The Influence of Beauty Standards on the Thai Sex Industry

ABSTRACT : This paper examines how beauty standards, race, and socioeconomic factors influence the earnings and experiences of sex workers in Thailand. Semi-structured interviews and surveys asked Thai sex workers how conformity to Western and Asian beauty ideals impacts wages, client demographics, and working conditions. The quantitative survey data and the qualitative insights from participant interviews reveal a “beauty premium” which suggests that sex workers who align with societal norms of attractiveness, particularly certain BMI levels and skin tone, are more favored than those who deviate from those norms.

KEYWORDS – Beauty Standards, Body Mass Index (BMI), Prostitution, Thailand, Wages