Thailand To Shed 'Sex Tourism' Tag Soon

[digibum]

First I should tell you that I really don't give a crap because I would never grope anyone in public regardless of age. The only reason I respond to you is to stay in practice if I ever go back to work and face age discrimination again.

You are a bigot because you are hostile to people based on age alone. If the people were nasty that's OK but nastiness implies you know them. If it is OK for a young man to do but not an old man then you are an age bigot. Same thing if you said it is OK for a white man to do something but not a black man.

Plus your assumptions may be in error. I go out with 25 year old women partially out of habit. When I was 18 I dated a 25 year old woman. The same at 25 and 35 and 45 and 65. I happen to like 25 year old women. I have been used to dating 25 year old women for 40 years in 10 different countries not just Thailand.

And don't forget the health benefit. It is good not to take pills unless one has to. When I date a 65 year old woman in Thailand I need a little blue pill and it makes me feel bad the next day. My mouth is dry, and my nose feels stuffed up, symptoms like a hangover even though I don't drink. When I go out with an 18 to 25 year old women I don't need any pills. It is the young Thai lady V effect. I have experimented with this out of a scientific interest and it seems 25 is the hardness cutoff at least for me. And two or three 25 year old women seems to be better than one looking only at the therapeutic value.

I don't labor under any allusions that the ladies are in love with me. I realized women don't fall in love a long time ago, about the “making my second wife a millionaire” phase.

So when you see me out and about you can say hi, I'm easy to spot as I rarely go out with less than three Thai women. Rest easy knowing that I don't think the ladies love me. I am only there for the therapeutic benefits and I do realize the ladies are exploiting me but its OK I'm a big boy.

If you think what I've written is hostile you should hope to never see me when I'm actually worked up or angry :-)

But I will call you on where you're absolutely wrong. I have never said it was okay to exploit young women if you're a young man. Never said it. But since the assumption is that no 18 year old girl is sexually attracted to a 70 year old man, one way or the other, there's a certain degree of exploitation going on. Whereas a young girl in a relationship with a young guy actually seems like it could be a real relationship. Could he be exploiting her? Yep. Would I approve? No. But young/young is about 50%/50% and old/young is about 99%/1%.

But you've hit the nail on the head on why I find it creepy. You admit that you're under no allusions that these women love you. So you're either paying them for their company or leading them to believe there's a payoff somewhere down the road. That's not really dating. You're pretending to have a relationship. And she pretends to love you.

I don't know it just seems rather sad.

[digibum]

The will never do that because that is like pulling down the front entrance to Disneyland or DreamWorld for the sex tourist. I have to agree tho the dirty old men groping and kissing young girls that could be thier great great grand daughters is rather disgusting and should be banned from public.

But if he's legal, and she's legal...what's the problem?'

People telling others how to lead their life...bunch of wanke_rs.

Ahhh, the Thailand fallacy; if it's not illegal, why not?

It's not illegal to walk around Big C with no shirt on. Does that mean that you should do it? Does the fact that you have the right to do it make it any less revolting to look at your huge beer belly and manboobs? *I don't know you, the "you" in there is generalized to anyone*

Often, we choose to live within certain self-imposed boundaries not because living outside of them is illegal but because, for various personal reasons, we make a decision to do so. It's not illegal for me to steal a taxi from an elderly person carrying three bags of groceries but I choose to yield the taxi to them because that's just part of how I choose to live my life.

In addition to being the age appropriate police now you are coming off as the fashion and etiquette police. So in addition to fixing the proper age to do things you also have decided what everyone should wear and how they should act in public.

You are quite a guy. You running for Pope next?

I should point out that when people become obsessed about telling other people how to live they generally go into politics or religion.

I'm not being the police at all. In fact, it's the exact opposite. I said, people choose to act within certain boundaries. I didn't say that the boundaries should be enforced by me or anyone else. One would hope that people take it upon themselves to dress or act appropriately but if they don't then I reserve the right to think that they're an idiot.

