Legalise porn and sex toys in Thailand, says MFP MP
Lawmaker reckons lifting the complete ban and making the subject transparent will make it easier to control access and substandard smuggled items
A Move Forward Party MP plans to have the Criminal Code amended, so adult films and sex toys are no longer taboo in Thai society.
Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, an MFP MP for Bangkok, said in a Facebook post on Monday that he has drafted the amendment bill and will submit it to the House within two weeks.
He said he realises that this move would earn him a lot of criticism from social networkers, but he wants the issue to become transparent and a subject of debate in Thai society.
Taopiphop said he will propose a bill to amend Article 287 of the Criminal Code to end a total ban on adult movies and sex toys.
He said this bill will not seek to lift the ban unconditionally. Instead, it would still restrict pornography and sex toys under certain conditions.
Article 287 currently completely bans adult films and sex toys, but he said he will amend it as follows:
- Adult films via various media are allowed on condition that viewing is restricted to persons under 20 years old and does not contain violent content, such as rape.
- The sale of sex toys is allowed subject to industrial standards. The Food and Drug Administration can set regulations to control their standards for safe use and prevent the smuggling of substandard items.
Taopiphop said he was willing to heed reasonable criticism from those opposed to the idea, adding that he does not stand to gain from decriminalising adult films and sex toys.
“But as an MP, my duty is to push limiting thoughts and drive society forward,” he said.
“I hope this issue will help members of society to learn about one another and seek common solutions by discussing topics openly instead of being coy.”
Taopiphop added that he hopes to find solutions for the issue via democratic and parliamentary mechanisms.
“I don’t want to see young people have easy access to pornographic media, but I would like to bring this issue out in the open, so it can be discussed and monitored systematically,” he added.
The MP explained that legalising adult films can be beneficial to the economy as well as benefit people by controlling the content and quality under the law.
Sex remains a taboo subject in Thailand, while sex-related industries and sex workers have never won support from politicians despite repeated calls from empowering groups. Opponents have always argued that support for sex workers cannot be done in a Buddhist nation like Thailand.
Conversely, the sex industry is thriving in Thailand and according to a study by Havocscope, it accounted for 10% of the country’s GDP in 2015. Havocscope collects data on transactions in the black market.
