Tax, but don't touch

We’ll bring prostitution into the legal economy, but keep your hands to yourselves, seems to be the message coming from Thailand’s ruling party, Thai Rak Thai (Thais love Thais).

Over the past couple of weeks Justice Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana has publicly voiced the idea of legalizing the sex industry in Thailand. The move would allow the government to begin taxing what is estimated to be 3% or Thailand’s economy and improve working conditions for the estimated 200,000 people employed in the trade. Proponents are also hopeful that the legalization of the sex industry would lead to lower incidences of police corruption.

However, even if prostitution were to be brought up from the underground economy, members of Thaksin’s party would still be barred from indulging. Under a new proposal any Thai Rak Thai members found to be cheating on their wives, either by taking a mistress or visiting a brothel, could be barred from running in subsequent elections. Perhaps needless to say, some party members find this to be a bit intrusive. Some members feel that it is no one’s business if they decide to take mistresses, even claiming it as “an individual’s right”. Party officials, on the other hand, stated that politicians must be held to a higher standard regarding their responsibilities to their families.

To read more, visit:
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/11/27/thailand.sex.ap/ (legalizing prostitution)

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=126&art_id=qw107035308570B234&set_id=1 (banning cheating politicians)