Your problem is that you want to date young girls and have everyone approve. If we don't approve, according to you, we're bigots. You could easily disagree with the people who have said they find something disgusting/creepy/etc with seeing 70 year old guys swapping spit with 18 year old girls in public but you chose to attack people's right to have an opinion.

According to your argument if it's not illegal nobody has a right to form an opinion about you. It's none of our business even if you do it in public because it's not illegal.

The same logic would then mean that if someone gets on a crowded elevator and lets a big juicy fart rip that they're not inconsiderate, rude, disgusting, an a-hole, etc simply because it's not illegal and it's none of their business?

[softgeorge]

I should point out that when people become obsessed about telling other people how to live they generally go into politics or religion.

Or social workers or volunteer policemen or any other busy-body profession.

Yes we definately can't have the police enforcing laws or maintaining public order that is really interfering in our lives and taking away our rights to do whatever we please, whenever to whom ever. dam_n interfering police. All those interfering social workers who have helped street kids get thier lives back in order how dare they. What about those interfering Ambulance officers who interfer in a road trauma victim.

Edited August 23, 2011 by softgeorge

[softgeorge]

KK......you can date all the 25yo's you want.....just dont get all lovey dovey with them in public as it is gross........just look at Mr heffner and his runaway bride........did that look normal to you ??

Keep the pensioner porn for the bedroom behind closed curtains and locked doors...

I think you are forgetting the cultural traditions of certain countries. We must be culture sensitive, really it is not the dark ages.

Glad you mention the cultural thing. My Thai wife and friends tell me that it is acceptable to hold hands in public in Thailand, however kissing is not really acceptable in public places. For an elderly gentleman to extracting the tonsils from a teenager whislt massaging her breasts in public is not considered culturally acceptable in Thailand. This sort of thing should be done in private. There is an old saying "GET A ROOM"

[kerryk]

First I should tell you that I really don't give a crap because I would never grope anyone in public regardless of age. The only reason I respond to you is to stay in practice if I ever go back to work and face age discrimination again.

You are a bigot because you are hostile to people based on age alone. If the people were nasty that's OK but nastiness implies you know them. If it is OK for a young man to do but not an old man then you are an age bigot. Same thing if you said it is OK for a white man to do something but not a black man.

Plus your assumptions may be in error. I go out with 25 year old women partially out of habit. When I was 18 I dated a 25 year old woman. The same at 25 and 35 and 45 and 65. I happen to like 25 year old women. I have been used to dating 25 year old women for 40 years in 10 different countries not just Thailand.

And don't forget the health benefit. It is good not to take pills unless one has to. When I date a 65 year old woman in Thailand I need a little blue pill and it makes me feel bad the next day. My mouth is dry, and my nose feels stuffed up, symptoms like a hangover even though I don't drink. When I go out with an 18 to 25 year old women I don't need any pills. It is the young Thai lady V effect. I have experimented with this out of a scientific interest and it seems 25 is the hardness cutoff at least for me. And two or three 25 year old women seems to be better than one looking only at the therapeutic value.

I don't labor under any allusions that the ladies are in love with me. I realized women don't fall in love a long time ago, about the “making my second wife a millionaire” phase.

So when you see me out and about you can say hi, I'm easy to spot as I rarely go out with less than three Thai women. Rest easy knowing that I don't think the ladies love me. I am only there for the therapeutic benefits and I do realize the ladies are exploiting me but its OK I'm a big boy.

If you think what I've written is hostile you should hope to never see me when I'm actually worked up or angry :-)

But I will call you on where you're absolutely wrong. I have never said it was okay to exploit young women if you're a young man. Never said it. But since the assumption is that no 18 year old girl is sexually attracted to a 70 year old man, one way or the other, there's a certain degree of exploitation going on. Whereas a young girl in a relationship with a young guy actually seems like it could be a real relationship. Could he be exploiting her? Yep. Would I approve? No. But young/young is about 50%/50% and old/young is about 99%/1%.

