"Red Light Districts are coming to Taiwan… ORLY?
Like any other male traveller, after seeing betelnut girls around everywhere in Taiwan and wondering if they were prostitutes or not – I inevitably stumbled across Taiwan’s prostitution laws.
Although recently ruled unconstitutional and set to expire in November, current prostitution laws in Taiwan hold the prostitute solely accountable where upon they face a $30,000 TWD ($1040 USD) fine, three days police detainment and a possible 6-12 month stint at a correctional institution.
The client walks free.
In September this is set to change to include the client penalty wise, but only outside of designated red light districts.
The only problem? Currently there’s no legal framework to establish legal red light districts.
Not to fear. Yesterday the Executive Yuan approved the official setting up red light districts because, y’know – it’s not like they don’t already exist and thrive here.
It seems the only people who don’t know about Taiwan’s already existing and flourishing red light districts are the Executive Yuan themselves.
Not to be confused with Thailand or Amsterdam, Taiwan’s red light district trade is pretty small in comparison and obviously less open in comparison. With most international visitors not daring to leave the comforts of Taipei City, you’d be hard pressed to find a red light district within official city limits.
The closest I’ve found would probably have to be LongShan Temple. And it’s not like I was looking.
Just walk around the area after 8 or 9 on any random night of the week and the brothels and prostitutes walking around smack you in the face. And if they don’t get you, the guys pushing adult dvds out in the open for any passerby to see (including children) will.
Despite being illegal, this area thrives and has no doubt done so for decades.
In addition to that, venturing outside of Taipei City I’ve seen small towns with blatant red light districts filled with brothels and even been driven to locally known Amsterdam style prostitute streets with women whoring themselves outside of small toilet sized houses all in a row next to eachother.
Then of course there’s the abundance of shady looking massage parlours and mysterious R18+ venues scattered throughout the island…
The locals obviously kn0w about the areas and what goes on there and inevitably the police do too, so I suspect this has what’s prompted the official recognition of legal red light districts.
Well, either that or the reluctance of local authorities to enforce Taiwan’s prostitution laws;
The amendment to decriminalize the sex trade came one day after local media reported Wednesday that an illegal red light district was spotted by reporters in central Taiwan’s Changhua County.
About 20 tiny one-room cabins rented by prostitutes who offer their sexual services from behind a window were found on a street in the county’s Huatan Township.
According to the Chinese-language Next Magazine report, police authorities turned a blind eye to the sex trade business there because of pressure from township elected representatives.
But the accusations were refuted by county government officials.
I’m not even familiar with local level politics and to me it’s obvious these places don’t exist without some level of government and police support (be it bribes, gangster activity or simply a reluctance to interfere).
I’ve even seen township police set up breath testing stations just outside of brothel areas whilst completely turning a blind eye to what’s going on around them.
Let’s face it, Taiwan is full of socially dysfunctional lonely males slowly overworking themselves to death. Set up a legal red light district next to a science park and you’ve be invariably sitting on a potential gold mine.
I imagine the prostitutes themselves would probably wind up making more in a week then most of their clients.
In a country where most people live at home till they’re 80, learn how to date from watching Japanese adult videos and where employment conditions often leave little time for a social life, prostitution and red light districts are a no brainer.
Although I won’t be making use of the newly established districts (although you might see an article or two here on them once they’re legally recognised and not so tucked away), it’ll be good to finally get this issue out on the open.
If people don’t like the openness of the designated areas, then perhaps they can be use as a starting point to discuss the myriad of social problems that exist in Taiwan that contribute to the popularity of the sex industry.
That’d make for one hell of an interesting discussion.
Many local governments wasted no time in vetoing plans to create legally designated sex-trade zones in their jurisdictions after a proposed amendment aimed at allowing such a move was approved by the Executive Yuan on Thursday.
Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) was quoted by local media as saying that he plans to turn Tainan into a clean city and that the establishment of additional brothels is out of the question.
Other mayors echoed his sentiment.
I like how they don’t say anything about the current brothel setups and instead focus on refusing to expand the operations (which would bring unwanted competition to their business partners interests).
Taiwan already has red light districts, time for local governments to come clean and accept it.
But before you go and pop your viagra pills and grab your walking cane and wallet, note that there is still strong opposition from local governments in setting up any districts.
12 of Taiwan’s counties and municipalities made it clear that they will not allow red light districts within their boundaries, citing concerns over criminal elements.
Another 10 said they need to have a “thorough understanding” and perform a “long-term study” before making a decision — a strong implication that they will not allow legal sex trade.
Sex trade outside the red light districts will incur a maximum fine of NT$30,000 for both the sex workers and their customers, and a maximum fine of NT$50,000, plus a five-day detention, for the middlemen (pimps).
The law is in place for legalized red light districts and unofficially they already exist. I wonder where Taiwan’s first legally recognised red light district will be?
July 15th, 2011 at 5:21 pm PeterF57(Quote)
Ozboy, being a bit of a whoremonger myself, having travelled in the Philippines for a few months, and other countries where life is cheap, and availing myself of those lovely young damsels (of legal age at all times, although I was offered girls of 12 many times), what is the going price for a whore over in Taiwan?
I doubt if I will ever get there, but you never know, but I’m of an age now where it’s not easy to go find myself some, even though I do have a couple of regulars in Melbourne for whenever I am in town (all it takes is a phone call, sadly I am not often in Melbourne), and I don’t do bars nor do I drink, and people might think I’m strange, but instead of me drinking and getting hammered and spending however much, I just go straight to the source and, for example, in the Philippines, I had myself a young damsel for $7.50, for about an hour, with a hotel room for 2 hours at $5.
Of course when bartering the girls say a couple of hours but I have learned, once your bolt is blown out the door they go. So I annoy them by taking at least an hour.
Pretty good financial sense I think, though the term whoremonger might embarrass some, it sure doesn’t embarrass me.
July 16th, 2011 at 9:48 am ozsoapbox(Quote)
Now that I’ve got no definitive answer to, but I’ve been told 3-5000 is the starting rate and then upwards depending on how hot she is/how bad she thinks you want it.
Definitely nothing like those Philippine prices you quoted though.
I guess if you don’t drink and are on holiday then you don’t have too many options. Personally it’s not about embarassment, just a personal mental roadblock that sex should always be free.
Who knows, maybe I’ll loosen up in my old age.