There are areas of practically every large city where the sex trade thrives, whether it’s openly spoken or discussed in hushed tones. For ages, red light districts have occupied a position in the thoughts of artists, writers, self-professed bohemians, moralists, ethicists, and visitors from Nevada to Amsterdam, Paris, and Bangkok. It’s crucial to remember that many people who engage in the sex trade do so against their will.
There’s also the issue of legality to consider: While cities like Amsterdam have notoriously permissive legislation that allegedly make engaging the sex trade a regulated (and hence de-stigmatized) choice, it is an outright criminal in other areas of the world. This is not to mention the role of sex labour in compounding existing poverty and violent cycles in areas where tourism has already contributed to single-sector economies. As sex work, like all aspects of life, moves online, the problem becomes much more convoluted. In fact, many of the areas listed below do not have the same level of crime as they once had (Geylang, in Singapore, is a case in point).
With that in mind, here are some of the most notorious red light districts in the world, ranging from open sexual free-for-alls to sanitised tolerance zones and violent regions where tourists should never be seen. Take this as a warning!
- Patpong Market, Bangkok
Bangkok is virtually poised for all things steamy and filthy, thanks to its high temperatures and quick speed of life. Bangkok has become a regional centre for the profession due to the city’s traditionally lax attitudes toward sex employment. A stroll through Patpong Market, through the tantalising street food stalls and tables piled high with inexpensive T-shirts, is a sensory overload.
- Patong, Phuket
Many visitors arrive in Phuket with images of palm-lined beaches, the turquoise Andaman Sea, and pristine beaches in their heads. Bangla Road, which is home to some of the city’s most notorious pubs, is the epicentre of the action. You’ll find all kinds of for-pay sex, sex performances, and whatever else you can think of here, much like in Bangkok’s red-light districts. The action is concentrated along Bangla Road, which is home to some of the city’s most notorious nightclubs and clubs, as well as sex workers on almost every sidewalk.
- Geylang, Singapore
Singapore’s Geylang is one of the city-most state’s well-known local-food districts. In Singapore, sex work is regulated, presumably to make it safer for workers and patrons. In Singapore’s once-infamous district, the rise of online programmes for sex workers has resulted in streets that are becoming increasingly tame.
- DeWellen, Amsterdam
Images of lovely canals, quaint row buildings, and Dutch pancakes may come to mind when you think about Amsterdam. One of the most well-known red light districts in the world is in Amsterdam. De Wallen, a gentrifying neighbourhood in the city, is home to students, tourists, and sex workers. For sex workers in the city, the Amsterdam Prostitution Information Center provides pro-sex and pro-legalization platforms.
- Pigalle, Paris
Despite the fact that sex work is illegal in Paris, officials largely ignore the profession. Pigalle is full of sex shops, porn stores, strip clubs, and peep shows. There are a lot of boisterous bars and clubs in the region, and when alcohol-fueled belligerence is added to the mix, things can rapidly get out of hand. However, like with any good capitalist metropolis, the region is rapidly gentrifying, particularly in South Pigalle, a refuge for the hipster elite to spend their money on bespoke cocktails, one-off sweatshirts, and little plates of cuisine. Pigalle is full of sex shops, porn stores, strip clubs, and peep shows, as well as street workers who ply the busier neighbourhoods.
Despite the list of red light districts which I have mentioned in the following, there are still a lot of these kinds of places that I’m yet to mention. However, do follow the laws and rules set by the locals so you won’t get into trouble abroad.
Wish to satisfy yourself abroad, but you have no money? Don’t be sad! Involving such activities doesn’t come easy even if you have reached there, so just stay home and go here Secret Cherry for more fun as you want.