The Sex Tourism Industry in Thailand - Term Paper Example

?An Essay Outlining the Impact of Globalization of Tourist Networks on the Sex Tourism Industry in Thailand I. Introduction The issue of sex tourism is one of the perennial problems in Thailand and in the part few years; the problem has intensified and reached new heights. The globalization of tourists’ networks which fuels the increase in tourists’ traffic also fuels the increase in the number of sex workers in the country (U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, February 25, 2009). Over the years, the numbers of people who engage in “sex for a fee” in the country have steadily increased. According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization in 2001, there are about 150,000 to 200,000 commercial sex workers in Thailand (U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, February 25, 2009). A subsequent study conducted by the Chulalongkorn University in 2004 reported that there are about 2.8 million sex workers in the country and a large majority of these people are women and minors (U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, February 25, 2009). The most recent study conducted by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor in the United States revealed that as of 2008, there are about 200,000 to 300,000 sex workers in the country (U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, February 25, 2009). According to the same office, the figure could be higher as there are many people coming into the country undocumented and many of these people end up prostitution dens. Many people come to Thailand from neighboring countries like Myanmar, Lao, Cambodia and China to find work but end up in some back alley prostitution dens and are forced to cater to anybody who can afford their price (The Nation, 3 January 2004). The worst part of if is that many of these people who are forced into the sex trade are minors. According to a research conducted by the Health System Research Institute of Thailand, about 40% of the commercial sex workers in Thailand are minors or below 18 years of age and majority of these minors are forced into the trade through coercion and intimidation (U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, February 25, 2009). Prostitution is illegal in Thailand but despite the fact that there is a law prohibiting such activity, there are still a number of establishments around the country that are into prostitution. In fact, the city of Nangkon, the Phuket and the Pattaya areas are known as “primary tourist prostitution” spots and many foreign nationals come to these places for hedonistic reasons (Fox, J. (30 November 2009). Several people come to this place not only to take a vacation but to enjoy the commercial sex trade offered by different establishments in these areas. II. Sex Tourism and the Globalization of Tourist Networks  The booming international tourism industry in Thailand along with poor law enforcement is some of the primary reasons why the sex industry in the country is currently booming. According to Fox, J. (30 November 2009), the globalization of tourists networks help create a venue for pedophiles, sex offenders, prostitution rings and similar establishments to communicate with each other and do business. The rising prostitution statistics in Thailand is exacerbated by the fact that there are now many international establishments in the country and access to communication is now very easy. At present, most sex tourists communicate with the local prostitution ring through the internet so it is very easy for these people to do business with minimal risk of being caught by the authorities. In most cases, tourists who come to Thailand for hedonistic reasons communicate with their hosts online so they know where to go and who to look for when they come to the country (Monk-Turner, and Turner, December 23, 2009). In fact, a number of sex tourists already have advance contracts with the local prostitution ring before they come to the country. Aside from well established prostitution rings that operation both online and offline, there are also a number of men and women who are independent or freelance sex workers, meaning, they are not affiliated with any established and are free to hunt for costumers. The presence of international establishments fuels the increase in the number of freelance sex workers in the country. According to Monk-Turner, E. and Turner, C. (December 23, 2009), freelance sex workers often hunt for costumers in public places and commercial establishments where many foreign nationals congregate. Well known establishments such as Starbucks make it easier for sex workers to identify their prospective costumers. In Bangkok, many prostitutes meet their prospective clients in the Starbucks outlet located along Soi 5 just a few minutes away from Nana Plaza (Fox, J., 30 November 2009). Why do many prostitutes hunt for costumers at Starbucks? Starbucks in considered as a trendy place in Bangkok so many moneyed people frequent this place. Moreover, Starbucks is an international brand so most foreigners who come to Thailand tend to favor this place over some other local coffee shops because they are familiar with Starbucks. Foreigners are considered as easy targets for prostitutes so they come to Starbucks and similar establishments to find costumers. III. Sex Tourism in Bangkok, Thailand  Prostitution in Bangkok is widespread and most, if not all of the provinces in the country have to contend with this problem. However, of all places in Thailand, the cases of prostitution in Bangkok are the most prominent and pervasive. Note that as the country’s capital, Bangkok is the hub for tourists from all over the world so most of the organized prostitution activities happen in this city. According to Monk-Turner, E. and Turner, C. (December 23, 2009), prostitution venues in the heart of Bangkok include go-go bars, karaoke joints, massage parlors and sauna, brothels and certain public places where tourists often congregate. There are many factors that fuel the sex tourism industry in Bangkok and in the rest of Thailand. According to an article written by Patricia Green (2001), some of the local and foreign tours and travel firms in Thailand offer sex-tour programs to visitors coming into the country, especially those cruise ship passengers. Sex-tour packages come with different perks including male prostitutes, young boys and girls and even