GITNUXREPORT 2026

Thailand Sex Tourism Statistics

Thailand's massive sex tourism industry impacts hundreds of thousands of lives and the national economy.

Rajesh Patel

Team Lead & Senior Researcher with over 15 years of experience in market research and data analytics.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

80% of Thailand's sex workers are under 25 years old, with many starting as young as 12-14 in sex tourism venues

Statistic 2

Over 60% of sex workers in Thailand are migrants from neighboring countries like Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, involved in sex tourism

Statistic 3

Female sex workers constitute 95% of the industry, with 5% being transgender (kathoey) popular among Western sex tourists

Statistic 4

In 2020, 40% of Pattaya's sex workers were under 18, drawn into tourism sex trade from rural Isaan province

Statistic 5

Male sex workers make up 10% of the total, primarily serving gay sex tourists in Bangkok's Silom district

Statistic 6

50% of Thai sex workers are mothers supporting families, average 2 children each

Statistic 7

25% of sex workers have no formal education, recruited from poor rural areas for urban sex tourism

Statistic 8

Transgender sex workers number 10,000 in Pattaya, 80% servicing foreign clients

Statistic 9

35% of workers are HIV-positive family members' caregivers, entering trade post-2010

Statistic 10

Ethnic minorities like hill tribes comprise 15% of sex workers in northern Thailand tourist spots

Statistic 11

65% of sex workers from Northeast Thailand (Isaan), single mothers average age 22

Statistic 12

20% of workers are university dropouts entering trade for quick tourist cash

Statistic 13

Ladyboy cabarets in Pattaya employ 4,000, 90% moonlighting as sex workers

Statistic 14

45% of workers have tattoos marking gang affiliations from sex tourism pimps

Statistic 15

55% of workers send 70% earnings home monthly to villages

Statistic 16

30% have children in sex trade by age 18, cycle perpetuated

Statistic 17

Foreign-born workers: 25%, mostly Vietnamese in southern resorts

Statistic 18

Average height 155cm, weight 45kg for 80% of Pattaya bar girls

Statistic 19

Thailand's sex tourism industry is estimated to generate between 6.4 and 10 billion USD annually, primarily through prostitution and related services in areas like Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket

Statistic 20

Sex tourism contributes 10-15% to Thailand's GDP indirectly through hospitality linked to prostitution

Statistic 21

Pattaya's economy relies on sex tourism for 40% of its revenue, supporting 50,000 jobs in bars and go-go clubs

Statistic 22

Foreign sex tourists spend an average of 5,000 THB ($150) per night on services, totaling 100 billion THB yearly

Statistic 23

Thailand's sex industry taxes generate 1.2 billion USD annually via bar fines and venue fees

Statistic 24

Sex tourism supports 1 million indirect jobs in Thailand, from transport to hotels catering to clients

Statistic 25

Sex industry remittances total 2 billion USD to rural families yearly

Statistic 26

Go-go bar revenues in Bangkok hit 500 million THB monthly from sex tourist tips

Statistic 27

30% of Phuket hotel occupancy is sex tourism-related, boosting GDP by 5%

Statistic 28

Average earnings per sex worker: 30,000 THB/month, 5x national minimum wage

Statistic 29

Sex tourism VAT collections exceed 50 billion THB annually from venues

Statistic 30

Sex tourism hotel bookings: 20% of total 40 million room nights yearly

Statistic 31

Bar fine averages 1,000 THB, short-time 2,000 THB, long-time 3,000 THB per tourist

Statistic 32

15% tourism GDP share from sex-related spending in 2019 peak

Statistic 33

Freelancers earn 50,000 THB/month in high season from beach pickups

Statistic 34

Visa runs boost sex tourism economy by 500 million THB quarterly

Statistic 35

Sex tourism agency fees: 20% commission to bars, 500 million THB/month Bangkok

Statistic 36

Retiree sexpats (50+) number 20,000, spending 100,000 THB/month each

Statistic 37

Massage parlor sex services: 50,000 venues, 1 million sessions/month

Statistic 38

Peak earnings: 100,000 THB/week for top Nana Plaza dancers

Statistic 39

Tourism board denies sex link but 25% promo targets single males

Statistic 40

HIV prevalence among sex workers in Thailand is 5.3%, higher than the national average of 0.9%, due to unprotected sex with tourists

