This is part 1 of a two-part series of Singaporean men dallying with prostitutes. However, Daniel tells us the decline in streetwalker visibility is not because Singapore has successfully removed prostitution from her shores. Rather, the soliciting has moved to the online realm as prostitutes increasingly leverage the power of the internet.
In the past, most prostitutes were streetwalkers. However, increased police raids have made soliciting in the streets more risky. Most of these websites are in English and Mandarin, and have an overseas IP address. Like these customers, Daniel appreciates how these websites provide convenience.
Online websites also benefit the girls as they afford them the ability to freelance, access to a wider customer base, and increased safety and security when soliciting from behind computer screens. Previously, a customer would have to go through a pimp, or approach a girl on the streets to buy sex.
But as prostitutes now hawk their wares online, booking an appointment is now done via text. Daniel explains how the girls usually have a work phone and a personal phone. The listed contact is linked to a prepaid sim card in the work phone. WeChat numbers are usually reserved for regular customers only. Not having a written record of the address makes it more difficult for cops to find the exact location of the HDB flat.
This significantly reduces the possibility of being tracked by the police. When the client has received the phone call with the detailed address, he is usually asked to arrive alone. More importantly, insisting customers arrive alone helps filter out undercover policemen who often patrol in groups.
