Pattaya's sex capital image: We can't change it overnight, says tourism chief, but change it we will!

[Allstars]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

said there were 27,000 protitutes in the city, or one in five of the female population

 

Their calculator must have crashed if they believe this number to be correct.

 

One in five females may be right, but only a blind man would believe there are only 135K females in Pattaya

[Shawn0000]

4 minutes ago, madmitch said:

Does Pattaya really get 10m visitors a year? That's a genuine question.

 

7 on a bad year to 9 on a good one, apparently.  I know it is quite a shocking figure and I guess that nowhere near that amount actually stay for any length of time, there are many tour buses bringing day trippers and I suspect they form a large part of that stat.

[mcfish]

They could do a trial run, next high season fence off walking St and see how well that goes for them.

[Shawn0000]

2 minutes ago, Allstars said:

 

Their calculator must have crashed if they believe this number to be correct.

 

One in five females may be right, but only a blind man would believe there are only 135K females in Pattaya

The population is estimated to be 300,000.

[outsider]

Ignore the Mirror's 'report'. Point your feet at it, while you're at it, if that makes you feel better. It's not even good enough to be used as fish-wrap. And, despite my usual misgivings for the brown clowns, I have to say, on this occassion, give yourselves a break. Yes, by all means, clean up the place - make sure it's drug-free, no underaged elements, no scams, keep things above-board and make sure both workers and tourists are safe. Otherwise, let grown-ups do what they want to do, within reason and law.

[Peterw42]

It would be an interesting exersise if all posters mentioned if they in fact live in pattaya or not., As I suspect 90% of the pattaya "image" is perpetuated by people who dont live in or visit Pattaya.

I live here, and beside the obvious red light area, find it no different to any other part of Thailand. Where I live at Jomtien, the demographic is families and couples, at the night markets, at my condo, at the resturants. 

Talk to people who actually live here, and stop perpetuating the myth (from a village in issan).

[wvavin]

Must be kidding that the authority is going to clean up Pattaya. 

[jaywalker]

18 minutes ago, sanukjim said:

They are westerners that have been here for 30 or 40 years that have never been to a temple out side of a friends burning or wedding.No Sex in Pattaya,No Money in Pattaya.

I've been to many temples, but kneeling on some burlap rug for 30 minutes...NO THANKS!

 

At least give me an old style wooden church pew.

[ThaidaGwaii]

If you really want to help these women.  REGULATE THE INDUSTRY.  Offer good social service for the sex workers.  Don't drive the industry further underground!  Don't you care about these women?

[Krataiboy]

One can feel little sympathy for the sad sacks one finds propping up girlie bars in Pattaya, but before Pattaya can be cleaned up alternative employment needs to be found for the countless girls (and boys and in-betweenies) who either voluntarily or out of necessity sell their sexual favours to strangers.

 

Most of them are poorly educated and would require skills training in order to find alternative employment - assuming there is any. It is widely accepted that the convergence of digital and computer technologies will wipe out most blue and white collar jobs within a few decades, yet Thailand shows no sign of growing a new crop of hi-tech high-skill companies in Pattaya or elsewhere to bridge the gap.

 

Empty rhetoric from so-called tourism "experts" and the town fathers will not turn Asia's seediest sex capital into a family resort, now or in the future. A well thought out and detailed "road map" and substantial investment will be needed to turn Sodom and Gomorrah into Emerald City.

 

Don't hold your breath.

[Graemej100]

3 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

I take the bus to Pattaya from Hua Hin and a motorbike taxi from the bus station to Soi Six and check into my hotel. I never leave Soi Six.

 

I was just wondering, what is the rest of Pattaya like?

 

 

 

Why would you want to go anywhere else if you're camped in Soi 6?

 

[littlepe]

Pattaya - sex capital - what about Bangkok?  Nana Plaza - Patpong - Soi Cowboy and just about the whole length of Sukhumvit has thousands of bars with girls doing there thing - whats the difference?

[DiDiChok]

The first guide book on Pattaya that I ever read said "If you find love on Soi 6 then leave it there".

I think it's still good advice.

[Arami]

Yeah we will, that's when the moneys supply stop coming in one day.

[LannaGuy]

subtext  "But we'll keep all the places where , allegedly, Thais frequent untouched"

[impulse]

Before getting rid of anything, I'd suggest they at least improve the alternatives.

 

Like thunderboat races, beach volleyball tournaments, sailing regattas, lifeguard competitions, kite surfing contests, and on and on.  Of course, that takes some creativity and some organization and some up front funding...

