Empower, our sister organisation in Thailand launches bill to decriminalise sex work

On 28 May 2026, our sister organisation Empower Foundation submitted a bill to decriminalise sex work to representatives of the House of Representatives and the House Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights, at an event attended by MPs from the People’s Party and Pheu Thai Party.

The proposed Sex Service Provider Protection Act would repeal Thailand’s 1996 Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act, recognising sex work as legitimate labour and extending legal rights and protections to sex workers. Empower said the intention is not to promote the industry, but to reduce exploitation, improve safety and respect the choices of adults working within it.

Campaigners argue that criminalisation leaves workers more vulnerable, while legal recognition could provide a clearer framework for protection and accountability. 

The call for reform is also supported by international health organizations. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS have advocated the decriminalization of consensual adult sex work, arguing that criminal penalties increase vulnerability to violence, stigma and poor health outcomes while creating barriers to healthcare and HIV prevention services.

Supporters of reform point to overseas examples. New Zealand, which decriminalised sex work in 2003, found that workers were better able to refuse clients, report violence to police and access legal protections, with government reviews finding no significant increase in the size of the sex industry. In Australia’s New South Wales state, decriminalisation has been credited with improving workplace safety, public health outcomes and cooperation between sex workers and law enforcement.

The bill will now be considered by parliament.