Thai women fight sexual assault with their fists: self-defence classes in one of Asia’s most dangerous places for females
- Women in Thailand are taking self-defence classes to protect themselves against sexual harassment, much of which takes place on public transport
- Experts teach a variety of methods to stop aggressors, such as a knee to the groin or a strike to the nose with the heel of a palm
The first time Pannarat Rattanasinchai was molested by a stranger, she felt ashamed and powerless. The mother-of-three was standing on a crowded bus in Bangkok when a man pressed up against her from behind in a sexually suggestive manner.
“I felt disgusted and humiliated, but I didn’t know what to do,” Pannarat recalls. She edged away, but he persisted.
Eventually, Pannarat stopped the man from pressing his crotch against her by placing her handbag in the way, and he then began targeting another woman. Passengers alerted the driver, who stopped by a police station so the harasser could be arrested.
“Many women in Thailand have similar experiences,” says Pannarat, a small, soft-spoken woman. “There are incidents every day.”
According to a survey last year by YouGov, a British market research company, a fifth of over 1,100 Thai respondents – of both sexes – reported having been sexually harassed. Sexual assault accounted for 44 per cent of cases, followed by flashing and persistent sexual advances. More than a quarter said they had been harassed on public transport, while a third of incidents occurred in other public places.
“I was harassed again on another bus,” Pannarat says. This time she was better prepared to deal with it. A stranger sitting next to her laid a hand on her thigh, and when Pannarat removed the man’s hand he placed it right back. She reached for a small knife she now carries and held it against his hand as a warning, and he stopped troubling her.
