Why Does Thailand Have Such A Bad Reputation ?

[Jingthing]

omg you people live in a box or wot?los has a reputation as a cheap sex destination because it is one. the girls deliver!!!!!!!!! and have been for many decades! and i hope and pray will continue to deliver...........lol.

Reminds me of the slogan I once read on a toilet stall in Dubuque while sporting a wide stance -- There is no whore like a Luxemburger whore. Dubuque's a strange town.

Edited August 23, 2010 by Jingthing

[inthepink]

This is very true, and as a single man I see it every time I return to Canada. I always get thoroughly searched and it will take an hour or more for the authorities to go through every file on my computer, cameras and cel-phone, and all my back up disks. Most other passengers get a free pass. I know it has to do with the so-called sex trade in Thailand. I've learned not to carry anything remotely suspicious. I even get the third degree about the pictures I have of the children and Thai family I take care of. it's annoying and time consuming, but it excentuates the fact of the bad western bias by people with perverted minds.

Every single man who spends a long time in South-East Asia is likely to be scrutinized by the authorities, because they are simply going with the statistics of which individual or group is the most likely to bring back illegal material. Just the same way a single guy coming back from Peru who looks slighly nervous will be scrutinized. I'm sure there are thousands of couples and families who visit Thailand every year for 2 or 3 weeks who get a free pass as well.

Maybe it's just a Canadian thing. The only time I've ever had my luggage searched at Heathrow was when I was leaving the UK, never when entering it from Thailand. Other people may well have had different experiences though, perhaps I just look nice?

Edited August 23, 2010 by inthepink

[tgw]

if thailand did decide to enforce its prostitution laws the majority of thaivisa members would up and leave.

nothing much here but cheap wimmin and booze!

Shocking truth: the beer bars and gogos are perfectly legal, as well as the girls deciding themselves if they want to go with you for money or not. Freelancers are legal too.

There is nothing to enforce there, except against:

- Thai brothels

- bars/brothels with short time rooms

- establishments where the act is performed on the premises (blow-job bars)

[thedistillers]

So sleaze is associated with Thailand... big deal. That's the only negative (but not even negative for a lot of people!) people associate with Thailand. For the rest, it's fun, food, sun, shopping, exotism, etc.

The theory that a country can have a bad reputation while attracting a massive amount of tourists like Thailand does and being a favourite in travel surveys is in my opinion nonsensical.

Also, people will just never miss an opportunity to talk about sex or "whores". Of course if you mention Thailand the discussion is very likely to go there, but it says much more about sex and how it is a topic of discussion than it does about Thailand.

Edited August 23, 2010 by thedistillers

[tgw]

This is very true, and as a single man I see it every time I return to Canada. I always get thoroughly searched and it will take an hour or more for the authorities to go through every file on my computer, cameras and cellphone, and all my back up disks. Most other passengers get a free pass. I know it has to do with the so-called sex trade in Thailand. I've learned not to carry anything remotely suspicious. I even get the third degree about the pictures I have of the children and Thai family I take care of. it's annoying and time consuming, but it excentuates the fact of the bad western bias by people with perverted minds.

Maybe stop visiting Canada.

I think the search of cameras etc. is for kiddy porn, right?

Will Canadian customs give you a hard time if you bring pictures of naked girls (who clearly look older than 18) with you?

Is that against any Canadian Law?

just wondering.

[thedistillers]

In both Canada and the US, it is very likely a single male older than 25 who spent a significant amount of time in SE Asia will face a lot of scrutiny when he will come back. I don't know about Europe.

[StreetCowboy]

...8>< SNIP NESTED QUOTES DELETED ><8

So anyway, I think a brief summary of findings to date is in order:

1. Thailand does not have a bad reputation, and it doesn't put tourists off.

2. To a large extent, the reputation that it has does not deter visitors, despite the country having some faults.

3. To a large extent, its perceived bad reputation amongst prudes is based on prurient and salacious humour, combined with a desire to divert attention from the vice, eniquity and inequity within our own countries.

4. In fact, Thailand is no worse than many other countries in that respect.

Now that the topic is complete, we can concentrate on the slagfest - oh, that takes me back to my weekends in Newcastle!

SC

In my experience Thailand has a very bad reputation. Whenever I mention it I get the usual comments about young girls and dirty old men (which apparently I am). Of course these comments come from people that have never been to Thailand but this doesn't alter the fact that whenever I mention Thailand it gets negative comments.

