The Prostitution Business of Greater Mekong Subregion Women in Bangkok and the Adjacent Areas

This paper is a qualitative based research, conducting in-depth interviews with 18 subjects consisting of GMS prostitutes working in Bangkok and other relevant informants. The objectives of this research are to study characteristics of the prostitution business in Bangkok and the adjacent areas and to study dynamics of causes, motivation, and the processes of how GMS women entering the prostitution business in Bangkok. The research results show that the entertainment places secretly provide prostitution services in Bangkok and the adjacent areas run the business openly. GMS women and Thai women providing prostitution services is illegal in Thailand. GMS women travelling to Bangkok to provide the prostitution services come from Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, China, and Cambodia, respectively. Although the government takes strict action, the prostitution business cannot be completely eradicated. The most important problem is corruption of government officials in various areas. As for the recommendations, it is advised that there should be a study of international practices consisting of crime control models, especially elimination of corruption of government officials in various areas, legalization model, or decriminalization model in the offence of the prostitution service to study the models suitable for the current situations.