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fastmover
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Saturday, September 11, 2004
SINGAPORE
Book lifts the lid on Singapore's booming sex industry.
Best seller and US claims of trafficking put thriving business in the spotlight
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
One of the hottest-selling books in the Lion City these days is about trade - but it has nothing to do with Singapore's exports of semiconductors or petrochemicals.
Invisible Trade is a ground-breaking book on Singapore's sex industry, particularly high-class international prostitutes posing as "escorts" and catering to a global clientele with kinky tastes and money to burn.
The bestseller and a US government report on alleged trafficking of Asian women have turned the spotlight on a thriving business in a city state better known as a prudish, strictly controlled society.
Singapore last week rejected a US State Department report that it had a "significant trafficking problem" involving women and children, and no national action plan to tackle it. Indignant officials challenged Washington to prove its findings.
Contrary to its prim image, Singapore accepts prostitution as a legitimate profession as long as it happens behind closed doors and between adults.
"Governments around the world through the ages have tried to eradicate prostitution and brothels, but without success. As in many other countries, we adopt a pragmatic approach," a spokesman for the Singapore police said.
Foreign women working voluntarily in the sex trade cannot be arrested unless they are caught offering their services in the street or violate immigration and other laws.
And since the legal age of sexual consent is 16, any girls in the industry between 16 and 18 are not classified as child prostitutes in Singapore, as they would be in other countries.
"We confine prostitution to certain areas, and take enforcement action against prostitutes who solicit in public, and pimps who force women into prostitution," the police spokesman added.
Invisible Trade was written by Singaporean author Gerrie Lim, a former US-based music journalist who interviewed call girls, agents and other players in the sex trade.
The book opens with a graphic account of a regular customer who flies in from Tokyo and phones an escort agency from Changi Airport to ask for his favourite Mongolian woman, who charges US$350 an hour, to be sent to a luxury hotel.
With 800,000 foreign workers and professionals, many of them men living on their own, plus seven million visitors a year, Singapore boasts a multi-tiered sex industry that caters to a wide range of budgets.
The Geylang district has brightly lit and clearly identifiable brothels, with licensed Asian prostitutes catering to local men and foreign workers.
For expatriates and travellers, a building along swank Orchard Road nicknamed "Four Floors of Whores" is the place to meet women for hire at nightclubs, where terms are negotiated over drinks for eventual trysts elsewhere in the city.
And for those seeking more discreet liaisons, "escorts" are available at hourly rates. More than 100 escort agencies are listed in the Singapore telephone directory, offering male and female companionship.
"It has sold beyond our expectations," said Philip Tatham, managing director of Lim's publisher Monsoon Books.
"People are interested in what's going on."
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:04 pm on Sep. 10, 2004
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bkkz
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"Foreign women working voluntarily in the sex trade cannot be arrested unless they are caught offering their services in the street or violate immigration and other laws."
Reminds me of all the different nationals that could be had in the city fo sin. Damn you FM, I think I'll have to start a new forum... can't have this kinda stuff here. Alright, watch out for SINtonite.com, HKGtonite.com, SZXtonite.com...
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 7:46 pm on Sep. 10, 2004
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ThaidUp
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Quote: from bkkz on 7:46 am on Sep. 11, 2004
"Foreign women working voluntarily in the sex trade cannot be arrested unless they are caught offering their services in the street or violate immigration and other laws."
Reminds me of all the different nationals that could be had in the city fo sin. Damn you FM, I think I'll have to start a new forum... can't have this kinda stuff here. Alright, watch out for SINtonite.com, HKGtonite.com, SZXtonite.com...
How about SINCitytonite.com
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:28 pm on Sep. 10, 2004
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bkkz
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Just trying to be consistent here. Since I started with BKK for Bangkok... I guess it was just logical to use SIN for Singapore; HKG - Hong Kong and SZX - ShenZhen. And more to come. I was thinking of SGtonite.com though.
If all fails, I have asiatonite.com. 
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 5:01 am on Sep. 11, 2004
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fastmover
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I wonder, is there any rights involved with the 3 letter city codes such as BKK? Does IATA have some use restrictions?
I wasn't aware of the liberal non-arrest law that applies to foreign girls. That is a particular tasty bit of info. But the trouble with such books is that they stir up the politicos looking for a platform from which to attract attention.
BK....asiatonite sounds cool, with multiple city click-throughs for the forum of your choice. The heart and arteries.
Edit: See below...a reasonable point of concern. Is there a solution?
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 5:49 am on Sep. 11, 2004
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MaximusNaughtinus
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BK, do you really want that arsehole, whom shall remain nameless, in vading more forums, up to you. But the old saying, glutton for punishment comes to mind.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 5:55 am on Sep. 11, 2004
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bkkz
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It will be on shared membership (I have worked that out already)... that means, if you are not a member in bkkx.com you can't post in those other forums. So, you have to behave here.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:24 am on Sep. 11, 2004
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bkkz
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"there will be a fair bit of competition from the likes of sammyboy.com"
That's an understatement for sure. Anyway, SINtonite.com is meant to help orgranize BKKtonite's already cluttered information. If it becomes successful so be it.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:02 am on Sep. 11, 2004
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ParadiseSeeker
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sammyboy is a bit more local oriented, where this thread gets more expats. I've looked through it, just find this place more useful for me. Besides, I have trouble with the local shortening of words.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 8:39 am on Sep. 11, 2004
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bkkz
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ParadiseSeeker, just like this forum there will be a Language section which we can hopefully deal with Singlish.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 10:51 am on Sep. 11, 2004
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