But you've hit the nail on the head on why I find it creepy. You admit that you're under no allusions that these women love you. So you're either paying them for their company or leading them to believe there's a payoff somewhere down the road. That's not really dating. You're pretending to have a relationship. And she pretends to love you.

I don't know it just seems rather sad.

You missed what I was saying. I said they were exploiting me. But it is OK because I am aware of it. They are feigning love in hopes of a monetary payoff somewhere down the line. I have been exploited when I was young and old, it is about the same. If you haven't been exploited, wait a while it will eventually happen.

I am sure there are men who exploit Thai women but they are few and far in between and I'm not one of them.

Walk in any INTERNET shop and count the Farang with 10 screens open with Thai women sending them money. How many do you see?

Walk in the gold shop and count the Thai women that are buying gold chains for old Farangs. How many do you see?

Ask Western Union how many Thai women send money to Farangs in the US. How many?

How many Thai cops bust Thai women because they don't pay men after sex?

When I was young perhaps I exploited a few women. I let them pay the bills on a few occasions and perhaps took advantage of them sexually but not any more. If you are looking for men who exploit women look to the younger men not mature men.

[kerryk]

KK......you can date all the 25yo's you want.....just dont get all lovey dovey with them in public as it is gross........just look at Mr heffner and his runaway bride........did that look normal to you ??

Keep the pensioner porn for the bedroom behind closed curtains and locked doors...

I think you are forgetting the cultural traditions of certain countries. We must be culture sensitive, really it is not the dark ages.

Glad you mention the cultural thing. My Thai wife and friends tell me that it is acceptable to hold hands in public in Thailand, however kissing is not really acceptable in public places. For an elderly gentleman to extracting the tonsils from a teenager whislt massaging her breasts in public is not considered culturally acceptable in Thailand. This sort of thing should be done in private. There is an old saying "GET A ROOM"

I agree with you. I rarely hold hands in public and continually caution the ladies to please act polite although they are wanting to hug and kiss me all the time. I find their behavior impolite. An occasional slap on the butt is OK but not the deep throat kissing stuff. However they do get outrageously happy after you buy them a gold ring, jumping up and down squealing and such.

I don't have any problem with you seeing this behavior as rude. My problem is saying it is only rude for an older man. And including dirty as an usual adjective when mentioning old.

I must admit that I do find that people who complain about morals the loudest are usually arrested for the same things they are complaining about at some point in the future. The daily news is full of preacher stories every day.

No one has ever told me to, “GET A ROOM”, although a DJ last month did tell me, “THROW SOME COLD WATER ON HER, PLEASE!”

Edited August 23, 2011 by kerryk

[Dag]

No one has ever told me to, “GET A ROOM”, although a DJ last month did tell me, “THROW SOME COLD WATER ON HER, PLEASE!”

Was she getting hard ??

[softgeorge]

No one has ever told me to, "GET A ROOM", although a DJ last month did tell me, "THROW SOME COLD WATER ON HER, PLEASE!"

Was she getting hard ??

:cheesy: I'll leave it at that.

[KKK]

I should point out that when people become obsessed about telling other people how to live they generally go into politics or religion.

Or social workers or volunteer policemen or any other busy-body profession.

Yes we definately can't have the police enforcing laws or maintaining public order that is really interfering in our lives and taking away our rights to do whatever we please, whenever to whom ever. dam_n interfering police. All those interfering social workers who have helped street kids get thier lives back in order how dare they. What about those interfering Ambulance officers who interfer in a road trauma victim.

My goodness you really do need to learn how to read before you jump in with ridiculous remarks.....the quote said "when people become obsessed about telling other people" Nobody ever stated that all polititians, religious ministers, social workers or policemen were of this obsessed variety.

Nothing excludes non-obsessed people from joining those professions in a general manner of helpfulness, doing good for society etc. But I doubt you'd find an obsessed one becoming e.g. an engineer or shop assistant.

