Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - May 29, 2003
Aphaluck Bhatiasevi
The finding challenged the conventional thinking that men with family were not interested in sex with male prostitutes, said Suporn Koetsawang, president of the Reproductive Health for Quality of Life Development Association.
Mr Suporn found 42% of customers were homosexual and supposedly heterosexual men, and that more women were buying sex.
"Another interesting point is that not only homosexual men visit male sex workers, but also men who have wives and children," he said.
The research on the male sex business in Bangkok was supported by the United Nations Population Fund and based on interviews of 100 sex workers employed in bars, cocktail lounges, karaoke lounges, saunas, massage clubs and dancing cocktail lounges.
In-depth discussions with three focus groups were held from August 2001 to November 2002.
Dr Suporn, a professor at Siriraj hospital's obstetrics and gynaecology department, said he was worried that married men with families who bought sex could endanger the family unit.
Almost half the male customers were businessmen, followed by government officials and people in the sex entertainment industry.
Nearly half the women buying sex were businesswomen, followed by women in the sex industry. A minority were government officials and politicians.
Despite working in the sex industry, many sex workers bought sex themselves "because many feel stressed at work and want to release their stress among others in a similar manner."
He raised concerns about the health of sex workers and visitors because they did not always use condoms.
Rapeepun Jommaroeng of the Thai Red Cross Aids Research Centre said government efforts to suppress the sex trade had driven sex workers to look for customers in public places rather than entertainment outlets.
"Many also avoid the use of condoms for fear they will be used as police evidence," he said.
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