Ed Zeppelin Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Colleges and universities ought to take action against students found to have engaged in "direct-sale" prostitution via social-network websites like Hi5, according to a well-known academic. Assoc Prof Sukhum Chaloeysap of Suan Dusit Rajabhat University said all institutes of higher learning should admit the problem existed and join forces to combat it. Some students are said to have touted sexual services on Hi5, which has links to more than 1,000 other websites that openly post students' pictures, many in uniform, and suggestive messages. He urged the principals of colleges and universities to investigate. Many students' part-time jobs are affected by the economic slowdown, driving some to prostitution to earn extra money, he said. He said Suan Dusit had established a call centre to keep students informed and provide counselling on personal and other problems while offering more part-time jobs to support needy students so that they could earn an extra Bt3,000 a month. Meanwhile, Culture Minister Theera Salukpetch yesterday said the ministry would write to the ICT Ministry, Education Ministry, Social Development and Human Security Ministry and Royal Thai Police as well as Internet service-providers asking them to step up the watch for prostitution on the Web. He blamed the online student sex trade on youth's faulty values and overspending on luxurious and unnecessary items that drove young people to such lengths to get quick cash. He called for strong families and proactive educational and religious institutions to counter the trend. Ramjitti Institute director Dr Amornwit Nakhonthap said the Internet flesh trade was a long-standing issue and he was not surprised that a popular website like Hi5 was used as a channel for it. He said this reflected young people's idea that switching sexual partners was common and it also changed the erstwhile perspective that only poor children sold themselves, citing a survey that found that most young people in the sex trade were not poor but just wanted money to buy things. He urged the government to promote healthy values by praising young people who set a good example and to speed up projects to find jobs for students to earn extra money in salubrious ways. "Direct-sale" student prostitution came to light when Thais aboard urged the Culture Ministry to investigate after they found Thai students, both male and female, posting their pictures, vital statistics, universities and telephone numbers with a view to sexual favours priced between Bt1,500 and Bt3,000. By The Nation on Sunday Published on February 1, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeartThais Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 In related news, Hi5 social networking site saw a 35000% increase in new accounts virtually overnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 A few years ago, Suan Dusit was singled out as one of the rachaphats that had students hooking. The Nation mentioned a nightclub not far from the rachaphat that was the prefered venue. Allegedly, the gals on the market would place cigarettes on the ashtray at their table. 3 cigs meant 1,500 baht ST, 4 meant 2,000 etc. A friend teaching at a private uni met a student who was "for hire" at a nightclub. She didn't recognise him and offered to go for 3,000 ST! That was her price - take it or leave it. He left it. These "student prostitutes" are partly a reflection the unbelievable increase in "universities" these days. In the 1970s and early '80s it was said about 1% of the population got a higher education. You only had the top name unies and Ramkhamhaeng for a degree. Nowadays, probably 15% go - with the rachaphat and private unie, and the vocational colleges being renamed Rajamangala universities. Many students are only going because their family forced them to. It's usually easy to spot the gals who are in the business. They sit together in class and may be somewhat shunned by their classmates. Not to say some of them aren't hot, since they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderlust Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Anyone found a nice girl selling herself on hi5? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I have several friends who met students through chat rooms a few years ago. One described his girl as a bit barmy and he couldn't wait to get rid of her. The other said his gal admitted that she was trying to snare a Farang husband. Neither was a freelancer, just a student out to get a husband. They did move in with the guys though. I've never heard of anyone meeting student prostitutes through the internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faustian Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I've not heard of this, I'm on hi5 and I call this article bullshit. If there are some involved in this then it would appear to be a very very small amount, but the article fails to mention that. More excuses for censorship I'd suggest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderlust Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I also think the numbers involved must be tiny. The risks of friends and family seeing what they're up to would be too great. On another note I've found that hi5 is the worst social networking site for meeting Thai girls. Even though it's the most popular in Thailand, most girls are only interested in communicating in Thai. The ones who want to communicate in English are on sites like facebook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.. Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I've not heard of this, I'm on hi5 and I call this article bullshit. If there are some involved in this then it would appear to be a very very small amount, but the article fails to mention that. More excuses for censorship I'd suggest. Agreed. Hi5 is very tame. Cheers, SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadfly Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I've not heard of this, I'm on hi5 and I call this article bullshit. I agree that it's bullshit. Its also reflects the paranoid attitude the authorities here have about the internet. They cannot control, they don't like it and if they could flick a switch to get rid of it, they would. But the can't. Expect more nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radioman Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I had a look on this Hi5 and figure the BS is rather ramped up on this topic too. Saw one that looks like she might be a typical working girl but after a dozen or so pages after a search on Bangkok it all looks mighty booooooring! Now that said I have no problem with girls who want to secure business resorting to the latest technology any more than anyone else and just because they happen to be at school I don't see an issue assuming they have made the choice essentially themselves and are of legal age. So if this Hi5 thing is hype where are they really hanging out? FM suggests they really do exist and I've seen other stuff that purports to offer ladies what I am interested in is solid info on where I might secure something by way of the internet and one of these so called 'social networking' sites. Anybody got any 'real' info to share? Or is this all just whispers behind the bicycle shed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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