[kerryk]

No one has ever told me to, "GET A ROOM", although a DJ last month did tell me, "THROW SOME COLD WATER ON HER, PLEASE!"

Was she getting hard ??

:cheesy: I'll leave it at that.

I guess I deserved that. I should have realized you folks have a lot of experience with dogs.

[chooka]

KK......you can date all the 25yo's you want.....just dont get all lovey dovey with them in public as it is gross........just look at Mr heffner and his runaway bride........did that look normal to you ??

Keep the pensioner porn for the bedroom behind closed curtains and locked doors...

I think you are forgetting the cultural traditions of certain countries. We must be culture sensitive, really it is not the dark ages.

Glad you mention the cultural thing. My Thai wife and friends tell me that it is acceptable to hold hands in public in Thailand, however kissing is not really acceptable in public places. For an elderly gentleman to extracting the tonsils from a teenager whislt massaging her breasts in public is not considered culturally acceptable in Thailand. This sort of thing should be done in private. There is an old saying "GET A ROOM"

I agree with you. I rarely hold hands in public and continually caution the ladies to please act polite although they are wanting to hug and kiss me all the time. I find their behavior impolite. An occasional slap on the butt is OK but not the deep throat kissing stuff. However they do get outrageously happy after you buy them a gold ring, jumping up and down squealing and such.

I don't have any problem with you seeing this behavior as rude. My problem is saying it is only rude for an older man. And including dirty as an usual adjective when mentioning old.

I must admit that I do find that people who complain about morals the loudest are usually arrested for the same things they are complaining about at some point in the future. The daily news is full of preacher stories every day.

No one has ever told me to, “GET A ROOM”, although a DJ last month did tell me, “THROW SOME COLD WATER ON HER, PLEASE!”

MATE I really have to come and party with YOU! Reading some of your posts you sound like a real chick magnet. 2 to 3 young early 20's (nothing over 25) babes per night, people telling you to cool them down. You must get exhausted. I promise I won't get in the way just pick up some of the burden for you. Just those that you can't handle all at once. :jap: satire my friend do not be offended.

[chooka]

No one has ever told me to, "GET A ROOM", although a DJ last month did tell me, "THROW SOME COLD WATER ON HER, PLEASE!"

Was she getting hard ??

:cheesy: I'll leave it at that.

I guess I deserved that. I should have realized you folks have a lot of experience with dogs.

Don't take it to heart, what they say KK. In Australia if someone takes the piss out of you it is a form of flatery.

Edited August 23, 2011 by chooka

[kerryk]

Glad you mention the cultural thing. My Thai wife and friends tell me that it is acceptable to hold hands in public in Thailand, however kissing is not really acceptable in public places. For an elderly gentleman to extracting the tonsils from a teenager whislt massaging her breasts in public is not considered culturally acceptable in Thailand. This sort of thing should be done in private. There is an old saying "GET A ROOM"

I agree with you. I rarely hold hands in public and continually caution the ladies to please act polite although they are wanting to hug and kiss me all the time. I find their behavior impolite. An occasional slap on the butt is OK but not the deep throat kissing stuff. However they do get outrageously happy after you buy them a gold ring, jumping up and down squealing and such.

I don't have any problem with you seeing this behavior as rude. My problem is saying it is only rude for an older man. And including dirty as an usual adjective when mentioning old.

I must admit that I do find that people who complain about morals the loudest are usually arrested for the same things they are complaining about at some point in the future. The daily news is full of preacher stories every day.

No one has ever told me to, “GET A ROOM”, although a DJ last month did tell me, “THROW SOME COLD WATER ON HER, PLEASE!”

MATE I really have to come and party with YOU! Reading some of your posts you sound like a real chick magnet. 2 to 3 young early 20's (nothing over 25) babes per night, people telling you to cool them down. You must get exhausted. I promise I won't get in the way just pick up some of the burden for you. Just those that you can't handle all at once. :jap: satire my friend do not be offended.