I think that's just the company you keep - only interested in prurient and salacious rumour and gossip. I get the same when I talk about Newcastle. And as for Middlesbrough - woah, steady there - more risky than risque...

I've never known anyone that has spoken of it (Thailand) in anything but the most glowing terms.

My dear old mother, who visited Thailand several times before I came here, never once mentioned that sort of nonsense. In fact, she was really quite positive - although she did mention that her aunt struggled with the plumbing. She was a trifle aged, even then, though (the aunt; my dear old mother was substantially less aged at the time).

Anyway, in the interests of countering the poor image that countries may have, and encouraging tourism, does anyone fancy a trip to Iran to watch Thailand in Division Two of the HSBC Five Nations rugby tournament, if indeed it is being played in Iran next year? The visa requirements are a bit convoluted, I'm afraid, unless its being played in Kish (which seems a bit unlikely)...

SC

EDIT: Paragraph break moved and (Thailand) added in brackets to avoid misleading ambiguity

Edited August 23, 2010 by StreetCowboy

[LaoPo]

OP Khun Tatee:

"I know what the outsiders think of Thailand and I gotta admit that I don't like it. How many times you have heard that ordinary Thai women have been mistaken to be prostitutes. As a Thai person I don't like it very much."

Basically there are 2 kinds of sex industries in Thailand:

1. The invisible Thai/Thai sex industry and not visible to western tourists. Most expats probably know about it but might not come there (often). This Thai/Thai industry is by far larger than the #2 industry, the:

2. The very visible Thai/Farang sex industry.

I am sorry Khun Tattee but #1 was already existing, long before the first Farang mass tourists arrived in Thailand.

It is a very accepted industry and well known amongst most Thai, men in particular, but well hidden (to most Farang) and certainly not "advertised" so openly as the #2, catering to Farang.

Since Thailand became an interesting tourist option for many Europeans, Australians and North Americans the #2 became a growing industry and the "word" was spread around about all the beautiful girls, easy and cheap to get.

There's prostitution everywhere in the world but prostitution is very expensive in most western countries and once on holiday in Thailand -for single men- it's like arriving in a girls' Shangri La. A dream for single men, including for gay men.

...and, thus created a kind of "bad" name abroad and certainly in Europe. I can't judge about Australia and N America; but in Asia, Thailand is also known for it's -openly showed- sex industry.

Now, when couples go on holiday to Thailand and tell their families and friends about their trip...nobody says anything apart from: "have a nice holiday".

But, when single men travel to Thailand, many frown upon that idea or comment positive with a or negative

If people, including single men, go on holiday to Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Philippines or Mexico, Costa Rica (to name a few) nobody comments, other than "enjoy your holidays"

It will be difficult for Thailand to get rid of their "bad" name when it comes to sex.

Thailand's own culture is debit to the name it has in the world. Only Thailand itself, as a nation and as a living and ever-changing culture can change that...if possible at all....?!

But, I agree with you that it must be very annoying to Thai that many Thai girls are considered to be in the industry, but don't worry, that is only in the eyes of ignorant people.

A lot of Farang who know Thailand a little better know, in most cases, immediately that a certain girl/Lady is a normal woman/girl and not working in the industry as most Thai will spot the same immediately also.

That doesn't mean there aren't any exceptions of course.

LaoPo

[RudieTheFoodie]

Thailand is full of beautiful women - angels even.

Forget California, Krungthep - the original city of angels.

[Max2010]

Take all the bunch of self righteous bigots in foreign countries who think their own poop doesn't smell and it doesn't surprise me. There are only a few relatively modern Asian countries that are still fairly inexpensive to live in and it is bound to happen. Provide a fairly stable environment with beautiful women and it will attract men from everywhere. Foreign press LOVES to stereotype ANYTHING that involves sex. The press will over excentuate anything remotely involving sex. The press passes that onto the bigots and you have your answer. Thailand doesn't offer anything that can't be had everywhere else. Just yesterday I read a local, free newspaper and the whole last page was advertisements for sexual massage or escort services. That is in the sleepy, staid city of Victoria on Vancouver Island in Canada. A holiday center like Las Vegas is saturated with hookers. So are all the other adult tourist centers in the USA.

