Thailand's International Image, Just Sex Tourism?

[samran]

Which Thailand has been doing its best to alienate in recent years, with limits on visa exempt stamps and the announcement they were looking for a better class of tourist.

I visit Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos frequently and most of the backpackers I speak to have had enough of Thailand and are seeking more adventurous and untrodden territory.

Yeah, i don't agree that backpackers are a 'worse' class of tourist, quite the contrary. Treat them well, like Australia does, and they become repeat visitors. Having said that, I think Thailand's infrastructure for backpackers is pretty good, having backpacked north America, the EU, Middle East and other parts of Asia. The visa rules, wouldn't change their habits too much, but I'd like to see them back up to 30 days at borders to cater for this market.

Thailand and Australia did sign a work and holiday visa agreement aimed at under 30's, but from the Thai end, it has seeminly sunk without trace, along with the 5 year visas that came part of the TAFTA process.

As for backpackers looking for 'more adventure'. Comes with being on the road. Thailand is stop number one for a majority of the London to Australia route (and back) and, having being a backpacker myself, you are continually looking to out backpack the other backpackers. I'm still at it (drive to KL anyone, planning roadtrip to Laos...).

Thailand, and in particular bangkok, needs a media loving, larger than life Governor who for the first 4 years of his/her term spends their entire time in front of international media pulling down farang orientated bars, brothels, arresting both the prositutes and the punters, basically scaring off anyone who is even vauguely interested in travelling here to visit that aspect of Bangkok.

Bangkok doesn't have much of substance to offer other than the sex industry and closing it down would kill the few tourists that it still attracts.

Might make a few bitter, conservative, holier-than-though, moralising Thais feel better about themselves though.

Me, bitter twisted, conservative and holier than thou? Talk to the politicians, not me....

Each to his own, notice I didn't say you necesarily needed to stamp out 'the nightlife' though I think that Thailand could do well simply to not have an image that is associated with it. But it needs to do something to break this perception, and I'd much rather government do more to encourage eco tourism etc.

Bangkok has about as much substance as anywhere else, but like all big cities, you have to find it. No, it isn't a London, New York or Paris, but I'll take the buzz of BKK over most other cities that I've lived in (which isn't hard, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and London...).

[longstebe]

I can assure you boys that the image that has been portrayed (in the states) was that he was a bit of a sex case anyway.

Interviews with ex WAG's tell the story.

[snuggzzz]

You guys are too much involved in the bar scene. You do not know about the hordes of tourists which visit Wat Phra Kaeo, Wat Arun, Budhamonton, the Floating Market, Wat Po, Traimitr, Ayuthaya, the Klongs, the crocodile farm, Damnoen Saduak...day by day. Big tour groups flock to Bangkok for that daily from Asia and Europe. And none of that package tourists is interested in the bar scene at all.

Of course they don't write their comments here on this expat forum. But if you would read the major tourist forums on the net, you would get a completely other picture of personal views from Bangkok. No one mentions bgs and piss ups.

I do think that there is a good balance, with the tourism, as 'Birdman' stated, the blokes, mostly single who through various reasons like to chat up the local young ladies, and buy them a drink. Try doing that in the UK...!!!

The latest paedophile to be caught in the UK, worked with children in a Nursery 'Little Teds' in Plymouth. her name is Vanessa George, a 38 year old married mother of two teenage girls. Her Husband, has taken the 2 daughters to a Police safe house.

George was charged with 2 counts of sexual assault by penetration, also, sexually touching both infant boys and girls, making possessing and distributing indecent photos of children. George has worked at the Nursery for 3 years looking after young children aged from 2-5 years. She is CRB approved and has worked with young children over 10 years. She was RIC until 21-9-09.

The complaint came from Manchester Police who found indecent photos on a known paedophile who was circulating the vile pictures, which featured the Nursery and photo details were found about the Nursery on his home computer.

I only highlight this to show the prescence of paedos in every Country in the World. The UK do keep and inform details of UK travelling paedos to Thai Authorities.

As for Thailand, it is indeed rich in culture, a completely different way of life, the nightlife sensational, the thai's working in fields and village people, always smile and wave. They will help you out whatever, a truly good people.

