Institutional Construction of Prostitution in Thailand

In this chapter, the author aims to problematise how the prevalence of domestic prostitution and the sex tourism economy is institutionally constructed. First, the author explains how the weak law enforcement systems underpin the practice of domestic prostitution. The author notes that, since the 2000s, an increase in anti-prostitution police raids has been carried out to contain the prevailing commercial sex activities. However, to date, law enforcement operations remain inconsistent and insufficient. Second, and more importantly, the author identifies the police corruption deviant culture in Thailand. Here many arrested commercial sex workers or owners or managers of the brothels (and other sex-providing entertainment establishments like massage parlours, bars and karaoke) can easily be released by bribing law enforcement officials. The corruption culture hinders Thailand from deterring the provision of commercial sex services even if the law enforcement authorities carry out anti-prostitution operations. The author, therefore, visits the policy gaps of Thailand that propel the institutional construction of prostitution and suggests recommended policies to and interventions in alleviat(ing) the prevalence of prostitution by tightening law enforcement mechanisms and applying more close surveillance on the conduct of front-line law enforcement authorities to locate any corrupt police officers. The author also engages in the scholarly and policymaking discourse on how the Government can strengthen its governance in order to minimise the institutional constraints on curbing prostitution.