Ian, I agree with you 100% on this. There are so many ignorant people in this world. Thailand gives a chance to retired folks from all over the world a decent place to live cheaply on their meager pensions and even get a nice looking wife/gf half their age along the way, yet so many complain as if they live like a royal family in their homeland or their countries are so perfect in every sense. You hear of people compaining about Thailand and then tell you that they have been living in Thailand for a decade. If you don't like Thailand, why don't you go back home? Like Ian said, prostitution, corruption etc is everywhere. There are as many prostitutes who harass tourists in London as there are in Pattaya. I couldn't run away far enough from them in Earl"s Court, London. They were far more aggressive than your average Thai girls. And about corruption, it is just as common in EU and North America as it is in Thailand. Ever heard of "cash-for-honours affair" in the U.K? How about the BAE bribes to the Saudis, which was conveniently dropped by the U.K. government? How about the "campaign contributions" in the U.S. which is a nice convenient word for "bribing" to influence the Senators' voting? Corporate moneyhas hijacked American democracy for a very long time. Joe Lieberman, the former Democratic candidate for Vice-President. He has taken $448,066 in campaign contributions from private healthcare companies while his wife raked in $2m as one of their chief lobbyists, and he has blocked any attempt in the Senate to break the stranglehold of the health insurance companies and broaden coverage.

The US political system now operates within a corporate cage. If you want to run for office, you have to take corporate cash – and so you have to serve corporate interests. Corporations are often blatant in their corruption: it's not unusual for them to give to both competing candidates in a Senate race, to ensure all sides are indebted to them. It has reached the point that lobbyists now often write the country's laws. Not metaphorically; literally. The former Republican congressman Walter Jones spoke out in disgust in 2006 when he found that drug company lobbyists were actually authoring the words of the Medicare prescription bill, and puppet-politicians were simply nodding it through.

I think I have made my point.

Max2010

Yes you have made your point Max,which comes across in your post as: Denigrate and Denounce more stable and vastly more advanced Countries,and thus by default,Thailands image will appear squeaky clean? so no problem,eh!.......I don't think so!

Magic, I was not trying to say Thailand is squeaky clean. You have totally missed my point. I was trying to address the hypocrites who blame Thailand for the sex trade, corruption and everything else under the sun but for some reason they forgot their countries have similar or worse problems than Thailand. Thus, the example of prostitutes in Earl's Court, London. etc. Your supposedly "vastly more advanced countries" have just as much problems with corruption, prostitution, street beggers, trophy wives and husbands, income-inequality, homelessness, broken families, high divorce rates, alcoholism ..etc etc as Thailand. I have lived in the U.K., Canada, and the U.S., and I have seen some neighbourhoods which cannot be any different than the ones I saw in some African countries. That was my point, There is a Swahili saying which goes something like this : A monkey does not see how ugly his own arse is.

You accuse me of denigrating a person/country, I stand to be corrected. Please let me know of any information I have provided which is incorrect. You remind me of George Bush's " You are with us or against us...." speech.

Max2010

[IMA_FARANG]

The reputation is spread by word of mouth, and frankly, by people who haven't been to the real Thailand. I work in Greece, but I have a Thai family. I normally come to see them maybe twice a year. When I tell the Greeks I work with that I am going to Thailand for a vacation, they assume that I intend to be running around the bars and chasing Thai women. I try to explain to them that I have been living with the same Thai woman for over twenty years...and I have a family in Thailand. But every time I say I'm going to Thailand I hear the same thing from the Greeks..."Oh, Thailand have very nice girl for bang-bang". They don't know anything about Thailand except the stories they hear from other Greeks, many of whom have never been to Thailand. It is just rumor and stories they pass to each other. In reality, New York City has over 10 million people living there. I assure you that there are more prostitiutes and call girls in New York city than there are in all of Thailand. But you will never hear that said.

It is just more perception than reality. One thing is that the bars and girls in Thailand are concentrated in certain tourist areas. Patpong, Nana, Soi Cowboy, Pattaya...all the bars/girls/massage places/etc. are concentrated together. So the perception is that these places are the norm for Thailand. I know they are not...because I live in Bangkok in a Thai area. And all that kind of thing isn't there in the area I live with my Thai family. Yes, there are some Thai clubs within two or 3 streets of where I live, but I doubt that even 20 percent of the working class Thais that live in the area I live in have ever been or will be to any of those clubs. For one thing, most of the working Thais I know couldn't afford the cost of those clubs anyhow. So how does my Thai family clebrate on big a night out. Well, usually the family goes to a Thai or Thai-Chinese restaurant for a seafood dinner together.

