German documentary reignites sex tourism concerns for Thailand’s Pattaya

[webfact]

 

Concerns are being raised about the potential damage to Thailand’s overall tourism market due to a documentary by German media organisation Deutsche Welle (DW), which highlights Pattaya as a sex tourism destination. This documentary is currently blocked in Thailand.

 

Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, the president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), recalls a similar report about sex tourism in Pattaya from Germany around 20 years ago. That incident significantly affected the city’s tourism industry as it resulted in a substantial drop in visitor numbers.

 

Marisa emphasised the need for improved law enforcement to address the issue of illegal sex workers, a problem that has plagued Pattaya and other Thai destinations for several years.

 

She also acknowledged that despite Pattaya’s evolution into a destination offering a diverse range of tourist attractions for families and the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) segment, it remains a challenge to fully eradicate the city’s sex tourism reputation.

 

In addition to her role as THA president, Marisa is the owner of three hotels in Pattaya. She proposed that the local administration and private sector could mitigate the issue by consistently promoting alternative tourism products and attractions to gradually replace the city’s sex tourism, reported Bangkok Post.

 

by Alex Morgan

Photo courtesy of iStock

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-05

 

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[bignok]

What? 50% of tourists are sex tourists. Most normal tourists avoid the place. 

[it is what it is]

This documentary is currently blocked in Thailand.

 

there's non so blind as those who don't want to see.

[Negita43]

I suppose one section of the tourist visitors might increase - the ups and downs of international tourism figures!

[CDG931]

There is nothing wrong with Pattaya being a destination centered around the sex industry. What is disturbing is the hypocrisy of Thai society. And the unbearable repression of freedom of expression.

And they can censor the DW documentary if they wish. In the age of social media, there are no more secrets.
 

[Ben Zioner]

2 minutes ago, CDG931 said:

There is nothing wrong with Pattaya being a destination centered around the sex industry.

Most people across the world would think it is wrong, utterly.

 

But the only way they could fix it would be to bring in something as big as Disney. It would attract  Indian families, boost domestic demand and offer jobs to young Thai graduates.

 

 

[bignok]

Thailand should advertise Pattaya as the hooker and ladyboy capital of the world. Promote it. Have a hooker festival and a ladyboy festival every 6 months.

[bignok]

Just now, Ben Zioner said:

Most people across the world would think it is wrong, utterly.

 

But the only way they could fix it would be to bring in something as big as Disney. It would attract  Indian families, boost domestic demand and offer jobs to young Thai graduates.

 

 

Bargirl and Ladyboy Land.

[stoner]

18 minutes ago, CDG931 said:

 

In my humble opinion, Pattaya should remain as it was in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s  —NOT positioned as a family destination. Let destinations like Hua Hin or Phuket handle family-friendly atmospheres.
And please, no Chinese tour groups taking videos.

 

anyone else not welcome in your club ?

[CDG931]

18 minutes ago, stoner said:

 

anyone else not welcome in your club ?

 

You dont get the point do you

 

 

[ezzra]

Let's be honest here, without sex being offered almost everywhere, Thailand will lose 50% and more of it's expats and tourists...

[Liverpool Lou]

16 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

A  whole city whose economy is entirely base on prostitution, be it Pattaya ofTijuana, is just gross, and shouldn't be seen in the civilised world.

Fair enough comment if that was accurate but it is not, the entire economy of Pattaya is not based on prostitution but it says a lot about you that you think that it is.

[NoDisplayName]

48 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

Most people across the world would think it is wrong, utterly.

 

But the only way they could fix it would be to bring in something as big as Disney. It would attract  Indian families, boost domestic demand and offer jobs to young Thai graduates.

 

 

 

Sure, Disney can fix Pattaya.

 

Just look what they've done to fix Doctor Who.....

[Liverpool Lou]

21 minutes ago, CDG931 said:

 

What a moronic comment. You dont get the point

"What a moronic comment".

 And, on the subject of "moronic comments"...

