BANGKOK (AFP) -- Jamaicans are among black male prostitutes who are in demand in Thailand where their favours have become sought after by high-society women, according to a newspaper report.

More than 100 black gigolos are now catering to Thailand's female elite who prefer them because they are "fiercer", more "thrilling" in bed than their Thai peers and "well built", the Nation newspaper cited a sociology professor as saying.

Nithet Tinnakul, a lecturer at Bangkok's prestigious Chulalongkorn University who conducted a survey on male prostitution in Thailand, said escort services have begun recruiting men from Africa and Jamaica to meet growing demand, the English language daily reported.

It said some Thai women were paying upwards of 10,000 baht (243 dollars) per night for the services, which fly in the face of conservative Thai traditions.

The niche market, Nithet said, was part of a broader expansion of male prostitution, which until recently had largely focused on a gay clientele but has become increasingly popular with women, particularly Japanese tourists.

Nithet's survey found that the number of male prostitutes in Thailand has tripled in the past two years to more than 30,000, the newspaper said.

Factors contributing to the dramatic rise include the lingering effects of the Asian economic crisis and a new attitude among women that they should "get even" with philandering husbands, the newspaper cited Nithet as saying.

Thailand's male prostitutes were aged 12-35, and included university graduates, office workers, students and street children, Nithit said.

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