Go-go going as Chinese women fuel Thai tourism boom

[webfact]

Go-go going as Chinese women fuel Thai tourism boom

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat

 

FILE PHOTO: A Thai go-go dancing girl gestures at Bangkok's Patpong red-light area late May 29, 2010. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - For decades since the Vietnam war, the scantily clad dancers in the go-go bars of Bangkok's Patpong red-light district have been the face of Thailand's tourism industry.

 

But last year for the first time, the country drew more women tourists than men as a surge in Chinese female visitors outweighed a longstanding distortion spurred by men drawn to the world's "sex capital".

 

The shift is welcome news for Thai authorities, who have tried to promote the country's shopping, beaches and temples and to minimise the importance of sex tourism, which thrived after Thailand became an R&R hotspot for U.S. troops in the 1960s and 1970s.

 

Tourism ministry figures reviewed by Reuters showed 52 percent of more than 32 million visitors last year were women.

 

That compared to 48 percent in 2015 and only 42 percent in 2012. No earlier official data were available, but research from as far back as the 1980s shows a ratio of about 60 percent male to 40 percent female visitors.

 

"Not as many women visited Thailand because they thought we were a cheap destination with too much vice, but now more are coming, which means our image accommodates them," Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul told Reuters.

 

Tourism accounts for around 12 percent of Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy and is easily the fastest growing sector, particularly since a coup in 2014.

 

Hoping to attract more female tourists, the state's Tourism Authority of Thailand started a "Women's Journey" campaign last year, with a website and mobile application offering discounts for hotels, spas, malls, and restaurants.

 

But the biggest factor has been tourism from China, which has reshaped the industry around the world.

 

The number of Chinese visitors rose from nearly 12 percent of Thailand's visitors in 2012 to 27 percent last year. The number of Chinese women visitingThailand nearly quadrupled over the same period to more than 5.3 million.

 

"When Chinese men make a lot of money, they tend to take their wife, daughter, and mother to travel, making the ratio heavier on the female side," said Virat Chatturaputpitak, vice president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents.

 

Major Chinese travel website Tuniu reported that 62 percent of its customers last year were women, Chinese media reported.

 

CHEAP, EASY AND CLOSE TO HOME

 

"I chose to come to Thailand because it's close by, there are many flights, it's cheap to travel and easy to get a visa," said Man Na Zhang, 24, at Bangkok's Erawan Shrine, a favourite spot for Chinese tourists despite a deadly bombing in 2015.

 

Chinese female visitors, who get a tourist visa on arrival, also cited a simple tax rebate procedure on duty free goods as another drawcard as they snap up items such as cosmetics, bottled bird's nest soup, vitamins and supplements.

 

Many stores in Bangkok's shopping malls now accept Alipay, China's giant online payment service. A Big C supermarket near the Erawan shrine buzzes with Chinese tourists who fill their trolleys with bulk packets Tom Yum Goong flavoured instant noodles, crispy seaweed and dried squid snacks.

 

Businesses in tourist towns have started printing menus in Chinese and getting workers to learn the language to cater to Chinese tourists, who last year made up more than those from Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa combined.

 

China's recent "Golden Week" holiday brought 70 percent more Chinese visitors than last year, the tourism ministry said.

 

For nationalities that traditionally patronised Thailand's sex industry, tourist numbers are still dominated by men - 68 percent of Japanese visitors, 58 percent of British and nearly 56 percent of American, Australian and German tourists.

 

But even for those countries, the balance has shifted more towards female tourists.

 

Although the sex industry is far from dead, local businesses complain fewer tourists were visiting areas such as Patpong and nearby Silom neighbourhood.

 

"There are evidently fewer tourists, especially in the low season, when sales can go from tens of thousands of baht a day to nothing," said Somkid Sangwong, a manager of a restaurant in a Silom alley next to Patpong, surrounded by neon-lit signs for bars blasting loud music and offering raunchy live shows.

 

Phadet Mesild, a board member of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, another popular spot for sex tourism, told Reuters the decline in demand had forced many venues in the island to close down.

 

Since 2014, Thailand's military government has occasionally raided brothels, bars, and massage parlours in an effort to clean up the country's image, but they have usually bounced back quickly.

 

(Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Additional reporting by Suphanida Thakral and Panu Wongcha-um in BANGKOK, and SHANGHAI Newsroom; Editing by Matthew Tostevin and Lincoln Feast)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-10-20

[EricTh]

Thailand should thank the Chinese for shedding its sex capital image which the Americans and Europeans gave them.

Edited October 20, 2017 by EricTh

[Ralf61]

Red-light districts in Thailand? Never heard of that one...

[SkyNets]

They only come here to get their driving license.

[tomisaan]

europeans and americans did not give thailand the sex trade reputation.

Thailand offered it to them, and anyone else who would pay

[StayinThailand2much]

2 hours ago, EricTh said:

Thailand should thank the Chinese for shedding its sex capital image which the Americans and Europeans gave them.

Yes, congratulations, Thailand, for making the big step from sex-tourist mecca to zero-dollar paradise! 

[pistachios]

 

Quote

"When Chinese men make a lot of money, they tend to take their wife, daughter, and mother to travel, making the ratio heavier on the female side," said Virat Chatturaputpitak, vice president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents.

But they live behind father and sons?  And they never travel while being single? The vice president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents is a moron.

[Chris Lawrence]

Thailand and its neighbors have benefitted from the mounting tensions on the Korea Peninsula, which has diverted Chinese tourism traffic in particular to Southeast Asia, with groups tours now on the rise particularly to Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.

