Should Street Prostitutes Be Cleared From Pattaya Beach Road?

[Ulysses G.]

How come all these working girls seem to hit on the gay guys so heavily and never, ever say anything to the truly hetero hansum man out on his daily constitutional?

I just wish that they would bother me.

[Tokay]

The police do raids on beach road almost nightly, sometimes several times a night. It's just a cash round up for the police. Tag a release.

If they removed all the street girls, the new upscale tourists Thailand has catered to, won't have anywhere to get girls. Only a beach girl will go with with 10 Indians at once. What a wretched scene that is.

What bothers me more than street girls (they don't really bother me) is the fact that you can hardly park your bike anywhere along the beach without moto-taxi mafia, vendors, or bike rentals, taking up all the parking spots.

[BaronCasey]

You're dreaming. Families do NOT walk there at night. Because of the whores. It's that simple. Walking alone as a single man, you WILL get harassed constantly. Face reality, the place is thick with whores and people here are trying to paint this as a good thing. It's not. It's a BLIGHT. Also, give me a break, any idiot can tell the difference between a street walker and non sex worker Thais enjoying the beach area. Most everywhere in the world, there is a difference between zoned prostitution areas (even in Thailand, Bangkok, Phuket, CM) and open street prostitutes basically trashing would would be or could be a fantastic resource for ALL of the population.

If all the street whores were totally removed from the beach side, do you honestly think you're going to get hordes of families walking along it in the evening? The other side of the road is a long string of beer-bars worked by obvious hookers, so how many Mums and Dads do you really think are going to walk along there with their kids watching the goings-on on the other side of the road eh? It would be no more appropriate for a family evening out than strolling along Walking St in the evening with kids. The majority of families who have booked holidays in Pattaya have done so without prior-researching that Pattaya is not ideal for kids (or childless non-swinging couples) and would not return for a second time regardless of whether the Beach Rd was cleaned up or not.

[NanLaew]

The OP has this image that a beach resort must have lot's of beach-front promenade available for families to walk together.

How quaint, old fashioned and totally outdated this image is.

To make this image a reality, not only must there be a beach-front promenade and lots of tourist families, there must also be the desire on behalf of these families to walk this beach-front promenade. With Pattaya's heat and City Hall's penchant to remove shady tree cover, I really can't see the modern tourist family group deciding on a two-way stroll in daylight. They probably lay around the hotel pool all day and then catch a baht bus to whatever restaurant or night entertainment venue they fancy.

Now, I don't spend nearly as much time in Pattaya as I used to but on the odd foray recently it seems that every weekend (or at least once per month) the beach-front promenade and Beach Road is totally buggered up by some City Hall endorsed crap sale, festival or what have you. So, if they do decide that the overseas perception of the main beach in Pattaya is not what they want, they will clear off the working girls and replace them with another market.

The OP may pine for his open boulevards and hassle free beach-front promenade but in my limited experience in Thailand, whenever there's an open space, the first option exercised is to fill it with commercial, money-making traps. Witness the wide open vista of Patpong before they decided to allow the carts and stalls to set up shop in the middle. Remember how easy it was to navigate the wider sidewalks on the low-end of Sukhumvit before they allowed the deaf-dumb vendor mafia to close off the air with their endless stalls of Chinese-made sh!te. You need a Pattaya point of reference? How about the open spaces out front of the Avenue Mall. That looked so "European" when it first opened. Now it looks like... just another Thai night market.

The real priorities (and the OP is well versed on this) is a proper public transportation system for the greater amount of tourist family groups who can't be arsed to walk anywhere.

Get rid of the drug dealers, pickpockets and others with opportunistic criminal intent. I seriously doubt that the working girls on the beach are in any way 'pimped' but that fits the picture of those more challenged in Thai culture (and sub culture).

Then clean up the beach and sea.

Then the OP can return to his primary role as Pattaya's gourmand extraordinaire par excellence!

Edited September 24, 2010 by NanLaew

[Lancelot]

Jing, I recently opined that since Pattaya was changing to a more family friendly destination (OK, its relative )Walking Street might be made less naughty and the more in your face naughty scene be pushed back to Third Road, awaya from the beach and new mall, etc. Your reply was that it didn't need to be done, siting a famous beach town in Mexico where family friendly and naughty coexisted side by side.

