BANGKOK — The most recent legislative attempt to legalize adult entertainment and sex toys in Thailand failed to clear its first reading in the lower chamber of Parliament on Wednesday.
Sponsored by the progressive Move Forward Party, the bill aimed to decriminalize pornographic materials and sex toys, the Bangkok Post reported.
The bill was introduced early last month by Bangkok MP Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, and sought to amend Section 287 of the Criminal Code, which explicitly bans adult materials.
“Under the proposed amendment, only certain kinds of pornographic materials would be banned, such as clips and/or images depicting sexual violence, rape and paedophilia,” the Bangkok Post reported.
The bill also prohibited anyone under 20 from participating in producing adult content.
Move Forward MPs argued that banning the adult entertainment industry is “akin to restricting people’s freedom to choose their profession.”
Bangkok MP Phantin Nuamjerm noted that adult content “is already widespread” and should therefore be legalized so that it can be better regulated, and to ensure that minors are not exploited.
MP Sorapa Sriprat stated that “maintaining the current law means the country fails to accept reality and is a society built on hypocrisy” and contended that the nation’s ban on sex toys “forces some individuals to seek alternative ways to manage their sexual desires, which can sometimes lead to sexual violence,” the Bangkok Post reported.
Dr. Cherdchai Tantisirin, a Pheu Thai Party MP, opposed the measure but noted that sex toys “may have medical benefits” and proposed introducing a separate bill to address the issue.
As XBIZ reported, Thai police have continued arresting people over possession and distribution of sex toys, although even Thailand’s conservative Democrat Party has stated its intention to legalize them.
The Democrat Party also noted that while sex toys are currently illegal in Thailand, they are being smuggled into the country due to easily observable demand.
Bangkok has several prominent “red light districts” that operate in a gray area due to the Thai police force’s arbitrary enforcement of the country’s repressive sex work and adult entertainment laws.
Main Image: One of Bangkok's main "red light districts."