Statistic 41

28% of female sex workers in Phuket tested positive for chlamydia in 2018, linked to high turnover with foreign clients

Statistic 42

Gonorrhea rates among Pattaya sex workers reached 12% in 2019, with 70% of infections from international tourists

Statistic 43

Syphilis infection rate among sex workers is 3.2%, compared to 0.5% general population, exacerbated by sex tourism

Statistic 44

15% of sex workers report hepatitis B vaccination, leaving many vulnerable from needle sharing and tourist contacts

Statistic 45

HPV prevalence in sex workers is 45%, leading to 10% cervical cancer rates vs 2% national

Statistic 46

20% of sex workers have TB, spread via close tourist quarters in low-ventilation bars

Statistic 47

Drug-resistant gonorrhea affects 8% of workers, imported by tourists from Asia-Pacific

Statistic 48

Mental health: 60% of sex workers suffer depression from tourist abuse

Statistic 49

5% overdose deaths yearly among workers from client-supplied drugs in tourism hubs

Statistic 50

Heroin addiction in 12% of sex workers, supplied by tourist dealers

Statistic 51

35% report physical violence from clients, mostly foreign drunk tourists

Statistic 52

Herpes simplex rates: 55% among workers vs 15% general, from oral sex tourism

Statistic 53

Suicide attempts: 25% lifetime among sex workers due to stigma and abuse

Statistic 54

Alcohol dependency in 40%, encouraged by bar fines with tourists

Statistic 55

18% pregnant annually from unprotected tourist sex

Statistic 56

PTSD rates 50% from repeated client violence in hotels

Statistic 57

Trichomoniasis in 22% of tested workers, asymptomatic spread to tourists

Statistic 58

70% lack health insurance, relying on NGO clinics post-tourist encounters

Statistic 59

Methamphetamine use 28%, performance enhancers for long tourist nights

Statistic 60

Prostitution is illegal under Thailand's 1996 Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act, yet 200,000 arrests occur yearly mostly of workers not clients

Statistic 61

Human trafficking for sex tourism affects 30,000 victims annually in Thailand, 80% women and children

Statistic 62

Only 1% of sex tourists face prosecution, while 99% of enforcement targets Thai sex workers

Statistic 63

Child sex tourism cases reported 500 annually to Thai police, mostly involving Europeans and Australians

Statistic 64

Trafficking networks supply 20% of sex workers to tourist areas, earning $1.5 billion yearly

Statistic 65

1,200 child prostitution cases prosecuted in 2021 under anti-trafficking laws

Statistic 66

90% of trafficking victims are sex tourism-bound, per IOM data from 2019-2022

Statistic 67

Police raids on sex venues: 5,000 yearly, but 80% result in worker fines only

Statistic 68

Extradition of 200 foreign child sex offenders since 2015 from Thailand

Statistic 69

Organized crime controls 40% of sex trafficking into tourist areas

Statistic 70

Anti-prostitution law amendments in 2018 led to 10,000 worker deportations

Statistic 71

15,000 trafficking survivors rescued 2017-2022 from sex tourism rings

Statistic 72

Foreign pedophile arrests: 150 yearly, 70% from UK/Germany

Statistic 73

Pimps fined 100,000 THB average, but rarely jailed in tourist zones

Statistic 74

Debt bondage traps 50% of migrant sex workers in tourism slavery

Statistic 75

2,500 minors in sex trade despite 2008 law raising age to 18

Statistic 76

Conviction rate for buyers: under 0.5%, per 2022 TIP report

Statistic 77

400 brothels raided in Phuket 2021, freeing 1,200 trafficked girls

Statistic 78

Online sex tourism apps banned but 10,000 daily users evade

Statistic 79

Cambodian trafficking routes supply 8,000 to Pattaya yearly

Statistic 80

Approximately 250,000 to 300,000 sex workers operate in Thailand, with 90% being women and girls engaged in sex tourism hotspots

Statistic 81

In Pattaya, over 27,000 prostitutes were active in 2015, catering mainly to foreign sex tourists from Europe and the US

Statistic 82

Bangkok's sex industry employs around 100,000 workers, with Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza seeing 50,000 tourists monthly for sex services

