Mai, a 14-year-old girl in Thailand, saw her dream job realized when she received an opportunity to be an online product reviewer. She wanted to grow her follower count and hoped this job could lead to modeling. One day, an organization offered her a job and asked for bikini pictures, claiming they wanted to send her clothes that fit her body type.

Someone picked her up to take her to the office to start her new job. Instead, the driver took her to a hotel, where a predator raped her. The traffickers took compromising photos of Mai and used them to blackmail her into enduring more abuse. They threatened to release the photos to her family on Facebook if she went to the police. Mai eventually sought help by going to the police, who brought in agents from Destiny Rescue. The agents helped Mai with her case, brought her traffickers to justice and helped Mai work through her trauma.

Sex Trafficking in Thailand

Sex trafficking remains a concerning issue in Thailand. As technology has advanced, sexual exploitation has expanded into the online space where predators increasingly target vulnerable children. In 2022, Disrupting Harm Thailand reported that an estimated 400,000 children ages 12 to 17 experienced sexual exploitation online in one year alone. In most cases, the perpetrator already knew the child, and sometimes they are family members or friends.

Individuals most vulnerable to predators often come from a background of poverty. In Thailand, a large number of individuals who end up in the sex industry are from Isaan, the poorest region in the country. The Northeast region’s poverty rate stood at 10.3% in 2019, and average household income in the region was around $216 a month as of 2018, according to World Bank data. Constant pressure to work and provide for their families makes many individuals more vulnerable to abusers. Showing these individuals that other paths exist, and providing adequate support to affected people, is therefore essential.

Many organizations working against sex trafficking point to flaws in the legal system, which they say needs to change. Many victims do not feel safe seeking help, let alone legal assistance. It requires courage, time and money. Those affected also require health care support, especially for their mental well-being, to help them navigate their trauma.

Organizations Fighting Sex Trafficking in Thailand

A21 is an organization with a presence in different places around the world, fighting human trafficking. In Thailand, A21 is working on raising awareness through different campaigns emphasizing the problem and the urgency to address it. In terms of prevention, A21 runs programs that educate and train people to recognize signs of sex trafficking and how they can help. Finally, it offers different services to save victims, including a hotline, mental health care support, accommodation and help with relocation.

The HUG Project focuses on children who have experienced sexual exploitation. It operates on a victim-centric approach that prioritizes the victim’s well-being. Initially, the organization focused on prevention but quickly expanded to work on the levels of protection and restoration. The founder realized that many children the organization was educating on this issue already self-identified as victims, so protecting these children became an important role.

The organization also works with police, prosecutors, social workers, government agencies and judges to give victims a safe space to demand justice, navigate their pain and rebuild their lives.

Alliance Anti Traffic is an international organization that has advocated and fought against sex trafficking of women and children for 13 years. It works with other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to protect and rescue women and children who have experienced sexual exploitation or remain at risk of it. Additionally, it provides legal support for victims and works to bring some sense of justice by helping prosecutors convict abusers. Alliance Anti Traffic helps about 800 people, rescues about 150 victims, and helps prosecute around 20 offenders each year.

Destiny Rescue is another organization fighting against child sex trafficking since 2001. It works on rescue operations and reintegration programs around the world. Its agents go undercover, conduct raids, monitor border transit and investigate online to locate potential victims. It also builds trust among communities at risk and works with different agencies to protect children and adults from exploitation. Destiny Rescue also provides reintegration programs, supporting victims’ recovery and helping them through the legal process.

Rahab Ministries is a local organization helping women leave the sex industry and rescuing victims of sex trafficking. Its members visit bars in Patpong each week to build relationships with the women working in that area and share new opportunities with them. It provides vocational training in jewelry and toy making and runs a store that sells these items, with proceeds supporting the women. Rahab Ministries has also helped open other businesses, including a restaurant and a laundromat, giving the women it has helped the opportunity to run their own business.

Overview

Together, these organizations work against sex trafficking by preventing people from falling victim, protecting those at risk and restoring the lives of victims. Organizations like these have already reached many people whose stories mirror Mai’s.

– Marine Baume

Marine is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash