Pattaya's sex city image frustrates govt

[sanukjim]

2 hours ago, z42 said:

Idiots. Leave it as it is. The fact remains that it's only real draw is its sex scene.

It would be an economic disaster if Pattaya went under, especially after the junta has already squandered large chunks of thecountry's foreign reserves.

It is so stupid that they don't legalize vice, but we know that's a non starter as high ranking cops, army and crooked ministers would likely lose billions in dirty money as a result.

 

One of the first little bars on the beach (long before The TQ) was BJs brush arbor with four stools.When he imported girls from BKK it started to become a popular area for the week end get-a-way for expats working in BKK Before that you had to "Bring your own girl". Sex has always been the main reason that pattaya is popular.Even European families  schedule their stay there with PAPA thinking of getting a quickie in a stand up bar or massage parlor  while his wife is shopping.Whit out this image Pattaya WILL DIE as there are better beaches around,safer areas to resort in,and better shopping areas.I moved from there because of the influx on people from the middle east and I just got tired of all the partying when all my friends came down from BKK. It it still fun for a week end every now and then,but only if they leave it alone.

[ikke]

If you see the average  age of the government leaders, one would not be surprised that they are frustrated .

[thesetat2013]

Perhaps the gov should focus on their own beds first. Cowboy, Patpong and Nana come to mind. Pattaya is one of the few cities that do not rely on gov funding for its mumicipal monetary needs and the gov wants control. Let's face it.. For good reasons or bad, these ladies and the tourists who participate in this provide billions of dollars to all of Thailand's economy. Thousand of women working there sending their hard earned money back home for their families. 

I also dont seriously believe the junta nor the police can prevent it there. Even on walking street. You can pick up a girl in a bar and claim she is a date and not a white. This is a losing battle. 

 

[thenoilif]

27 minutes ago, whoareyou said:

Pattaya isn't a beach destination. Nobody will come to swim in a sewer.
The tourists would relocate to HH or phuket, Krabi
Russians that go to jomtien all pile into baht buses by the thousands and head to walking St.
Walking St is the glue that bonds everything in Pattaya.

 

It's a beach destination. If you go just outside of the main city you start to see cleaner beaches with more 'trendy' restaurants and boutique hotels. Investors have seen how popular this style of tourism is becoming and see that the 'boardwalk' could become something akin to what is seen in other popular seaside destinations. Many of the older structures in the city proper will be razed and replaced with new high-rise condos and lifestyle venues. 

 

Walking Street may indeed remain but it will continue to morph into a general tourist attraction and be modernized into something more visually appealing that can attract Bangkokians and the more discerning foreigners alike. 

 

The proximity of Pattaya to BKK makes it much more valuable just in regards to real estate alone but also as a Khao Yai style weekend excursion destination.  Additionally, social views regarding 'third world' prostitution are changing as are people's views on sexual equality. The customer base for sex tourism is drying up, especially when it comes to the in your face aspect of the scene. 

 

[cheechee]

4 minutes ago, thesetat2013 said:

Perhaps the gov should focus on their own beds first. Cowboy, Patpong and Nana come to mind. Pattaya is one of the few cities that do not rely on gov funding for its mumicipal monetary needs and the gov wants control. Let's face it.. For good reasons or bad, these ladies and the tourists who participate in this provide billions of dollars to all of Thailand's economy. Thousand of women working there sending their hard earned money back home for their families. 

I also dont seriously believe the junta nor the police can prevent it there. Even on walking street. You can pick up a girl in a bar and claim she is a date and not a white. This is a losing battle. 

 

Hands off my NANA PLAZA!

[spidermike007]

Such silliness from this group of clowns and charlatans. They want it both ways. They love the income and profits, and lack of unemployment, but want a squeaky clean image. Well, guess what? Thailand will never have a squeaky clean image. Even without this vital "industry", with all of the scams, traffic fatalities, lack of public safety, and assorted other issues, they will never be able to rehabilitate their reputation to their satisfaction. The industry does seem to be on the wane. Especially in places like Phuket, Samui and Chiang Mai. But in Bangkok, Pattaya and Hua Hin it seems to be holding steady. 