I haven't been really offended once during this thread. All good fun. I am really a chic magnet though. I have a secret. I like chubby chicks. Thais don't pay much attention to them. I keep em fed and they are happy. I have had nothing but problems with skinny women all my life. When you see a man with a skinny beautiful woman, he has problems. If he doesn't have problems now he is going to have problems. Diet pills, ya ba, bulimia you name it is trouble. My niche market, chubby uni chicks and yoga for staying in shape.

Edited August 23, 2011 by kerryk

[EyesWideOpen]

Man, looks like Grandpa is getting worked over on this thread.......I personally think it is sort of cute, to see some old guy with a happy smile on his face, with his arms wrapped around some gogo girl. More power to him for getting out and having fun, while his contemporaries are playing checkers in a rest home. As far as the exploitive factor, whether you are 70 year old guy, or a juiced out 28 year old with bulging muscles, both are being exploited exactly the same by the smiling bar girl. In fact, in the self awareness contest, I give the nod to the old guy as he knows it is simply money for sex. The younger guys seems to be a bit confused thinking there must be love in there somewhere.

To the people that keep condemning the sex trade, get a life. You don't want it ? No problem, stay away from it. To the guys that have been here umpteen years who are the most vocal critics, I always keep wondering if you met your wife in bar beer all those years ago, are living up country, and now want to cast stones. The success of the industry here is a testament to the fact is is a match made in heaven. Poor lovely girls that need money, and lonely men that need / want sex. If Thailand wants to get rid of it, no problem just provide jobs for everyone or there will be riots in Issan. I do agree there if it is kept, then it should be a bit more controlled. It must be a shocking experience for a fresh tourist to Bangkok to propositioned by lady boys while strolling down Sukumvit for the first time.....

[kerryk]

Man, looks like Grandpa is getting worked over on this thread.......I personally think it is sort of cute, to see some old guy with a happy smile on his face, with his arms wrapped around some gogo girl. More power to him for getting out and having fun, while his contemporaries are playing checkers in a rest home. As far as the exploitive factor, whether you are 70 year old guy, or a juiced out 28 year old with bulging muscles, both are being exploited exactly the same by the smiling bar girl. In fact, in the self awareness contest, I give the nod to the old guy as he knows it is simply money for sex. The younger guys seems to be a bit confused thinking there must be love in there somewhere.

To the people that keep condemning the sex trade, get a life. You don't want it ? No problem, stay away from it. To the guys that have been here umpteen years who are the most vocal critics, I always keep wondering if you met your wife in bar beer all those years ago, are living up country, and now want to cast stones. The success of the industry here is a testament to the fact is is a match made in heaven. Poor lovely girls that need money, and lonely men that need / want sex. If Thailand wants to get rid of it, no problem just provide jobs for everyone or there will be riots in Issan. I do agree there if it is kept, then it should be a bit more controlled. It must be a shocking experience for a fresh tourist to Bangkok to propositioned by lady boys while strolling down Sukumvit for the first time.....

Vietnam stopped it. At one time before the Americans got there, Saigon held the dubious reputation for having the largest brothel in the world. America pretty much killed the sex trade in Saigon. Now all the Vietnamese girls work abroad in Singapore and Cambodia to name a couple of places. Seems it would have been better to keep them closer to home for the families.

[chooka]

Glad you mention the cultural thing. My Thai wife and friends tell me that it is acceptable to hold hands in public in Thailand, however kissing is not really acceptable in public places. For an elderly gentleman to extracting the tonsils from a teenager whislt massaging her breasts in public is not considered culturally acceptable in Thailand. This sort of thing should be done in private. There is an old saying "GET A ROOM"

I agree with you. I rarely hold hands in public and continually caution the ladies to please act polite although they are wanting to hug and kiss me all the time. I find their behavior impolite. An occasional slap on the butt is OK but not the deep throat kissing stuff. However they do get outrageously happy after you buy them a gold ring, jumping up and down squealing and such.

