news Brennpunkt revealed in “Massage salons” in 2022 that it is possible to buy sex at a large proportion of Thai salons in Norway. Several hundred women travel from town to town offering their services in salons run by other female masseurs. In some cases, their daughters are recruited into the industry. For some, the documentary was the start of something new. They decided to try to help the women in the salons. – I am very worried, both as an ambassador and as a woman, says Vimolbajra Ruksakiati, Thailand’s ambassador to Norway. – What news showed on 7 December is something we did not want to see. – We have a responsibility. She receives news in the beautiful embassy villa at Uranienborg in Oslo. Ruksakiati lives here with her two dogs, and her staff, most of them women, work here. The massage industry has been an important topic for them in the months since the documentary aired. The ambassador has conducted quiet diplomacy and held meetings with several ministries, with the police, Oslo municipality and the Thai Women’s Association. – We have a responsibility to protect these women. I am concerned about their health, welfare and their chances of acceptance in Norwegian society. We must not blame them, shame them or stigmatize them, says Ruksakiati. Approved-logo The news film created debate, and it was criticized. Some Thai women felt stigmatised, while the Church’s City Mission complained to news before the PFU on behalf of four women who had been filmed. The documentary was rejected for not having anonymised the women well enough, as well as a lack of consideration in the presentation. SHAREHOLDERS: Leader Shantana Srivipa Berg of the Thai Women’s Association will get the certification scheme up and running. The scheme will be launched in May. Photo: Anette Berentsen / news But in the embassy’s discussions with the Thai Women’s Association, an idea was born. The embassy will introduce an approved stamp in the form of a logo that serious massage parlors can use in their own advertising. They will receive training in what they need to run a salon legally. Director Shantana Srivipa Berg of the Thai Women’s Association will ensure that the new certification scheme is introduced. They are working to get the relevant Norwegian authorities on board. – There are around 30,000 Thais in Norway, and only a fraction work in massage parlours. Then we have to see if we can help that fraction, says Berg. THE LONG ARM OF DIALOGUE: Police Inspector Fredrik Skoglunn believes in good cooperation with the Thai community. Photo: Anette Berentsen / news Closed environment – The embassy sees its responsibility, and that is very good, says police inspector Fredrik Skoglunn in the Directorate of Police. He envisions that the police can help inform the Thai community about their rights in Norway, while the embassy can contribute knowledge to the police’s human trafficking group. What happens in the massage parlors is a difficult matter for the police. – As the documentary showed, the environment is closed. The police must seek out the crime and obtain intelligence. It is very resource-intensive, says Skoglunn, who says that the news documentary has also been discussed in the directorate. – We were surprised that the scale of prostitution is so large. This is how we have worked – this is what we found Since March 2021, news Brennpunkt has surveyed the Thai massage industry. The main method has been observation. We have followed the activity in the salons from the street, we have followed advertisements online, and we have followed other activity in social media and online forums. We have called around 100 massage parlors to check what they offer. We have also filmed with a hidden camera inside selected salons in Bergen. We have collected information from 1451 advertisements from Norway’s largest sex and escort website. Including 13,716 pictures. We have mapped all companies that do Thai massage in the Brønnøysund registers. 851 companies in total. This is what we found: A large majority of massage parlors opened to sell sex. In Bergen, where the investigations have been most thorough, we received sex offers from 75% of the salons. More than 300 women travel between different places in Norway to earn money in massage parlors. 80 salons scattered around Norway have various sex advertisements attached to them, and appear to be brothels for traveling women. We have found several cases where daughters and mothers work together, possibly working in the same industry, and sell sex. The Church’s City Mission believes that the women often did not intend to become prostitutes, but a lack of language and social understanding means that prostitution is perceived as the only way to survive in Norway. The police fear that many women are exploited to a greater or lesser extent in the massage parlors. – Win-win Ambassador Ruksakiati believes that many of the women who sell sex from salons are embarrassed, and that it contributes to making the environment closed. But she believes the certification scheme will be able to help many people out of prostitution. – Once they are in this situation, it can lead to something else, such as drugs and gambling. It becomes a vicious circle from which it is difficult to get out. Everyone in Norway should come together to help them. They are part of their society, points out Ruksakiati. – But I am hopeful. This project will be a win-win for everyone. Do you know anything about this?Some people sell sex of their own free will. Others are exposed to a greater or lesser degree of coercion. Do you suspect that someone is involuntarily involved in the sale of sex? Then we would like to hear from you. If there is anything else we should know about the topic, please get in touch. We treat all tips confidentially. If you suspect something criminal, you can also call the police on 02800.
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Thailand’s ambassador will certify the massage parlors – news Dokumentar
