Thailand is a country enriched in tradition and culture; a place proud of their smilies and known for its friendliness. A mainly Buddhist culture, monks can be seen on the streets and buddha statues stare down from the hills. Behind the colorful picture, Thailand is also a place with many dark 
secrets, secrets that are both hidden and exposed. To put it bluntly, Thailand is a place about Sex. A destination for people to come for a “good time” and for women to make money. You see it all around. The playboy bunny emblem is everywhere (shirts included); and red light districts are quite active. In a place where statues are worshipped in temples on one corner, people find solace in a bottle and in a bed down the street. The sex industry boosts the economy, it brings in revenue from all over the world. It has become just another Trade.
Thai women, from poverty stricken villages (mainly from east Thailand), have dreams of marrying a foreign man to have a better life (an idea that has been taught to them). They sell their bodies every night, searching for love, searching for hope, searching for acceptance. Though some choose to do it, many women don’t have a choice. They are kidnapped and forced into this lifestyle or are simply bullyied into it (their vulnerability being played on). A number is placed on their shirt everynight and they stand in humility, as men choose them like they choose a piece of meat. The lives of these women’s families are threatened if they escape, and they are beaten down to make them feel worthless. Often times, these women will send all their money home to support their families.
The sex industry in Thailand is very popular among western business men and soldiers; but it is huge market to Thai men as well. Often these men will take on several prositutes at once; and it is estimated that 1/3 of Thai men will contract HIV. This lifestyle is introduced to them at a very young age. When boys are 12 years old, their fathers may take them to see a prostitute as a bonding experience. Many of them may eventually become a “ladyboy”, or a man who dresses up as a woman, and sells his body.
The sex trafficking industry brings in 35 Billion dollars a year.
It’s not just women and men, many of the slaves to the Sex industry are children. Girls as young as 5 years of age have been found in brothels; and their virginity may be sold 3 or 4 times. Rape, abuse, torture, starvation, confinement, learned drug addictions, STDs, HIV, forced abortions, miscarriages, post traumatic stress disorder, and shame are all a part of these victims lives. Children lose their childhood, dreams vanish, and hope seems so out of reach. It’s a sick industry and a sad part of this country…….of many countries even……. America.
27 million people are modern day slaves in the world, 1 million children are forced into the sex trade.
“Lord, you know the hopes of the hopeless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.” Psalm 10:17-18
