LatASIA

Many Money Boys (prostitutes) working in sex bars in Thailand are under age and therefore a huge risk to customers.It was good to be able to read in the Bangkok Post that the Thai police have arrested four pedophiles in Chon buri near to Pattaya, a popular sex tourist destination for Thais, other Asian and Caucasian men.

Malcolm Henry Payne (59) and Robert Alexander Horsman (45) of the United Kingdom, Robert Roy Lond (62) of the United States of America and Fritz Dieter Blattner (66) of Germany all face charges of sexual exploitation of children under 15, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail. Eknarin was also charged with procuring children for sex.

As well as being suspected of having sex with children, the police seized six large dildos, photos showing the suspects having sex with Thai boys, pornographic CDs and magazines, and a computer hard disk.

There are definitely signs that the Thai authorities are at long last cracking down on men in Thailand who have sex with children.There are reports of constant raids on tourist centres throughout Thailand, which is only to be welcomed if you share the concerns about child exploitation.

However, one of the oddities of the Thai system is that the bars that employ underage staff more often than not escape with a "slap on the wrist".  The corruption in the Thai system means that the police are not going to "take on" the powerful owners of these sleazy bars.  

Because of this, sex bars with underage staff are common.  The result is that these bars put customers at risk as they openly trade and offer child prostitutes.  If you are coming to Thailand then be aware that frequenting such bars and indulging in having sex with the underage boys and girls does put you at great risk.  Do not be fooled into thinking that children being freely offered for sex with customers means that it is OK.  IT IS NOT!!

Age of Consent

Thai law regarding the age at which sexual contact is acceptable can be confusing.  The age of consent is 15 BUT there are notable exceptions.  One of these exceptions is the prohibition of any sexual contact with a prostitute under eighteen (18) years old.  

And when it comes to defining prostitution, ANY compensation (including money, gifts, buying them a meal etc) will be seen as payment and therefore defined as prostitution.  As well as this, the parents of a minor can file charges, even if the act was consensual. 

In short, the authorities WILL prosecute any sexual contact with a minor who is under eighteen (18) years of age.

Don't Do It!

So, when you come to Thailand and someone tells you that the age of consent is 15 remember that, whilst this is technically true, there are no circumstances that make it OK to have sex with a person who is under the age of eighteen (18).

If you do indulge in sex with someone younger than 18 then you are putting yourself at great risk!  DO NOT DO IT!

Gary Puckett and the Union Gap

Gary Puckett and the Union Gap helped to tout the appeal of relations with young women who are not yet 18 with the hit song Young GirlPersonally, I have never understood why mature men are attracted to boys and girls.  I know that in our society we are subjected to a constant barrage of images through advertising, television and other media outlets that are turning kids into 'sex objects' and glamourising the idea of having contact with young woman in particular.  The Thai culture is very much the same in that they see youth as a precious and desirable commodity in their sex bars (most of which are aimed at local main, not tourists).

But for me, Gary Puckett had the right idea in his song "Young Girl" when he sent his girl packing before he did something that he knew he shouldn't do!

Playing it Safe

Best way to play it safe is to not go near a sex bar.  However if you are determined to have sexual contant with a young Thai guy or girl then there are sensible precautions to take.

The first is to realise that asking the boy his age is not a failsafe method.  Thais consider themselves to be a year older after the new year, NOT after their birthday.  So a boy may tell you that he is 18 and yet he is actually 17!  He is not necessarily lying if he says he is over 18. 

Every Thai has an ID card which has their age on it.  Ask to see the ID.  That Thai calendar is 543 years ahead of the Christian calendar.  So you need to subtract 543 from the year he was born to to determine the year he was born under the Christian calendar.  For example, if he was born in the Thai Buddhist year of 2534, taking away 543 will show that he was born in 1991 on the Christian calendar.  So he is 17 or perhaps 18! 

The other thing to do is to make sure that the boy hands in his ID at the hotel security (this is common in Thailand) so that they can check his age.  Hotels ask for the boy or girls ID card to protect you.  Theft from tourists is a common occurrence.

You Know It Makes Sense!

Canadian Peadophile Christopher Paul Neil was tracked down after posting pictures of himself abusing young Asian boys on the internet.So, after all of this, what am I saying?  Thailand is a wonderful country where you will find an endless supply of beautiful guys and girls to look at.  Just take a short trip on the Sky Train or sit in the food court of Siam Paragon to find out that I speak the truth.  You can have an enjoyable holiday and get to know many very nice locals in Thailand without having to frequent a sex bar.  But if you must have a prostitute and are determined to find a young boy or girl, then make sure that he/she is "legal" or else prepare yourself for an uncomfortable stay at the "Bangkok Hilton".