[Liverpool Lou]

9 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Let's be honest here, without sex being offered almost everywhere, Thailand will lose 50% and more of it's expats and tourists...

Let's be honest, that's just in your world.

[ezzra]

2 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Let's be honest, that's just in your world.

Not sure about you but IN MY WORLD and having been living in Thailand for 35+ years, I have been sex 'mongering' for decades now and have been to all the places where they sell sex and more so i think i know what I'm talking about...

[Sweede]

Sex tourism?? Im here for the beaches and the yummy sandwiches in 7/11

[bignok]

2 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Not sure about you but IN MY WORLD and having been living in Thailand for 35+ years, I have been sex 'mongering' for decades now and have been to all the places where they sell sex and more so i think i know what I'm talking about...

I agree. Around half are sex tourists. If not half then 40%. 

 

 

[ujayujay]

18 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Let's be honest here, without sex being offered almost everywhere, Thailand will lose 50% and more of it's expats and tourists...

So you are here for sex

[Liverpool Lou]

15 minutes ago, ezzra said:

20 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Let's be honest, that's just in your world.

Not sure about you but IN MY WORLD and having been living in Thailand for 35+ years, I have been sex 'mongering' for decades now and have been to all the places where they sell sex and more so i think i know what I'm talking about...

You "know so much about it" because you're a monger yet you quote a bizarre 50% "statistic" for which, I guarantee, you cannot provide evidence.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 minutes ago, bignok said:

I agree. Around half are sex tourists. If not half then 40%. 

Where's that "stat" from...somewhere dank and musty, no doubt.

[IndomitableSpirit]

What reputation is it exactly? They keep going on about Pattaya's reputation when it has been like that from a very long time! Many go there for sex tourism, it is known globally to be "that place."

 

It's like trying to cover a hole with gum, you know it's bound not to stick for a long time.

[digger70]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Concerns are being raised about the potential damage to Thailand’s overall tourism market due to a documentary by German media organisation Deutsche Welle (DW), which highlights Pattaya as a sex tourism destination. This documentary is currently blocked in Thailand.

Wy would  anyone be worried about this .

In the Netherlands when I was living there we had Amsterdam and Rotterdam Red Light districts and Coffee(Weed )shops and Sex/Toy shops Everywhere.

That's were the Tourists  went .

So Figure It's an Advertisement

[shackleton]

Pattaya is known around the World as the Sin City of Thailand 🇹🇭 

It's a image that won't go away hence the number of Sex tourists coming to Thailand 💰 🤑 

 

[AsiaCheese]

1 hour ago, it is what it is said:

This documentary is currently blocked in Thailand.

 

there's non so blind as those who don't want to see.

 

It's most probably a geoblock, and not one from Thailand, but from the TV station itself. The broadcasting rights are often limited at German stations.

[JimTripper]

I think I saw that flick 20 years ago.

 

Was that the one where the guy said the lady he was dating dropped him when he ran low on money and she went out with the guy sitting behind him at the bar?

 

There was also one about that girl Pla in Bangkok which I liked. I forget the name of the film. Kind of old school stuff.

[moorebwb]

This is just a completely laughable statement, Thailand has always been sex capital of the world and well before that documentary. It just brought it to light.

[wombat]

1 hour ago, Ben Zioner said:

something as big as Disney... boost domestic demand and offer jobs to young Thai graduates.

 

its already in place and thriving...its called Only Fans

[Sydebolle]

Live with it. There is no bad advertising and this latest example will pour more tourism dollars, euros or pounds into Thailand's tourism coffers. As long as the service providers do it voluntarily (there are alternatives in the hospitality industry everywhere) it seems to be done for the much better cash. 
So Marisa from the Sukosol-clan should keep her shirt on and stop on her path of self-profiling herself as the hotel association's president. After all, her mother built an empire with two prime properties in Pattaya and not every guest in their hotels came to Pattaya for second-hand book stores or rare butterflies in the surrounding butterfly farms 

[bradiston]

So sue DW for defamation.