New bill to legalise sex work proposed

The Thai government is drafting a bill to legalise sex work to protect sex workers from exploitation. The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) has proposed the bill, which will also limit the minimum age to provide or buy the service.

According to Narong Jaihan, a lecturer from the Faculty of Law at Thammasat University, sex workers under 20 will not be penalised, but legal action will be taken against business operators who employ them underage, as well as their parents.

“This bill will prevent sex workers from being exploited and ensure they will be given protection.”

The proposed bill would afford some regulation and protection of a swept-under-the-rug industry that thrives as one of Thailand’s worst-kept secrets. Fair compensation will be protected, with the payment for sex…