric.adb.org/pdf/edrcbn/edrcbn03.pdf
Journal, T. A. P. (12AD). Military prostitution and the U.S. military in Asia. The Asia-Pacific
Journal: Japan Focus. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from
https://apjjf.org/-Katharine-H.S.-Moon/3019/article.html
PGTVPhuket. (2022, May 10). Thailand's sex industry - A brief history. YouTube. Retrieved
November 23, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzp145ImERM
U.S. Department of State. (2022, July 9). The United States-Thailand relationship - united states
department of state. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from
https://www.state.gov/the-united-states-thailand-relationship/
Brown, G. D. A., Lewandowsky, S., & Huang, Z. (2022). Social sampling and expressed attitudes:
Authenticity preference and social extremeness aversion lead to social norm effects and
polarization. Psychological Review, 129(1), 18–48.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/10.1037/rev0000342.supp (Supplemental)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6127768/
Yehuda, R., & Lehrner, A. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role
of epigenetic mechanisms. World psychiatry : official journal of the World
In this episode, students discuss Thailand as an example of how sex workers are treated in the global south. They compare Thailand’s illegal sex work industry to Canada’s, which operates under the Nordic model. We present jarring facts and statistics about the Thai sex industry, like the fact that the Thai sex industry contributes to an estimated 10%-12% of Thailand’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Garrick, 2005). We will take an intersectional feminist approach to discuss different types of sex work protection and how their implementation creates a safer work environment for sex workers. The UN does recommend the nordic model in order to protect sex workers human rights and we will discuss how it would change the sex work industry in Thailand. The sex work industry is inherently gendered; therefore, we are taking a feminist and gender approach in order to fully understand the complexities of the industry. We will also take a decolonial approach to the history of the Thai sex industry to fully comprehend the impacts of the global North imperial project on Thailand.
Further materials to be explored on this topic:
If our audience wishes to learn more about Thailand’s sex industry after listening to our
podcast, our group has found several interesting resources to recommend. First, we recommend Miss Bangkok: Memoirs of a Thai Prostitute by Bua Boonmee and Nicola Pierce. This is about the author's experience of being a Thai sex worker. In addition, we recommend listening to the podcast episode “Exploring Thailand’s Sex Industry” from Sex with Strangers. This episode includes interviews from Thai sex workers as well as interviews from the EMPOWER Foundation, an organization in Thailand dedicated to the education of sex workers and the empowerment of sex workers. Finally, we recommend watching “The Third Gender”, which is a documentary available on YouTube that explores Thailand’s transgender sex workers, which is an important topic that we were unable to discuss in depth.
Sources:
The Prostitution Problem: C. Benoit, M. Smith, M. Jansson, P. Heally, and D. Magnuson (article)
Thailand's sex worker petition to decriminalize prostitution (article)
UN Statement to Thailand (2018)
Decriminalize Sex Work - Debunking the Nordic Model (article)
Decriminalize Sex Work - Why Decriminalize (article)
Decriminalization vs. Legalization; L. Shrage (article)
Why Not Amend CEDAW: L. Baldez (article)
Global Network of Sex Work Projects: Guide to CEDAW (article)
Amnesty International publishes policy and research on protection of sex workers' rights (article)
Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the
Prostitution of Others (1949)
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979)
Convention for the Suppression of the Trafficking in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (1950)
Brown, G. D. A., Lewandowsky, S., & Huang, Z. (2022). Social sampling and expressed attitudes:
Authenticity preference and social extremeness aversion lead to social norm effects and
polarization. Psychological Review, 129(1), 18–48.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/10.1037/rev0000342.supp (Supplemental)
ExodusCryKC. (2020, March 13). Prostitution in Thailand | nefarious documentary clip. YouTube.
Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIJ9dxtiv3g
Jamnarnwej, W. (n.d.). Family law of Thailand. Thailand Law Forum: Family law of Thailand.
Retrieved November 23, 2022, from http://thailawforum.com/articles/familywimol2.html
OUYYANONT, P. (2012). Underdevelopment and Industrialisation in Pre-War Thailand. Australian
Economic History Review, 52(1), 43–60.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/10.1111/j.1467-8446.2012.00340.x
REYES, C. A. Z. Z. I. E. (n.d.). History of prostitution and sex trafficking in Thailand. End Slavery
Now. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from
https://www.endslaverynow.org/blog/articles/history-of-prostitution-and-sex-trafficking-in-thailand
T. (2022, May 10). Thailand's sex industry - A brief history. Thaiger. Retrieved November 22,
2022, from https://thethaiger.com/video-podcasts/thailands-sex-industry-thaiger-stories
Thailand. Hofstede Insights. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2022, from
https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country/thailand/#:~:text=With%20a%20score%20of%202
0%20Thailand%20is%20a%20highly%20collectivist%20country.
Walker, W. C. (n.d.). Contagion how the sian RISIS pread - asian development bank. Asian
Development Bank. Retrieved November 24, 2022, from
https://aric.adb.org/pdf/edrcbn/edrcbn03.pdf
Journal, T. A. P. (12AD). Military prostitution and the U.S. military in Asia. The Asia-Pacific
Journal: Japan Focus. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from
https://apjjf.org/-Katharine-H.S.-Moon/3019/article.html
PGTVPhuket. (2022, May 10). Thailand's sex industry - A brief history. YouTube. Retrieved
November 23, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzp145ImERM
U.S. Department of State. (2022, July 9). The United States-Thailand relationship - united states
department of state. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from
https://www.state.gov/the-united-states-thailand-relationship/
Brown, G. D. A., Lewandowsky, S., & Huang, Z. (2022). Social sampling and expressed attitudes:
Authenticity preference and social extremeness aversion lead to social norm effects and
polarization. Psychological Review, 129(1), 18–48.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/10.1037/rev0000342.supp (Supplemental)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6127768/
Yehuda, R., & Lehrner, A. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role
of epigenetic mechanisms. World psychiatry : official journal of the World
