Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[NIRUT DEERAJVISET]

In my opinion, prostitution should be banned and remain illegal in Thai society for several reasons. It is morally wrong, illegally wrong, and people don�t agree.
First, prostitution can lead to many sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS. If prostitution is legalized, the prostitutes will be more likely to spread sexually transmitted diseases to their customers. A large number of people will die from these diseases. Prostitution can also lead to several social problems such as drugs. Moreover, the number of pimps, teenage prostitutes, and streetwalkers will increase.
Second, it destroys a good culture and tradition of Thailand. According to the five commandments of the Buddha, the Buddhist laity is not allowed to misbehave about kama or have a wrong carnal desire. Polygamy is morally wrong. People should have only one wife or husband except in case of death or divorce.
Finally, prostitution destroys the good image of Thailand. Foreigners will think negatively about Thailand if the government makes prostitution legally and independently. Businessmen and travelers might not want to establish business or visit and travel in Thailand and this can decrease the income of the country in term of tourism and business.
Although prostitution is accepted by some groups or society, I still decide that it is not a good thing as prostitution can lead to many problems. Therefore, I absolutely disagree with legalizing prostitution in Thailand.

[kimiko]

I agree with Thai government should ban an illegal prostitution from Thailand for several reasons. First, nowadays we can find out may headers of newspaper about Thai students are having sex frequently and early. This huge problem causing from a number of prostitution. Second, if you has ever seen " nong natt " , you should know that. it's an example for this problem and it can motivate many parents to pay attention to their children and disscus about it. moreover, it increases many social problems such as drugs,diseases,pimps and a number of teen prostitutes.Finally, it can make a bad image of Thailand to the foreigners. Thay will think negative of Thailand if the government makes prostitution legally. We may lose travelers and businessmen to visit and make an investment or travel. This can cause to decrease the income in term of foreigners.In brief, I think that prostitution is not good thing to legalize because thay can lead many social problems.Even if some groups are agree with legalizing prostitution.

[IbeLongtoMe]

You said: "In my opinion, prostitution should be banned and remain illegal in Thai society for several reasons. It is morally wrong, illegally wrong, and people don�t agree. "

In fact, prostitution is by far, more than a thousand centuries years old...and is more stigmatized in Western nations than it does in the context of Thailand itself. So to say, people don't agree is rejecting that certain others may agree. Not that I am for it, the government is corrupted any ways, so the end result is the exploitation of women.

Secondly, what makes you think that Prostitution, if legalized will not deter the spread of AIDS, while illegal at the present moment, Thailand has one of the highest HIV rates in the world due to the fact that it is underground, illegal, and widely unregulated. legalizing prostitution may be a solution to an ever pandemic solution. And how will you know that it isn't already tolerated in Thai society. Although today, it is seen as an immoral occupation, it was and has been widely accepted in Thai society fue to the traditions of its given context.

I believe that although it is up to your own opinions, no one person can make a value judgement or pertain to something, in which they have very little knowledge of, or have never experienced to what these women go through. I am like you, who would like to help their situation but in no way, am i to judge the morality of what constitutes as a good or bad profession, we have to at least give them some dignity as human beings--whther forced or whether or not they chose this lifestyle.

And I'd hate to break your bubble of the perfect society, but Thailand has to be eliminated: every society is a victim to social, political, and religious change no matter how one wishes to preserve it...in order to endeavor upon a global, more modernized world plan, something's got to give. We are seeing this cost-benefit notion being taken into a course of action as we speak--the global sex trade inmdustry, with Thai women as the commodities of expolitation.

As for the negative views of Thai people, its country, its nation and the identity of its women...who do you think gave such an ethnocentric and ignorant view of them--if it is not the farang or the westerners that travelled for them? Perceptions or misperceptions will always be there unless the Thai government will acknowledge this as a problem and step up into the global forum and advocate change: whether it is debunking misconceptions of a whole national identity, or educating the Thai women so they will not go astray from Buddha's laity.

I will therefore, conclude that you must not judge a profession given the morals that you were taught and re-evaluate your judgement to include cultural relativity--though it is hard and sometimes conflicting to your own views, it is, nonetheless, these stifgmatized views of Prostitution that further exacerbates how they perceive themselves, how one judges the whole lot of Prostitutes--they are good people, only if you would allow yourself to look past the labels they were drawn into.

One more thing: I believe that it is a capitalist society, the corruption of the Thai government and the further misconceptions of that ignorant foreigner that makes the whole industry the way it is today. I'm also not excluding that Thai women themselves are to blame as well...but consider those who have no choice in a system that only widens the gap between the rich and the poor, the unprivileged person with no means of employment will turn to that industry or be tricked into it.

In response to Kimiko: if these Thai students (I'm assuming they are not prostitutes and are over the age) are having sex, shouldn't it be up to those two consenting adults whether or not they can or cannot have sex? And why ban the illegal prostitution? Is it not those fsarang that are coming across the globe to the underground exploitations of these women? Is it not them who are the perpetrators of this act you deem to be so vile that it should be banned?

Kimiko states that "if legalized, we will lose a lot of foreign treavellers and it will decrease our income." I think you are missing some part of the puzzle here, isn't it about time they stopped coming to Thailand borders just to fulfill their carnal desires for sexual satisfaction?? The escape the moralities of their situations at home to an accepted, widely affordable cheap sex. Haven't the Thai officials and western travellers reaped enough benefits from those who are sexually exploited for these purposes? If prostitution remains illegal, then prostitutes are the ones to blame for committing to it, however, it takes two to mingle with the law. Instead, westerners are just given a warning or they have to pay some finances and they are freed while the prostitute receives the iron whip from the whole ordeal. Is this what you constitute as fairness? And please do not give me the "life's not fair crap," I've heard it too many times and is aware of its connotations. If one does wishes to build upon a solution to the prostitution dilemma, shouldn't one invetigate the power players of the Sex Trade industry, and not merely just the followers of it?

That is all, i promise. Ciao everyone. I have changed the nature of my topic...I always do that. Forgive! lol