Prostitution Scene in the Backpacker's Area of Saigon, Vietnam.

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

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