Statistic 83

Phuket's Patong Beach area hosts about 15,000 sex workers, 70% of whom service international tourists

Statistic 84

2 million foreign tourists visit Thailand annually for sex tourism purposes, per ECPAT estimates

Statistic 85

Walking Street Pattaya receives 50,000 visitors nightly, 60% seeking sex services

Statistic 86

Nana Plaza Bangkok hosts 100 go-go bars with 2,000 dancers nightly for sex tourists

Statistic 87

70,000 bar girls work in Phuket, with peak season seeing 90% occupancy by sex tourists

Statistic 88

Koh Samui sex tourism involves 5,000 workers, doubling during full moon parties

Statistic 89

Annual sex tourist arrivals: 1.5 million from Europe, per TAT estimates adjusted for sex motives

Statistic 90

Soi Cowboy Bangkok: 40 bars, 1,500 freelancers nightly for sex tourism

Statistic 91

Chiang Mai night bazaar sex workers: 3,000, 50% serving backpacker tourists

Statistic 92

Hua Hin sex industry: 2,500 workers, growing 20% yearly with retiree tourists

Statistic 93

Sex tourist spending peaks in November-March, 70% of yearly total

Statistic 94

Thermae Cafe Bangkok: 500 freelancers daily for older sex tourists

Statistic 95

Koh Phangan parties attract 10,000 sex workers yearly for raves

Statistic 96

Krabi Ao Nang: 1,200 beach girls servicing climbers and divers

1/96

Sources

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Behind the postcard-perfect beaches and glittering temples lies a shadow economy of staggering scale, as Thailand's sex tourism industry, estimated to generate up to 10 billion USD annually, thrives on a foundation of exploitation and profound human cost.

Key Takeaways

Thailand's sex tourism industry is estimated to generate between 6.4 and 10 billion USD annually, primarily through prostitution and related services in areas like Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket
Sex tourism contributes 10-15% to Thailand's GDP indirectly through hospitality linked to prostitution
Pattaya's economy relies on sex tourism for 40% of its revenue, supporting 50,000 jobs in bars and go-go clubs
Approximately 250,000 to 300,000 sex workers operate in Thailand, with 90% being women and girls engaged in sex tourism hotspots
In Pattaya, over 27,000 prostitutes were active in 2015, catering mainly to foreign sex tourists from Europe and the US
Bangkok's sex industry employs around 100,000 workers, with Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza seeing 50,000 tourists monthly for sex services
80% of Thailand's sex workers are under 25 years old, with many starting as young as 12-14 in sex tourism venues
Over 60% of sex workers in Thailand are migrants from neighboring countries like Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, involved in sex tourism
Female sex workers constitute 95% of the industry, with 5% being transgender (kathoey) popular among Western sex tourists
HIV prevalence among sex workers in Thailand is 5.3%, higher than the national average of 0.9%, due to unprotected sex with tourists
28% of female sex workers in Phuket tested positive for chlamydia in 2018, linked to high turnover with foreign clients
Gonorrhea rates among Pattaya sex workers reached 12% in 2019, with 70% of infections from international tourists
Prostitution is illegal under Thailand's 1996 Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act, yet 200,000 arrests occur yearly mostly of workers not clients
Human trafficking for sex tourism affects 30,000 victims annually in Thailand, 80% women and children
Only 1% of sex tourists face prosecution, while 99% of enforcement targets Thai sex workers

Thailand's massive sex tourism industry impacts hundreds of thousands of lives and the national economy.

Demographics

80% of Thailand's sex workers are under 25 years old, with many starting as young as 12-14 in sex tourism venues
Over 60% of sex workers in Thailand are migrants from neighboring countries like Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, involved in sex tourism
Female sex workers constitute 95% of the industry, with 5% being transgender (kathoey) popular among Western sex tourists
In 2020, 40% of Pattaya's sex workers were under 18, drawn into tourism sex trade from rural Isaan province
Male sex workers make up 10% of the total, primarily serving gay sex tourists in Bangkok's Silom district
50% of Thai sex workers are mothers supporting families, average 2 children each
25% of sex workers have no formal education, recruited from poor rural areas for urban sex tourism
Transgender sex workers number 10,000 in Pattaya, 80% servicing foreign clients
35% of workers are HIV-positive family members' caregivers, entering trade post-2010
Ethnic minorities like hill tribes comprise 15% of sex workers in northern Thailand tourist spots
65% of sex workers from Northeast Thailand (Isaan), single mothers average age 22
20% of workers are university dropouts entering trade for quick tourist cash
Ladyboy cabarets in Pattaya employ 4,000, 90% moonlighting as sex workers
45% of workers have tattoos marking gang affiliations from sex tourism pimps
55% of workers send 70% earnings home monthly to villages
30% have children in sex trade by age 18, cycle perpetuated
Foreign-born workers: 25%, mostly Vietnamese in southern resorts
Average height 155cm, weight 45kg for 80% of Pattaya bar girls