 

'Nowhere is the proliferation of new business opportunities more obvious than in Thailand’s hotel sector. “If you are talking about the whole country, for registered hotels there are 300,000 hotel rooms plus,” said Supawan. “And another 300,000 rooms in unregistered hotels.”

 

People are coming for the good time.

[seahorse]

Quote

When Chinese men make a lot of money, they tend to take their wife, daughter, and mother to travel

But they leave their girlfriend at home.

[freethinker]

But the Thai only massage parlors and brothels are not a problem I suppose. Our of sight out of mind. 

 

[wakeupplease]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

"I chose to come to Thailand because it's close by, there are many flights, it's cheap

OK here we have the real answer but hope she does not want to stay as a visa for that will cost her that is for sure

 

The sex issue will just go underground out of sight out of mind, as its the backbone of the country

[inThailand]

More propaganda from TAT?

[Somtamnication]

After reading this article, I will sign up as a gigolo. The things I can do with my big fat belly............ 

[Thian]

17 hours ago, EricTh said:

Thailand should thank the Chinese for shedding its sex capital image which the Americans and Europeans gave them.

Thailand should also thank the government for switching to chinese tourists...without them there would be a deep crisis already.

[ksamuiguy]

Looking for husbands!

 

Shortage of men in China, one child policy was a disaster.

 

 

[Suradit69]

12 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

 

The sex issue will just go underground out of sight out of mind, as its the backbone of the country

The backbone of the country??

 

i guess if someone spends all his time in the gogo bars he assumes that he and the other sex tourists alone are propping up the economy.

 

" The sex issue ..."

 

Actually sex is not the "issue ."  Prostitution is the issue. Again, if you're a sex tourist you may think that having sex always involves a cash payment.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Hmmm... The Chinese women fill the sex shows at Patpong no seats for foreign men. 

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Definitely a shift in clientele as chicken feet are the most sold food at these shows.. Yummy

[hansnl]

18 hours ago, EricTh said:

Thailand should thank the Chinese for shedding its sex capital image which the Americans and Europeans gave them.

I wonder if it isn't Thailand that gave itself that image.

Don't blame the visitors for taking up what is on offer, not blame the suppliers to react to a demand.

But, if you read the article well, it is now a happy few that get business and many unhappy that get nothing any more.

[maximillian]

18 hours ago, tomisaan said:

europeans and americans did not give thailand the sex trade reputation.

Thailand offered it to them, and anyone else who would pay

Exactly !  Demand and offer as well as offer and demand.

Thailand had a lively sex industrie even before any farang put his foot on Thai soil.

Still today at places where no tourist would go there is prostitution, more discrete though.

[248900_1469958220]

18 hours ago, EricTh said:

Thailand should thank the Chinese for shedding its sex capital image which the Americans and Europeans gave them.

So Thailand has ZERO responsibility for that? What a joke. They were simply adhering to the concept of supply and demand. Dont always blame others. There are two sides to every situation. That is a childish trait you are showing. Both parties were getting something from that situation. 

[elgenon]

19 hours ago, EricTh said:

Thailand should thank the Chinese for shedding its sex capital image which the Americans and Europeans gave them.

So you are saying there are no brothels in Chinatown?

[elgenon]

19 hours ago, EricTh said:

Thailand should thank the Chinese for shedding its sex capital image which the Americans and Europeans gave them.

There are so many Chinese tours on Walking Street that it is difficult to walk against their flow. Many tour leaders take them into GoGos for a drink.

 

I personally know many more young female Americans than male who have gone to Thailand .

[generealty]

By far the largest nationality group for paid sex with Thai women are Thai men themselves. Every small village to large city is full of karoke bars that cater for Thai men only. Who do they think they are laying it all on the Americans during the vietnamese war. They were already operational long before that. Xenophobia at its best ! They even have Thai words for 2nd wife and lover - Mia Yai, Mia Noi & Geek, how is that American expression ?

 

[MaeJoMTB]

37 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

i guess if someone spends all his time in the gogo bars he assumes that he and the other sex tourists alone are propping up the economy.

 

I prefer to think of myself as a 'Romance Traveller'.

Edited October 21, 2017 by MaeJoMTB

[maximillian]

27 minutes ago, Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere said:

Hmmm... The Chinese women fill the sex shows at Patpong no seats for foreign men. 

40+ years ago I spend a holiday in Pattaya with my Hongkong gf. She was more interested in sex shows than I was.

Good old times...

Why does that song "When i think of all the good time that I wasted, having good times" come to my mind now ? 

http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/eric_burdon_the_animals/good_times.html

[atsiii]

Does this mean we will now be overrun by men's go-go bars?

[Suradit69]

15 hours ago, pistachios said:

 

But they live behind father and sons?  And they never travel while being single? The vice president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents is a moron.

Your failure to understand what he was saying doesn't make him a moron.

 

In the past females were less likely to travel to Thailand than males. In the hypothetical example, the individual's mother, wife and daughters would never have come to Thailand alone or with the male family members in the past. Those individuals who now have greater family wealth are more likely to bring along the female members of their family when traveling. Thus more women are arriving in Thailand.  Whether or not his father and sons come or stay at home makes no difference to the fact that more women are coming to Thailand because more families have the money to travel together. 

 

Yes the individual, his father and sons may indeed travel to Thailand alone, which is why the number of males arriving has been less dependent on family wealth. No the mother, wife and daughters would be highly unlikely to travel to Thailand alone. That might be changing, but traditionally females in China would not have the money or the independence to travel to Thailand alone.

[GoDucks]

Not the case at all.  Way more men that women.

[mikebell]

A number of European women visit Male Go-Go bars and make a purchase.