While many of the third world nations of South East Asia such as Indonesia are attempting to modernize and are recruiting factory jobs, the nation of Thailand has received very little foreign capital. This lack of a definitive internal manufacturing or business sector within the country has forced tourism and service to become the primary industry the Thai economy is based upon. Tourism acts as Thailand's main source of foreign exchange.

To lure visitors Thailand, and its largest city, Bangkok, make every attempt to cater to the desires of international tourists. While Bangkok boasts cheap hotels, shopping and other amenities perspective travelers look for, its sex industry is what gives it its distinction. Bangkok has gained the reputation as a "Sin City" with red ligh

The attitude of the Thai people toward sex is yet another reason the industry goes on in Thailand. Even though the sex industry is based on tourism, many Thai men also frequent these houses of prostitution. Prostitution has existed in Thailand since the days of British colonialism and over the years has been incorporation into the general Thai culture.

As perverse as the flesh trade is in Bangkok, unfortunately it remains necessary. The people of Thailand simply have no other choices. The majority of the population consists of poor rural farmers who have found it increasingly difficult to support themselves solely on their crop alone. Many of them are forced to sell their daughters to the pimps of Bangkok just to put food on their table (Phongpaichit 1982, 74). As the daughters prostitute themselves in the city, portions of their earnings are sent to their families each month. Earnings sent home can average about 2,000 Baht a month (Phongpaichit 1982, 23). While selling your daughter into prostitution sounds horrific to the ears of the American observer, it is more often becoming a regular occurrence.

Regardless of one's personal feelings toward prostitution, today it is a fact of Thai life. Presently the people have few other alternatives to choose from and a government with little interest in stopping the spread of prostitution. As long as the Thai economy remains underdeveloped and men are still willing to fly across the world to get sex, I see no end to Thailand as a destination for sex tourism.

Many countries are

Some common words found in the essay are:
Asia Prosecutors, Europe America, Sin City, Asia Indonesia, , Thailand It's, sex industry, thai economy, sex trade, thai government, sex tourism, thai people, based tourism, sex offenders, phongpaichit 1982, earnings sent,
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Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)