Red Light District | prostitution in Thailand

A red-light district Photos and Videos is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-orientated businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs,hotels,peep shows, a sex museum,adult theaters, etc. The term originates from the red lights that were used as signs of brothels.

The most well known red-light district is probably De Wallen in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The countries most often associated with red-light districts and prostitution are Netherlands and Thailand, but there are areas in many big cities around the world which have acquired international reputation as red-light districts, though usually without official recognition and often with official disapproval.

Red-light districts have acquired a touristic interest beyond sex tourism. Here are the photos of Red Light District in Patong, Thailand. Tourists must be careful because not every working girl is a real girls.

List of red-light districts : In some of these places prostitution may legally take place. Other red light districts are known for their illegal prostitution scene (in countries where prostitution is illegal). In red light districts where prostitution is illegal prostitutes or clients may be arrested or fined if caught by the police (the enforcement of anti-prostitution laws varies by country or place).

Following is a list of well-known red-light districts around the world, both current and historical.

Africa
Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire)

Prostitution is legal, but soliciting and pandering are illegal. There are reports that police demand bribes or sexual favors for allowing prostitution.

* Abidjan
o Marcory Zone 4
o Rue Princesse

* Grand-Bassam, resort area with sex tourism commonly practised.
* Yamoussoukro

Kenya

Prostitution is illegal.

* Nairobi
o Koinange Street

South Africa

Prostitution is illegal.

* Durban
o Point Road

Uganda

Prostitution is illegal.

* Kampala
o Kabalagala

Asia

Cambodia

Prostitution is illegal, but tolerated.

* Phnom Penh
o Svay Pak

China

Prostitution is illegal.

* Beijing
o Dashilan
* Shanghai
o Simalu

Hong Kong

Prostitution is legal, though brothels, pimping and soliciting are illegal.

* Kowloon
o Portland Street

India

Operating a brothel, pimping and soliciting in a public place are illegal (however in practice prostitution is tolerated and regulated).

* Agra
o Kinari Bazaar
* Delhi
o Chawri
o GB Road
* Kolkata
o Sonagachi
* Mumbai
o Kamathipura
* Muzaffarpur
o Chaturbhuj Sthan.
* Nagpur
o Ganga Jamuna
* Pune
o Budhwar Peth

Japan

Prostitution is illegal but narrowly defined. Many sexual acts for pay that would be considered to be prostitution in other countries are legal.

* Kyoto
o Shimabara
* Osaka
o Kujo
o Tobita
* Tokyo
o Kabukicho
o Roppongi
o Yoshiwara

South Korea

Prostitution is illegal. (However, in practice it is tolerated and regulated).

* Daegu
o Jagalmadang
* Seoul
o Cheongnyangni 588
o Mia-ri
o Yeongdeungpo
o Yongsan

* Suwon
o Suwon Station

Malaysia

Prostitution is illegal.

* Alor Star
o Lorong Satu
o Jalan Putra
* Kuala Lumpur
o Chow Kit
* Penang
o Gu Kan Tang

Pakistan

Prostitution is illegal. (However, in practice it is somewhat tolerated but not regulated).

* Hyderabad
o Serey Ghat
* Karachi
o Napier Road
* Lahore
o Heera Mandi

Philippines

Prostitution is illegal.

* Angeles City
o Fields Avenue, Balibago entertainment district.
* Metro Manila
o P. Burgos Street, Makati
o Malate, Manila
o Quezon Avenue, Quezon City

Singapore

Prostitution itself is not illegal; however, public solicitation, living on the earnings of a prostitute, and maintaining a brothel are illegal.
See also: Prostitution in Singapore

* Singapore
o Geylang
o Orchard Towers
o Changi village
o Keong Siak road
o Desker/Rowell road
o Petain road

* Thailand
Prostitution is illegal, but in practice it is tolerated and regulated.

* Bangkok
o Patpong
o The western Sukhumvit Road area (notably including Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy; formerly included the now-defunct Clinton Plaza)
* Phuket
o Soi Bang-La – Patong Beach
* Pattaya
o Boyztown
o Sunee Plaza
o Walking Street

Europe

Austria

Prostitution is legal and regulated.

* Vienna
o Gürtel

Belgium

Although brothels are illegal in Belgium, the enforcement of the law can be lax.

* Brussels
o Rue d'Aerschot
* Antwerp
o Schippersstraat and Villa Tinto
* Gent
o streets surrounding Pieter Vanderdoncktdoorgang (colloquially called Glazen Straatje (Window street))
* Ostend

Denmark

Prostitution is legal, but running brothels and pimping are illegal.

* Copenhagen
o Halmtorvet
o Istedgade

France

Prostitution is legal, but public solicitation, brothels and pimping are illegal.

* Paris
o Pigalle
o Bois de Boulogne
o Madeleine
o Montparnasse
* Bordeaux
o Bacalan
o Quai de Paludate
o Les Boulevards
* Marseille
o Canebière
* Lyon
o Gare de Perrache

Germany

Prostitution is legal and regulated.

