The Thai military government is set to amend the country’s child protection laws in an attempt to strengthen penalties against those who engage in or facilitate sex tourism with underage prostitutes.
The move comes as Thailand continues to try and improve its image on the international stage and fight its reputation as a den for sex tourism, where some visitors come to have sex with minors.
Jiraporn Thongphon, a prominent Thailand criminal lawyer, notes that places like Pattaya and Phuket have long had a problem with child prostitution and sex trafficking.
Jintanun Chaya Suppamith, a spokesperson for the National Legislative Assembly, said the proposed bill is similar to child protection laws passed in other countries around the world as well as in other Southeast Asian nations, including in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines.
Jintanun states that harsher penalties are absolutely necessary to de-incentivize the types of tourists that come to Thailand looking to have sex with underage prostitutes.
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