Thailand’s sex worker legal limbo - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service

The murder of a 17-year-old girl in the coastal city of Pattaya, allegedly by a 45-year-old Australian man has sparked a discussion about whether legalising sex work in Thailand could make it safer. Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM Tunchanok Donhomla’s body was found stuffed in a suitcase in late June near a railway track. The man accused of killing her, Simon Peter Carman, has been charged with murder and abducting a minor for indecent purposes, along with other charges. He has denied murder, claiming he acted in self-defence. The case has shone a spotlight on the precarious legal situation that Thailand’s large number of sex workers find themselves in. Despite being famous for having some of the world’s biggest red-light districts in cities like Bangkok and Pattaya, commercial prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand. Now advocates are pushing to change that, arguing that legalisation could better protect sex workers in future. Asia Specific host Mariko Oi speaks to Siromas Akrapongpanich, a child safety advocate from the Human Help Network based in Pattaya, and senior journalist Panisa Aemocha from the BBC Thai service. 00:00 Introduction 02:19 What does Human Help Network do in Pattaya? 03:09 Thai teen allegedly killed by an Australian man 04:55 What the suspect claimed after his arrest 05:44 How common are incidents like this in Pattaya and Bangkok? 06:33 Why did this happen if prostitution is illegal in Thailand? 07:48 What is legal and illegal about prostitution in Thailand? 09:17 How many people rely on sex work for a living? 10:36 How do people in Thailand view sex work? 12:13 What are the benefits of legalising prostitution? 14:09 Where does Thailand stand on changing the law? 16:05 Will Thailand legalise prostitution? Watch more episodes of Asia Specific here 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4c3njIxB0KHuO8SS2mBMtUc ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #thailand #thailandtravel #bangkok