Third World. Western capitalist patriarchy cannot be achieved without maintaining
the oppression and exploitation of women by men. However, Western capitalist
patriarchy has blended with Thai patriarchy to create a hybridized form of Thai
prostitution whereby most females view themselves as family breadwinners
(Sittirak 1996 ; Boonchalaksi and Guest 1998 ).
Ekachai (bangkokpost.com 2016 ) states on the International Women’s day
(March 9) that both the clergy and the military are extremely authoritarian and
feudal, patriarchal, and sexist. Ekachai explains the way women have to avoid
physical touching to monks, because the clergy would consider this a sexual
temptation, as a cultural affirmation of women’s inferiority. Ekachai indicates that
the fact that women are not allowed to be ordained as bhikkhunis is a sign of being
oppressed. (Some women went to have a cross ordination from the Mahayana
Canon in Taiwan but those female monks are not accepted by the Thai Theravada
Sangha on the claim that Theravadian bhikkhunis who must be preceptors in the
ordination in Theravada Buddhism went into distinction. Therefore, they are not
counted as bhikkhunis.) Ekachai (bangkokpost.com 2006) states,“For the Thai
Sangha, female ordination is a no-no. Female monks are treated as illegal, and
monks who support it are subjected to banishment. The white-robed nuns are
accepted because they accept their inferior status as temple help and never as
monks’equals.”To elaborate, a bhikkhuni or a female monk has to adhere to 311
precepts and wears yellow robe as a male monk but a white-robed nun has to adhere
to only 8 precepts. That is why Ekachai concludes that Thai women are losers in the
patriarchal system.
In fact, the right and status of females has been improved by law substantially.
The subcommittee for female role and activity development (1981: 195, 200–201)
reports that after the revolution in 1932, thefirst constitution and thefirst election
act allowed both males and females to have equal political right: as candidates and
as voters. In 1952, females could become judges. In 1970, the civil law prohibits
marriage registration for more than once. Wives can choose to work and manage
certain assets gained from marriage and can get alimony. Importantly, if the hus-
band acknowledges other women as wives, the registered wife can sue for a
divorce. The Ministry of Defence allowed females to be ranked higher than
Lieutenant Colonel. The Ministry of Internal Affairs also allowed females to be
ranked higher than a deputy sheriff, and they can be governors. In 2003, females
can choose to use their last names or their husbands’last names (Institute of Public
Policy Studies 2014 ). However, in practice gender inequality in the Thai society
still exists and persists.
Malikhao ( 2012 : 185–189) studied 14 focus group discussions on current sexual
norms, values, and understanding of HIV/AIDS. She found that most students
interviewed think that being a male has more sexual privilege than being a female,
even though males and females have equal opportunities to study andfind work.
Although sex education has been taught in schools in Thailand for about three years
by the time of the study in 2011, gender inequality still persists. Malikhao ( 2012 :
187) reports:
42 3 Violence Against Thai Females