“Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.” Leviticus 19:29
Last February, I walked the grounds of one of the hundreds of Killing Fields outside of Phnom Penh, picking my way through the clothing, decomposing teeth, and pieces of bone that still rise out of the earth more than two decades after the genocide of the Khmer Rouge Regime, which birthed sex trafficking in Cambodia.
For Thailand, it was the Vietnam war. With Thailand being so close to a country torn in two, western soldiers would travel for a night–or two–in search of escape.
Decades later, it’s a cancer the entire country breathes in, day in, day out. In Pat Pong alone, over 4000 women work the bars and the streets. The majority of them are from Northern Thailand, from a place called Isaan, and entered prostitution as a way to work off their families’ debts. Culturally, Thai women are the moneymakers. Their families depend on them, just as the responsibility falls to the males in Western culture.
I discovered some interesting facts about trafficking in Bangkok. First of all, for many of the women, it was a choice either they made (often not knowing the full extent of what they would be doing)- or their families made for them. It’s likely the families know exactly what the women are doing, but they don’t talk about it. There are cases of extreme abuse, where the women aren’t able to leave, are starved, imprisoned, beaten, etc. But for the most part, at least the places we went, the women are free to leave–whether that’s to go to another bar or to leave the Red Light Scene altogether. The sad truth is that there are many more women available to replace them, traveling to Bangkok every day. But for many, the money they make dancing or “servicing” customers pays the bills in the way a regular job can’t. If they have children, they often send the children to live with their parents (the kids’ grandparents), while they continue to work to pay the bills.
In short, a woman who works in a bar can make anywhere from $200- $300 a month. They get 2-3 nights off a month, total, working from 7pm to 2am all other nights. If a man buys a lady a drink, she gets 60% of the cost of the drink as pay (which is why we went in and bought the ladies’ drinks… because then the girls could sit with us and we had the chance to talk with them). If a lady leaves the bar, the man who is taking her has to pay the bar manager for the cost of losing her for the rest of the night, which is a minimum of $18. After that, whatever he “purchases” her for is negotiated between her and the customer. Now, this is for the “less seedy” bars, if there is such a thing. Apparently, fewer the customers during last week (because of the flood), were a good and bad thing… because with fewer chances for money, the more aggressive and competitive the workers get with each other. After all… everyone has a debt that needs to be paid.
(Photo by Connie Rock).
Many of those working in this industry become calloused as a way of protection. If they are going to be used, then they will give it the best they can -and get as much money as they can. It’s the sad result of a fallen world desperately seeking Paradise.
Many of the women we met didn’t want to be there. We had so many conversations with women, teens, and even girls who tried to hide their tears behind smiles. They welcomed the words that Jesus loved them as healing water, for they don’t know what real love even looks like.
Hope for Thailand
There are two ministries in Bangkok that we worked with. They each focus on one of the three main Red Light Districts in the city. The first one, Rahab, works in the Pat Pong District. Our teams were met with Rahab and shared a meal with them, heard a presentation on the ministry of Rahab, had the opportunity to get involved, and even shop!
Rahab works directly in the women in the bars of Pat Pong, often doing outreaches after the bars close at 2am or meeting with girls before the night begins. For those who wish to leave the bars, they provide a place for them to learn a trade (nail art, hair styling, jewelry making, or crocheting), as well as learning life skills like typing or speaking English. Rahab provides a home for women to live as they transition out of life in the bars. For many of these women, it’s the first time they’ve had a bed or a room of their own!
But Rahab doesn’t stop there. For the women who choose, they will take away on a retreat. This is a BIG deal because this is mainly for the women who are still in the decision process of if they want to leave the bars. In order for them to go on this retreat, it means they are choosing not to work for several nights… meaning they will lose possible income. But if they choose to go, Rahab pays the “nightly fee” of taking a girl from her bar for a night. And over that weekend, they are taken out of Bangkok to a place they are safe, can relax, and open to being introduced to the gospel.
And… Rahab also takes the women on missions trips! To those who want to, they take a team of the Karen tribes (pronounced Corrin) of Northern Thailand. This tribe is most popularly known to the Western world as Burmese refugees who live just across the border from Myanmar. They are so remote that it takes hours of driving to reach them. And the women in at least one branch of the tribe practices wearing series of rings on their necks, arms, and legs, like this lady.
While in Bangkok, our team was able to shop at Rahab’s physical store, but I wanted to give y’all a chance to support the ministry as well. So click here to see there beautiful jewelry! And the prices are in baht, so just divide by 30 and you’ll know the price in USD.
(Photo on bottom right by Connie Rock).
The second ministry we worked with was Nightlight, which also has a base in Atlanta. Nightlight focuses on the influence of Business as Mission (both as a business and as a non-profit) in Bangkok, bringing women in and teaching them a trade so that they can find means of alternate employment. It’s a great ministry with a big heart and influence.
Each team went on a night outreach ministry with Nightlight. They also were able to do an outreach during the day in the area, giving away free brownies, and cupcakes, inviting people inside to make crafts, and handing out balloons.
Nightlight also teaches their women to make jewelry, as well as screen print t-shirts, make Christmas ornaments, and silk flower arrangements. To visit their store, click here. These prices are in USD.
Below are pictures of ministry with Nightlight:
The photos on the bottom left and the bottom right are of the same Bar District, first during the day and the second at night. The night photo is taken by Connie Rock).
