Thailand

The governing statute is the Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act B.E. 2539 (1996), which criminalizes soliciting in public (s.5), associating in a prostitution establishment (s.6), advertising sexual services, and procuring or managing prostitution. Sex workers themselves face relatively light penalties (up to 1 month and/or 1,000 THB), while procurers, venue owners, and anyone "subsisting on the earnings of a prostitute" face years to life under s.286 of the Penal Code. Buying sex from an adult is not itself a crime, but sex with a person aged 15–17 in a prostitution establishment is punishable by up to 3 years (s.8); offences involving under-15s are far heavier. A Ministry of Social Development and Human Security draft to repeal the 1996 Act was finalised in March 2023; in July 2024 the SWING Foundation submitted a citizen-initiated repeal proposal backed by 14,484 voters; in March 2025 Empower convened a forum pushing the Sex Work Protection Bill — but as of mid-2025 none of these bills had reached the House agenda, and the 1996 Act remains in force.

Bangkok (Patpong, Nana, Soi Cowboy), Pattaya, Phuket (Patong/Bangla Road), and Chiang Mai operate huge bar, GoGo, karaoke, and "soapy" massage ecosystems licensed under the Entertainment Places Act B.E. 2509 (1966), which permits "service partners" while not formally authorising prostitution. Police bribery, "tea money", and selective enforcement are widely documented by Human Rights Watch and academic studies; licensed venues largely operate undisturbed while raids target unlicensed shops, street workers, and foreigners. 2025–2026 saw high-profile Pattaya Beach sweeps — the December 2025 "Soi Phee Maprao" operation detained 13–20+ African and Eastern European women, and a February 2026 Pattaya "image-cleanup" raid drew further scrutiny. Critics describe these raids as PR exercises that leave the licensed bar economy intact.

The Computer Crime Act B.E. 2550 (2007), substantially amended in 2017, criminalizes content deemed against "public order or good morals", with a Computer Data Screening Committee empowered to order takedowns and penalties of up to 5 years' imprisonment and 100,000 THB fines under s.14. Pornography is explicitly illegal and routinely blocked; intermediaries must remove flagged sexual content within 24 hours under the December 2022 decree. The Cybersecurity Act B.E. 2562 (2019) gives broad data-access powers, and Thailand has used customs/immigration phone inspections in past crackdowns — assume any explicit content, client lists, or escort-platform apps on a phone could become evidence.

Foreign sex work on a tourist visa is grounds for arrest, fines, immediate visa revocation, deportation, and blacklisting from re-entry — Pattaya sweeps in 2024–2026 have repeatedly targeted Ugandan, Uzbek, Madagascan, Rwandan, and Eastern European women specifically. Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, and Chiang Mai are the largest hubs, but they are also where immigration cooperates most closely with Tourist Police. Thai workers face less aggressive enforcement than foreigners but are not immune. Independent/incall via apartment or hotel is the lower-visibility route, but hotels and condo juristic offices can and do report suspected sex work to police. Bottom line: a single arrest typically ends the trip and any future travel to Thailand.

Smooci operates in Thailand and is the dominant escort-directory app for Bangkok/Pattaya/Phuket. Telegram channels are the lowest-friction direct-marketing channel and are not effectively blocked. Twitter/X remains usable for soft promotion. Pornhub and many overt adult sites are blocked under the CCA; explicit advertising on Thai-hosted platforms is a takedown/criminal risk under s.14.

• Empower Foundation — sex-worker-led NGO (Patpong, Chiang Mai, Patong)
• SWING (Service Workers in Group) Foundation
• Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) — Thailand members