[Rumpole]

No question that the Muslim based countries have a bad reputation, but they are hardly tourist destination countries.

Sorry, but this statement is laughingly misinformed and very far from the reality. Dubai is an extremely popular tourist destination for Europeans. Numbers are projected to hit the 10 million mark this year - and they are often the type of high-end, free spenders that the TAT can only salivate and dream about.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/518541-dubai-tourist-numbers-set-to-hit-10mn

Egypt (official figures cited by state news agency Mena showed that tourist numbers rose to 9.7 million in 2006, an increase of 13 per cent on the previous year. http://www.propertyshowrooms.com/egypt/property/news/article-1442.html) and Turkey are also incredibly popular tourist destinations, offering an eclectic range of sun, beaches, history and culture. Morocco had 7.4 million visitors in 2006

(http://www.journeybeyondtravel.com/news/morocco-travel/morocco-tourist-up.html)

and even Oman is becoming a popular alternative Winter sun destination for well-heeled Europeans.

Simply because these countries attract comparatively few North American visitors,and probably hold little appeal for many of the Thai-centric mongers on this board, does NOT mean that they do not have a thriving tourist industry. There is considerably more to the Middle East than the rabid conservatism of Saudi Arabia (which incidentally is ALSO now trying to attract tourists! )

Edited August 23, 2010 by Rumpole

[Max2010]

This is very true, and as a single man I see it every time I return to Canada. I always get thoroughly searched and it will take an hour or more for the authorities to go through every file on my computer, cameras and cel-phone, and all my back up disks. Most other passengers get a free pass. I know it has to do with the so-called sex trade in Thailand. I've learned not to carry anything remotely suspicious. I even get the third degree about the pictures I have of the children and Thai family I take care of. it's annoying and time consuming, but it excentuates the fact of the bad western bias by people with perverted minds.

Every single man who spends a long time in South-East Asia is likely to be scrutinized by the authorities, because they are simply going with the statistics of which individual or group is the most likely to bring back illegal material. Just the same way a single guy coming back from Peru who looks slighly nervous will be scrutinized. I'm sure there are thousands of couples and families who visit Thailand every year for 2 or 3 weeks who get a free pass as well.

Maybe it's just a Canadian thing. The only time I've ever had my luggage searched at Heathrow was when I was leaving the UK, never when entering it from Thailand. Other people may well have had different experiences though, perhaps I just look nice?

Agree, maybe a Canadian thing Ian. I live in Japan and have never been questioned whenever I come back from Thailand, the Middle East or Africa. And I travel fairly often for work. However, there are dogs everywhere sniffing suitcases and people but as long as your paperwork is in order, it takes 5-10 minutes for foreign residents to go through the immigration (special gate- no questions, just fingerprints & photo) and customs ( Did you go for business or holidays? Where do you live in Japan?- same questions every time).

Max2010

[Max2010]

No question that the Muslim based countries have a bad reputation, but they are hardly tourist destination countries.

Sorry, but this statement is laughingly misinformed and very far from the reality. Dubai is an extremely popular tourist destination for Europeans. Numbers are projected to hit the 10 million mark this year - and they are often the type of high-end, free spenders that the TAT can only salivate and dream about.

http://www.arabianbu...set-to-hit-10mn

Egypt (official figures cited by state news agency Mena showed that tourist numbers rose to 9.7 million in 2006, an increase of 13 per cent on the previous year. http://www.propertys...ticle-1442.html) and Turkey are also incredibly popular tourist destinations, offering an eclectic range of sun, beaches, history and culture. Morocco had 7.4 million visitors in 2006

(http://www.journeybe...tourist-up.html)

and even Oman is becoming a popular alternative Winter sun destination for well-heeled Europeans.

Simply because these countries attract comparatively few North American visitors,and probably hold little appeal for many of the mongers on this board, does NOT mean that they do not have a thriving tourist industry. There is considerably more to the Middle East than the rabid conservatism of Saudi Arabia (which incidentally is ALSO now trying to attract tourists! )

I have to agree with you Rumpole. Dubai is a great place to visit. The Jumeira beach in Dubai is fantastic and full of tourists. Many small traders from Africa and India also depend on Dubai for many of their import needs. For example, It is cheaper to import rice from Dubai than it is from Vietnam, India or Thailand. ditto sugar from Brazil. They even have an indoor ski resort in Dubaii and shopping is tax-free. Oman is a lot quieter/conservative and has a beautiful beach too. I didn't see as many tourists in Oman but you can get any western product you need and beer flows freely in their 5 star hotels year-round.

