Even though prostitution is a common phenomenon in Thailand, the practice remains illegal in the country.
Legal scholars at the “Review of the prevention and suppression of prostitution laws project” seminar at Thammasat University argued that in order to keep sex workers safe, prostitution should be legalized and regulated by the Thai Department of Local Administration.
According to researcher and law professor Akawat Laowonsiri, regulation of the sex industry will keep women safe.
Sex workers in Thailand often deal with health problems such as sexually transmitted diseases in addition to violence and unfair pay in the workplace.
Laowonsiri says that removing the prohibition on prostitution and putting legal protections in place for sex workers is the best way to combat this.
He also stated that his research shows that legalizing prostitution does not necessarily lead to more prostitution and that the number of sex workers has steadily declined since the Vietnam War.
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