 

I have been in Pattaya and have witnessed the parade of Chinese tourists who line up on Walking Street. My guess is that back home they advertise the tours in this manner:

 

Come to witness the perversion and depravity of Thailand, and Pattaya!

See how the other side lives. The dark side.

Watch people selling their bodies for a living. Witness the spectacle! 

Take notice of the police booths within 30 meters of these sex establishments. See what toy police look like. 

Watch as the police ignore dozens of freelancer hookers standing around looking for customers. All included in the price of the tour. 

All inclusive tour of Thailand. Four days, three nights in Bangkok, and the depraved sex capital Pattaya. Only $400 including airfare!

 

The fortunate part of Little P. and his band of fools, is that they never follow up on anything. So, whatever they say about crackdowns, only lasts anywhere from 48 hours, to one week. And then it is forgotten. Sometimes a lack of follow up can be a good thing! Sometimes gross incompetence can also be a good thing!

[hansnl]

1 hour ago, Toshiba66 said:

There are shopping centres.

There are tropical resorts.

There is a filthy disgusting beach that I wouldn't swim in if you threw in free girls for the night.

A Casino in Thailand would do more harm to the locals than doubling the number of bar girl in town.

 

Exactly!

 

The money distribution would be completely changed to the rich.

[natway09]

Things will change dramatically if the only tourists are those that  "only come to have a look".

Like the Government will need a social security payout to millions of poor people.

Someone estimated that 50% of monies earned in the trade ends up back in Isaan to support families

[SpokaneAl]

1 hour ago, KIWIBATCH said:

Perhaps if the Government increased the daily wage rate 4 fold  for normal everyday jobs they might have a chance of decreasing the number of sex workers/avenues...but that is never going to happen

There are some economics involved. A government cannot just adjust wages on a whim and all will be well.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

 

It's all for a show, that the government is " frustrated " at the sexy image

of Pattaya, secretly they wish they a dozen more cities like Pattaya,

do the math please, how many tourists Pattaya pulls a year and how

say, a city like Cha Am that also has beaches and sea pulls in...

 

I find the beach in Cha Am unspectacular and would put it on par with Patters.

 

Cha Am has no infrastructure, no good restaurants and no good hotels (comparing to Pattaya).

 

Speaking strictly as a tourist who often holidays in Pattaya with my wife , I do wonder why people seem to prefer Hua Hin over Pattaya. 

 

Is it just because it's not Pattaya?

[stephenterry]

If there was an ideal place in Thailand that would attract visitors it would be Pattaya - providing at least one mega casino chain was permitted to open. And that would create well-paid jobs for the locals, bring in moneyed visitors, and eventually change the image to a more upmarket city, with better and more expensive hotels, and where girls would be high-class hookers and that would drive away the sex-pats, looking for a cheapo place to live with old, ugly, fat farm girls.

 

Of course, the authorities must clean up the beaches and prevent sewerage from polluting the sea, put in a new improved drainage system, and with increased revenue that is not diverted it could be achieved in as little as 5 years. 

 

On the other hand, I wouldn't want an exodus of these sex-pats invading Chiang Mai, so leave Pattaya as it is.

[ikke]

12 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Things will change dramatically if the only tourists are those that  "only come to have a look".

Like the Government will need a social security payout to millions of poor people.

Someone estimated that 50% of monies earned in the trade ends up back in Isaan to support families

Yes, but that's exactly what they want to stop... money flooding to Isaan, the nest of the redshirts, they don't want to stop the sex industry , they want to keep Isaan poor.

[thenoilif]

5 minutes ago, hansnl said:

Exactly!

 

The money distribution would be completely changed to the rich.

 

It already is.

The idea that the majority of these girls take their earnings and send it back home to mom has about as much truth to it as them being single, hating Thai men, and thinking you're handsum. 

The system already operates like a Casino. It pulls them in and gets them addicted to a lifestyle of either partying and/or frivolous spending on materialistic goods. Some invest in a business  but how many salons and cafes does Issan really need? 

 

 

[Jiggo]

All the attention the government is giving to the Pattaya Sex Industry, is only promoting it....well done.  

[brewsterbudgen]

There is no desire to remove the sex industry from Pattaya; just to ensure that the bars follow the regulations.  It's really nothing new; just garnering more publicity than usual.  Pattaya's reputation as the "fun resort" will not be in jeopardy.

