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Sauron
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The US is criticizing Thailand for "not doing enough" to stem transnational trafficking in women and (supposedly) children for prostitution.
The US presently has Thailand on a "tier 2" watchlist, and is supposed to be considering downgrading Thailand to "tier 3" which by law would mean imposition of economic sanctions and other punitive measures.
This annual review process is similar to the (in my opinion stupid) system employed by the US Trade Representative to batter Thailand over intellectual property disputes.
The media reports are claiming that "200,000 woman and children" have been smuggled from unspecified neighboring countries into or through Thailand for prostitution.
I THINK THAT NUMBER IS PREPOSTEROUS AND HAS NO BASIS IN FACT.
It probably has been spoonfed by NGOs with agendas of their own, to the media, who will regurgitate it eternally but never examine it critically.
WHAT women and children from WHICH neighboring countries and HOW MANY of them and for WHAT other purposes than for prostituton, perhaps?
1. Cambodia? Illegal migratory workers yes, prostitutes negligible, children negligible -- except IN Cambodia, not Cambodians smuggled into Thailand. One sees illegal Cambodian MEN working illegally here. Women? Children? No.
2. Vietnamese? In Cambodia.
3. Lao? Very few. Like the 35 yr old working at the abnam on Patpong, who has a work permit and a visa -- was she smuggled? No.
4. Malaysia? No.
5. Burma? There are Burmese minorities is refugee camps along the Thai border and have been so long that many refugee dependents have been born in Thailand and are now adults. Were they SMUGGLED? No.
6. China. Huge numbers of Chinese MEN illegally migrate as transnational labor, mostly through Cambodia where they are provided with false documentation. WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH PROSTITUTION?
Small numbers of Chinese women mostly from Yunnan are smuggled into Thailand for prostitution. While this is reprehensible, the numbers involved do not REMOTELY justify ham fisted "gunboat" diplomacy e.g. economic sanctions be applied by the USA.
WHAT HORSESHIT!!
I would like to see the Thai government suppress "smuggling" of Thai women to Singapore, Japan, Europe etc for prostitution, BUT as many of us know this is easier said than done. "Smuggling" in this sense means a girl gets a passport (real) and a visa (real) and an airplane ticket (real) and flies somewhere, but instead of being a tourist she is being a prostitute.
(Is the US bashing Singapore for operating Gaylang and engaging in transnational trafficking in women for prostitution? Well they ought to be!!)
Legitimate Thai tourists have enough trouble getting visas as it is, so let's not add another layer of Thai bureaucracy to this.
I would like to see all the "russian prostitutes" (who mostly aren't Russian) out of here. The official wink and nudge and payoff for "special work permits" are embarassments to the Kingdom and feed the coffers of the wrong people in both countries. OK. Close the loopholes and ENFORCE THE LAWS.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:11 am on Mar. 16, 2003
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JIMMY D
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For all you "Brothers" who doubt C.J.
Take a long hard look at his post.
That is why he is the top man on this forum.
Respect is owed.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 10:12 am on Mar. 16, 2003
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texasfarang
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As you say Russia, Isbykistan, Kirgystan, Kazhikstan, etc..are trafficing in prostitution in the Middle East at an alarming rate. In the UAE the Russian Embassy is nothing more than a state sponsored pimp.
I've only been to Thailand twice, once for business and once for pleasure. To the naive traveler I can see how they could get the idea that the sex trade is out of control.
Is it any worse in Tiajuana Mexico, Rio Brazil, or Costa Rica. In my opinion NO because i've traveled to all of those places. You can get the same sexual fantasies in those places just as cheap. The girls come from all over South America to those places. Supposedly Texas has a closed border but you can build and manuf. in Texas at a fraction of the cost than in other states in the US because of the illegal Mexican labor market.
I prefer the TG's and the overall culture in Thailand. Most places I travel to I give the old "Nice place to visit would'nt want to live there", in Thailand I think I would seriously consider living there.
As you say it is politics but the media really loves to pump and hype these type of stories about Thailand and even moreso the Philippines. Is there a specific report you are referencing that is on the web ? It's not that I doubt what you are saying but I would like to know their sources.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 10:31 am on Mar. 16, 2003
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craigoz
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Sauron,
They, the US should also look in their own back yard -South Korea, where they openly allow the Filipinos to be smuggled in, to service their USAF forces members in Osan. 50m away from their base entrance.
