Although Thailand, as compared to the United States, receives the lion’s share of press coverage concerning prostitution and sex tourism, cases such as that of John Paul St. Marie of Minneapolis continue to show that there is a lucrative, and thriving, sex industry in the USA as well.
Lawyers, if you’re interested in new side business ventures…this case might be an example of what NOT to pursue.
St. Marie was a former assistant Hennepin County attorney, who was disbarred on Monday for running a prostitution ring and setting up appointments with prostitutes for his “nice guy” acquaintances. Apparently he hand-picked customers that could pay top dollar prices, and that he considered safe.
In Thailand, the sex industry scene is probably more visible than the United States. However, the difference seems more cultural: Thailand’s sex industry seems to have less of the sleaziness and criminality associated with it than prostitution in the USA. Nevertheless, both countries have criminalized prostitution.
Although Thailand has gained international notoriety for the sex tourism scene, there are more many other activities ways that Thailand has been attracting foreign visitors in recent years. Golf and scuba diving are the obvious pasttimes. However, Thailand has also become an international center for yoga training and meditation. On the other end of the physical spectrum, legions of extreme sport enthusiasts have flocked to Thailand for Muay Thai training and MMA mixed martial arts training. Thailand recently hosted the third International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament.
Yoga
Thailand is a hotspot for yoga enthusiasts, for both complete beginners and long-time practitioners alike. You can find a class for any type of yoga, offered in multiple locations and for varying (sometimes free) prices, throughout Thailand. Thailand, being in such close proximity to India, can reliably be considered an original “source” when you wish to learn an ancient practice that helps one balance their mental and spiritual well being. For more a general overview of yoga and resources on yoga, check out the Yoga Portal site.
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The promotion of the sex trade in Thailand has been given a boost by Google banner ads. How do you legislate this when there are individuals within the country who are perfectly willing to cheapen an otherwise family oriented site with ads for pornographic chat rooms and mail order brides? I followed the development of polo as a sport in Thailand for nearly ten years. I had hoped that the development of beautiful clubs, organization of local teams, riding lessons etc. would bring in additional, and more importantly, legal tourist revenue. One website also had an emphasis on women in polo which I believed offered positive role models for girls in Thailand. This same site now makes money every time someone clicks on the image of a half-naked girl. Olympic ideals of equality, fair play, practice and hard work may have become a little tarnished over the years but it is still something to strive for in a developing nation. Regardless of what you think of prostitution, a demarcation line needs to be drawn so that its promotion isn’t creeping into our everyday lives via internet advertisements. Adjusting what you say or do not say in a blog to not ‘trigger’ the emergence of these ads is social engineering on the part of Google. Enticement of the public’s acceptance of the sex trade via ad income becomes a violation of my civil liberties due to this herd instinct which is taking place. Just because something is prevalent doesn’t make it right.
this is one of the dark sides of thailand but no place is perfect!