Reference
Sex-work law across Asia — comparative table
The primary criminal-law instrument in each of the 11 countries this site covers, with year of enactment and the disposition of the four core offence categories. Enforcement reality diverges sharply from the statute book in most rows — follow the country links for the local picture.
| Country | Primary statute | Year | Buyer | Seller | Brothel-keeping | Soliciting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act B.E. 2539 | 1996 | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Philippines | Revised Penal Code Art. 202 + RA 9208 (2003) + RA 10364 (2012) | 1932 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vietnam | Ordinance on Prostitution Prevention and Combat | 2003 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Indonesia | KUHP 2023 Arts. 411-413 (extramarital sex) + Perda + Sharia (Aceh) | 2023 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Japan | Anti-Prostitution Law No. 118 + Entertainment Business Law (Fueiho) | 1956 | No | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Cambodia | Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation | 2008 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| South Korea | Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic | 2004 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Taiwan | Social Order Maintenance Act + 2011 Art. 91-1 (never-activated zones) | 1991 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Singapore | Women's Charter Cap. 353 ss. 140-148 + MOA s. 19 | 1961 | Partial | No | Yes | Yes |
| Malaysia | Penal Code ss. 372-377 + Syariah (Federal Territories) Act 1997 (Muslims) | 1936 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hong Kong | Crimes Ordinance Cap. 200 ss. 137-147F | 1971 | Partial | No | Yes | Yes |
How to read this table
Buyer / seller / brothel-keeping / soliciting describe whether the activity is a criminal offence on the books. Yes means the activity is plainly criminal; Partial means the activity is criminal only in narrow circumstances or in practice goes unprosecuted in tourist contexts; No means the activity is not itself a substantive offence.
The table flattens significant complexity. Japan's Anti-Prostitution Law of 1956 criminalises only one narrow act — "intercourse with an unspecified person for compensation" — and the entire licensed fuzoku industry operates on definitional gaps. Singapore's Women's Charter does not criminalise the sale of sex itself, but criminalises every surrounding activity, producing a police-tolerated arrangement in named Geylang lorongs that is not a positive licensing regime. Hong Kong's "one-woman brothel" emerges from a judicial interpretation of the "vice establishment" definition rather than from a positive carve-out. Taiwan's 2011 amendment created a "special zone" framework for legal sex work; no county has ever activated it.
Notes by jurisdiction (same-sex commercial activity)
- Thailand — Same statutory framework; enforcement gendered in practice.
- Philippines — Art. 202 is gendered ('any woman'); same-sex commercial activity falls under different provisions in practice.
- Vietnam — Ordinance is gender-neutral on its face; enforcement focuses on female venues.
- Indonesia — KUHP 2023 applies regardless of sex; Aceh Sharia separately criminalises male same-sex activity.
- Japan — Statute gendered; same-sex commerce falls outside the 'intercourse' definition, in a different grey zone.
- Cambodia — Statute is gender-neutral; in practice enforcement focuses on female-facing venues.
- South Korea — Act is gender-neutral; enforcement waves have focused historically on female venues.
- Taiwan — Statute gender-neutral; same-sex marriage recognised 2019.
- Singapore — 377A repealed 2023; commercial framework remains gendered in drafting.
- Malaysia — Penal Code s. 377 criminalises same-sex activity generally; commercial same-sex compounds the exposure.
- Hong Kong — No specific same-sex criminalisation; one-woman framework applies regardless of gender.
Enforcement waves to be aware of
- Korea: 2018-2020 demolition of Cheongnyangni 588, Yeongdeungpo and Miari districts; current enforcement focus is the online-delivery economy.
- Cambodia: 2008-2012 wave after the new Anti-Trafficking statute cleared the Phnom Penh lakeside; periodic re-intensification since.
- Indonesia: KUHP 2023 (in force January 2026) is a fresh regulatory shock that affects all sexual activity outside marriage. Tourist exposure is meaningfully higher than in the pre-2026 period.
- Philippines: periodic RA 9208 / RA 10364 enforcement waves in Angeles City and Manila; the 2018 Boracay closure was a parallel tourism-policy intervention.
- Japan: enforcement is district-level and steady-state rather than wave-based. The biggest recent shift was the 2005 Koganecho operation in Yokohama.