Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2017 1:58:50 GMT 7
Chiang Mai, Thailand - Krit hangs out near McDonald's most days, polishing the hood of his green tuk-tuk and waiting for customers. He can make as much as 3,000 Thai baht ($92) in a day driving tourists around this northern city.
Several years ago when Krit was just 16, this picture was very different. His customers were still Western tourists, but they went to him for sex, not tuk-tuk rides. Krit was a victim of Thailand's sex-trafficking trade. For five years he worked in seedy bars and dingy massage joints in Chiang Mai's red light district. He endured cruelty and exploitation, forced to go home with the men who venture to these dark places to buy sex with children.
It was a horrific life that forced Krit to the brink; the teen was later hospitalised with HIV, and almost died. But he made a miraculous recovery and went on to set up his own tuk-tuk business.
"I feel independent because I can control my own life," says Krit, whose name has been changed to protect his privacy. "I don't need money from customers in the bars. I have a new desire to change my life, to work hard and take care of myself. I feel lucky to be alive."
www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/rescuing-boys-thailand-northern-sex-trade-171210184544070.html
Several years ago when Krit was just 16, this picture was very different. His customers were still Western tourists, but they went to him for sex, not tuk-tuk rides. Krit was a victim of Thailand's sex-trafficking trade. For five years he worked in seedy bars and dingy massage joints in Chiang Mai's red light district. He endured cruelty and exploitation, forced to go home with the men who venture to these dark places to buy sex with children.
It was a horrific life that forced Krit to the brink; the teen was later hospitalised with HIV, and almost died. But he made a miraculous recovery and went on to set up his own tuk-tuk business.
"I feel independent because I can control my own life," says Krit, whose name has been changed to protect his privacy. "I don't need money from customers in the bars. I have a new desire to change my life, to work hard and take care of myself. I feel lucky to be alive."
www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/rescuing-boys-thailand-northern-sex-trade-171210184544070.html