* Berlin
o Oranienburger Strasse
* Frankfurt
o Taunusstraße
* Hamburg
o Reeperbahn

The Netherlands
Prostitution and associated activities are legal and common. A total of 12 cities in the Netherlands have red light districts with window prostitution (see Prostitution in the Netherlands).

* Amsterdam
o De Wallen
o Singel
o de Pijp

Spain

Brothels are illegal (since 1956), but "clubs" and "wiskerias" are fronts for prostitution and are tolerated.

* Barcelona
o Barrio Chino

Switzerland

Prostitution is legal and regulated.

* Zurich
o Langstrasse
* Geneva
o Les Pâquis
* Lausanne
o Sevelin

United Kingdom

England

Prostitution is legal, but public solicitation, brothels and pimping are not. The Policing and Crime Act 2009 makes it illegal to pay for sex with a prostitute who has been “subjected to force” and this is a strict liability offense (clients can be prosecuted even if they didn’t know the prostitute was forced).(see Prostitution in the United Kingdom).

* Hull
o Myton Street
* Leeds
o Water Lane
* Leicester
o South Highfields (defunct)
* London
o Gropecunt Lane (possible medieval; defunct)
o King's Cross
o Piccadilly Circus (defunct)
o Soho
o Commercial Road, Whitechapel
o Sussex Gardens, Paddington
o Shepherds Market

* Manchester
o (Heterosexual) Fairfield Street
o (Gay) Rochdale Canal/Canal Street in Gay Village
* Middlesbrough
o Over the Border / St Hilda's
* Peterborough
o Park Road
o Burghley Road
* Reading
o Oxford Road / Western Elms Avenue
* Shrewsbury
o Grope Lane (medieval; defunct)
* Stoke-on-Trent
o Cobridge
* Swindon
o Manchester Road/Gorse Hill
* Wolverhampton
o All Saints/Parkfield

Northern Ireland

* Belfast
o Linenhall Street

Scotland

* Aberdeen
o Miller Street
o Cotton Street
o Commerce Street
* Edinburgh
o Rose Street/Leith Walk/Coburg Street/Salamander Street (all defunct)
* Glasgow
o Blythswood Square (defunct)

Wales

* Cardiff
o Magic roundabout

North America
United States

Prostitution is illegal except for some rural counties of Nevada (see Prostitution in the United States).

* Baltimore, Maryland
o The Block - E. Baltimore Street from South Street to Gay Street
* Boston, Massachusetts
o The Combat Zone (historical)
* Butte, Montana
o Venus Alley
* Denver, Colorado
o Portions of Colfax Avenue
* Franklin, New Jersey
o The Canal District - Easton Avenue between JFK Boulevard and Albany Street, New Brunswick
o The Willow Avenue Gulch
o Hamilton Street - East End north of Franklin Boulevard
* Honolulu, Hawaii
o Hotel Street (defunct)
* Los Angeles, California
o Sunset Boulevard (defunct)
* Minneapolis, Minnesota
o Warehouse District
* New Orleans, Louisiana
o Storyville (historical)
* New York City, New York.
o "The Deuce" near Times Square. Comprised West 42nd Street between 6th and 8th Avenues. (defunct/culturally significant/historical)
* Omaha, Nebraska
o Sporting District (historical)
* Portsmouth, New Hampshire
o Marcy Street (defunct)
* San Antonio, Texas
o Sporting District (historical)
* San Francisco, California
o Barbary Coast (historical)
o Broadway, East of Columbus Avenue
o Tenderloin (historical)
* Washington, D.C.
o 14th Street (defunct)
o U Street (defunct)

Mexico
Prostitution is legal.
* Nuevo Laredo
o Zona de Tolerancia
* Tijuana
o Zona Norte
* Tuxtla Gutiérrez
o Zona Galáctica

Oceania
Australia

Prostitution laws vary by state (see Prostitution in Australia)

* Adelaide
o Hindley Street
* Brisbane
o The Valley
* Melbourne
o St Kilda
* Sydney
o Kings Cross
o Darlinghurst/East Sydney

New Zealand

Prostitution and associated activities are legal. (see Prostitution in New Zealand).

* Auckland
o Karangahape Road
* Christchurch
o Manchester Street
* Wellington
o Vivian Street

South America
Brazil

Prostitution is legal, running brothels and pimping is illegal.

* Belo Horizonte
o Zona Boêmia
* Sao Paulo
o Rua Augusta
* Campinas
o Jardim Itatinga

Argentina

Prostitution is legal, but running brothels and pimping are illegal.

* Buenos Aires
o El Rosedal (also known as Zona Roja, Palermo Rojo, Palermo Medio and Palermo Hot).
* Córdoba
o Calle Humberto Primero
o La Cañada