[dluek]

If the government is serious about cleaning up Thailand's image then it needs to figure out how to provide opportunities in the long term for the thousands of women who have few if any other options, as #136 makes clear. A badly failing education system in rural areas, deeply ingrained social class hierarchy that dictates dark-skinned people should be poor, institutionalized wealth inequality, and institutionalized corruption -- these are the roots of most of Thailand's problems, including prostitution. Perhaps the current government has taken some steps to fight corruption, but as for the rest, few Thais in positions of power will even admit these problems exist. Everyone in the world can clearly see Thailand's true face, except for Thailand itself. 

[The Deerhunter]

3 hours ago, z42 said:

Idiots. Leave it as it is. The fact remains that it's only real draw is its sex scene.

It would be an economic disaster if Pattaya went under, especially after the junta has already squandered large chunks of thecountry's foreign reserves.

It is so stupid that they don't legalize vice, but we know that's a non starter as high ranking cops, army and crooked ministers would likely lose billions in dirty money as a result.

 

Agree. Just smile and keep taking the money til the economy matures and people can earn similar money doing other things.  (No, not that, I mean, really OTHER things!!!!!)

[spidermike007]

26 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Government of Thailand should allow foreign police agencies to come in and record the images of the customers in the known sex trade districts. Then the foreign police agencies can pursue investigations in their home countries against those engaged in alleged illegal activities.   It is now an offence in many  developed countries to  visit countries for the purpose of criminal acts. This would allow Thailand to  clean up the problem quickly. Bad people would be  kept out because they would be stopped in their homelands, leaving Thailand  free of the hassle.

 

 

 

I do not know whether to interpret this as a joke, or to take the comment seriously. If you really do mean what you said, you need to see a psychiatrist right away. You want foreign police working within Thailand? If you love law and order, and oppressive authority so much, why not just stay in the states, or Europe? The lack of serious policing here, is one of the benefits of living here. Bad people would be kept out? Is a lonely guy, who is a law abiding and kind hearted individual, seeking the companionship of a woman for hire for the evening, your idea of a bad person? If so, get a life please. This world faces so many serious problems, why elevate something as straight forward as sex for hire, to the level of a serious crime, and demonize those that partake in it? As long as the woman is consenting, and the man treats her kindly, and behaves like a gentleman, and compensates her for her time, what is so terrible about this transaction, in your mind? The fact that it is technically illegal means nothing. It is not really a crime. Only by virtue of some very dumb laws. 

[spidermike007]

I know many, many people who would never in a million years visit Pattaya if it were not for the sex trade. There is really not much allure to the city. There are some areas east of the city that are attractive. Up in the hills. But, the city itself does not offer much, unless you are into go carting, sex, or shopping at the malls. But, you have those same malls in most big cities here, that offer so much more, and are infinitely more appealing, on so many levels. 

[Rimmer]

Some troll and off topic also political statements have been removed

[ujayujay]

What a surprise  Just woken up?

[DieterWiehe]

1 hour ago, Sphere said:

 

 

A tax on selfies coming soon. 

and a masturbation tax

[Mazungu]

This says it all:

 

"A handful of bars were raided. Bar owners and working women were fined. Scared to venture out, tourists looking for sex stayed in hotels. Street vendors and shops saw sales tumble. The money which flows to all levels in the city - including law enforcement agencies - fell off."

 

Up to them if they want to kill the golden goose...but they should take a look at the history of Ermita in Manila. It was once the "sex capital of the world" until they closed all the girlie bars in the early 1990's and turned it into a ghost town of boarded up buildings and homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks. It is still trying to recover 25 years later. 

[DieterWiehe]

1 hour ago, ikke said:

If you see the average  age of the government leaders, one would not be surprised that they are frustrated .

maybe the need testosterone injections ----- to help the wiener  

[newnative]

Instead of being concerned with Pattaya's sex city image, the powers that be should be concerned with Pattaya's sidewalk image.   How's the city looking from a sidewalk view?  Answer: Lousy.  Instead of wasting time and money hanging ridiculous 'Happy' signs, get to work on the things that matter and start with the sidewalks on the major tourist roads like Pattaya Beach Road, Pattaya Second Road and go from there.  If you get rid of the parking on these major roads, you can expand the sidewalks, bury the overhead wires while you are doing it, and plant some shade trees.  Private industry is spending some major money doing its part to make Pattaya a more diversified tourist destination--the government needs to step up to the plate and spend some major money, too.  2017 and still no sidewalks at all on some sections of Pattaya Second Road?  Get started!

