Homepage > Thai Youth Issues > More students selling sex for extra cash

Date: June 12, 2001, Bangkok Post

Usual excuse is need to fend for oneself during hard times

Penchan Charoensutthipan

Some cash-strapped students have turned to prostitution to earn extra money, a seminar was told.

Graduate students of Rajabhat Institute Suan Dusit organised a seminar over the weekend and invited student prostitutes, customers and sex service operators.

They suggested the setting up of education loan funds with fewer loan conditions, a reduction in tuition fees, employment services for students and measures to strengthen families.

Most of the students turned to prostitution because they needed the money, but they didn't all need the money for the same reasons.

Some came from broken homes and needed to support themselves, some needed cash to pay tuition fees, while others just wanted to be able to afford luxury items.

Ms Few, a student, told the seminar she had to pay 400 baht a day in tuition fees and other expenses.

She said she was happy to be a part-time prostitute because the money was usually good regardless of the economic situation.

"It is a real good source of money. My earnings were never affected,even during the economic crisis," she said.

Another student, Noi, said she was drawn into the sex industry by a friend who showed her it was an easy way to make money.

"It is for my education, apartment rent and personal expenses," shesaid.

Ann, an undergraduate student who entered the sex industry three months ago, said she needed money for tuition fees and could not get help from the education loan funds.

"My father stopped supporting my family when he found a new wife. I don't want to do this but there are no choices," she said.

"I want money from the education loan fund. I've told them my needs but I've never been able to get a loan," she said.

A second-year vocational college student said tuition fees were skyrocketting so fast many students who already had financial problems could not afford them.

She said tuition should be free for poor students and insisted she could support herself if relieved of tuition fee burdens.

"I don't want much help from society. It isn't a good job but it isn't that bad either."

She tried to get a part-time job to support herself but said most employers only wanted full-time workers.

Waew, a procurer, insisted it all boiled down to financial problems and said he did not consider prostitution to be a social problem.

"Everybody wants and needs money. It isn't a social problem. There is no forced prostitution," he said.

The best way to tackle the problem was to deal with the customers, hesaid.

"We didn't hire them to sleep with those girls. In fact, they haveto pay for sex. If they don't come to us, we don't provide them with sex," he said.

Aye, from Patpong, said most girls enter the sex trade of their own free will and choose the job to support their luxurious lifestyles.

"Parents should take better care of them. Give them love and care, not just money," she said.

Maitree, who procured sex through the Internet, said he used the service six times and found all the girls were students.

Supong Pathompreechakul, the owner of the Internet service,said the media should be more responsible and stop running sex advertisements.

"It is all about conscience and courage," he said.

A recent poll found under 35% of 3,197 respondents felt the authorities did little to curb prostitution among students.

About 39% said students needed money for their education while 28% said they needed cash to support their luxurious lifestyles.

Just under half were concerned about the spread of Aids among students and the remainder were worriedabout the students' career prospects and the image of the educational institutions.