Max2010

[tijnebijn]

OP Khun Tatee:

"I know what the outsiders think of Thailand and I gotta admit that I don't like it. How many times you have heard that ordinary Thai women have been mistaken to be prostitutes. As a Thai person I don't like it very much."

Basically there are 2 kinds of sex industries in Thailand:

1. The invisible Thai/Thai sex industry and not visible to western tourists. Most expats probably know about it but might not come there (often). This Thai/Thai industry is by far larger than the #2 industry, the:

2. The very visible Thai/Farang sex industry.

I am sorry Khun Tattee but #1 was already existing, long before the first Farang mass tourists arrived in Thailand.

It is a very accepted industry and well known amongst most Thai, men in particular, but well hidden (to most Farang) and certainly not "advertised" so openly as the #2, catering to Farang.

Since Thailand became an interesting tourist option for many Europeans, Australians and North Americans the #2 became a growing industry and the "word" was spread around about all the beautiful girls, easy and cheap to get.

There's prostitution everywhere in the world but prostitution is very expensive in most western countries and once on holiday in Thailand -for single men- it's like arriving in a girls' Shangri La. A dream for single men, including for gay men.

...and, thus created a kind of "bad" name abroad and certainly in Europe. I can't judge about Australia and N America; but in Asia, Thailand is also known for it's -openly showed- sex industry.

Now, when couples go on holiday to Thailand and tell their families and friends about their trip...nobody says anything apart from: "have a nice holiday".

But, when single men travel to Thailand, many frown upon that idea or comment positive with a or negative

If people, including single men, go on holiday to Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Philippines or Mexico, Costa Rica (to name a few) nobody comments, other than "enjoy your holidays"

It will be difficult for Thailand to get rid of their "bad" name when it comes to sex.

Thailand's own culture is debit to the name it has in the world. Only Thailand itself, as a nation and as a living and ever-changing culture can change that...if possible at all....?!

But, I agree with you that it must be very annoying to Thai that many Thai girls are considered to be in the industry, but don't worry, that is only in the eyes of ignorant people.

A lot of Farang who know Thailand a little better know, in most cases, immediately that a certain girl/Lady is a normal woman/girl and not working in the industry as most Thai will spot the same immediately also.

That doesn't mean there aren't any exceptions of course.

LaoPo

I agree with almost everything you mentioned laopo , Its the truth .

[thedistillers]

Overall countries in that region DO have a somewhat bad reputation. Syria, Jordan, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Israel, etc.

Dubai is somewhat an oddity. And Egypt actually does have a not very good reputation, but Egypt is Egypt, it is like Jerusalem, it is such an important and fascinating region that it will attract tourists no matter what.

And Western Turkey can be put in the same category as Greece, it is sort of considered part of Europe in most people's mind. The rest of the country does not have a very good reputation.

So IMO IanForbes is overall right, Muslim countries generally do not have a good reputation.

[TheWalkingMan]

Thailand overall has a good reputation. The most common opinion of Thailand = tropical paradise. There is a reason Bangkok was recently voted the best city in the world, how could that happen if Thailand has a bad reputation? As if the average person knows, or care, about the country's corruption or cheating tuk-tuk drivers. Only expats and people-who-moved-to-Cambodia-because-it's-so-much-better-than-Thailand care about Thailand problems. Even with the recent events in Bangkok, there is a large number of tourists all over the city.

Now of course there is the sex industry and pedophile association, but people usually express their disgust at the industry or at the pedophiles, rather than bashing Thailand. I don't see how it is relevant that some Hollywood movie make jokes about that, it says nothing about the country's reputation. Each country has one or several "negative" elements associated to it. Hollywood comedies are all about clichés and cheap laugh.

Bangkok was voted the best city in the world as a holiday destination and not the best place to put up residence. When repeating information, it is always good to double check and not go on memory.

Thailand's reputation (good or bad) is entirely up to the government. If they wanted to enforce the no prostitution laws across the country they could, but there are far too hands in the pie to stop it. Can you imagine if all the soapys, beer bars, karaoke joints, etc across the country were shut down? There would be riots everywhere with people complaining about their right to earn a living. I imagine that most of the money made in this business ends up in the hands of Thais and not non-Thais.

And if these places were shut down, I bet that there would be an explosion of disco openings jammed packed with former female staff looking for baht.

