More Thais entering sex trade despite improving economy

The number of people entering Thailand's booming sex trade rose by 50,000 in 2003 despite an improving economy and the government's war on poverty, a report has cited a survey as showing.

Chulalongkorn University political science professor Nitet Tinnakul said some 2.8 million Thais, including women, men and children, served as sex workers throughout the country from 1999 to 2002, the Nation newspaper said.

About 800,000 of them were under 18 years of age, it said, though the report did not provide comparative annual figures for the industry.

Nitet reportedly listed the number of sex service outlets at 60,000.

"If we judge by the rising number of sex service venues, I believe the number of prostitutes is much higher," Nitet was quoted as saying.

"The increase of sex services shows that the government's war against poverty is not effective."

He said 33.9 percent of prostitutes had entered the trade because they had no other form of work, while the rest turned to prostitution to supplement their income.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has vowed to eradicate poverty within six years.

The survey was based on interviews with sex workers, the paper said, adding that Nitet supported the legalisation of Thailand's sex industry.

The opinion jibed with that of Thai prostitutes and academics who gathered last month at a government-organised debate and said they strongly opposed legalising the nation's sex industry, arguing it would increase child exploitation and lure more women to the trade.

An expert at the debate said the experience of Western countries which decriminalised prostitution showed that trafficking in humans destined to be sold into the sex trade had exploded as a result, with child prostitution numbers tripling.

The Thai government has been keen to stamp out Bangkok's image as a sex tourism destination, and has launched a crackdown which ordered bars and other entertainment venues closed at 2:00 am.