"We don't know if we will survive" say Thai Sex Workers in Chonburi

[latintopxxx]

...lots of people here displaying their real personalities...not a nice thing I ight add. I cant imagine what its like to be hungry and homeless...as for not saving up for a rainy dat....who would have imagined that in this modern era that a pandemic would cripple the world and defeat modern medicine...sounds like a 2nd rate hollywood movie...

[goji]

Do you really believe that farmers and others in Thailand/Cambodia/Laos have it so good?

Well on average, clearly not. However, there probably are successful farmers in Thailand, judging by the vehicles and machinery they run.

The poorest people are not likely to be the farmers but those who don't even have a farm.

[gerefan2]

...who would have imagined that in this modern era that a pandemic would cripple the world and defeat modern medicine...sounds like a 2nd rate hollywood movie...

I don’t believe for one minute the “PANDEMIC crippled the world”.

The worlds reaction is the problem.

[gerefan2]

The poorest people are not likely to be the farmers but those who don't even have a farm.

Most of the Thai boys I knew in Pattaya have returned to the “Farm”. Often it is to their villages and homes where they can get somewhere to sleep and something to eat. From their Facebook profiles most have some sort of work. Whilst not as well off as in Pattaya, at least their future is somewhat secure.

The ones with the biggest problem (and there are a lot of them) are the boys from neighbouring countries who are still in town. For various reasons they cannot return to their countries and are stuck in Pattaya with no income and at risk of being unable to pay for accommodation and food.

For example one guy I know is not Thai. He seems to have no Visa, no bank account, no money and when I sometimes “help” him I have to send it to one of his Thai colleagues. He is well and truly trapped in Pattaya.

[Dodger]

It’s no mystery that that Thailand’s sex workers, who rely heavily on foreign tourism to sustain their livelihoods, have been decimated by this pandemic. For the “working boys” that we all know and cherish, working in the sex industry provides them with access to livable salaries that would not be otherwise available unless they had higher levels of education or social connections, which most of them lack.

Without almost no support whatsoever from the government, the sex workers are simply left to fend for themselves. A few of the posters here have the opinion that they should have simply returned home to work on the family farm, or sought employment elsewhere when this pandemic hit, which, in my opinion, is a bit short-sighted.

To put this in perspective, a high percentage of the working boys come from impoverished rural areas in Thailand, including the Isaan region. The average farming household in Isaan owns less than 10 rai of farmland, where half of the farming households earn annual incomes below Thailand’s poverty line of 32,000 baht. Sad - but true.

To a western way of thinking, it’s just logical that a working boy would simply hop a bus and go home during these lockdowns, but if the family he’s returning to doesn’t have enough food to feed themselves, this could place additional hardship on the family which some boys would prefer avoiding – even if the alternative means they don’t have a place to eat or sleep. Some boys have large enough families where accommodations can be made, but not all of them are this fortunate.

As far as them having the option to just find somewhere else to work. This option is only available to a very small percentage of the “boys” due to their lack of education, skills, experience, and social connections. The unemployment rate in Thailand has literally doubled since January, 2020, and there simply aren’t enough jobs available for anyone at this juncture.

Another factor that impacts the ability of an unemployed sex worker to find alternative employment is the lack of a “support system”. Those coming from good families, with supportive parents and others on the family structure who can provide guidance and support through tough times like this is also a scarcity in many Thai families, especially in the impoverished rural regions. This is something that I believe a lot of westerners take for granted which leads to these types of misperceptions.

In Summary:

Looking through western eyes: They should simply go home or find another job.

In Reality: That’s sometimes impossible.

What should we do: Practice being compassionate and understanding, and thank God that we have life so much better.

[arsenal]

And to add to Dodgers piece is of course the fact than many boys actually send money home.

[Armando]

This is all a bit harsh. Everyone makes choices in life. I am tired of everyone saying the sex workers have no other option in life. That is pure bs.

You suggest that there are plenty of jobs out there for those who want them. With respect that has to be absolute bs! According to the World Bank tourism in Thailand generated US$100 billion in 2018. Withdraw a vast amount of that and inevitably Thailand is going through a major economic crisis.

Approx. 6 million Thais worked directly in the tourism industry. A large percentage of these Thais are out of work and there is no work available for others in their businesses. Indirect employment? I have no idea, but having seen the number of shops closed in Bangkok, on videos posted on this site and spoken to friends in different parts of the country, it is perfectly obvious that a great many other jobs have disappeared. So if there are several million out there looking for work, Iam sure those sex workers whose jobs have all but disappeared and whose eduction level is likely to be pretty low would love to hear from your niece where they are going to find jobs? If she is so sure, perhaps she could make her billions by setting up an employment agency. But the fact is that in August 2021 those jobs are a mirage. A fiction. They don't exist.

The comparison between 1997 and 2001 is also not comparable. The situation is now "far worse" compared to various analysts and experts -

Thailand is in the midst of the greatest financial and economic crisis in modern times.

Bank of Thailand Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput was already on record even before the current outbreak took off in mid-June, as indicating that this crisis, because of its prolonged nature and continued uncertainty, represents a bigger one than the Financial Crisis of 1997.

The situation for the domestic economy is made even worse by the continued growth in household and, on a wider scale, private sector debt which the central bank now regards as its greatest priority

https://trusteer.secure.force.com/PK...alling-Rapport

[Armando]

Apologies - computer problem caused a wrong attribution. The quote in the previous post comes here -
https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-ne...n-1997-crisis/

[goji]

For example one guy I know is not Thai. He seems to have no Visa, no bank account, no money and when I sometimes “help” him I have to send it to one of his Thai colleagues. He is well and truly trapped in Pattaya.

Now there's a point.

For example, getting a passport in Cambodia costs $135 & takes 44~55 days. Faster services are available, such as 3 days for $380. This is ridiculously expensive for citizens of a country like Cambodia, meaning a lot of "working capital" is required just to start working in Pattaya. Of course, in normal times they can offer their services on the apps in Cambodia to fund this. That could be difficult now.

A Lao passport costs $50 and takes 10 working days. Much more reasonable.

ALL of the lads I meet in Thailand had passports or ID cards on the day we first met. No surprise, since I need proof of age unless they are clearly over 18. Some have bank accounts, including Lao & Khmer citizens. One opened a bank account after I told him to keep going to other branches until one opened an account, just like I did.

Anyone who doesn't have a passport is in a most unfortunate situation. I can't see this working well in the long term, as once they are too old for the current profession, getting a job without any form of ID will be difficult.

The only boy I know who has asked me to send money during the pandemic is one who has several farang sending money and he seems to spend it on clubbing etc.
None of the others have requested money or even hinted at it by suggesting times are hard or anything like that.

[aussie]

In Summary:

Looking through western eyes: They should simply go home or find another job.

In Reality: That’s sometimes impossible.

What should we do: Practice being compassionate and understanding, and thank God that we have life so much better.

Adding to Dodger's observations:

At this stage of the pandemic some Thai boys are being told by their families not to return home in the countryside because the family is afraid that their son will be bringing Covid back with with them. I have a friend who recently returned to Isaan, only to be told to stay away by his family and he ended up sleeping in a tent in a rice field with siblings dropping off food nearby. He will probably have to return to Pattaya.

As to finding a job, employers like many of the department stores and others require a certified level of education. Before Covid, some of the Thai boys who worked in bars were attending school on Sundays to get a certificate so that they could apply for these jobs. Along came Covid, the schools have only been open occasionally and their hopes of finding a job have been put on hold indefinitely.