Its a repeat of Angeles but on a much smaller scale.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 5:17 pm on Mar. 16, 2003
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Ballsburstin
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Sounds to me like it's inspired by more angry western women (hmm, maybe a good name for a thrash rock band?)... have bumped into more than a few of them in SEA, in NGO's and by themsleves, spreading their own brand of "sanuuk."
- Balls
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 5:42 pm on Mar. 16, 2003
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Sauron
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The post I made is based on a front page "article" in the Bangkok Post on Saturday 15 March.
THE US EMBASSY sent the threat of downgrading Thailand to Tier 3 to the (Thai Parliament) House Committee on Women, Children and the Elderly.
The article is available on the Post website under "Recent Issues" but anyway here it is:
"TRANSNATIONAL CRIME
US says Thais doing too little to stamp out human trafficking
Bangkok's status may be demoted to Tier 3
Apiradee Treerutkuarkul and Saritdet Marukatat
The United States is considering downgrading Thailand's status due to the kingdom's lacklustre efforts to stamp out human trafficking.
Washington's concerns were conveyed in a letter from the US embassy in Bangkok to the House committee on women, children and the elderly, said panel chairwoman Lalita Ruerksamran.
The letter cited as Washington's prime concerns human trafficking and gangsters who sent Thai prostitutes to other Asian and European countries. Downgrading Thailand's status would harm the country's credibility, she said.
About 200,000 women and children from neighbouring countries have been smuggled into Thailand for the sex trade.
Thailand is ranked in the so-called Tier 2 of the US 2002 trafficking act, meaning it has not met minimum standards in fighting human trafficking. It was now in danger of being demoted to Tier 3, and that could lead to economic measures being applied to put pressure on Thailand to seriously tackle the problem, she said.
The letter was sent to the House panel as US agencies in Washington are reviewing the performance of countries on record as having trafficking problems.
The report, which measures countries' prevention, protection and prosecution, will be released in June, a US embassy spokesman said yesterday.
Thailand has been criticised by US lawmakers for its inability to take legal action against traffickers.
Concerned about a possible downgrading, the panel has forwarded the embassy's letter to national police chief Sant Sarutanond, urging law enforcement authorities to curb the problem and to deploy police with clean records to ensure they do not become involved with smugglers.
``We have to do something to revive our country's image,'' Ms Lalita said.
Pol Maj-Gen Suwat Chanittikul, of the Central Investigation Bureau, told the House panel on Thursday that police had already acknowledged America's concern.
Pol Gen Sant had assigned the bureau more responsibility and demanded that police across the country work harder and report information on the sex trade to the bureau in an effort to maintain the kingdom's credibility, he said."
Now, I understand US concerns over intellectual property rights because the US is way out in front on software, music and movies. (Even though I think on the software side, the "losses" are deliberately and vastly overstated and that the REAL losses are so small, they are not worth squabbling over on a G to G basis.
But for the life of me I don't see what legitimate US interest their is in alleged smuggling of prostitutes from Country A to Country B where neither is the USA.
That's the US being a Global Mother In Law.
The only exception I would make is where substantial monies are being made by organized criminal societies that do have some US activity, such as the Yakuza, the triads and the Russian Mafia. I do not see any of this going on in Thailand, except for the inbound Russian/CIS trafficking, but I already made my views plain about that. The Russian mob is certainly making money on the supply side, as are corrupt bureaucrats in Moscow, and Bangkok, particularly in visa sections and work permit offices and the Police Immigration Bureau. Come on, Pol Gen SANT, clean up your own house first.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:15 pm on Mar. 16, 2003
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Sauron
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Craigoz, what's wrong with the Korean girls? Too good to be whores anymore? I would have thought that the Filipinas in S.Korea around US bases (like Osan AFB) were Army wives -- same as the filipinas in the GI bars in Okinawa.
For that matter, isn't the USN in Pattaya now? Shame on them for fraternizing with those poor innocent Thai maidens, all certified virgins till the "squids" showed up.
(NOT!)
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:22 pm on Mar. 16, 2003
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Sauron
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Jimmy D, I do not consider myself the top man on this forum.
BK is THE Man on this forum.
I'm just one of the many admirers of BK. We all bask in the warmth of his corpulence. (No, I dunno what I means either but I heard Geoffrey Chaucer use this line in the film A KNIGHT's TALE and it sounded good.)
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:26 pm on Mar. 16, 2003
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Hermanolobo
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There have been negative stories in the British press about Thailand too. Some are justified.
There does seem to be a bit of Thailand bashing from the 'holier than thou' brigade. Who are often the biggest hypocrits. Bangkok seems a lot safer than London these days. Lot warmer too.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 11:56 am on Mar. 19, 2003
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