Help an 18-Year-Old Survivor Escape Exploitation in Thailand

Help an 18-Year-Old Survivor Escape Trapped in the Cycles of Sexual Exploitation, Trafficking, and Poverty in Thailand

This is her turning point.

Mai’s Story

*Mai (name changed for safety) is just 18 years old.*

Mai was born and raised in a remote Lisu Hill Tribe village in the mountains near the border of Laos and Myanmar, north of Chiang Rai, Thailand. She is the second-born with an older sister and two young brothers. At just 17 years of age, Mai made the brave decision to leave home and head to Chiang Mai, in an attempt to lift herself and her family out of poverty by optimizing the city’s opportunities and resources. Her desire was to complete high school, while at the same time supporting her family, both nuclear and extended. With no connections, no savings, no roadmap, and no plan B, her first job was at a street food stall. Later, she got a job offer that had various perks attached to it, including housing and high pay with no prior experience required. This massage job held the promise of transforming her life and that of her family, forever.

But it was all a lie; half-truths repackaged to entice and trap innocent lives.

That is how she ventured into a grooming system that was designed to exploit girls like her, slowly pushing them into sex work as the girls would eventually offer their bodies for more pay. A young lady who had dreams and goals - she is now resigned to a life not of her own design, but that is the result of a need to survive.

This is how most sex trafficking begins, through manipulation and unmet needs. Traffickers often target vulnerable individuals by offering something they desperately lack: a place to live, a chance to make money, clothing, or even love and emotional support. It’s rarely obvious at first. In many cases, those being trafficked don’t see themselves as victims, because they’ve been groomed and conditioned to believe they’re making their own choices. The exploitation is subtle, layered in survival, and often disguised as opportunity or affection.

At first, Mai resisted. But like many who are commercially sexually exploited, she was worn down by a mix of poverty, isolation, and psychological manipulation. With no viable job prospects, no community support, and growing financial pressure, the promises once offered began to feel like her only option. For the past year, she has worked six days a week at the same shop that recruited her; a system that controls not only her income, but also her housing, her safety, and her ability to leave. This dependency is by design, a hallmark tactic in many trafficking and exploitation networks.

Help Get Mai Out of Sex Trafficking

Mai has no independence; she has no freedom to simply be. Mai lives in a state of constant pressure and emotional entrapment. When your income, housing, and sense of safety are all tied to the same people who both support and exploit you, walking away doesn’t feel like freedom; it feels like risking everything.

Also, Mai never imagined her first experience with intimacy would be transactional, especially with older men. Sometimes, these men - some old enough to be her father and even grandfather, follow her home even after sessions, or she has to go to their hotel rooms, with her security not guaranteed in either case. This has left her with trauma, shame, stress, depression, fear, and anxiety.

Mai was once deeply conservative. She had never even been in a relationship. And yet, every day now, she’s forced to dissociate in order to survive. Her family doesn’t know what she does for a living. They think she’s attending school and working a normal job. She still sends money home to help cover food, living expenses and her grandfather’s medical bills. Her older sister is also in the sex trade, and Mai is desperate to break free from going deeper down that path.

Mai isn’t being “rescued,” she’s rescuing herself. Like many survivors, she came to the realization on her own that she wanted something different. What she needed was a spark: a reminder of her worth, her options, and her right to choose something better. That’s where we came in: by offering connection, safety, and support, we helped reignite the hope already inside her. Now, with YOUR HELP, she can take the next step.

Mai Still Dares to Dream of a Life with Choices

“I just want a normal life. I want to do something I can be proud of.” – Mai

She said this through tears during an interview with us, remembering her Lisu traditions, the girl she used to be, and the parents who still don’t know the truth. Beneath her quiet strength is a deep well of shame, sadness, and the longing to return to a life she can live with pride.

Despite being ashamed of her profession, Mai still dares to believe in a better tomorrow. She silently and privately enrolled in a school program to complete her high school diploma, which is still ongoing. In addition to being empowered, she wants stability, dignity, and safety for herself and her loved ones.

