One of the top vacation destinations in the world, Thailand is known for its second largest industry: sexual tourism. Adventures short term teams spend time in the Red Light District, sharing the love of Christ with those who desperately need to hear it.
Known for its pristine beaches and tropical jungle, the awe-inspiring beauty of Chiang Mai’s lantern festival, pad Thai, massage parlors, and tiger temples, Thailand is one of the top vacation destinations on earth.
It’s also the birthplace of Southeast Asia’s Red Light District.
Modern day human trafficking in Thailand began with the Vietnam War. Soldiers left the country for a weekend, looking to escape the horrors of war and found themselves in one of two bars in an area called “Patpong”. Word spread, demand built, and those two bars turned into entire city blocks.
Now Patpong, (one of the three Red Light Districts in Bangkok), is the oldest and the largest in the country, with over 4000 men, women, and children who work there every night.
It’s advertised as a night market.
Lured by promises of cheap knock-offs and one-of-a-kind souvenirs, Patpong is a must-see in the Bangkok night scene. Bachelor parties, honeymooners, businessmen, and even families walk confidently up to the entrance. Music pulses from the bars lining the street, where open doors give glimpses of young, bikini-clad women dancing on stage.
Those are just the first floor bars. The higher up in the building, and over to the darker, fetish side of the two streets, the more debased the activities inside are. Imagination literally cannot fathom the extent of the brokenness of these women, young men, and teenagers—and the patrons themselves, who are mostly—but not all—men. And every few steps are touts, workers holding sex menus whose job is to entice tourists to a bar on an upper level to see a show featuring unspeakable acts.
The majority of the bar workers in this area are not physically captives, however. They can leave at any time, because there are more than enough women to replace the ones who leave.
In Thailand, males go to the temple, become monks, and earn merit. Women are the breadwinners of the family.
Of course, because of what they do, they can never earn merit, only money. And 90% of Thai men—and 60% of foreigners coming through Thailand every year—are willing to pay.
Because while there might be an anti-trafficking division of the police force in Thailand, the truth is the country’s second largest industry is sexual tourism.
In the heart of Patpong is a ministry called Rahab. Begun 25 years ago by a Kiwi (New Zealand) woman, this ministry helps women know that they are loved and are of infinite worth. Through monthly parties, weekly outreaches in the bars, and decades-worth of relationships, they are able to help women who wish to leave the bars. The women are taught to make jewelry and crochet, attend English classes, and are given a place to live. And of course, they are taught about Christ.
Leaving the bars isn’t an instant process for many of the women. Addiction, traumatic memories, and both cultural and familial expectations can keep many in a struggle of should-I-stay-or-should-I-go for quite some time. But through it all is Rahab, loving them, welcoming them in their family, helping them see that they can be free.
Adventures short term teams have become a common presence in Patpong. No one blinks when they pull up a chair for the children, order them Cokes, and start coloring with them. Or when our teams give friendship bracelets to the girls in the bars. And in local restaurants, shops, and businesses, the staff welcomes our teams. They remember the people who return and are excited with each new face.
Our teams have some pretty cool stories:
- Like the party the June 2014 team threw where 17 people came, heard the gospel, and 5 received Christ.
- Or Pretty, who from a conversation with one of our participants, decided she wanted to leave the bars, worked at Rahab for almost a year, and now has her dream job selling cars in Bangkok.
- Then there are the children who are there every night, whose parents let us do VBS with them. Our teams teach them about Jesus, right there in the Red Light District.
- And then there are the many people met during prayer walks and the customers who have asked us what we were doing, and so many more.
It’s hard to hear about what is happening today, the overwhelming, terrible reality of human trafficking. “The Red Light District” sounds so dark and sinister.
But the name and love of Jesus has been and is continuing to be proclaimed over and over in Patpong and throughout Southeast Asia.
Rahab has a dream that Patpong will one day be a church. A community where Christ is glorified and worship resounds in the same buildings that once pulsed with the rhythm of the night.
From Bangkok nights to Bangkok light—may His Kingdom come.
Is your heart broken for the sexually exploited in Thailand? Adventures returns with adult women short term teams again this year in May, July, and November. Click here to find out how you can join us.
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