Know more about sex tourism in Thailand

New Delhi: For decades Bangkok has been a well known sex tourist destination for millions of men. Today, these include younger men from western countries and increasingly men from other Asian countries, in particular India.The scale and extent of sex for sale in Bangkok is mind boggling. There are many different types of sex operations offering a different range of specialist services from soapy massage to bars that offer oral sex to male customers or to use the vernacular term blow jobs. Though prostitution is illegal here and government is trying to curb it, but for many women in Thailand, there is not yet an economic alternative to an industry which plays an invisible but vital role at the very bottom of Thai society.Every night in Bangkok behind the neon scenes and the sounds of a bustling metropolis, hundreds of thousands of Thai women walk to work in the city's sex industry. The country has gained international notoriety among travellers from many countries as a sex tourism destination.In 2003, the Ministry of Justice considered legalising prostitution as an official occupation with health benefits and taxable income and held a public discussion on the topic. However, nothing further was done regarding the same.Prostitution is not a new phenomenon here, the history of prostitution in Thailand goes back at least six centuries. Thailand has an ancient, continuous tradition of legal texts, generally described under the heading of Dhammasattha literature , wherein prostitution is variously defined and universally banned. The most popular sex destination here is Pattaya. Pattaya is a popular beach resort, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand and 165 km southeast of Bangkok.The roots of the sex industry in Pattaya were established during the Vietnam War when US troops came here and lay claim to that kind of love.Another fundamental reason for this phenomenon is the location itself, moreover you can buy sex with a prostitute here for as little as $20.Thus it is quite affordable.Here most of the girls come from the Isaan region which is the poorest one in Thailand. Prostitution has been illegal in Thailand since 1960. This law established a monitoring sex workers system in order to prevent their mistreatment and to control the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Those who violate the law risk a fine of 1000 Baht or a jail term of one month. Here sex industry is supported by political circles through corruption. For instance Chuwit Kamolvisit was in 2005 elected to the Thai House of Representatives and at the same time considered by many as “a godfather of prostitution”. There are reports and instances too which states that politicians and police have been supporting the prostitution industry openly.Also there is part of society here, who are convinced that prostitution will always be a part of the social fabric of Thailand. The sexual urge of men is seen to be “a basic physiological need or instinct” which allows them to visit paid mistresses and their need of “an occasional variation in partners” reinforces the sex industry.