[LennyW]

38 minutes ago, ikke said:

Yes, but that's exactly what they want to stop... money flooding to Isaan, the nest of the redshirts, they don't want to stop the sex industry , they want to keep Isaan poor.

The amount of money "flooding" into Isaan from working girls in Pattaya is miniscule compared to the amount coming from the hundreds of thousands of Isaan people employed at Mapthaput, Amata, Hemaraj  and any of the other industrial areas around the Eastern seaboard!!

[kcpattaya]

What's the fuzz about??
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_red-light_districts

There are many more "prostitute destinations" in the world and quite a few of them MUCH bigger than Pattaya.
...Move on for God sake...

De Wallen - Amsterdam
Frankfurt, Germany
PIGALLE - Montmarte - Paris
KABUKICHŌ - Tokyo
REEPERBAHN - Hamburg, Germany
Villa Tinto - Antwerp
ZONA NORTE | TIJUANA, MEXICO
Perth, Australia
 

[Toshiba66]

4 minutes ago, kcpattaya said:

What's the fuzz about??
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_red-light_districts

There are many more "prostitute destinations" in the world and quite a few of them MUCH bigger than Pattaya.
...Move on for God sake...

De Wallen - Amsterdam
Frankfurt, Germany
PIGALLE - Montmarte - Paris
KABUKICHŌ - Tokyo
REEPERBAHN - Hamburg, Germany
Villa Tinto - Antwerp
ZONA NORTE | TIJUANA, MEXICO
Perth, Australia
 

I'll need to add 6 new destinations to my bucket list.

[BestBitterPhuket]

I and many friends and relatives never want to visit Pattaya because of the stigma and the depressing sights of the old western pigs preying on young women trapped in poverty. We will rather do the long drive to Hua Hin  so that no one will think we visit the depressing dump named Pattaya. My wife and children are Thai and their reputation suffer because of places like Pattaya. In the long term Thailand would be much better of closing down the WHOLE sex and industry catering to foreigners. No more bus loads of Chinese tourists taking photos and mocking Thailand and Thais, and telling their friends at home what low class people the Thais are. But Thailand need the money from this disgusting industry because decades of Thai governments have always prioritized quick and easy money instead of building up a sustainable economy that can move the country out of the third world. And I would love to see the old fat sleaze bags from the west residing here sent packing to another country because of lack of opportunities here.

[stereolab]

5 minutes ago, newnative said:

Instead of being concerned with Pattaya's sex city image, the powers that be should be concerned with Pattaya's sidewalk image.   How's the city looking from a sidewalk view?  Answer: Lousy.  Instead of wasting time and money hanging ridiculous 'Happy' signs, get to work on the things that matter and start with the sidewalks on the major tourist roads like Pattaya Beach Road, Pattaya Second Road and go from there.  If you get rid of the parking on these major roads, you can expand the sidewalks, bury the overhead wires while you are doing it, and plant some shade trees.  Private industry is spending some major money doing its part to make Pattaya a more diversified tourist destination--the government needs to step up to the plate and spend some major money, too.  2017 and still no sidewalks at all on some sections of Pattaya Second Road?  Get started!

I spent 2 days in Pattaya last week, before flying to Singapore for 5 days, then back to Pattaya for 2 days, before flying back to Issan. The comparison is so huge, the cleanliness of Singapore, sidewalks you can walk on, joined up thinking, every building gives access to the next building, clear signage, no wires, no steel poles sticking out at Farang height. The smell and look of Pattaya is just disgusting. I told my wife that was my last trip there. The only area improved since my first visit in 1997 is the sidewalk on Beach Road, which has improved substantially, however there are still areas of complete darkness, replete with prostitutes, while policemen remove hawkers from the beach. Although I have to give them some credit for actually doing something. Yesterday morning,0430 hours, we passed bars serving alcohol, and prostitutes aplenty, so much for a crackdown.