I don't have any problem with you seeing this behavior as rude. My problem is saying it is only rude for an older man. And including dirty as an usual adjective when mentioning old.

I must admit that I do find that people who complain about morals the loudest are usually arrested for the same things they are complaining about at some point in the future. The daily news is full of preacher stories every day.

No one has ever told me to, “GET A ROOM”, although a DJ last month did tell me, “THROW SOME COLD WATER ON HER, PLEASE!”

MATE I really have to come and party with YOU! Reading some of your posts you sound like a real chick magnet. 2 to 3 young early 20's (nothing over 25) babes per night, people telling you to cool them down. You must get exhausted. I promise I won't get in the way just pick up some of the burden for you. Just those that you can't handle all at once. :jap: satire my friend do not be offended.

I haven't been really offended once during this thread. All good fun. I am really a chic magnet though. I have a secret. I like chubby chicks. Thais don't pay much attention to them. I keep em fed and they are happy. I have had nothing but problems with skinny women all my life. When you see a man with a skinny beautiful woman, he has problems. If he doesn't have problems now he is going to have problems. Diet pills, ya ba, bulimia you name it is trouble. My niche market, chubby uni chicks and yoga for staying in shape.

Fair enough my friend, a chubby chick in Thailand is definately a skinny chick in the west.

[CantSpell]

Actually I regularly travel from China to Bangkok.

All the flights are fully booked, and not by western sexpats

No westerners between China and Bangkok? Odd :cheesy:

Maybe Chinese Sexpats: usually named: "chinese"; they are the real naughty ones, beware

[digibum]

You missed what I was saying. I said they were exploiting me. But it is OK because I am aware of it. They are feigning love in hopes of a monetary payoff somewhere down the line. I have been exploited when I was young and old, it is about the same. If you haven't been exploited, wait a while it will eventually happen.

I am sure there are men who exploit Thai women but they are few and far in between and I'm not one of them.

Walk in any INTERNET shop and count the Farang with 10 screens open with Thai women sending them money. How many do you see?

Walk in the gold shop and count the Thai women that are buying gold chains for old Farangs. How many do you see?

Ask Western Union how many Thai women send money to Farangs in the US. How many?

How many Thai cops bust Thai women because they don't pay men after sex?

When I was young perhaps I exploited a few women. I let them pay the bills on a few occasions and perhaps took advantage of them sexually but not any more. If you are looking for men who exploit women look to the younger men not mature men.

I didn't miss what you are saying. I just don't believe that you're being exploited since you seem to revel in what you're doing. I feel about as sorry for you as I feel for those guys who go to Vegas with a "system" and come home broke.

Being exploited doesn't include willingly giving women gifts in exchange for them pretending to like you (and knowing that they're only pretending). Exploitation occurs when one side gains a disproportional advantage. The fact that you've been proudly doing this for 40 years seems to indicate that you are the one with a disproportional advantage in any sort of negotiation between you and a 25 year old.

[kerryk]

You missed what I was saying. I said they were exploiting me. But it is OK because I am aware of it. They are feigning love in hopes of a monetary payoff somewhere down the line. I have been exploited when I was young and old, it is about the same. If you haven't been exploited, wait a while it will eventually happen.

I am sure there are men who exploit Thai women but they are few and far in between and I'm not one of them.

Walk in any INTERNET shop and count the Farang with 10 screens open with Thai women sending them money. How many do you see?

Walk in the gold shop and count the Thai women that are buying gold chains for old Farangs. How many do you see?

Ask Western Union how many Thai women send money to Farangs in the US. How many?

How many Thai cops bust Thai women because they don't pay men after sex?

When I was young perhaps I exploited a few women. I let them pay the bills on a few occasions and perhaps took advantage of them sexually but not any more. If you are looking for men who exploit women look to the younger men not mature men.

