Before coming to study in the UK, I was very interested in this topic. I enjoyed listening to people discuss it because I see it as an important social change in Thai society that should be addressed. There should be significant restructuring in society as well. As I mentioned before, most foreigners have a negative perception of Thai women or women from Southeast Asia, especially regarding the sex industry.
Since this video is in Thai, I will summarize the main points of the video in English to make it easier to understand.
- Men create the demand and supply.
- Thai society is one where one person earns money to support 3-4 people in a family.
- Families are in debt, which forces them to work to pay off the debt.
- Working abroad is seen as an escape or a survival option because the minimum wage in Thailand is not enough, but there’s no guarantee that the work abroad will be good or bad. However, there are no other choices available.
- In some European countries, prostitution is legal, but buying sex is illegal, leading to hidden sex work in other service businesses.
- Human trafficking processes are quite complex. If someone chooses to work abroad, it often results in more debt due to the various fees claimed by agencies that promise to help them secure illegal work.
- Poverty is the culprit. Poverty and obligations force people into certain situations.
- There is limited access to education.
- The country’s structure suppresses the poor and elevates the rich.
- Some hope to start a family, believing that marrying a foreigner will bring financial stability.
- People often go abroad for work based on recommendations from those close to them, which is often a false dream.
- Because prostitution is legal in other countries, human trafficking arises since it’s illegal in Thailand, but Thailand has the labor that foreigners demand.
- The gap between the poor and those in remote areas prevents access to information and warnings.
- Thai massage is a positive image that tourists like.
- People are often deceived by being told, “You will work in a Thai massage parlor.”
- The country’s main income comes from tourism, and many tourists come to buy services at tourist spots and entertainment venues.
- When there are no tourists, workers have to move within the country seasonally, but when there are no customers, they have to go abroad, such as to Singapore, Hong Kong, or Malaysia.
- People are willing to invest in moving abroad to increase their income and live comfortably.
- Parents feel pressured when they see others going abroad and doing well without knowing what kind of work they are doing.
- Often, the eldest sibling sacrifices for the family to give the younger ones a chance at education.
- This topic is not widely discussed in Thai society because it goes against traditions and customs.
- The structure of “gender inequality” pressures women into using their bodies as a means of exchange.