By now, everyone is probably aware of OnlyFans, an online social media platform known for allowing anyone to share 18+ content in order to make money. It's a platform that has generated many controversies, especially in Thailand in the past few months, whether it be criticism in society or headline news involving arrests of several young women believed to be so-called "sex creators".
One of the cases involved "Kai Nao", a popular Thai OnlyFans content creator who was arrested by the police a few months ago. In another case, Arisa "Kwang" Homgroon, also known as "Deerlong", a well-known YouTuber and former Thailand's Got Talent contestant, became the subject of debate after some explicit photos and videos posted on her OnlyFans account were leaked. The content, which was intended only for those who pay a subscription, was taken without permission and spread for free on illegal porn and gambling websites. When reporting the incident to the police, she was held for investigation by officers for sharing pornographic content, which is still illegal in Thailand. The incident forced the 26-year-old star to recently flee the country and take refuge in the Netherlands after being criticised online, where some called her an "unworthy role model". Countering the negative critics, a lot of people sympathised with and defended Arisa. Why was she arrested when she was the victim and there are hundreds of other Thai women still offering the same content online who have never been targeted? Some even questioned whether it was actually because Thai society or the laws in the country are too backwards.
One thing we all have to admit is that sex work has been around since the dawn of time and it is nothing new. Whether you like it or not, platforms like OnlyFans were born because of demand, not much different from TikTok or Snapchat. OnlyFans is a new trend people around the world are paying attention to, especially those interested in sexual content. OnlyFans is mainstream, and a lot of girls are doing it. I think the fact that these women are not professional sex workers or prostitutes in their real lives is part of the appeal. These are the girl next door type, and many of them are doing this not only for money, as some really are passionate about sharing amateur porn content for their own pleasure too. So when their favourite influencers on Instagram or YouTube say, "Hey, sign up to my OnlyFans and I'll show you my exclusive photos and videos there", of course there will be a lot of guys who will pay US$20 monthly (643 baht) in exchange for that content.
