Email this page

News & Updates

Trafficking of Thai Women to South Africa a Concern for Thai Officials

The trafficking of young Thai women who become the playthings of local men has increased to enormous proportions, the Thai government has said.

The shock statistics, which tell of a doubling in the trade of Thai sex workers to South Africa, comes as authorities prepare to deport a group of women arrested at a Durban club in 2006.

The 24 Thai nationals will be deported back to Thailand on Wednesday. This is after 22 women and two men pleaded guilty in the Durban regional court to contraventions of the Immigration Act. The women, in their mid-20s, also admitted they intended to have sex with the patrons of the "After Dark" Nightclub for money. They were arrested at a suspected brothel in Pinetown in December and at After Dark near Victoria Embankment.

The women entered into a plea bargain with the state and in a statement said they were destitute in their home country and came to South Africa to improve their financial situation. All the women arrived in the country on a month-long visitor's visa and took up accommodation at After Dark.

The women and two men, who are believed to be their "handlers", were sentenced to a fine of R10,000 or a three year prison term suspended for five years.

Jeerasak Pomsuwan, the First Secretary of the Royal Thai Embassy, confirmed that the sex trade from Thailand to SA had seen an alarming increase over the last two years. Pomsuwan said other countries, like Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Bahrain, faced similar problems. He explained that in South Africa, the Thai government faced two major problems in that the women come to SA without a visa for 30 days for tourism purposes and become easy prey for traffickers.

"SA still does not have the anti-human trafficking law, so prosecuting authorities have to utilise other legislation to prosecute the traffickers, which is not effective enough." He said the Thai embassy had been trying to propose the Memorandum of Understanding to fight human trafficking between SA and Thailand. Pomsuwan said the final draft of the document would be sent to the SA government soon.

"One reason Thai ladies come here is because they can access SA easily via the 30 days visa exemption. Another major reason is the demand, since Thai ladies with their good manners are wanted by the SA men. Once high demand exists it drives supply," he said.

Adapted from: "Thai sex trafficking 'doubles' in SA."  Independent Online. 9 April 2007. (Source: UNIAP Thailand)