I end this on a positive note, some members pour scorn on Thailand, the prices (bent), Police being bunged (tea money), sinsod and other annoyances. But, this is the Land Of Smiles....!!!!

[JohnGotti]

It seems like half of the stories about Thailand that make the international news are about its sex tourism image and industry.

Do you think the David Carradine death will contribute to this bad image or do you think most people will assume he would have done it anywhere and not equate it with Thailand alone?

The Western media will lap this up.

When my Thai wife and I first married 22 years ago in England, she used to sieve in anger at the way Thailand was portrayed on UK TV and I doubt if things have changed much.

Most of the documentaries about Thailand shown in Britain either depicted dirt poor peasants, bar girls or sex tourist bar crawlers.

Very rarely was anything showing Thailand in a positive light ever broadcast.

the funny thing is that the Thai government could easily clean up this image by simply getting rid of the 'bar atmosphere' and create a more behind closed doors industry that exists elsewhere in Asia... Instead, its completely embraced here... Now every tourist who goes home, what do you think they tell their friends about?

1. whatever freaky sex show they saw

2. how there were so many grandpa's walking around with young girls

You don't see these things so freely anywhere else in the world, its not a surprise what places like Thailand and Tijuana are known for.

The image is EARNED.

[sbk]

I can assure you boys that the image that has been portrayed (in the states) was that he was a bit of a sex case anyway.

Interviews with ex WAG's tell the story.

Very true, people are talking about it but not in the context that Thailand has anything to do with it, just that he was there filming. Seems the finger pointing is all at him and not at Thailand at all.

So in the sense of the original question, no, I don't think this case has made any difference at all.

[yabaaaa]

Thailands image is sex and a joke country judging by the recent events.

[Valjean]

It seems like half of the stories about Thailand that make the international news are about its sex tourism image and industry.

This isn't true. I search Google News for "thailand" and come up with 34,444 new items. Search for "thailand sex" brings up 3950 so that's 11%. However, reading the top 10 Thailand + sex stories;

David Carradine (2)

Tabloid reporting on violence and sex

Sex trade in Cambodia

Coverage of reporting across Asia and nothing specific

Internet putting strain on relationships

Microsoft search and porn filtering

Another on human trafficking in SEA and making the point too much focus is on sex and not the broader problem of workers

Story about French lovers in Thailand that had a link in the footer "sexting

Story about chick lit

So in the top 10 hits in Google news for "thailand + sex" not one was about the sex trade here. On page 2 results about 4 had reference to sex trade. OK so let's take 4 of 20 means about 20% have sex related stories. 20% of 11% is 2%. That's not close to half.

This forum as a rule lets initial assertions like this go unchallenged so often based on an view through the lens of our experience here which I don't think is typical. There is an awareness of Thailand's wild side but it's not the fixation of the world that this assertion makes or many assume.

[BigSnake]

No don't think it will hurt Thailand's Image, he was from all reports in the room along done what ever to himself, what will and is hurting/showing that Thailand is a Sex Tourists heaven is the almost daily arrest of Paedophiles in Pattaya and other party of the Kingdom

Edited June 13, 2009 by BigSnake

[aussimike]

It seems like half of the stories about Thailand that make the international news are about its sex tourism image and industry.

Do you think the David Carradine death will contribute to this bad image or do you think most people will assume he would have done it anywhere and not equate it with Thailand alone?

The Western media will lap this up.

When my Thai wife and I first married 22 years ago in England, she used to sieve in anger at the way Thailand was portrayed on UK TV and I doubt if things have changed much.

Most of the documentaries about Thailand shown in Britain either depicted dirt poor peasants, bar girls or sex tourist bar crawlers.

Very rarely was anything showing Thailand in a positive light ever broadcast.

What do you want them to talk about? Thailand's thriving hi-tech industry ? its sizzling cultural life ? Honestly, when people talk about the "magical kingdom" it's not Thailand they have in mind.

Indonesia has Bali; Cambodia, Angkor Wat; Vietnam, Halong Bay; Thailand has Pattaya !

The only advantage Thailand has among the above mentioned countries is Thailand is a relatively safe, modern, developed place. But it won't last, they're catching fast.