Complain until the cows come home about western and other country's people thinking poorly about Thailand but it will not stop until the place is cleaned up.

Once a guy said to me that only export Thailand has done successfully around the world is its women. Look into many massage parlors across the globe and there is a good possibility of find a Thai "working girl."

TheWalkingMan

[bonobo]

Overall countries in that region DO have a somewhat bad reputation. Syria, Jordan, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Israel, etc.

Dubai is somewhat an oddity. And Egypt actually does have a not very good reputation, but Egypt is Egypt, it is like Jerusalem, it is such an important and fascinating region that it will attract tourists no matter what.

And Western Turkey can be put in the same category as Greece, it is sort of considered part of Europe in most people's mind. The rest of the country does not have a very good reputation.

So IMO IanForbes is overall right, Muslim countries generally do not have a good reputation.

I think you are right in that the reputation of most Muslim countries, Malaysia and parts of Indonesia excepting, is not very good as far as being a tourist destination.  And that is too bad.  Dubai is interesting, as others have pointed out.  But Jordan is really a great tourist destination, Syria is good, Beirut is getting back its panache, Morrocco can be rather interesting. Turkey is full of extremely friendly people.

[LaoPo]

Overall countries in that region DO have a somewhat bad reputation. Syria, Jordan, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Israel, etc.

Dubai is somewhat an oddity. And Egypt actually does have a not very good reputation, but Egypt is Egypt, it is like Jerusalem, it is such an important and fascinating region that it will attract tourists no matter what.

And Western Turkey can be put in the same category as Greece, it is sort of considered part of Europe in most people's mind. The rest of the country does not have a very good reputation.

So IMO IanForbes is overall right, Muslim countries generally do not have a good reputation.

I think you are right in that the reputation of most Muslim countries, Malaysia and parts of Indonesia excepting, is not very good as far as being a tourist destination. And that is too bad. Dubai is interesting, as others have pointed out. But Jordan is really a great tourist destination, Syria is good, Beirut is getting back its panache, Morrocco can be rather interesting. Turkey is full of extremely friendly people.

That's true but I don't think the OP was referring to the bad reputation of Thailand because of other causes, other than prostitution, since he is upset "that ordinary Thai women have been mistaken to be prostitutes"

In all mentioned other countries this isn't a problem.

LaoPo

[bonobo]

Overall countries in that region DO have a somewhat bad reputation. Syria, Jordan, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Israel, etc.

Dubai is somewhat an oddity. And Egypt actually does have a not very good reputation, but Egypt is Egypt, it is like Jerusalem, it is such an important and fascinating region that it will attract tourists no matter what.

And Western Turkey can be put in the same category as Greece, it is sort of considered part of Europe in most people's mind. The rest of the country does not have a very good reputation.

So IMO IanForbes is overall right, Muslim countries generally do not have a good reputation.

I think you are right in that the reputation of most Muslim countries, Malaysia and parts of Indonesia excepting, is not very good as far as being a tourist destination.  And that is too bad.  Dubai is interesting, as others have pointed out.  But Jordan is really a great tourist destination, Syria is good, Beirut is getting back its panache, Morrocco can be rather interesting. Turkey is full of extremely friendly people.

That's true but I don't think the OP was referring to the bad  reputation of Thailand because of other causes, other than prostitution,  since he is upset "that ordinary Thai women have been mistaken to be prostitutes"

In all mentioned other countries this isn't a problem.

LaoPo

Actually, in Dubai, prostitution is very visible and readily available. 

[Max2010]

Overall countries in that region DO have a somewhat bad reputation. Syria, Jordan, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Israel, etc.

Dubai is somewhat an oddity. And Egypt actually does have a not very good reputation, but Egypt is Egypt, it is like Jerusalem, it is such an important and fascinating region that it will attract tourists no matter what.

And Western Turkey can be put in the same category as Greece, it is sort of considered part of Europe in most people's mind. The rest of the country does not have a very good reputation.

So IMO IanForbes is overall right, Muslim countries generally do not have a good reputation.

The countries you mentioned might have a "bad reputation" if you mean that western tourists might have a small problem when they try to buy alcohol or when women try tan with their bikinis. Although I don't feel Israel or Lebanon have this problem of being "inconvenient' to a western way of life and culture. Some countries you mentioned just don't happen to be "vacation countries" in a sense that you just can't experience watching beautiful women in bikinis or tanning in natural beaches or get drunk in any bar because they are conservative countries. Pakistan is at war, so is Israel and Lebanon technically. But I would bet that it is much more safer to have a vacation in Israel or Lebanon than it is in Pakistan. Jordan and Yemen are also popular with Europeans but again the security issues make them less attractive. I am always amazed to read kidnappings of European tourists in Yemen but every year more tourists from Europe visit its bazaars and unique architecture.

