Sex Trafficking in Thailand

Introduction 

Thailand is a leading source and transit country for children, men, and women that are subjected to sexual slavery and sex trafficking in the globe. The country’s relatively high economic prospects attract migrants from various countries such as Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Burma, who are fleeing poverty and military oppression. The existence of significant illegal immigration presents human traffickers with a chance to defraud and force undocumented migrants in sexual exploitation and coerced servitude (Deckr et al., 2011). The trafficking of people in Thailand happens mainly for forced labor and sexual servitude. The problem is not only restricted to migrants; as Thai nationals are also trafficked to various countries for sexual reasons. Apart from being a destination for tourists and merrymaker, Thailand is infamous for forced labor, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation of minors. Approximately 600 000 trafficked victims exist in the country. The majority of the stated number is children trafficked for various reasons that include sexual servitude. The trafficking of children for sexual exploitation purposes remains a leading reason for trafficking in the country.  

Sex Trafficking 

Thailand is home to immigrants, including legal and illegal immigrants. The immigrants are natives of that came from Lao, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Thailand is home to approximately four million immigrants who move therein mainly for economic reasons. A formidable number of immigrants are stateless, making them vulnerable to traffickers and sex predators. It is worth noting that labor immigration to Thailand has been on the rise for more than two decades and continues to rise. In 2018, Thailand recorded nearly 622 recorded cases of human trafficking, 60 percent of whom are women who are labour trafficked and for sex trade ( Reuters, 2020). The majority of the people trafficked for sexual purposes are not only foreigners but also Thai nationals who are deceived and coerced into sexual exploitation. It involves an international ring that traffics victims to other countries for sexual purposes.  

Thailand has a memorandum of understanding with countries such as Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia that establishes a channel of legal, labor migration. The process of legal migration is quite expensive, complex and tedious, forcing people to resort to short cuts in the bid to beat the system. The difficulty to enter Thailand does not mainly because of the hurdles imposed by the Thai government, buts some also arise from the country of origin. For instance, it is difficult is an intricate and tiresome process to apply for a passport in Myanmar. Additionally, many ethnic minorities it is impossible to obtain a passport. The inefficient and ineffective immigration policies and regulations continue to put the immigrant from the neighboring countries at an uncertain legal status that is exploited by sex traffickers.  

The most vulnerable people to sex trafficking in Thailand are ethnic minorities and migrant workers. Such people are vulnerable to sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Apart from being a destination for trafficked individuals, the country also acts as a transit country through which the traffickers use to transport their victims to various destinations across the globe, particularly to destinations across South East Asia ( Thomson Reuters Foundation, 2019). For the mentioned reason, Thailand remains the supplier of trafficked individuals, mostly Chinese nationals, to Bangkok. Sex trafficking victims from different countries such as North Korea, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Vietnam usually pass through Thailand en route to Russia, the United States, Western Europe, and Singapore (Bernstein & Shih, 2014). The Thai government’s performance in reducing or stopping cases of trafficking has been underwhelming since it does not comply with the set minimum standards aimed at eliminating human trafficking. The government’s non-commitment to pass laws to deal with the menace of trafficking further gives the traffickers the leeway to continue with the illegal business. Furthermore, the failure to implement the existing laws by the government is also a weak link that the traffickers exploit. For instance, the government failed to implement the Comprehensive Anti-Trafficking Law passed in 2007, further weakening the fight against trafficking.  

Preventive Measures 

Based on information and data by the Thai Ministry of Public Health, nearly 120,000 people worked in the Thai sex industry as at July 2017 ( Kobler, 2017) . This trend necessitates serious preventive measures if it were to be reversed. The main objective of the preventive mechanisms put in place by the government and non-governmental organizations seek to minimize the risk of people being trafficked for sexual and labor reasons, which the most common reasons for trafficking in Thailand. Minimizing the risk is a strategy often employed by countries that lack the legal and criminal justice system that is capable of combating trafficking. Thailand belongs in that category. Occasional police raids aimed at shutting down brothels and sex dens constitute the primary strategy employed by the Thai government to reduce domestic demand for child sex tourism and commercial sex. Additionally, the government has partnered with various non-profit organizations to raise awareness through campaigns. The campaigns majorly target tourists in to reduce sex tourism and prostitution of children. The corporation of the Thai government with various foreign governments and agencies to arrest and deport foreigners found guilty of engaging in sex tourism. The procurement of minors for sex is a severe offence in Thailand that may attract life imprisonment. Despite the measures put in place, sex trafficking, especially, child prostitution is still a significant challenge in Thailand.  

Conclusion 

Thailand is one of the leading human trafficking destination and transit point in the world. The traffickers take advantage of the country’s weak criminal justice system to traffic individuals who are vulnerable from the neighboring countries and use them for sexual servitude. Sex tourism that is still thriving in the country is the reasons why child sex trafficking is prevalent in the country. Draconian immigration laws both within and in the neighboring countries make the migrants and immigrants vulnerable to traffickers who take advantage of their situations. The reluctance by the government to enact and implement comprehensive anti-trafficking policies and strategies make the country a haven for traffickers. The country needs to invest in measures that will protect the vulnerable inhabitants, especially children, from sex trafficking.  

References 

Bernstein, E., & Shih, E. (2014). The Erotic of Authenticity: Sex Trafficking and “Reality Tourism” In Thailand. Social Politics, 21 (3), 430-460. 

Deckr, M. R., McCauley, H. L., Phuengsamran, D., Janyam, S., & Silverman, J. G. (2011). Sex Trafficking, Sexual Risk, Sexually Transmitted Infection and Reproductive Health Among Female Sex Workers in Thailand. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 65 (4), 334-339. 

Kobler, A. (30 Jul 2017). Escaping The Clutches of Sex Trafficking in Thailand. Aljazeera . Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/07/escaping-clutches-sex-trafficking-thailand-170730071208339.html 

Reuters. (7 Jan 2020). Thailand Hit by Record Number of Human Trafficking Cases. The Guardian . Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/07/thailand-hit-by-record-number-of-human-trafficking-cases 

Thomson Reuters Foundation. (25 Sep, 2019). Inside The Thai Bars Where ‘Child Entertainers’ Are Trafficked and Put to Work. South China Morning Post. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3079396/coronavirus-singapore-teens-charged-public-nuisance