A lot of high earning expat are looking for a base in Asia, Thailand has many advantage but if it doesn't evolved fast as an international business friendly place ... well ... Thailand will still have Pattaya.

Totally agree with you -- the countries you have mentionsd are all foreigner friendly , where as here in LOS the current feeling is not so - visa restrictions and regulations are forever changing,( getting to the point its hard to keep up) expats cannot buy land or business (with only 49% share) - double pricing standards - etc etc - these other SE Asian countries are welcoming foreign investment with open arms -- take Malaysia, Vietnam etc - they are developing at a rapid rate and leaving LOS behind -

Thailand will always be happy to take the yearly handouts worth billions of dollars in aid from countries like Australia, US and the EU but afford nothing to ease the existance here of expats seeking to work and live here and happy to pay the taxes on money earnt in this country --

sex tourism is only part of it but a big part - when i first came here on holildays years ago i was both shocked and amazed how open sex tourism was - try telling your two teenage daughter what the handsome farang was doing with the nice sweet young thai BOYs down by the pool - or why men like to dress like hookers in the shopping mall in pattaya - 555- i had to really used some creative thinking - and i must admit i was also shocked = just a bit

[sbk]

It seems like half of the stories about Thailand that make the international news are about its sex tourism image and industry.

This forum as a rule lets initial assertions like this go unchallenged so often based on an view through the lens of our experience here which I don't think is typical. There is an awareness of Thailand's wild side but it's not the fixation of the world that this assertion makes or many assume.

Maybe we are reading two different posts here ValJean, but the words "It seems like" hardly qualify as an assertion.

[Orac]

It seems like half of the stories about Thailand that make the international news are about its sex tourism image and industry.

Do you think the David Carradine death will contribute to this bad image or do you think most people will assume he would have done it anywhere and not equate it with Thailand alone?

The Western media will lap this up.

When my Thai wife and I first married 22 years ago in England, she used to sieve in anger at the way Thailand was portrayed on UK TV and I doubt if things have changed much.

Most of the documentaries about Thailand shown in Britain either depicted dirt poor peasants, bar girls or sex tourist bar crawlers.

Very rarely was anything showing Thailand in a positive light ever broadcast.

What do you want them to talk about? Thailand's thriving hi-tech industry ? its sizzling cultural life ? Honestly, when people talk about the "magical kingdom" it's not Thailand they have in mind.

Indonesia has Bali; Cambodia, Angkor Wat; Vietnam, Halong Bay; Thailand has Pattaya !

The only advantage Thailand has among the above mentioned countries is Thailand is a relatively safe, modern, developed place. But it won't last, they're catching fast.

A lot of high earning expat are looking for a base in Asia, Thailand has many advantage but if it doesn't evolved fast as an international business friendly place ... well ... Thailand will still have Pattaya.

Totally agree with you -- the countries you have mentionsd are all foreigner friendly , where as here in LOS the current feeling is not so - visa restrictions and regulations are forever changing,( getting to the point its hard to keep up) expats cannot buy land or business (with only 49% share) - double pricing standards - etc etc - these other SE Asian countries are welcoming foreign investment with open arms -- take Malaysia, Vietnam etc - they are developing at a rapid rate and leaving LOS behind -

Thailand will always be happy to take the yearly handouts worth billions of dollars in aid from countries like Australia, US and the EU but afford nothing to ease the existance here of expats seeking to work and live here and happy to pay the taxes on money earnt in this country --

sex tourism is only part of it but a big part - when i first came here on holildays years ago i was both shocked and amazed how open sex tourism was - try telling your two teenage daughter what the handsome farang was doing with the nice sweet young thai BOYs down by the pool - or why men like to dress like hookers in the shopping mall in pattaya - 555- i had to really used some creative thinking - and i must admit i was also shocked = just a bit

I think one of the problems here is that there is not enough information out there about sex tourism in Thailand. I would be very surprised if it can be stopped or significantly changed now as it is just too big IN CERTAIN AREAS, however, as Mike states above, he brought his two teenage daughters to Pattaya on his first holiday - I would have assumed from his statements that, had he known what Pattaya was like, he would have gone elsewhere. Pattaya is not really a family friendly resort for a lot of people and should not be advertised as such without some sort of warning. I have heard Pattaya described before as Disneyland for adults which is a pretty accurate description - if it were advertised as such it might enable Thailand to differentiate a very small part of Thailand from the rest of it.