trans-genders. The prices of the sex tour packages may vary depending on the activities included and the “quality” of the sex workers. According to Green (2001), tour packages that include young virgin girls and those that feature little boys are the most expensive. Prostitution and human trafficking in Thailand is punishable by law but the very lose and ineffective implementation of local laws against prostitution make it possible for these companies to promote sex tourism without being apprehended. In fact, some studies show that a number of corrupt public officials including those who are working for the police are involved in the sex trade industry. Given this situation, apprehending the people who are involved in the sex tourism industry becomes very difficult. IV. Sex Tourism and Global Inequalities There are a number of reasons why sex tourism thrives in developing countries like Thailand. Poverty and social inequities are some of the leading causes of this situation. Note that Thailand is one of the less developed countries in the world and many of its citizens are poor. Due to extreme poverty, a number of young boys and girls are driven to prostitution sometimes on their own but most of the time by the people around them (Monk-Turner and Turner, December 23, 2009). In many instances, young boys are girls enter into prostitution because their own parents want them to ear money to feed the family. According to 2008 Human Rights Report, children coming from the tribes located on the border region on the northern side of Thailand are the most susceptible to prostitution as they suffer extreme poverty (McCamish, 2002). Moreover, many of these children come from families that do not have the necessary citizenship cards that will allow them to work legally in the country. Since the families of these children cannot find descent work, they can hardly provide the needs of these children (McCamish, 2002). Also, since these children are not considered as citizens of Thailand, they cannot enjoy the privileges that the government has to offer including free education and health care. Lack of access to education and healthcare make these children very vulnerable to abuse both by their families and the people around them (McCamish, 2002). As a result, many of these children are sold to prostitution by overburdened parents who to get a few dollars to feed the rest of the family. Once these children enter the sex industry, most of them do not really get out of it and lead normal lives (Montgomery, 2001). Hill tribe children are not the only victims of sex trafficking in the area and many adult men and women fall into the trap of illegal recruiters (Monk-Turner, E. and Turner, C., December 23, 2009). There are many unscrupulous people who come to these tribes and pretend to offer decent jobs in factories, restaurants and other establishments to young men and women who want to go the big cities like Bangkok and Pattaya and Phuket (McCamish, M., 2002). Unfortunately, there are really no jobs in factories or restaurants available for these people and instead they are sold to brothels where they are forced to cater to the sexual needs of the costumers. Most of these young people are forced into drugs so they become dependent on their so called “handlers”. Aside from children and young people coming from hill tribes, a number of children and young men and women coming from neighboring countries such as Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are being smuggled by criminals into Thailand every year. According to the Human Rights Reports, hundreds of children and young people cross the borders of Thailand every year through the criminal networks of human traffickers. According to the Human Rights Report, a number of border police officers and immigration officials are involved in the human trafficking network so it is easy for the victims to be transported across the border and into the brothers and sex dens. V. Conclusion The problem of sex tourism in Thailand is a perennial problem faced by many developing countries around the world. The globalization of tourism networks and the fact the people now have easy access to communication such as the internet fuel the sex industry in many countries. The presence of unscrupulous travel and tours operators that offer sex tour packages to their guests as well as the corrupt public officials contribute to the problem. Since the problem of tourism is widespread, it cannot be helped that legitimate businesses and companies that are catering to foreign nationals are also unwillingly pulled into the prostitution circle. Starbucks for instance is a legitimate company but because it is often serves as a place for convergence of foreign nationals who are visiting Thailand; it becomes a favorite hunting place for prostitutes who are looking for clients. In fact, Starbucks is one of the favorite places of sex traffickers even in other countries such as the United States (Zinni, M., 6 January 2011). References Fox, J. (30 November 2009). Sex Laws in Thailand Part 2: Laws Regulating Commercial Sex and Entertainment Places. 18 March 2011 http://www.thailawforum.com/sex-crimes-in-thailand-part2-2.html Green, P. (August 2001). Thailand: Tourism and the Sex Industry. Women, No 54, August 2001 Levy, D. (2007). Love and Sex With Robots. New York: Harper McCamish, M. (2002). The structural relationships of Support from male sex workers in Pattaya to rural parents in Thailand, CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY, VOL. 4, NO. 3, 297-315 Monk-Turner, E. and Turner, C. (December 23, 2009). Subjective Well-being Among Those Who Exchange Sex and Money, Yunnan, China and Thailand. Social Indicators Research 99: 13 Montgomery, H. (2001). Imposing rights?: A case study of child prostitution in Thailand. In: Cowan, Jane K.; Dembour, Marie-Benedicte and Wilson, Richard A. eds. Culture and rights: anthropological perspectives. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, pp. 80–101. The Nation (3 January 2004). Prostitution: More Thais selling sex, study finds U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy (February 25, 2009). Human rights, and labor. 18 March 2011 http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/eap/119058.htm Zinni, M. (6 January 2011) FBI: Man Sold Girl at Downtown Starbucks. Fox News. 18 March 2011 http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-news-sex-trafficking-eric-tutstone-arrest,0,7449812.story Read More