There are many "visitors" to Saudi Arabia and Iran from neighbouring countries for pilgrimage and business. Many cheap labourers and small traders from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Yemen, Bangladesh and Lebanon go to Saudi Arabia and other rich Gulf states in their millions every year. They might not go there to drink and have fun at the beach but their numbers are just as high as visitors to Bangkok. It is also fairly easier for them to obtain visas to work or visit for business or god-forbid pleasure than to go to western countries. It might not mean a great deal to a westren person, but for a Yemeni or Bangladeshi visiting Saudi Arabia and buying a car or a container of foodstuff or eating at McDonald's is already a successful vacation trip without the need to stop at a bar for a cold beer or mingle freely with visitors from the opposite sex.

Max2010

[Max2010]

Overall countries in that region DO have a somewhat bad reputation. Syria, Jordan, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Israel, etc.

Dubai is somewhat an oddity. And Egypt actually does have a not very good reputation, but Egypt is Egypt, it is like Jerusalem, it is such an important and fascinating region that it will attract tourists no matter what.

And Western Turkey can be put in the same category as Greece, it is sort of considered part of Europe in most people's mind. The rest of the country does not have a very good reputation.

So IMO IanForbes is overall right, Muslim countries generally do not have a good reputation.

I think you are right in that the reputation of most Muslim countries, Malaysia and parts of Indonesia excepting, is not very good as far as being a tourist destination. And that is too bad. Dubai is interesting, as others have pointed out. But Jordan is really a great tourist destination, Syria is good, Beirut is getting back its panache, Morrocco can be rather interesting. Turkey is full of extremely friendly people.

That's true but I don't think the OP was referring to the bad reputation of Thailand because of other causes, other than prostitution, since he is upset "that ordinary Thai women have been mistaken to be prostitutes"

In all mentioned other countries this isn't a problem.

LaoPo

Actually, in Dubai, prostitution is very visible and readily available.

I concur. The Russian ladies are especially well represented. In Oman, I saw quite a few Chinese prostitutes hanging around the bars.

[koheesti]

I think you are right in that the reputation of most Muslim countries, Malaysia and parts of Indonesia excepting, is not very good as far as being a tourist destination. And that is too bad. Dubai is interesting, as others have pointed out. But Jordan is really a great tourist destination, Syria is good, Beirut is getting back its panache, Morrocco can be rather interesting. Turkey is full of extremely friendly people.

That's true but I don't think the OP was referring to the bad reputation of Thailand because of other causes, other than prostitution, since he is upset "that ordinary Thai women have been mistaken to be prostitutes"

In all mentioned other countries this isn't a problem.

LaoPo

Actually, in Dubai, prostitution is very visible and readily available.

You can say that again. And more agressive than in Thailand.

[philliphn]

No more "You Farang you pay more!"

Allow retirees to purchase a house and a few acres. You can do this in the USA. This will increase investment in Thailand.

Ensure the safety of all retirees and visitors.

No 90 day reporting make it twice a year reporting.

[LaoPo]

I concur. The Russian ladies are especially well represented. In Oman, I saw quite a few Chinese prostitutes hanging around the bars.

I think we are drifting away from the OP's worries about Thailand's reputation BECAUSE of prostitution and the fact that normal women are often considered to be prostitutes.

Dubai and Oman, as well as the other countries, mentioned, do not have a bad name abroad for being a holiday destination for sex tourists. Do they ?

LaoPo

[Max2010]

I concur. The Russian ladies are especially well represented. In Oman, I saw quite a few Chinese prostitutes hanging around the bars.

I think we are drifting away from the OP's worries about Thailand's reputation BECAUSE of prostitution and the fact that normal women are often considered to be prostitutes.

Dubai and Oman, as well as the other countries, mentioned, do not have a bad name abroad for being a holiday destination for sex tourists. Do they ?

LaoPo

I don't know about Oman but I know Dubai has quite a reputation for prostition as well and like mentioned earlier, quite in your face.