For Bangkok, the sex trade is pretty much confined to three small areas as far as tourists are concerned, yet the impression outside Thailand is it is everywhere.

Maybe the problem here is that the image that Thailand is all about sex tourism comes about because it isn't talked about and everyone here tries to brush it under the carpet rather than acknowledging what it is and accepting that it would be pretty much impossible to get rid of.

[Dakhar]

It seems like half of the stories about Thailand that make the international news are about its sex tourism image and industry.

Do you think the David Carradine death will contribute to this bad image or do you think most people will assume he would have done it anywhere and not equate it with Thailand alone?

The Western media will lap this up.

When my Thai wife and I first married 22 years ago in England, she used to sieve in anger at the way Thailand was portrayed on UK TV and I doubt if things have changed much.

Most of the documentaries about Thailand shown in Britain either depicted dirt poor peasants, bar girls or sex tourist bar crawlers.

Very rarely was anything showing Thailand in a positive light ever broadcast.

What do you want them to talk about? Thailand's thriving hi-tech industry ? its sizzling cultural life ? Honestly, when people talk about the "magical kingdom" it's not Thailand they have in mind.

Indonesia has Bali; Cambodia, Angkor Wat; Vietnam, Halong Bay; Thailand has Pattaya !

The only advantage Thailand has among the above mentioned countries is Thailand is a relatively safe, modern, developed place. But it won't last, they're catching fast.

A lot of high earning expat are looking for a base in Asia, Thailand has many advantage but if it doesn't evolved fast as an international business friendly place ... well ... Thailand will still have Pattaya.

I agree mate. But.....

when you want to plant a new garden you must dig out the weeds first.

Thailand, and in particular bangkok, needs a media loving, larger than life Governor who for the first 4 years of his/her term spends their entire time in front of international media pulling down farang orientated bars, brothels, arresting both the prositutes and the punters, basically scaring off anyone who is even vauguely interested in travelling here to visit that aspect of Bangkok.

Then, and only then, is it possible to hang a 'open for business' sign out for international investors. Impressions are important. They need to be changed first before you can do anything about the rest of it...

Strongly disagree, the culture of coruption needs to change. It is not the fact that the women are for hire, that stops this countries gowth.

[Birdman]

Thailand is on the tourism map since 30+years. It is by far t h e mayor tourist destination in SEA. The majority of tourists know very well what to expect, if they make roundtrips to Chiang Rai or Kanchanaburi for instance.

Almost everyone in the West knows someone who has been a tourist in Thailand already, xxx books are full with travel informations, millions of travel agents worldwide give their clients advices, the internet, TV............So the vast majority of tourists know which places they want to go in Thailand and which they don't.

And if a family has been bad advised and booked a night owl resort in Pattaya, they can change that mostly on the same day, if they want. There are daily flights from PTY to other places like Samui or buses to Koh Chang, while a travel agent changes their booking to a resort at the new destination.

[ivowatson]

What do you want them to talk about? Thailand's thriving hi-tech industry ? its sizzling cultural life ? Honestly, when people talk about the "magical kingdom" it's not Thailand they have in mind.

Indonesia has Bali; Cambodia, Angkor Wat; Vietnam, Halong Bay; Thailand has Pattaya !

I think one of the problems here is that there is not enough information out there about sex tourism in Thailand.

Thailand has it all! Samui, Krabi, Ayuthaya, Chiang Mai, Phang Nga Bay and Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket.

That's the reason Thailand has more than the combined visitors of those other countries.

If you've never heard of Pattaya's sex tourism, there's probably something wrong...

[kpmsprtd]

It seems that the Thai people are guilty of two concepts: (1) live and let live (2) don't judge others. Perhaps Thailand is more like a mirror than anything else. Each traveller's perception of the country is a direct reflection of him/her self. We are what we think and do, after all, are we not?