She also wants to:

However, she can only escape this world when her basic needs are met.

How You Can Help - REAL Tangible Change

In Thailand, many workers earn just $400-$500/month. But Mai’s cost of living, just to stay in school and help her family, exceeds that by hundreds (about $700-800/month). This fundraiser gives her the freedom to focus on building a life she can be proud of.

We are looking to raise funds to support her for one full year. From our detailed breakdown of the cost of living and support, Mai will need USD$9,800 to achieve one full year of stability without the constant threat of survival pulling her back into harm’s way. Within this time, she will instead focus on healing, self-development, and finding other employment.

The cost breakdown will be as follows:

Expense Amount (USD)

Total $9,800

This support gives Mai the chance to rewrite not only her own story, but her family’s as well by breaking the cycle of intergenerational hardship. She’ll become living proof that there is more to life than marrying young, staying in farm work out of necessity, or being pulled into sexual exploitation. Girls from small towns and poverty deserve more, and Mai’s journey is a reminder that second chances do exist.

Who We Are

We’re a small, dedicated team from Optimind Counseling , a mental health practice rooted in social work values and a shared passion for international, trauma-informed public service. Our work blends clinical care with a wraparound model of care and grassroots outreach, driven not by profit, but by purpose. We are licensed therapists, social workers, and advocates who have voluntarily come together to collaborate, seek solutions, and uplift those who are often forgotten.

Mai came into our lives through our nomination-based outreach initiative, which supports individuals navigating poverty, trauma, and exploitation. After several in-depth interviews and ongoing conversations with Mai (and others in similar situations), we’ve come to know her story intimately.

Here’s what we will do with your support:

With full consent and after much reflection, Mai has chosen to move forward. She’s ready to rewrite her story, and we’re here to walk beside her every step of the way.

Mai Needs US

One evening, Mai messaged us unexpectedly, and we got on a video call. She was crying, not from fear, but from something she said she’d never felt before: HOPE.

Through tears, she asked, “Why are you helping me? Why are you being so kind? I don’t deserve this…People like me don’t get support like this.”

That moment reminded us just how deeply the world has failed individuals like Mai, and how powerful it is when someone finally shows up with care, without conditions.

She doesn’t just need a donation; she needs proof that she matters. And your support helps give her that proof.

This a rescue line and a bridge to freedom.

Your contribution - whether $10 or $1,000 - directly gives Mai a chance to escape exploitation and a system she didn't choose and build a life of dignity and freedom.

Please also share this story. Awareness is power. Silence keeps systems like this alive.

Let’s be the reason one girl didn’t have to go back.

Let’s give Mai a way out and a way forward.

Note on Privacy, Safety, and Transparency

For privacy and safety reasons, Mai’s real name, face, and identifying details have been changed. All photos of individuals used in this campaign are royalty-free stock images and do not depict Mai or anyone involved in her story. They are used solely for illustrative and storytelling purposes. This is not just to protect her; it’s also to prevent potential retaliation, harassment, or further exploitation by those who prey on vulnerability.

According to leading anti-trafficking organizations like Polaris and ECPAT, publicly sharing a survivor’s identity, especially while they are still in a vulnerable situation, can put them at severe risk. Predators often monitor platforms like these, and even well-intentioned visibility can be weaponized in harmful ways. This is especially true in places where the legal system offers limited protection to exploited girls or where the industry operates in legal gray areas.

Mai’s story is 100% real and shared with her full consent. Our team is in direct contact with her and will manage all funds, provide weekly check-ins, trauma-informed support, and case updates.

To maintain your trust, we’ll share transparent progress updates, including anonymized milestones, photos of her safe housing (when appropriate), and behind-the-scenes videos from our team. If needed, we (not Mai) will appear in videos to protect her dignity while keeping donors informed.

We know that trust matters, and so does safety.

Thank you for being part of her story, with both compassion and care.