Max2010

[kpmsprtd]

@ Tatee (the OP):

I know what the outsiders think of Thailand and I gotta admit that I don't like it. How many times you have heard that ordinary Thai women have been mistaken to be prostitutes.

I'm not sure that we agree on what outsiders think of Thailand. In California in the 21st century, Thailand has a positive image as a great vacation destination. People want to go there.

I have not heard of a case where an ordinary Thai woman has been mistaken as a prostitute. I have, however, witnessed numerous cases where U.S. "authorities" at airports treated women from Thailand and other countries as if they were criminals. These U.S. "authorities" are consistent though in also treating men from Thailand and other countries as if they were criminals. In fact, these U.S. "authorities" are so consistent that they even treat U.S. citizens as if they were criminals.

If you are considering travel to America, be warned: You will be treated as a criminal at the airport upon arrival. After you escape the airport, if you avoid the 70% of sheep-like Americans who have bought into the post-9/11 police state, while seeking out the company of the 30% who stubbornly remain, you might be able to have a relatively good time. Just don't read the newspapers, where any country with proudly free people such as Thailand will be mercilessly and consistently bashed. The media, working closely with "the authorities", does this as part of an ongoing propaganda campaign to remind the sheep that "America is Number One", and the rest of the world is full of desperate people scamming to get into the land of milk and honey.

P.S. There is one stereotype of Thai women in the U.S. It's the idea that a lot of them go into accounting. If true, perhaps that says something about fairly decent math education in Thailand?

[IanForbes]

In both Canada and the US, it is very likely a single male older than 25 who spent a significant amount of time in SE Asia will face a lot of scrutiny when he will come back. I don't know about Europe.

I think it is a more recent thing in Canada for single men to be thoroughly searched by customs when coming back from Thailand. There have been a number of highly publicised child sex related cases, and police authorities are only doing their job. We can't have it both ways. It is much the same as the increase in security since 9-11. Unfortunately, a few customs officials are bit too quick to jump to conclusions. Because I travel with a computer and back up drives, as well as several cameras and cel-phones I hit the "profile" as a potential sex offender. But, because I'm a writer and a photographer I have no other choice but to carry the equipment that I do. It's annoying but understandable. I just add it to my travel time. Like I said, we can't have it both ways. If we want to stamp out the paedophile trade then increased security is a must.

And, this brings us back to the OP's topic of Thailand's bad reputation. The highly publicised riots in Bangkok and the unrest between the reds and the yellows is splashed all over the news. I was asked many times by other Canadians it I was safe and I replied that I never felt threatened in Thailand.. Many people only read the headlines in the papers or watch the highlights on television and jump to the conclusion that the whole country is a cesspool. And, I'm not a whole lot different. I hear about the problems in the middle east and Africa, and forget that it's only pockets where the problems lie. An example of that is my comment about Muslim countries not attracting tourists. I was wrong in many cases such as Dubai, or the great pyramids of Africa, or the world cup played in South Africa recently. But, there are certainly Muslim places where a foreigner really is in danger.

[thaifkrlim]

Why thailand have such a bad reputation for its women?

thanks to the farang visitors who fantasise coming to paradise island to have cheap sex with different women every night and decades of P2P advertising, recommendations, magazine reviews on how cheap, easy and splendid the sex workers are to offer you their services

and thanks to farang and jap entrepreneurs who expanded the prostitution industry to the international level and multiplying them throughout thailand to attract even more fantasy holidaymakers from their respective countries and beyond

thanks to all these, opportunities given to thai entreprenuers to establish prominent joints for the huge demand for its services from both domestic and international markets.

[IanForbes]

Why thailand have such a bad reputation for its women?

thanks to the farang visitors who fantasise coming to paradise island to have cheap sex with different women every night and decades of P2P advertising, recommendations, magazine reviews on how cheap, easy and splendid the sex workers are to offer you their services

and thanks to farang and jap entrepreneurs who expanded the prostitution industry to the international level and multiplying them throughout thailand to attract even more fantasy holidaymakers from their respective countries and beyond

thanks to all these, opportunities given to thai entreprenuers to establish prominent joints for the huge demand for its services from both domestic and international markets.

True, and thank heavens they did promote it. Why is it wrong to enjoy yourself? The women provide a necessary service for men who would otherwise spend their final 20 or 30 years of their life in misery. It also provides well paid employment for women to support their children and families back home. Unfortunately, it also attracts the sleazy side of the market just as oil attracts the sleazy big business exploiters who cause world wide wars.