[Orac]

What do you want them to talk about? Thailand's thriving hi-tech industry ? its sizzling cultural life ? Honestly, when people talk about the "magical kingdom" it's not Thailand they have in mind.

Indonesia has Bali; Cambodia, Angkor Wat; Vietnam, Halong Bay; Thailand has Pattaya !

I think one of the problems here is that there is not enough information out there about sex tourism in Thailand.

Thailand has it all! Samui, Krabi, Ayuthaya, Chiang Mai, Phang Nga Bay and Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket.

That's the reason Thailand has more than the combined visitors of those other countries.

If you've never heard of Pattaya's sex tourism, there's probably something wrong...

To be honest, when I first came here I hadn't heard of Pattaya and I thought that Bangkok was the centre of the sex industry here - a lot of my friends in the UK still think this.

[moe666]

The problem with Thailands image are the TV shows like 20/20, 60 minutes, and 48 hours that are happy to show only the negative images of Thailand. These stories all start out in paradise you can get any thing you want and then they spend 30 min. talking about the sex trade. It is the story that draws viewers. I cannot remember one positive story about Thailand on any of the major broadcasting companies.

When someone who ask me what I do and I reply travel a lot and they ask were and I say Thailand if it is a woman I will get a drop dead look. Guys want to know what is up with the land of smiles.

Having said that Carradines death will not add any more negatives to Thailand. Most of the people I talk to just laff about it and say what was he thinking, in my crowd not a lot of sympathy for the old twit and we are old as well.

[Amyji]

Do you think the David Carradine death will contribute to this bad image....<snip> ?

I certainly don't think it HELPED Thailand's image as a destination for sex tourism.

[longstebe]

How many people still travel to Holland?

The Dam has its red light and coffee shops.

Thailand has its sex industry and beautiful beaches.

No offense to the nederland menson!

[hammered]

Guess those who like to put Thailand down will see the Carradine thing as yet another example of gloom and doom and the end of Thailand.

Dont see it myself.

I liked this comment:

It seems that the Thai people are guilty of two concepts: (1) live and let live (2) don't judge others. Perhaps Thailand is more like a mirror than anything else. Each traveller's perception of the country is a direct reflection of him/her self. We are what we think and do, after all, are we not?

[mrnixon]

when you want to plant a new garden you must dig out the weeds first.

Thailand, and in particular bangkok, needs a media loving, larger than life Governor who for the first 4 years of his/her term spends their entire time in front of international media pulling down farang orientated bars, brothels, arresting both the prositutes and the punters, basically scaring off anyone who is even vauguely interested in travelling here to visit that aspect of Bangkok.

Then, and only then, is it possible to hang a 'open for business' sign out for international investors. Impressions are important. They need to be changed first before you can do anything about the rest of it...

The problem is if you don't offer an alternative to all the bar / hotel / restaurant owners, their employees and dependents, it won't work. You can't say, you will be out of job for 4 years but then it will get better, they won't wait that long. It has to be done simultaneously.

The situation is not that bad, even Pattaya has its nice side. Curb overstay and visa run in a progressive manner, ease the LEGAL stay of professionals and things will get better by themselves. But for this, Thailand needs to realize that to get the foreigners they court, it need to give them equal rights compare to Thais. Is Thailand ready for that? Not so sure.

I'm being incredibly pragmatic, cause I'm talking about image, and not the exact reality. If you could close down nana, lower sukhumvit, cowboy, and sell it as an 'end of an era, Thailand is moving on' to the world media, I'm guessing that would be enough to start the image change in peoples minds.

Most hotels and people in the tourist sector don't even cater to that demographic, so I don't think you are going to see many problems bar a few more sick bufallo's.

As for the rest of it, visa situation, 100% agree, but it is a huge uphill battle, and to be honest, needs to be done with stealth. Also to take into consideration, I know quite a few successful foreign businesses here who get on fine with the current rules. Sure they are clunky, but not too onerous so as they take their business elsewhere.

