Is this where I have to establish my creds? If so - here we go

[Taverner]

Back in 1992 I joined the US Peace Corps. My assignment: Go to Thailand and fight the AIDS crisis.

My job was to encourage safe sex, PERIOD.

At the time I was 21, and full of judgements.

I met lots of CSWs (Commercial Sex Workers.)

No, I did not employ their services. But I did talk with them.

Not just that, I LISTENED.

Many of them were not children sold into prostitution, as you may have read.

Many of them were College Students, looking to supplement income.

Some of them loved their work.

Some of them did not.

Those who did not, found new jobs.

Those who did, some of them continued past graduation.

It's hard in a country where $1 per hour was the standard wage, to turn down $50 per hour for better circumstances.

Every brothel had a 'Mamasan.'

Yes, that's EXACTLY what they called them.

The empress of the brothel. Usually she was a seasoned CSW, who knew both how to make a profit, and protect her 'children.'

If a customer got violent, they died. Seriously.

Police looked the other way, the courts looked another way.

Not all brothels were this way, but this was common.

The Mamasan usually charged 5% at most.

5% was enough to turn a profit and keep security high.

Yes, AIDS spread. Yes, many CSWs would not use a condom if the price were high enough.

Our job was to convince them to raise the price, to 5x the usual amount.

Usually, that would do it.

This was no different for Male CSWs.

Judge all you want, but if your goal is harm reduction, your solution is regulation.

[The Straight Story]

1. But could they smoke in bars and brothels?

;)

[Taverner]

3. LOL - OF COURSE THEY COULD

Unless it was marijuana

That stuff is dangerous, dontchya know?

[bluestateguy]

2. I think the Nevada model works best

Legalized, taxed and regulated.

[Taverner]

4. Certain counties do it right. Certain counties don't.

It's a county by county decision there

[LadyHawkAZ]

11. From the POV of a former worker

I don't care much for the brothel system that Nevada has (neither do a lot of workers, although I've known several who took to it and thrived). The set hours can be a problem for those with kids, families or spouses/SOs and the percentage system frankly sucks. If I had to make a choice I'd prefer something more along the lines of Pascha in Germany.

But yes, legalized, taxed and regulated is always going to be the best way to go.

[Poll_Blind]

5. I'm glad you worked so personally to help stop AIDS.

I have no real judgement of how your organization did it. I have traveled to some parts of the world but not to the East and not very extensively.

However, I have few illusions about the dismal state of affairs of this planet and how some gains are made on unfavorable terms.

PB

[Taverner]

6. This was a place where the CSW situation was particularly dismal

But even more dismal for a worker NOT in the Sex Industry

Wage Slavery is way worse than prostitution, let me tell you...

[defendandprotect]

7. And what impact did you find the US had on their societies?

"The Golden Triangle" --

[Taverner]

9. OMG - Don't get me started on that

Let me put it this way:

"Dark Alliance" from SJ Mercury, was all true. ALL OF IT.

[defendandprotect]

16. Right -- so this is a more a US created society than what Thailand may have wished for -- !!

[Taverner]

17. In some ways, yes. In some ways, no.

It's a weird relationship. The CIA, at least in the early 90s, was very present in Thai politics, culture and media. Since then, there has been some changes. The fact that they ousted the American Favorite (Thaksin) gives me hope.

The US Military had a huge presence in Thailand then - this too has changed...

But the drug trade was pretty much owned and operated by the CIA. This was obvious.

I assume this has not changed. Why would they jettison a good thing?

[defendandprotect]

18. US has been there pre-Vietnam -- way before Vietnam --

US will always be there watching the poppies grow -- !!

[Taverner]

19. Yep - That's what Air America was all about...

Shipping that Opium unit shifter to the US!

[SnohoDem]

8. Cred for what?

Is this related to another thread I missed?

BTW, it's nice to see a pretty accurate non hysterical assessment of the sex trade in Thailand. HIV is _still_ a problem, unfortunately.

[SnohoDem]

13. Oh, I think I found it... nt

[Response]

10. Did any of these CSWs know Neil Bush?

I hear that he made the rounds in Asia.

[Taverner]

14. That would not surprise me

Seriously, that would not surprise me

[Response]

15. I wonder how many Americans (men) take advantage of

these regions. One thing that I was reminded of from the divorce trial of Neil Bush was that he stated that "women would just show up at his door and he would have sex with them."

[Taverner]

20. You would be surprised how many women take advantage of those regions

Not the same numbers, but there were many women customers, of both Male and Female CSWs

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. well said