War, Migration and the Origins of the Thai Sex Industry

Abel Brodeur; Warn Lekfuangfu; Yanos Zylberberg

doi:10.1093/jeea/jvx037

War, Migration and the Origins of the Thai Sex Industry

Abel Brodeur, Warn Lekfuangfu, Yanos Zylberberg

School of Economics

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10 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

This paper analyzes the determinants behind the spatial distribution of the sex
industry in Thailand. We relate the development of the sex industry to an early
temporary demand shock, i.e., U.S. military presence during the Vietnam War. Comparing the surroundings of Thai military bases used by the U.S. army to districts close to unused Thai bases, we find that there are currently 5 times more commercial sex workers in districts near former U.S. bases. The development of the sex industry is also explained by a high price elasticity of supply due to female migration from regions affected by an agricultural crisis. Finally, we study a consequence induced by the large numbers of sex workers in few red-light districts: the HIV outbreak in the early 1990s.

Original language	English
Article number	jvx037
Pages (from-to)	1540–1576
Number of pages	37
Journal	Journal of the European Economic Association
Volume	16
Issue number	5
Early online date	9 Nov 2017
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/jeea/jvx037
Publication status	Published - Oct 2018

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Research Groups and Themes

ECON Applied Economics
ECON CEPS Data

Keywords

Persistence
Industry location
Sex industry
HIV/AIDS

Access to Document

10.1093/jeea/jvx037

Full-text PDF (accepted author manuscript)
This is the author accepted manuscript (AAM). The final published version (version of record) is available online via Oxford University Press at https://academic.oup.com/jeea/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jeea/jvx037/4609693 . Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
Accepted author manuscript, 6.1 MB

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Professor Yanos Zylberberg
- yanos.zylberbergbristol.acuk
- School of Economics - Professor of Economics
- Migration Mobilities Bristol
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title = "War, Migration and the Origins of the Thai Sex Industry",

abstract = "This paper analyzes the determinants behind the spatial distribution of the sex industry in Thailand. We relate the development of the sex industry to an early temporary demand shock, i.e., U.S. military presence during the Vietnam War. Comparing the surroundings of Thai military bases used by the U.S. army to districts close to unused Thai bases, we find that there are currently 5 times more commercial sex workers in districts near former U.S. bases. The development of the sex industry is also explained by a high price elasticity of supply due to female migration from regions affected by an agricultural crisis. Finally, we study a consequence induced by the large numbers of sex workers in few red-light districts: the HIV outbreak in the early 1990s.",

keywords = "Persistence, Industry location, Sex industry, HIV/AIDS",

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year = "2018",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - War, Migration and the Origins of the Thai Sex Industry

AU - Brodeur, Abel

AU - Lekfuangfu, Warn

AU - Zylberberg, Yanos

PY - 2018/10

Y1 - 2018/10

N2 - This paper analyzes the determinants behind the spatial distribution of the sex industry in Thailand. We relate the development of the sex industry to an early temporary demand shock, i.e., U.S. military presence during the Vietnam War. Comparing the surroundings of Thai military bases used by the U.S. army to districts close to unused Thai bases, we find that there are currently 5 times more commercial sex workers in districts near former U.S. bases. The development of the sex industry is also explained by a high price elasticity of supply due to female migration from regions affected by an agricultural crisis. Finally, we study a consequence induced by the large numbers of sex workers in few red-light districts: the HIV outbreak in the early 1990s.

AB - This paper analyzes the determinants behind the spatial distribution of the sex industry in Thailand. We relate the development of the sex industry to an early temporary demand shock, i.e., U.S. military presence during the Vietnam War. Comparing the surroundings of Thai military bases used by the U.S. army to districts close to unused Thai bases, we find that there are currently 5 times more commercial sex workers in districts near former U.S. bases. The development of the sex industry is also explained by a high price elasticity of supply due to female migration from regions affected by an agricultural crisis. Finally, we study a consequence induced by the large numbers of sex workers in few red-light districts: the HIV outbreak in the early 1990s.

KW - Persistence

KW - Industry location

KW - Sex industry

KW - HIV/AIDS

U2 - 10.1093/jeea/jvx037

DO - 10.1093/jeea/jvx037

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

SN - 1542-4766

VL - 16

SP - 1540

EP - 1576

JO - Journal of the European Economic Association

JF - Journal of the European Economic Association

IS - 5

M1 - jvx037

ER -

War, Migration and the Origins of the Thai Sex Industry

Abstract

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Keywords

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Professor Yanos Zylberberg

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