In the company of friends: Peer influence on Thai male extramarital sex

We explore some of the key social dynamics underlying patterns of male extramarital heterosexual behavior in Thailand. We analyze transcripts of focus group discussions and focused individual interviews conducted during 1993 and 1994 with married men and women living in both urban and rural areas of central Thailand. We discern several pathways of peer influence on extramarital commercial sex patronage that are common across our sites and interpret these peer effects in light of contemporary theories of social influence and sexual behavior.