Based on that, I'm more convinced that if you change the image, there is already a fairly welcoming structure to take advantage of (but yes, more can be done).

cutting off nana etc, is like cutting off the tip of your nose. you do realize there a whole lot more than nana etc. the thais just invented those places for tourists!just

[Ulysses G.]

when you want to plant a new garden you must dig out the weeds first.

Thailand, and in particular bangkok, needs a media loving, larger than life Governor who for the first 4 years of his/her term spends their entire time in front of international media pulling down farang orientated bars, brothels, arresting both the prositutes and the punters, basically scaring off anyone who is even vauguely interested in travelling here to visit that aspect of Bangkok.

Then, and only then, is it possible to hang a 'open for business' sign out for international investors. Impressions are important. They need to be changed first before you can do anything about the rest of it...

The problem is if you don't offer an alternative to all the bar / hotel / restaurant owners, their employees and dependents, it won't work. You can't say, you will be out of job for 4 years but then it will get better, they won't wait that long. It has to be done simultaneously.

The situation is not that bad, even Pattaya has its nice side. Curb overstay and visa run in a progressive manner, ease the LEGAL stay of professionals and things will get better by themselves. But for this, Thailand needs to realize that to get the foreigners they court, it need to give them equal rights compare to Thais. Is Thailand ready for that? Not so sure.

I'm being incredibly pragmatic, cause I'm talking about image, and not the exact reality. If you could close down nana, lower sukhumvit, cowboy, and sell it as an 'end of an era, Thailand is moving on' to the world media, I'm guessing that would be enough to start the image change in peoples minds.

Most hotels and people in the tourist sector don't even cater to that demographic, so I don't think you are going to see many problems bar a few more sick bufallo's.

As for the rest of it, visa situation, 100% agree, but it is a huge uphill battle, and to be honest, needs to be done with stealth. Also to take into consideration, I know quite a few successful foreign businesses here who get on fine with the current rules. Sure they are clunky, but not too onerous so as they take their business elsewhere.

Based on that, I'm more convinced that if you change the image, there is already a fairly welcoming structure to take advantage of (but yes, more can be done).

cutting off nana etc, is like cutting off the tip of your nose. you do realize there a whole lot more than nana etc. the thais just invented those places for tourists!just

Finally someone with a working brain!

[EnhancePlus]

Most people in the states see LOS as the land of whores, political instabilty, beautiful beaches and a haven for pedos. It's too bad. The negative aspects are usually the part that get ones attention.

Fortunately, I experience the amazing thailand - the people, the culture, the positive ambiance, inexpensive and lots of beautiful woman whom create an allure of mystery and enchantment. To each his own.

We who spend a lot of time here know the persona of the thai infrastructure. Corruption, xenophobia of the elite, poverty and a military mafia police state. Easily ignored by us farang.

The sex industry has been existence here for a long time. Farm girls given the option of making 6.000thb a month or 200,00thb? Moral or immoral, the hard life or the easy money. You cannot just turn this part of society over in a flip of a switch. How many babies and families are supported by these girls? I don't know thais are pretty resilient people so maybe they can accept the reversals of fortune, but what would happen to the consumer based industry of Thailand?

[Valjean]

Most people in the states see LOS as the land of whores, political instabilty, beautiful beaches and a haven for pedos. It's too bad.

What is the reference you are citing for "most people"?

I'm just making a wild'a guess but it would be that "most people" in the states don't even know where Thailand is... But this is to me just another example of assuming that this perspective is widespread without any evidence.

[Jingthing]

Most people in the states see LOS as the land of whores, political instabilty, beautiful beaches and a haven for pedos. It's too bad.

What is the reference you are citing for "most people"?

I'm just making a wild'a guess but it would be that "most people" in the states don't even know where Thailand is... But this is to me just another example of assuming that this perspective is widespread without any evidence.

Although it is true most Americans cannot locate Thailand on a map (and often confuse it with Taiwan), I strongly feel most know it is in Asia and also that most associate it with hookers. Mostly hookers, not those other things. I feel this way from personal experience and also watching mass market Hollywood comedic movies. A standard joke in such mass market movies is about Thai hookers. People always laugh, knowingly. Do you think they would put in such jokes if they didn't KNOW that most Americans make this association? They also associate Thailand with Thai food, which is quite popular, but that doesn't make for good jokes.