Demographics Interpretation

Beneath the neon glow and tourist brochures lies a grim arithmetic of desperation, where youth, motherhood, and migration are the primary currencies exchanged in a system that preys on the poor to profit from pleasure.

Economic Contributions

Thailand's sex tourism industry is estimated to generate between 6.4 and 10 billion USD annually, primarily through prostitution and related services in areas like Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket
Sex tourism contributes 10-15% to Thailand's GDP indirectly through hospitality linked to prostitution
Pattaya's economy relies on sex tourism for 40% of its revenue, supporting 50,000 jobs in bars and go-go clubs
Foreign sex tourists spend an average of 5,000 THB ($150) per night on services, totaling 100 billion THB yearly
Thailand's sex industry taxes generate 1.2 billion USD annually via bar fines and venue fees
Sex tourism supports 1 million indirect jobs in Thailand, from transport to hotels catering to clients
Sex industry remittances total 2 billion USD to rural families yearly
Go-go bar revenues in Bangkok hit 500 million THB monthly from sex tourist tips
30% of Phuket hotel occupancy is sex tourism-related, boosting GDP by 5%
Average earnings per sex worker: 30,000 THB/month, 5x national minimum wage
Sex tourism VAT collections exceed 50 billion THB annually from venues
Sex tourism hotel bookings: 20% of total 40 million room nights yearly
Bar fine averages 1,000 THB, short-time 2,000 THB, long-time 3,000 THB per tourist
15% tourism GDP share from sex-related spending in 2019 peak
Freelancers earn 50,000 THB/month in high season from beach pickups
Visa runs boost sex tourism economy by 500 million THB quarterly
Sex tourism agency fees: 20% commission to bars, 500 million THB/month Bangkok
Retiree sexpats (50+) number 20,000, spending 100,000 THB/month each
Massage parlor sex services: 50,000 venues, 1 million sessions/month
Peak earnings: 100,000 THB/week for top Nana Plaza dancers
Tourism board denies sex link but 25% promo targets single males

Economic Contributions Interpretation

Thailand’s economic backbone is architected with equal parts sun-soaked smiles and sobering compromise, where the ledger of national prosperity is indelibly inked in both hotel receipts and the moral debts of a billion-dollar shadow industry.

Health and STDs

HIV prevalence among sex workers in Thailand is 5.3%, higher than the national average of 0.9%, due to unprotected sex with tourists
28% of female sex workers in Phuket tested positive for chlamydia in 2018, linked to high turnover with foreign clients
Gonorrhea rates among Pattaya sex workers reached 12% in 2019, with 70% of infections from international tourists
Syphilis infection rate among sex workers is 3.2%, compared to 0.5% general population, exacerbated by sex tourism
15% of sex workers report hepatitis B vaccination, leaving many vulnerable from needle sharing and tourist contacts
HPV prevalence in sex workers is 45%, leading to 10% cervical cancer rates vs 2% national
20% of sex workers have TB, spread via close tourist quarters in low-ventilation bars
Drug-resistant gonorrhea affects 8% of workers, imported by tourists from Asia-Pacific
Mental health: 60% of sex workers suffer depression from tourist abuse
5% overdose deaths yearly among workers from client-supplied drugs in tourism hubs
Heroin addiction in 12% of sex workers, supplied by tourist dealers
35% report physical violence from clients, mostly foreign drunk tourists
Herpes simplex rates: 55% among workers vs 15% general, from oral sex tourism
Suicide attempts: 25% lifetime among sex workers due to stigma and abuse
Alcohol dependency in 40%, encouraged by bar fines with tourists
18% pregnant annually from unprotected tourist sex
PTSD rates 50% from repeated client violence in hotels
Trichomoniasis in 22% of tested workers, asymptomatic spread to tourists
70% lack health insurance, relying on NGO clinics post-tourist encounters
Methamphetamine use 28%, performance enhancers for long tourist nights

Health and STDs Interpretation

The glittering fantasy sold to tourists is a public health crisis paid for in human suffering, where pleasure packaged as a holiday export returns as a cocktail of disease, addiction, and despair that statisticians measure but the industry conveniently forgets.

