Abstract:
The objective of this study was to study prostitution by female immigrant workers at
Samut Sakorn Province. The motivation to enter Thailand to work in the sex trade included
conditions that pushed such female immigrant workers into prostitution. Qualitative research was
the main research method employed in the study. Data collection was through in-depth
interviews with 15 female immigrant workers in Samut Sakorn Province.
The study found that all female sex workers were from poor families and broken homes,
which included households having a lot of debt. The main motivation to conduct sex trade work
was to get money for themselves and their families, including getting the opportunity to travel to
Thailand. These females had entered the country from Laos via the Thai Friendship Bridges in
Nong Khai Province, Mukdahan Province, and Chong Mek in Ubon Ratchathani Province. They
entered Thailand by using a temporary border pass, with the passport of the traveler, and typically
made illegal border crossings by boat to leave. As for their way of life, the brothel workers would
rent a room near their work, and usually worked from 8.00 p.m. until 2.00 a.m. Average
earnings from prostitution were about 25,000 baht per month. The money was kept for private
use, including sending it home to their families. As for leisure time, they always spent much of
their time relaxing in the room and selecting clothing in department stores or local markets. Such
women always took care of their diet and exercise, including getting health checks every two to
three months. In terms of planning for the future, they reported that they had mostly worked as
prostitutes, and wanted to continue such work until they could no longer continue. They planned
to return to Laos and take their money from the sale of their sex services to establish such
businesses as beauty shops, groceries and food stores, as well as taking their funds to loan in
Laos. Some of the women wanted to marry Thai men as their husbands in order to become
permanent legal residents in the country.
The recommendations are that the State should take measures to impose surveillance in
Samut Sakorn and arrest foreign women who engage in prostitution by selling sexual services.