SVETLANA DOJCINOVIC

There are about 7.3 million people that are considered to be in poverty in Thailand, according to the WB in 2013. The authorities claim the number of the poor has decreased in recent years, but the rate remains high. Bangkok has been one of the fastest developing cities, as Thailand successfully developed its economy and infrastructure in recent years. With a population of almost 10 million people, this megacity hides the biggest slum in its very centre, not far away from luxury hotels and malls, and where extreme poverty brings an everyday struggle. The living condition within the slum is terrible. Many girls from the slum engage in prostitution, as the sex industry generates massive income for the country. Kathoey or a ladyboy / a transgender woman or an effeminate gay man are especially at risk of sexually transmitted diseases, and have high rates of HIV.

January 2018