Is prostitution legal in Thailand?

Decriminalized / unregulated

Selling sex is legal in Thailand, but solicitation and pimping are illegal.

Thailand is one of 38 countries classified “Decriminalized / unregulated” for sex work — 17% of the 219 with data. (Also searched as prostitution.)

Source

Taken from
Wikipedia: Prostitution in Asia
Last checked
17 September 2026
How it was classified
Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.

Nearby countries

Cambodia
Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Cambodia, though prevalent and subject to controversial laws.
Laos
Illegal Prostitution is regarded as a criminal activity in Laos.
Vietnam
Illegal Prostitution is a serious criminal offense in Vietnam.
Myanmar
Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Myanmar.
Singapore
Decriminalized / unregulated Selling sex is not illegal in Singapore, but related activities like brothel maintenance are criminalized.
Bangladesh
Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal and regulated, requiring registration and affidavits from workers.

Other laws in Thailand

Same-Sex Marriage
Marriage legal
Same-Sex Activity
Legal
Age of Consent
14–15
Pornography
Illegal
Divorce
Legal
Non-Binary Recognition
Not recognized
Same-Sex Adoption
Joint adoption legal
Incest Laws
Legal between adults
Marriage Age
18+

Every law in Thailand → · Where is sex work legal? →

A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.