According to a mid-year report on prostitution prevention in the first six months of 2025 from the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, prostitution remains a complex issue. There has been a notable shift in how sex work is facilitated, with more transactions being conducted through social networks and online platforms, making detection and enforcement increasingly difficult.

As of mid-2025, Ho Chi Minh City had approximately 11 known public prostitution hotspots, a reduction of five from the same period in 2024, according to the city’s police department. Traditional street solicitation, such as standing on sidewalks or riding motorbikes to attract customers, has nearly vanished.

In contrast, brokered arrangements and transactions through apps such as Zalo, Facebook, Telegram, and Twitter are on the rise. Sex workers, brokers, and clients now operate in closed, tightly organized, anonymous groups with thousands of members, posing immense challenges to surveillance and law enforcement.

Another alarming trend is prostitution targeting foreign clients, which is considered highly complex. Certain entertainment venues exclusively serve foreigners while refusing Vietnamese patrons. These establishments often recruit staff through personal referrals, making it difficult for authorities to gather information or monitor operations. As a result, understanding how these venues function remains limited in some areas.

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Prostitution on digital platforms has become increasingly complex and covert. Screenshot.

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Police arrest a Chinese man and his partner who ran Fortune Restaurant in HCMC, offering nude dances and full-service prostitution for foreign clients. Photo: HCMC Police

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Many entertainment spots in Ho Chi Minh City masquerading as restaurants or karaoke bars employ dozens of female attendants ready to accompany clients to nearby hotels. Photo: HCMC Police

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Ho Chi Minh City police have dismantled many prostitution rings involving actors, models, and singers. Photo: HCMC Police

Some laws are outdated and no longer align with current prostitution trends

The People’s Committee report highlights that communication campaigns remain the primary strategy in preventing prostitution. All districts and Thu Duc City (now organized as wards and communes) have incorporated anti-prostitution measures into broader socio-economic development, social welfare, and drug prevention programs.

One major legal obstacle is that existing regulations do not fully address new forms of prostitution, such as male, homosexual, or transgender sex work, or covert acts of lewd behavior in businesses. Inconsistent legal definitions make it hard for authorities to properly classify and handle cases under current procedural laws. Collecting, preserving, and evaluating electronic evidence in online prostitution cases remains inadequate.

Offenders use disposable SIM cards and fake social media accounts, making it nearly impossible to trace identities or activity patterns. Meanwhile, sex work tailored to foreign customers in discreet venues that only accept referrals has emerged as a growing trend, complicating preventive efforts.

Moving forward, the People’s Committee plans to intensify inspections of businesses at high risk of prostitution and apply technology to investigations and prosecutions involving online activities or electronic payments.

The city aims to inspect at least 20% of service businesses considered at risk and promptly handle 100% of prostitution-related reports. Awareness campaigns will also continue, targeting 70% of workers in service industries, 60% of industrial zone workers, and 70% of students.

However, improving results hinges on revising the legal framework. The 2003 Ordinance on Prostitution Prevention is outdated and no longer reflects the realities of modern society.

In the first six months of 2025, Ho Chi Minh City authorities identified 4,033 service establishments with potential for prostitution. Of these, 410 were suspected of actual prostitution, and 851 of lewd or suggestive services. These venues employed more than 12,000 workers, over 4,800 of whom are suspected of engaging in prostitution or lewd acts.

The estimated number of sex workers in the city is around 864, down nearly 30% compared to 2024, indicating the effectiveness of recent crackdowns. However, the decline may not reflect the full picture, as more sophisticated underground activities continue to thrive online.

Dam De