For many young Thais, Valentine's Day is an
occasion to lose their virginity. This year, they are being urged to
visit temples instead.
Thailand has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in
the world: 54 out of 1,000 girls aged 15-19 give birth each year,
according to the Public Health Ministry. Valentine's Day, a Western import, is increasingly popular in Thailand - one way school pupils mark it is by sticking hearts to their shirts.
This year, in addition to exhortations to visit temples, public health officials are distributing piles of condoms at health clinics and hospitals in the capital Bangkok.
Students mark Valentine's day by sticking hearts on their shirts
Distributing condoms costs the Thai government $150,000 per year
"If kids really love each other, it's better for them to go and
free birds and fish or go to the temple," Pirapong Saicheua, an
official of the city authority, told Reuters news agency.Thailand is notorious as a destination for sex tourism. Despite this, it remains a conservative country.
Public health workers are helping distribute condoms
Out of 1,824 people infected with HIV in the Bangkok metropolitan area in 2014, more than half - 55.4% - are under 25. The distribution of 3.5 million condoms costs around 5 million baht ($150,000; £100,000) for the year, including Valentine's Day.
Despite being a Western festival, Valentine's Day is becoming increasingly popular in Thailand
As part of the campaign, the culture ministry's Moral Promotion
Centre launched a new slogan: "Just a Meal for Valentine's Day", urging
teenagers to go home separately after a dinner date. Those who choose
to get married around Valentine's Day - like the couples below - are
presumably exempt from such strictures.
Newlyweds celebrate in western Thailand