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Published on October 3, 2007

a heated debate because many say the TV ads encourage premarital sex. Here's what some of our bloggers had to say on the subject at http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/:

Pondering: Before promoting the use of condoms, try promoting sex education first. As soon as Thai society accepts free discussion and is more open regarding sex, it won't be too difficult to talk about the use of condoms.

redandwhitestripes

The one person who has done more to promote condoms than any other individual in the world (probably) is Thai.

Narcisuss:When it comes to the promotion of condom usage, the question about when it is 'moral' for people to start having sex is practically irrelevant. The relevant question is at what age are people having sex. It's at that point that one needs to employ sex-ed.

Poomjai:Thims is a very useful debate and I can see that the people calling for the removal of the 'Yeud Ok Pok Theung' adverts are out-of-touch moralisers. The "yoof" in Thailand appear increasingly to be making personal choices about pre-marital relations. Take a trip to RCA and you will see lots of young university students out for a good time - willing to end up in bed with someone they know and, in some cases, someone they might have just met. It would appear only correct to promote safe sex in this group, to limit unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

But, and this is only my uneducated farang view, I sense that young Thais in general (and this is a generalisation) are much less aware of and interested in issues about sex than their Western counterparts. Even if they choose to have sex before marriage, my observation is that Thais are likely to start having sex later than westerners and have fewer sexual partners. Honestly (and I may be accused of being old-fashioned in saying this), I think that this is an aspect of Thai culture which is worth preserving.

So I can see some weight in the argument that an advertisement which promotes the virtue of carrying condoms may be confusing to Thai kids who may not have previously considered sex. There is a fine balance between promoting good sexual health and encouraging promiscuousness. And so an open discussion on this issue must be considered useful and helpful.

So I wonder if some sort of middle ground can be found. Such as 'Can't wait until you get married? Don't forget to use a condom'. Sort of promoting safe sex, while at the same time reinforcing the view that sex in a loving relationship would be the preferred option.

Therefore, the modern sexual health promotion effort needs to be more refined and nuanced.

Poomjai (in response):Children are developing more quickly and I'm fully aware of the activity in chat rooms, which, incidentally, serve as a vehicle for paedophiles to nurture the young as prospective prey. But yours is a rather two-dimensional perspective. As an illustration of what I mean:

The moral dimension. Even if a child is physically capable of having sex at the age of 11, would you feel it morally right for her to be doing so? Particularly, if it was your child?

The emotional dimension. Sex brings with it a whole host of emotional issues and I would suggest that 11-year-old kids are less equipped to deal with these compared with, say, university students. Do you think that young children can make considered decisions about their sexuality, particularly in situations where their prospective partner is much older?

The vulnerability dimension. Sexual relationships often involve a power balance. I would suggest that young Thais, because of the hierarchical nature of Thai society, are more likely to be swayed by the attentions of older people who might wish to take advantage of them.

The legal dimension. Although the lowest recorded legal age of consent is 12, in most countries it is between 15 and 18. In Thailand it is 15 and in Britain it is 16.

The cultural dimension. Whether you think it is out of touch or not, Thai culture sees sex as limited to marriage. Of course, many Thais are deviating from their traditions, but many are not, and I don't think that anyone should feel it's their job to make a judgement on their choice.

Personally, as an Englishman, I grew up in a society where there were fewer social and cultural issues around sex. I had sex before marriage and as a healthy adult I enjoy sex. I am not going to suggest that there is a campaign that tries to limit or prevent free expression of sexuality among young adults.

But I also don't think it is wrong to try to nuance sex-health promotion campaigns with the aim of protecting younger people and preserving an element of Thai culture, which to many people is still important. I don't think it makes Thailand out of touch or not "wiv it".

Comments have been edited to fit space and style.

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