ABSTRACT
Some of the most prominent voices in the controversies about Thai prostitution in recent decades have been those of Thailand’s middle-class women. A wide variety of opinions can be heard on the sex industry in the country, from the most condemnatory to those espousing improved workers’ rights for prostitutes. Medical discourse urges pragmatic considerations, while some media portray prostitutes as social victims. What are seldom heard are the voices of the prostitutes themselves (van Esterik 1992:135). This chapter will examine the role Thailand’s new middle-class women have played in these public debates and policies.
