Back in April, news broke of an underage prostitution ring in Mae Hong Son that alledgedly services visiting officials. Ticha Na Nakorn is the director of Baan Kanjanapisek Juvenile Vocational Training Centre, and has been fighting for the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to take up the case. A former member of the National Reform Council (NRC) and the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) of 2015, Ticha is a vocal champion of women’s rights in Thailand. Here, she discusses the country’s prostitution culture, and the progress being made in the Mae Hong Son case.

How often in Thailand is sex given as a gift to government and high-ranking officials?

I can’t give you an exact number, but ever since I’ve been old enough to read the news and take an interest in women’s rights, this sort of case has been consistent. Even today, I still keep hearing these stories no less than before.

Why do you think such “traditions” still exist?

Thai government has this patronage system, where you can become your boss’s favorite by giving him a gift, and that gift is sex. It costs you money, but it’s like an investment where you make it back through promotions later. This kind of culture ruins the careers of people doing real hard work.

How can Thai society combat this attitude?

Stop spoiling high-ranking officials. If we keep overly respecting them, they will not fear anything and will continue to do bad things. But Thai people don’t know how to do that. We tend to accept people so easily based on money and social status, and treat them like they are the center of the universe. We need to stop spoiling those people.

What are you currently working on regarding the Mae Hong Son case?

I just submitted an open letter to Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha’s spokesperson last Friday (May 26). Part of the letter says, “If there are any government officials involved in the sex trafficking scandal, the DSI has to take this case. They cannot just get questioned by someone from their own government office.” I also asked Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha to personally pay close attention to this case because, at the time that the Mae Hong Son scandal broke, he was giving a casual rant about this same issue on TV: “This culture has to go already,” he said. “Why are you even still doing this?”

What challenges face those who report such cases?

About 11-12 years ago, I was sued by the Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police for writing a letter to the Prime Minister [Thaksin Shinawatra], asking an honest, innocent question: was it appropriate for the Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police to be involved in a sex scandal? He tried to sue me for B100 million and the case lasted over 10 years. He sued me because he felt like I was insulting him. In the end, the case was dismissed. The judge stated clearly that it is not an insult for citizens to criticize officials.

Has that experience made you afraid of criticizing high-ranking officials?

Not really. We have all been scared our whole lives, and that’s why no one has said nor done anything. Sex scandals are now getting bigger and bigger with no sign of stopping. Those people have been spoiled too much.