"No Other Choice": A Baseline Study on the Vulnerabilities of Males in the Sex Trade in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Davis, Jarrett; Glotfelty, Elliot J.; Miles, Glenn

doi:10.23860/dignity.2017.02.04.10

Cited by 8 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…Examining the circumstances of sexually exploited boys in the entertainment industry in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Davis et al . () also found migration to be a notable risk factor for exploitation, with 39 per cent of their study sample reporting being born in Myanmar. This study elucidated the interplay of the entertainment industry in Chiang Mai and the sexual exploitation of boys; boys were found to be working as masseurs in karaoke bars, or in a ‘freelance’ capacity providing services to clients at various entertainment establishments.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

The Trafficking of Children in the Greater Mekong Region: A Review of Recent Literature

Tsai

Dichter

2019

Child Abuse Review

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This review focuses on the literature on child trafficking in the Greater Mekong Region (GMR) in the last decade, as an update to Rafferty's (2007) review. The research is primarily organised into several main themes: public health implications, the trafficking of boys, cross‐border trafficking, the changing context and venues in which trafficking occurs, and trafficking in lesser‐studied regions of the GMR. The research reveals that children who are trafficked experience physical symptoms of abuse, sexually transmitted infections, mental health sequelae and substance abuse. Emerging research on the trafficking of boys elucidates relevant cultural issues, describing exploitation in street‐based and establishment‐based venues. Recent work describing children who are exploited in the Thai‐Cambodian border region reveals economic depression as a driver for migration into the area and high rates of violence. The literature also describes a shift in trafficking venues in Cambodia from brothels to entertainment venues. Much of the research to date has been conducted in Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand, and there is preliminary research from the Lao People's Democratic Republic, but much remains unknown about trafficking in other GMR countries. Further research is required to identify the interactions of trafficked children in the GMR with healthcare settings, and, more specifically, to understand the medical implications of trafficking. Key Practitioner Messages Children trafficked in the GMR experience health consequences as a result of exploitation. Venues for trafficking in the GMR are shifting from brothels to off‐site and entertainment venues as a consequence of governments and local authorities increasing legal enforcement. Boys in the GMR are vulnerable to trafficking. Children who migrate for work in the GMR are vulnerable to trafficking. A trauma‐informed approach and a heightened level of awareness for a history of trafficking are important for practitioners caring for patients from the GMR.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

The Trafficking of Children in the Greater Mekong Region: A Review of Recent Literature

Tsai

Dichter

2019

Child Abuse Review

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“…This paper is based on a detailed technical document under an identical name, "Same Same but Different" published by Love146 and Dton Naam (April 2016). This is part of a series of research projects listening to survivors of sexual exploitation in SE Asia (Miles and Alsiyao, 2019;Davis et al, 2017), and twinned to another similar TG study in Phnom Penh (Davis and Miles, 2018).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Same same, but different”

Davis¹,

Miles

Quinley³

2019

IJSSP

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Purpose This paper is a part of a series of papers seeking insight into a holistic perspective into the lives, experiences and vulnerabilities of male-to-female transgender persons (from here on referred to as “transgender persons”/“Ladyboys”) within the sex industry in Southeast Asia. “Ladyboy” in Thai context specifically refers to the cultural subgroup, rather than the person’s gender identity and is not seen as an offensive term. Among the minimal studies that have been conducted, the majority have focused on sexual health and the likelihood of contracting or spreading HIV/AIDS, while often ignoring the possibility of other vulnerabilities. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The study interviews 60 transgender persons working within red light areas of Bangkok. The final research instrument was a questionnaire of 11 sub-themes, containing both multiple choice and open-ended questions. Findings This study found that 81 percent of participants had entered the sex industry due to financial necessity. There was also a high vulnerability among transgender sex workers to physical and sexual violence. This includes nearly a quarter (24 percent) who cite being forced to have sex and 26 percent who cite physical assault within the last 12 months. Social implications These findings can aid the development of programs and social services that address the needs of ladyboys, looking beyond gender expression and social identity to meet needs and vulnerabilities that often go overlooked. Originality/value This survey provides deeper understanding of the vulnerability of transgender sex workers, including their trajectory into sex work and potential alternatives.

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“…Individuals without access to basic government services and support will remain the most vulnerable to the sex industry, particularly ethnic minorities and migrants. Men, women, and children are all susceptible to sex trafficking (Davis et al, 2016(Davis et al, , 2017U.S. Department of State, 2018), and providing the general public and the most vulnerable individuals opportunity and protections such as minimum wage, state-issued IDs, and work permits in traditional labor sectors would make substantial progress in curbing sex trafficking and the sex industry.…”

Section: Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Males who purchase sex from other males or transwomen 11 while traveling may do so because of stigmas associated with homosexuality in their home countries (Mao, Tang, Liu, Wong, Tang, Wei, & Tucker, 2018;Winter & King, 2011). Despite prevalence throughout Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines, the locations where these preferential buyers (i.e., men seeking sex with men) purchase sex are largely not noticed by tourists, existing outside well-known red-light districts as shown in one research report (Chiang Mai, Thailand, in Davis, Glotfelty, & Miles, 2017). Men often engage in the sex industry out of loneliness, or a quest for companionship, or they may see themselves as a "white knight" provider for an individual selling sex; purchasing sex is seen as providing valuable income to an otherwise helpless person (Garrick, 2005;Sommer Miller, Miles, & Havey, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

(S)expectations Abroad: Male Traveler Interactions With Southeast Asian Economies

Glotfelty¹,

Miles²

2018

Dignity

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Interacting with locals is a highlight of the tourism experience; however, these interactions may be accompanied by unsolicited propositions for the traveler to participate in the sex industry. Through the lens of Thailand's largely visible sex industry, this work addresses issues of tourism and travel intertwined with the sex industry in greater Southeast Asia. Governments, a variety of businesses and individuals benefiting financially from a burgeoning sex tourism industry encourage persistence of a viable local sex trade. Although subtleties exist between human trafficking, the sex industry, and sex tourism, each can be intertwined. This article provides an overview of the Southeast Asian sex industry followed by my (Elliot Glotfelty) personal experience witnessing child sex trafficking during an otherwise normal tourist excursion in Vientiane, Laos. During the drive back from the early evening trip, my driver offered to join me for a beer and made stops at a karaoke bar and beer shop, which turned out to be thinly veiled brothels. Having worked on human trafficking research in Thailand during the prior months, I recognized the situation into which I had stumbled. I was soon encouraged to purchase sex from multiple women and girls and therefore given an unexpected insight into local interaction with sex establishments. I was clear that I did not want to partake/buy anyone and extracted myself as soon as possible to get back to my guesthouse. My driver entered these spaces and seemed to know some of the girls inside and treated the situation with casualness. Local buyers of sex, such as my driver, are largely responsible for perpetuation of sex economies, though tourists have historically driven and remain important sources of income for many individuals, including businesses not directly associated with the sex industry. The goal of this article is to bring more awareness to child/human sexual exploitation and how tourists, specifically men, interact with the economies where it is prevalent. Focus on male buyers of sex throughout this piece is not intended to imply that women do not buy sex or engage in sex tourism. Recommendations for ethical tourism practices and possible policy interventions are provided at the end of the article.

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"No Other Choice": A Baseline Study on the Vulnerabilities of Males in the Sex Trade in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

The Trafficking of Children in the Greater Mekong Region: A Review of Recent Literature

The Trafficking of Children in the Greater Mekong Region: A Review of Recent Literature

“Same same, but different”

(S)expectations Abroad: Male Traveler Interactions With Southeast Asian Economies

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