Edited June 13, 2009 by Jingthing

[jerrylee]

You guys are too much involved in the bar scene. You do not know about the hordes of tourists which visit Wat Phra Kaeo, Wat Arun, Budhamonton, the Floating Market, Wat Po, Traimitr, Ayuthaya, the Klongs, the crocodile farm, Damnoen Saduak...day by day. Big tour groups flock to Bangkok for that daily from Asia and Europe. And none of that package tourists is interested in the bar scene at all.

Of course they don't write their comments here on this expat forum. But if you would read the major tourist forums on the net, you would get a completely other picture of personal views from Bangkok. No one mentions bgs and piss ups.

Right On!

There's also places like Phu Prabat - the latest new Unesco World Heritage Site for Thailand, that few people even knows about. Thailand is also a favourite destination amongst asians who comes on religious pilgrims, not only to big temples in bangkok, but forest temples, and famous meditation centers.

[Birdman]

Most people in the states see LOS as the land of whores, political instabilty, beautiful beaches and a haven for pedos. It's too bad.

What is the reference you are citing for "most people"?

I'm just making a wild'a guess but it would be that "most people" in the states don't even know where Thailand is... But this is to me just another example of assuming that this perspective is widespread without any evidence.

Although it is true most Americans cannot locate Thailand on a map (and often confuse it with Taiwan), I strongly feel most know it is in Asia and also that most associate it with hookers. Mostly hookers, not those other things. I feel this way from personal experience and also watching mass market Hollywood comedic movies. A standard joke in such mass market movies is about Thai hookers. People always laugh, knowingly. Do you think they would put in such jokes if they didn't KNOW that most Americans make this association? They also associate Thailand with Thai food, which is quite popular, but that doesn't make for good jokes.

...don't know what kind of movies you watch. The only A-rated comedy, which was not shot in Thailand, I know with a minor Thai connection, was "Meet the parents", where a package tour to Koh Samui was a wedding present.

[Jingthing]

...don't know what kind of movies you watch. The only A-rated comedy, which was not shot in Thailand, I know with a minor Thai connection, was "Meet the parents", where a package tour to Koh Samui was a wedding present.

I never said nor did I intend to convey that these Thai hooker jokes involved plots or settings with any connection to Thailand whatsoever! They are purely gratuitous. A Thai hooker joke is always good for a cheap laugh, and they are used widely. Thai related gay insult jokes in American movies are also common, usually about funny uncles marrying Thai boys. Sometimes I am truly AMAZED at how some people misread posts. Edited June 13, 2009 by Jingthing

[anothertorres]

Most people in the states see LOS as the land of whores, political instabilty, beautiful beaches and a haven for pedos. It's too bad.

What is the reference you are citing for "most people"?

I'm just making a wild'a guess but it would be that "most people" in the states don't even know where Thailand is... But this is to me just another example of assuming that this perspective is widespread without any evidence.

Although it is true most Americans cannot locate Thailand on a map (and often confuse it with Taiwan), I strongly feel most know it is in Asia and also that most associate it with hookers. Mostly hookers, not those other things. I feel this way from personal experience and also watching mass market Hollywood comedic movies. A standard joke in such mass market movies is about Thai hookers. People always laugh, knowingly. Do you think they would put in such jokes if they didn't KNOW that most Americans make this association? They also associate Thailand with Thai food, which is quite popular, but that doesn't make for good jokes.

i have to agree with both of these posts. coming from the states, i still get pedo jokes, ladyboy jokes from my uninformed "friends" back home. 9/10 couldn't spot Thailand on a map. my mother on the other hand thinks Thailand is all dirt roads and bananas. either way, everyone seems uninformed.

my response to all the jokes is "where do you get that from?". well, i blame Murray Head and Gary Glitter

Edited June 13, 2009 by anothertorres

[Jimjim]

It seems like half of the stories about Thailand that make the international news are about its sex tourism image and industry.

Do you think the David Carradine death will contribute to this bad image or do you think most people will assume he would have done it anywhere and not equate it with Thailand alone?

Frankly, I don't think it really matters what I think either way. And I think I don't care.