Prostitution is a never-ending story in a tourism city such as Ho Chi
Minh City, Bangkok and Singapore. Even if your travel intention is just
for sightseeing and visiting tourist attraction places, single or group
male travelers normally cannot avoid from being approached by sexual
offers from male or female prostitutes in town. Even, the industry is
not as open as in Bangkok or Phuket, the scene in Ho Chi Minh is on the
rise especially at the backpacker area, Pham Ngu Lao.
In this article, we describe female prostitutes as “Night
Butterflies” which to portray their image who are flying around the city
seeking for customers .
“Night Butterflies” on the Bike
Motorbike is a means of transportation in Vietnam. These “Night
Butterflies” are very mobile when they are moving around by motorbike.
They can ride on streets, alleyways and even in the pedestrian walks.
When you walk alone from Ben Thanh Market heading to Pham Ngu Lao across
23/9 Park, do not be surprised when there are beautiful girls on bikes
nicely say “Hello” to you and offering sex service. Its can be 1 girl
and sometimes they come with another friend. The best way is, just smile
and go without looking at their eyes. If you be chattier, they will
think that is your “buying signal” and they will bother your way.
“Night Butterflies” on the Pavement
Some of these girls are working together with other teams who are
finding customers by using motorbikes. When you out for drinks with
travel buddies and walk to your hotel a bit later around 10pm, some
girls on the walking side sometimes daringly will ask if you are looking
for prostitute and they are very open talking about their services. Not
only that, some motorbike taxi or locally called “xe om” driver also
play a role as an agent for this prostitution business in backpacker
area. With coffee-dirt teeth smiling faces, they will repeatedly asking
every male tourist if they are looking for “massage” or pretty women.
“Sexy Shampoo Girls” in Saloon
There are some Hair Saloons or massage centres with half dozen of
beautiful girls with a very short mini skirt sitting in front of their
saloon premises. It is fine if you just want to cut your hair, but you
have be careful whenever the girls are trying to do something weird to
you as normally it will come with different price. Some say, it’s kind
of weird when it is hard to see a scissors in a hair saloon. The best
way is, avoid these places and Google for places that tourists always
go.
Mid Age Women at Bar
There are many bars in the backpacker area with American-Vietnamese
interior design which are always welcoming American veterans as their
customer. The best part is, the waitresses in the bar are just their
type which is middle age Vietnamese women with sexy low-cut dress. Not
all of them are prostitutes as many say so. It will be best for you to
be gentle towards those women and politely say no if you are not
interested in other intimidation movements.
For more information you can visit this website as
This article was published in The Vietnam Guide on June 25, 2012.
Prostitutes cruising streets in downtown Ho Chi Minh City a few years ago. Photo by Nghia Pham
The
number of sex workers in Vietnam -- criminals according to the
government -- increased last year and prostitution became harder to
control, the social affairs ministry said Friday.
A
report by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said the
number grew to nearly 33,000 in 2013, up more than 9 percent from the
previous year, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.
But the number local government agencies have on file dropped by more than a third.
Prostitution
is illegal in Vietnam and sex workers face fines of VND300,000
(US$14.2) for their first offence and up to VND5 million for repeat
offences. Their clients are fined VND500,000-5 million depending on the
circumstances.
But civil society has been pressuring the government to legalize prostitution so that the industry could be regulated.
The
ministry said prostitution has become increasingly complicated to
control as those involved are employing new ruses to avoid being
detected.
It is
most rife in large cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong and
nearby Nam Dinh Province and in tourist destinations, the ministry said.
Local
statistics showed that of the country’s more than 83,000 shops offering
body services, such as spas, salons and barber shops, more than 8,000
are suspected to provide sex services.
Programs
to help sex workers reintegrate into the community were established
years ago, but only 500 of them were supported and with loans worth just
VND2 billion ($95,000), the ministry said.
It also said other crimes related to prostitution increased from 2012.
This article was published in Thanh Nien News.Com Sunday, January 12, 2014
google image.
