In Thailand, prostitution is technically illegal. It is said to be contradictory to public orders and good morals of the Buddhist country. People who is opposing legalization of prostitution said that it also promotes adultery and human trafficking. A law governing this matter is the ‘Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act 1996’. This act prohibits public inducement for the purpose of prostitution, any publication advertising thereof, procurement/seduction/taking away of a person for the purpose thereof regardless of consent. Association with another person in a prostitution establishment for the purpose of prostitution of oneself or another person is punishable, as well as the owner/manager of such an establishment. Therefore, Thai prostitutes can never enjoy the rights like other workers. They work under a lawless environment, no holiday pay, minimum wage, sick leave or break time.  

 

 

The effects of the prohibition bring discussion to our society. Some people express that prohibiting prostitution is appropriate as Thailand is a Buddhist country and such an act is contradictory to good morals of Buddhism rules and it also promotes adultery, human trafficking, unintended pregnancy. However, people who disagree with the prohibition describe that the effects of such prohibition cause difficulties to sex workers. Firstly, sex workers who are willing to do sex works shall not be labeled as criminals. Secondly, it contrasts with the main principle of civil law, which is private autonomy, in other words, self-determination. Moreover, the Prostitution Act is too ambiguous and gives too much power to the authorities in order to interpret the situation and the law by themselves in deciding whether the sex workers shall be fined or act contrary to the law or not. Another serious concerns are the way authorities arrest the sex workers in an abusive manner, luring them, violating human’s privacy.

 

         

The movements also added that, regarding the abolishment of the Prostitution Act, if the authority concerns about human trafficking issues, Thailand also has the specific Act preventing human trafficking, criminal code, and Children Protection Act which could solve the problem far more straightforward than the Prostitution Act.

         

Additionally, it should be noted that decriminalization is different from legalization. Legalization requires criteria or sex work license in order to be a legal sex worker, so if someone did not conform with the criteria or have no license, they would be left out, not protected by the law, and could be deemed as criminal. On the other hand, decriminalization causes sex workers not to be treated as criminals, and they will be protected.