The Secret Border.

Young Laotian girls sell themselves for pennies in rural Thailand on the border with Laos. But social media and the ability to communicate with family and friends make them less vulnerable.

Lao women from poor families continue to find ways to enter the sex trade in Thailand despite the risk of arrest and deportation. According to the International Labour Organization Thailand is the foremost destination for Lao migrant workers.

Thailand’s Ministry of Labour recorded about 111000 Lao migrants legally permitted to work in Thailand as of May 2018. The migration is driven by a lack of career options and poverty for the country’s largely unskilled workforce.

The average monthly wage in Thailand is more than double the average wage of 900000 kip (3,500 baht, USD 110) in Laos. The girls at the karaoke bar are not salaried but receive about 5 to 15 baht commission for each soft drink they sell. They make about 10000 baht (USD 315) a month with the lion’s share coming from providing sexual services to customers of all stripes mostly locals.

Across the Northeast Lao women find employment in brothels and karaoke bars concentrated in the borders areas. But hard data on the numbers of Lao sex workers in Thailand is hard to come by. According to a 2015 study commissioned by the Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Health Service there were 2410 women working in restaurants and karaoke bars in Ubon Ratchathani province alone. Of these 1230 of them were confirmed sex workers with just over half of them (692) coming from Laos.