Why attacks on prostitution will backfire for Thailand

I urge policymakers to consider two issues they seem to ignore: 
First, millions of baht are remitted to families in rural areas from sex workers every month. This fact should be considered carefully, since no official policy is working to provide the better education that leads to jobs better than sex work or to produce rural jobs of any kind. This being the case, how will many rural people survive if a vital money source – remittances from sex work – is undermined. 
Second, the Tourist Authority of Thailand wants a family-friendly tourist environment with no prostitution. I predict such an environment would damage all tourism. Based on my experience as a scuba diver, I know that availability of sex is just one aspect of a trip. Scuba diving was the reason for my trips, but I know many divers would chose a different location to dive if sex, as a form of entertainment for those who wished it, was not available. This is true regarding many primary reasons for a visit. 
Thailand should decriminalise sex work. Germany, Holland, Brazil and other places have legal sex work while many more have de facto legal sex work, and yet they also have strong tourist industries. And their own sex culture is rarely under attack by others. Thailand is taking the wrong stand.  
John Kane
Bangkok