The coronavirus outbreak has hit sex workers hard. As red-light districts in Bangkok and Pattaya go dark, many sex workers are left without an income. Pim, a transgender sex worker interviewed by AFP, is working the streets to pay for rent and food. She is one of many others who have had to do so.
She, like all sex workers, will receive no support from the government. Prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand; most law enforcement officials either exploit this by extorting those involved or turn a blind eye. In more ordinary times, sex workers deal with state harassment with a combination of compliance and fear. In this current crisis, they feel desperately left behind.
“Sex workers are unable to access healthcare and state support,” says Chalidaporn Songsamphan, an Associate Professor in Political Science at Thammasat University. She is also President of SWING (Service Workers in Group), an organization that supports sex workers.
“Without a doubt, most sex workers I’ve talked to are afraid of Covid-19 – at the same time, they are afraid of starvation. Some are the poorest of the poor, some don’t know what to do – and they won’t get any help.”
SWING has a long history of supporting sex workers, especially those who are highly marginalized. They work with a wide range of sex workers, including those that are HIV positive, those that lack access to stable accommodation, and migrant workers. Their own team is made up of current or former sex workers.
They are now mobilizing to provide food and essentials for sex workers, and earlier this week issued a call for donations.
“This is much worse than anything we’ve ever been involved with before,” she admits. “This is the first time we’ve had to ask for donations.”
SWING’s initial call for help has been met with some support, and they have already distributed some food packages to sex worker communities both in Bangkok and Pattaya. Chalidaporn wants to make sure these sex workers make it at least past next month – if support continues to come in at the current rate, they might just get there.
Run-in with the police
But already the campaign has run into some issues.
“There is a group of sex workers in Thonglor who have been really badly affected by the crisis,” she recounts.
“We distributed food to them on Monday, but on Tuesday the police went in to try and arrest people. They said that by bringing food to distribute, it was a way of convening people, assembling in large groups.”
She was surprised by the reprimand, as many other organizations and individuals have been distributing food in communities from Khlongtoey to Sanam Luang.
“Others haven’t drawn any police attention. Yet the moment SWING goes to hand out food, police immediately say this is wrong, this is gathering illegally.”
Chalidaporn clarifies that the police didn’t actually clash with SWING representatives, but instead rebuked the sex workers SWING had delivered food to. She fears that this will affect their willingness to reach out for help.
“When we next go to distribute food in the community, we don’t know how many of our brothers and sisters will show up.”
Her anger is palpable as she evaluates the police response. “I am shocked, because the Thai state has already left much of the public behind. But when people take it into their own hands to help each other – this kind of police intervention is unthinkable.”
“The stigma against sex workers makes this difficult. And sex workers are really, really suffering because of it,” Chalidaporn laments.
SWING isn’t always at odds with the police. They host a sensitivity training program for students from the Royal Police Cadet Academy. Approximately ten students participate in this annual summer program. “It helps them see the world in different ways, open their minds, otherwise they will continue to stigmatize sex workers.”
They also work with the volunteer police force in Pattaya, many of whom are currently helping SWING distribute food in various Pattaya communities.
But at a structural level, the state – and the decision-making power it exercises – have not been friendly toward sex workers.
“Those who have power in the government, decision-making power, tend to produce legislation that upholds the stigma against sex work. Previous legislation has made the legal situation ambiguous – it is not legal but at the same time there is no attempt to stop or abolish it in practice,” Chalidaporn points out.
“It means sex workers are abused by customers, sex officials, from many sides.”
This stigma is reproduced among the Thai middle and upper middle class – many of whom take great pains to emphasize the ‘Buddhist’ conservatism of Thai society in their arguments against legalizing sex work. By pretending sex work doesn’t exist, it seems, they can uphold their moral virtue.
Yet, the Covid-19 crisis has subverted some of this stigma. Chalidaporn reports that of those who have shared or donated to SWING’s appeal, many come from the Thai middle class.
“What is interesting is that those who usually stigmatize sex workers have stepped over their stigma and now want to help,” she observes. Others have donated 10, 20, 50 baht – “whatever they have the ability to donate” – so she believes that support is not only from the middle class.
Beyond the current Covid-19 project, SWING’s hands are full running health clinics in Patpong and Pattaya. They raise awareness about safe sex and condom use, and were profiled by UNAIDS for their critical role in HIV prevention. They also provide educational services: in Pattaya, they teach English, Japanese and German, and also provide non-formal education for sex workers looking to finish middle or high school.
Chalidaporn hopes that they will eventually be able to advance more structural change.
“The social safety net for many vulnerable groups has been destroyed by the state. This is important because sex workers have always been vulnerable to big crises.”
“There needs to be a change in government policies, to make them more realistic with regards to commercial sex and the sexuality of people in Thai society. There needs to be a moment when we push for better policies.”
