Why are there so many prostitutes in Thailand?

June 2, 2017 - Reading time: 5 minutes

The short answer to this question is of course “money”. It has been said that Thai culture itself is in part to blame for the flourishing trade of prostitution inside Thailand; Thai women do not enjoy selling themselves more than any other race of women. Let’s take a look at one theory.

A lot of foreigners come to Thailand and gain a false impression of Thai ladies. I have often spoken to foreigners that think Thai ladies are promiscuous, or "easy". Outside of the beer bars, outside the go-go clubs and red light districts, this could not be further from the truth. Thai culture is very reserved.

Children are taught not to ask questions and not to do things which will cause their family to lose face. This is carried through into relationships. It is generally not accepted for an unmarried Thai couple to live together. Until they have legitimized the relationship through marriage it is definitely not acceptable for a Thai couple to have sex.

Many foreign people visiting Thailand have no idea that this is the case, as tourists tend to hang around the red light districts, which gives them a somewhat false perception of the country. Most people, be they Asian, white, black or green, have relationships through their adolescence. And when you’re 18 or 19, you’re convinced that you love this person, and that they’re the one.

Back in Western countries these young romances would play out and fizzle away over time, in Thailand this is often not the case. In Thailand it is not usually possible for two young people to have a meaningful relationship without marriage. How well can you really get to know someone without living together? The pressures of keeping face mean there is no choice but to get married or break off their romance.

Now we have a young Thai couple, head over heels in love, that have got married to each other. After the dowry is paid and shown off to the neighbourhood, after the expensive ceremony, they can move in together and make a life. Usually the groom’s family will have paid a significant amount of money for the dowry (or sin sod), as well as for the ceremony itself.

A typical dowry payment in Thailand is 500,000 — 1,000,000 THB. This does not include the cost of the ceremony itself.

With low wages in the country, often the groom's family will take out hefty loans to pay for their marriage, which are sometimes paid back over a number of years by the groom or his family.

There will be pressure on both the bride and the groom to continue this relationship. If the relationship ends quickly they will both lose face, and the groom will lose a whole lot of money. In many cases it is only after the couple have lived together for a period of time that they realize their relationship is not working.

Until they are married they aren’t granted the opportunity to live together. Of course, soon after getting married many couples will find themselves expecting a baby. Very often these young romances break off by the stage the couple have been married for a handful of years. The children from the marriage traditionally go to the ladies’ grandparents, if they weren’t there already, for them to be looked after while the couple works. Child support payments are uncommon in Thailand.

Many times the ex-wife will refuse money as child support, for the sake of not wanting to lose face or appear dependent on her ex-husband. Many women in Thailand are also not legally entitled to child support. Women in Thailand are usually responsible for supporting their whole families. Even if you have 4 sons and 1 daughter, your daughter has to send you money for your food and water. The sons are not responsible for sending money to their parents in traditional Thai culture. It has been claimed that the reserved, traditional Thai culture creates an environment that is a conveyor belt for single mothers with no financial support.

It can leave women with children that they need to support, as well as supporting their parents and themselves. It is hard to support an entire family of people on the Thai minimum wage of 350 THB per day. Think about it, could you feed yourself, pay rent, feed your parents and feed your children with just 350 THB per day?

For many women in this situation prostitution can be one of the few ways they're able to earn good amounts of money. Not all Thai people’s lives play out like this, all situations are different, and many relationships are not conventional. This is just one theory on why there are so many prostitutes in Thailand.

Next time you’re in Thailand, ask the ladies that you meet in bars if they have children. Some will lie as they know having children is not seen as a desirable trait. If you start to become involved with a Thai lady, ask her, how many mouths is she feeding? This will give you an idea about her financial state and perhaps why she has decided to sell her body.