Postbag: Sex tourism hypocrisy

Postbag: Sex tourism hypocrisy

Mr Schertzer (Re: “Foreigners to blame”, PostBag, Jan 3) takes a lot of flak for his allegedly outrageous claim that sex tourism harms Thailand.

His detractors, by way of argument, offer examples of prostitution within other nations but disregard the fact that its legalised status in those nations makes it a well-regulated and fully-taxed occupation.

In Thailand, which, like it or not, is world renowned for prostitution by both sexes, the workers are forced into a fringe, illegal existence prone to extortion and the revenue is not shared with tax coffers, but forms a basis for corruption in all levels of society.

Many (usually) male visitors and foreign residents enjoy the benefits of inexpensive, readily available sex, but then castigate the very same mechanism that allows other forms of corruption to reduce a country that should be a leader in the region into a one-step forward, two-step back nation.

Christy K Sweet


Really, it’s huge

Re: “This is not right”, (PostBag, Jan 6).

George, you are right, what Steve Schertzer mentioned in his Jan 3 letter is a small part of the problem and inequalities are the root cause of social ills. But I disagree with your denying the scale of prostitution. I think it a little naïve to think that the letter of Jan 3 refers to Pattaya alone.

The Bangkok sex industry for foreigners is larger than Pattaya, and the industry for Thai men is many times larger. And this does not include the surrounding provinces of Thailand where Thai men are well catered for.

In addition, there is no tourist town or resort in Thailand that does not attract Thai women seeking to bolster their income (often for their children and family).

Few countries can match the scale and pervasiveness of the Thai sex industry, and there is probably no region of the world that does not have Thai women selling sex; this is well documented.

Yes, American soldiers (and officers) may have started the foreign invasion, but the Japanese, Germans and many others kept it going. And it seems that until today the supply can still just about meet the needs of the foreign and Thai men, with limited numbers of migrants. The inequalities of the 1970s have changed little in the 2000s.

Watson


Baddest on the block

I cannot speak for this year, but BBC World did a story four years ago on the worst countries for the sex trade.

They included everything imaginable. Thailand came out No.1 for the worst.

Brian
Samui


Push for equality

Paul Krugman (Opinion, Jan 3) had an interesting commentary about Thomas Piketty and his thoughts about inequality.

Piketty believes that modern capitalism leads to increased inequality in the world, and wants a wealth tax.

I would like to add a study from Sweden showing that the difference between corporate profits and workers’ wages continues to increase.

More equality is the only way to go to avoid further social tension, unrest and dysfunctional “democracies”.

We can only hope the government uses powerful means to make life more equal for Thais.

A Johnsen


Prepare for the worst

Re: “Driving tests are ‘too easy’” (BP, Jan 5).

When I took my defensive driving course, the first two things that we were taught were the following:

1. Assume that all o​ther road users are idiots.

​2. Always ​look for an escape route from an unexpected occurrence. 

In the advanced driving test in the UK, the driver had to provide a rolling commentary on what he was doing, thinking and observing.

I’m not sure if this is still the case.

Could you see the Thai system incorporating these proactive measures and being successful?

Bernie Hodges
Songkhla


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