Legal and Trafficking

Prostitution is illegal under Thailand's 1996 Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act, yet 200,000 arrests occur yearly mostly of workers not clients
Human trafficking for sex tourism affects 30,000 victims annually in Thailand, 80% women and children
Only 1% of sex tourists face prosecution, while 99% of enforcement targets Thai sex workers
Child sex tourism cases reported 500 annually to Thai police, mostly involving Europeans and Australians
Trafficking networks supply 20% of sex workers to tourist areas, earning $1.5 billion yearly
1,200 child prostitution cases prosecuted in 2021 under anti-trafficking laws
90% of trafficking victims are sex tourism-bound, per IOM data from 2019-2022
Police raids on sex venues: 5,000 yearly, but 80% result in worker fines only
Extradition of 200 foreign child sex offenders since 2015 from Thailand
Organized crime controls 40% of sex trafficking into tourist areas
Anti-prostitution law amendments in 2018 led to 10,000 worker deportations
15,000 trafficking survivors rescued 2017-2022 from sex tourism rings
Foreign pedophile arrests: 150 yearly, 70% from UK/Germany
Pimps fined 100,000 THB average, but rarely jailed in tourist zones
Debt bondage traps 50% of migrant sex workers in tourism slavery
2,500 minors in sex trade despite 2008 law raising age to 18
Conviction rate for buyers: under 0.5%, per 2022 TIP report
400 brothels raided in Phuket 2021, freeing 1,200 trafficked girls
Online sex tourism apps banned but 10,000 daily users evade
Cambodian trafficking routes supply 8,000 to Pattaya yearly

Legal and Trafficking Interpretation

Thailand's sex trade statistics reveal a grim theater of injustice where the law diligently harasses the vulnerable cast while giving a standing ovation to the foreign audience and their powerful directors.

Prevalence and Scale

Approximately 250,000 to 300,000 sex workers operate in Thailand, with 90% being women and girls engaged in sex tourism hotspots
In Pattaya, over 27,000 prostitutes were active in 2015, catering mainly to foreign sex tourists from Europe and the US
Bangkok's sex industry employs around 100,000 workers, with Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza seeing 50,000 tourists monthly for sex services
Phuket's Patong Beach area hosts about 15,000 sex workers, 70% of whom service international tourists
2 million foreign tourists visit Thailand annually for sex tourism purposes, per ECPAT estimates
Walking Street Pattaya receives 50,000 visitors nightly, 60% seeking sex services
Nana Plaza Bangkok hosts 100 go-go bars with 2,000 dancers nightly for sex tourists
70,000 bar girls work in Phuket, with peak season seeing 90% occupancy by sex tourists
Koh Samui sex tourism involves 5,000 workers, doubling during full moon parties
Annual sex tourist arrivals: 1.5 million from Europe, per TAT estimates adjusted for sex motives
Soi Cowboy Bangkok: 40 bars, 1,500 freelancers nightly for sex tourism
Chiang Mai night bazaar sex workers: 3,000, 50% serving backpacker tourists
Hua Hin sex industry: 2,500 workers, growing 20% yearly with retiree tourists
Sex tourist spending peaks in November-March, 70% of yearly total
Thermae Cafe Bangkok: 500 freelancers daily for older sex tourists
Koh Phangan parties attract 10,000 sex workers yearly for raves
Krabi Ao Nang: 1,200 beach girls servicing climbers and divers

Prevalence and Scale Interpretation

Beneath the glittering surface of Thailand's tourist paradise lies a stark and sobering economy where, by the numbers, a significant portion of what is sold as holiday fantasy is built upon the exploitation of hundreds of thousands of women and girls.

Sources & References

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