 

And it's not the sex- it's in-your-face-ness and the crime surrounding the sex $$$ that's keeping the families away.  Why toss the baby out with the bathwater?  Just come down like a hammer on the violent offenders and pickpockets and scammers.  Leave the hookers and their (very willing) patrons to their own adult choices.

[farcanell]

2 hours ago, Iforbach said:

Maybe they could start too with Australia uk.  Spain  whilst I worked lived in Spain ,,they were lining the streets ,,,agree clean up but oldest profession 

never ,,,eradicate it ,,agree maybe it can be controlled slightly

take Las Vegas ,,,its all on websites and filled in local rag ,,for sex 

,on population vegas would leave thailand for dead ,,,,,

and agree with chap who said ..uk papers ,,clean up own streets first but there again pattaya always gets trashed ,,,,

i like it here for other reasons as to cost and married to thai ,,,

so ok again I may not have answer but again it's not just thailand that has hookers ,,,

Why would the chief of pattaya tourism department want to go all the way to Australia to start cleaning up pattaya?

 

none the less, it sounds to me likes he's partially on the right path by attempting / encouraging other tourism activities, as it gives people more options to pass away the day time hours, whilst waiting for the night time entertainment to kick into high gear.

[Ratcher]

Time they clamped down on the sex industry in Thailand. Criminals, drugs and corruption are all connected. However, too many people taking back handers so it's unlikely to change. The Farang bar scene is just the tip of the iceberg but always mentioned. 

[DrTuner]

Pattaya should be put on UNESCO's heritage list. Hands off the last feminist free area of the world.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

Clean up Pattaya but hoping to retain the same or more tourist numbers?  Somehow, I do not think so,  Look what is happening in Phuket where the business people there are claiming to be seriously affected by the decision to close bars early and are campaigning for them to be allowed to stay open until 4 am.  

 

Imagine what would happen if the sex industry there was curtailed as well? 

[pattayadude]

1 hour ago, hobobo said:

Do you even lave the hotel? Surely by now you must have all their phone numbers  5555

hotel phone numbers

[pattayadude]

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

I take the bus to Pattaya from Hua Hin and a motorbike taxi from the bus station to Soi Six and check into my hotel. I never leave Soi Six.

 

I was just wondering, what is the rest of Pattaya like?

 

 

same same

[TheFishman1]

His words are blowing in the Wind TIT

[DrTuner]

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

I take the bus to Pattaya from Hua Hin and a motorbike taxi from the bus station to Soi Six and check into my hotel. I never leave Soi Six.

 

I was just wondering, what is the rest of Pattaya like?

 

 

I think the biggest difference is they got real women instead of ladyboys.

[oobar]

I first visited Pattaya more than thirty years ago, a time when it was obvious that  the city was founded on the vaginas of Isaan girls.  Subsequent economic development was  a result of their efforts to earn a living.  All who have benefited from Pattaya's largess should be grateful for those founding girls' sacrifice.   Rather than getting bent out of shape trying  to change Pattaya's image,  representatives of the Thai government should consider erecting a monument in proud recognition and gratitude.  A five-meter high bronze statue of a skimpily-clad Isaan go-go girl, at the foot of which people could place wreaths and incense sticks, would be fitting.

[Belzybob]

I reckon he's underestimated the hooker ratio " one in five of the female population ". Just about all the women I know in Pattaya are hookers.

[oxo1947]

"We can't change it overnight, "---Police Chief

 

.

Oh good I'm booked in for next week.....................

[onemorechang]

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

It would be an interesting exersise if all posters mentioned if they in fact live in pattaya or not., As I suspect 90% of the pattaya "image" is perpetuated by people who dont live in or visit Pattaya.

I live here, and beside the obvious red light area, find it no different to any other part of Thailand. Where I live at Jomtien, the demographic is families and couples, at the night markets, at my condo, at the resturants. 

Talk to people who actually live here, and stop perpetuating the myth (from a village in issan).

Ex pat,  21 years coming to Thailand -16 years full time In Jomtien

Full paid up sex-pat.

Long live ,  Soi 6 , and Sex Town Patttaya

[farcanell]

5 minutes ago, oobar said:

EDITED FOR BREVITY....the city was founded on the vaginas of Isaan girls.  

Wonderful things... absolutely wonderful thing

[pattayadude]

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"We need a long term plan," said a hopeful Sinchai as he called on all sides to improve the resort's image

Resort?