I didn't miss what you are saying. I just don't believe that you're being exploited since you seem to revel in what you're doing. I feel about as sorry for you as I feel for those guys who go to Vegas with a "system" and come home broke.

Being exploited doesn't include willingly giving women gifts in exchange for them pretending to like you (and knowing that they're only pretending). Exploitation occurs when one side gains a disproportional advantage. The fact that you've been proudly doing this for 40 years seems to indicate that you are the one with a disproportional advantage in any sort of negotiation between you and a 25 year old.

You may be correct in my case but I am hardly the average sex pat having lived and worked in Asia for a long time. I am so jaded that monks Wai me daily, and some French people tried to buy me last week thinking I was the Jade Buddha, children normally put flowers around my neck if I happen to fall asleep in a bar.

Who has the advantage between the average sex pat and the 25 year old farm girl from Issan? You only have to query the Sinsod files on Thai Visa to answer that question. Which is why it is never going to change.

If a gambler plays roulette knowing the odds he is still being exploited even if he knows he is being exploited. I'm a craps shooter. I know after the first roll with a new shooter the house has the advantage. But I am still being exploited.

Exploited, 1. Make full use of and derive benefit from (a resource).

But really it is a semantic argument. The Thai sex trade does not financially benefit many Farang.

The shadow (black, gray or other) economy of Thailand is between 50% and 70% depending on who you believe and when the information was published. I tend to go with Bloomberg which has it around 50%. A large part of that is money for sex. I don't think anyone can really tell us what the actual amount is. But to use a phrase touted by many US politicians, it is too big to fail.

[alexmaniax]

I hate families.

What!!! even your own???

I hate families too! ha, ha, ha.... even my own! and now i am really happy!

[crazydrummerpauly]

Maybe they should take advantage of both the 'sex' and the 'family' markets and start to promote Thailand as the incest capital of the world?

That is very wicked....and very

[Bkkorupcountry]

Almost everyone I talk to in Dallas doesn't know Thailand from Taiwan and therefore have no idea of Thailand's reputation. For a Thai govt. representative to bring up the subject of needing to change the perception of Thailand will make some curious as to why it needs changing. Sometimes a can of worms is best left unopened.

I'm afraid that just shows the IQ level / ignorance of the people in Dallas. I heard on BBC the other day that only about 37% of the US population have passports and this number went up because Americans now need a passport to go to Canada

[Bkkorupcountry]

Would be good if Thailand can shed it's image as the sex capital of the world. This image merely brings in lots of losers who cause all sorts of trouble in the bars and are frankly a disgrace to their race (which unfortunately in this case, refers to the farang race since not many Thais can tell the difference between Americans, Brits, Scandinavians, Europeans, Russians and Australians).

Shedding the image is not the same as shutting down the sex industry. This industry is very vital for Thailand as it brings in huge revenues. However, the image does deter some other segments of tourism - family tourism for eg.

Thus, Thailand could possibly have it's cake and eat it too. Sex tourists (albeit of a slightly higher class than what we currently see) will still come as will hopefully an increase of other sorts of tourism.

[mca]

This image merely brings in lots of losers who cause all sorts of trouble in the bars and are frankly a disgrace to their race (which unfortunately in this case, refers to the farang race since not many Thais can tell the difference between Americans, Brits, Scandinavians, Europeans, Russians and Australians).

Russians are easy to spot. Pouring off a tour bus trying to haggle over a 20 baht bag of banana chips at an OTOP shop.Completely ignoring the greeting of the shopkeeper as they proceed to pick up and examine every single souvenir, postcard etc on display but never actually buying anything ever. Hulking great geezers in wife beaters sporting skinheads and the women bleached blonde and reeeeeeeeeally scary looking. Both sexes smoking like chimneys.

God I love generalizing.

[overhaul38]

A commendable goal but I fear not easily obtained.

[Dag]

A commendable goal but I fear not easily obtained.

Not unlike virginity at marriage...