Sex workers have long been disapproved of in Thailand. Now they are calling for their billion-dollar industry to be recognised

It is hard to imagine, but Pattaya’s near-deserted “Walking Street” used to teem with revellers, as pulsating music filled the air and neon lights flashed until the early hours.

Before the pandemic, the coastal city south-east of Bangkok was a buzzing party scene, and was once described by the Lonely Planet travel guidebook as “an eye-popping sensory explosion”.

Today, bar stools sit atop dusty tables, the odd light bulb flickers and “For Rent” signs hang on bars, nightclubs and restaurants up and down the infamous red light district.

Crowds of tourists from all over the world have vanished – the only people around are a few locals heading home before the COVID-19 curfew kicks in.

For 42-year-old sex worker Dao, Pattaya has never looked this depressing.

“Pattaya was a ‘never sleep city’. There used to be so many people here, there was almost no space to stand,” Dao told the…