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It's not that the Thai people have no problem with the sex trade. Many do. The Thai I've spoken about it with — some of whom have themselves worked in, or have
by rosser 10y ago
It's not that the Thai people have no problem with the sex trade. Many do. The Thai I've spoken about it with — some of whom have themselves worked in, or have family in the sex trade — have consistently less sanguine attitudes than you seem to think.
Rather, it's that the Thai are more forgiving of their notion of a man's need to fuck everything he possibly can, coupled with an awareness of how much money sex tourism brings into the economy — even leaving aside the technically illegal direct exchanges of money for sex. Then there's the cultural attitude that money is money, however you get it; that, for many of the young country women that make up the overwhelming majority of the Thai sex trade, making a living on their backs is preferable to making a much lower living in a factory or on a farm; that many of these girls are actually supporting their families back in the country; the failures of the Thai educational system to turn out citizens, particularly women, who can get better jobs than those alternatives, and so on.
It's complicated. Ugly, and sometimes even evil, but complicated.
Also, be careful about those judgements. When I was in BKK, I dated a local woman. She owned a hair and nail salon, had a couple of employees, and everything. I can't count the number of times I saw other farang looking at us and, by the expressions on their faces, making the assumption that she was on the job.
It kinda sucks being on the receiving end of prejudice.
- ithinkinstereo 10y agoI get the sex-positive arguments for legal prostitution, but I think it's worth comparing Thailand's red-light scene with other countries like Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Australia, even the US in places where prostitution is legalized. Compared to these countries, Thailand's sex tourism scene seems far more seedy and exploitive. The the racial and economic aspects of it are especially alarming. > Also, be careful about those judgements. That's fair, but let's be reasonable here. Having traveled through S. East Asia extensively, the old/fat/ugly westerner with the young, lithe, Thai girl is a pretty common sight. Love is "blind" but let's not kid ourselves. The glares suck I'm sure, but they're more than justified (objectively speaking).
- dragonwriter 10y ago> Compared to these countries, Thailand's sex tourism scene seems far more seedy and exploitive. Compared to first world countries, commercial relationships (especially between first-world tourists and locals) in third-world countries often seem more seedy and exploitive. I think that's more about the inherent nature of relations across giant wealth and cultural gulfs than anything else. So, while it's not a good thing, I don't think it's anything special that that's true about the sex trade.
- quirkafleeg 10y ago> Having traveled through S. East Asia extensively, the old/fat/ugly westerner with the young, lithe, Thai girl is a pretty common sight. Love is "blind" but let's not kid ourselves. If the "young, lithe, Thai girl" (what a very creepy way to put it) is okay with such a (financial or otherwise) arrangement, why should it even concern you? > The glares suck I'm sure, but they're more than justified (objectively speaking). Objectively, you wouldn't give a shit what other people do.
- ithinkinstereo 10y agoHow do you define "okay with it"? I think you're purely looking at the it from an economic exchange / personal "consent" perspective, and removed from any sort of greater societal or economic context. > f the "young, lithe, Thai girl" (what a very creepy way to put it) is okay with such a (financial or otherwise) arrangement, why should it even concern you? No, what's creepy are the flocks of western men who travel each year to southeast asia for sex. Why not just spend it on local escorts? You ever think of that? Way to resort to ad hominem and totally miss the broader point. Like as if a comment on HN is more creepy than traveling thousands of miles to bed economically disadvantaged women/men/girls/boys. It concerns me because maybe I'm human and not a douche? I hope it concerns you to, but I guess as long as all parties are "okay" with it, anything goes. Fuck the global sex tourism industry, especially in third world countries.
- quirkafleeg 10y ago> No, what's creepy are the flocks of western men who travel each year to southeast asia for sex. What's creepy is visiting the red light areas of Thailand (and other countries around the world), as you admit you do, then protesting how "disgusting" you find it, while acting like you want to save the "young, lithe girls" of Thailand from (other) men. > Why not just spend it on local escorts? You ever think of that? Perhaps they're sexually attracted to people from Thailand? Ever think of that? Why do you visit red light areas in Thailand, rather than ones in your local area, particularly when you claim to be so disgusted by what happens in them? If you're so sure they're exploiting people in Thailand, why don't you care about them exploiting local escorts? And why do you keep talking about Western men? Don't you care about Asian, Arab or Thai men exploiting Thai people? > Way to resort to ad hominem and totally miss the broader point. Like as if a comment on HN is more creepy than traveling thousands of miles to bed economically disadvantaged women/men/girls/boys. Like because you imagine 99% of men (other men, of course, not you) go to Thailand for that reason it makes you and your choice of words, young, lithe Thai girls, not creepy.