Having a change of mind?

Any way, a guy can change his mind and I'll go on recored that the Beach Road scene will most likely be less working girl friendly in the not so distant future. Thais are big on face and with the large amounts of baht being invested on Beach Road they'll probably clamp down a bit.

Any way, I personally don't care how many girls ply Beach Road. If I want to go there, I will and if they become pests, I can easily avoid the area

PS-One posters off hand remark about tour groups laughing/makin fun of them was too funny and would discourage the girls-or start WW III

[mark45y]

If a guy who didn’t eat bananas said bananas should be banned would you take him seriously?

Although you asked some qualifying information you missed the big qualifier.

Do you use beach road hookers?

As much as it is interesting information you have not approached the real topic.

The cops make money from the girls. The pimps make money from the girls. The stores make money from the girls. What about them?

The customers use the girls. What about them?

I think religion should be banned. I think all told it is the biggest harm in the world. I can make a case from before the crusades. But then again I don’t use religion. So I am not a good person to ask.

It would be as dumb asking me about religion as Geriatricked about prostitutes. Or Jingthing if he gets excited about the female body.

If I remember correctly Jingthing is revolted by women’s bodies. I don’t think he is a good person to listen to about women.

You remember INCORRECTLY. I did start a poll about the opinion of a famous writer. Read better, please.

In any case, my feeling would not be different even if it was mostly male prostitutes. I would STILL want to be able to hang out on the water without being constantly solicited.

Anyway, this isn't about stamping out prostitution. This is about making the beach promenade walk a PLEASANT thing for all kinds of people. This is a beach resort city, for Satan's sake, which is attracting ALL kinds of people now, and that is a good thing. A stroll on the beach promenade is a great feature for urban beach resorts throughout the world, but I daresay Pattaya has got the most whores on the beach. Would you take your family with children there the second time after you saw all those whores? Go go bars/beer bars/freelancer bars are an entirely different thing, you can go in there or not. You can walk down Soi 6, or not, but if you go to a beach resort city and can't take a beach promenade walk, you do indeed give credible ammunition to those with PDS (Pattaya Derangement Syndrome).

Sorry Jingthing. I would have gone back and checked but I am boycotting the gay forum without you posting there.

[mark45y]

strange topic but I guess the prostitutes work the streets in Pattaya to avoid part of thier

earnings being taken by the bar owner pimps in the way of bar fines (Pimping fees) etc,

If you watch the ladies working on beach road you can see most have pimps. The guys come around for money for booze and drugs shortly after a trick is turned. The ladies on beach road are among the most beat up women in Pattaya by boyfriends and pimps. Just sit and watch for a while and you can see what I am talking about.

[MZurf]

Agreeing or not with the OPs opinion that the street prossies should be cleared away from Beach Road he (and just about everyone else) has the right to an opinion on the subject. I am nearing the end of my second decade here and have a Thai family, house, car etc. Buddha knows how many millions of Baht I have contributed to the Thai economy over the years. Do not tell me I don't have the right to have an opinion on any subject relating to Thailand.

I have a number of opinions (positive and negative) about Thailand in general and Pattaya in particular because I care about the place.

And the argument "leave, if you don't like it" is getting very old. I wouldn't use it even with those miserable gits who can't find anything positive to say about Thailand or Thai people ever - they'd be the same miserable gits in any country on the planet so telling them to leave wouldn't solve anything.

Regarding the topic of this thread it might be an argument to keep the beach walkers where they are just to keep "holier than thou" people like sahrasbloke away from Pattaya (I suspect he is not allowed to come here by his wife/GF and resents us who can )

[sarahsbloke]

I never said round up prostitutes. I am talking about BEACH ROAD. I am actually in favor of prostitution; it should be legal but public solicitation by such numbers in the most important geographical feature of an emerging great beach city is another matter. They make it impossible for people not interested in hiring them to have an enjoyable time on the beach promenade. Certainly, they have made it OFF LIMITS to families. That is simply wrong, their rights end when they mess up the rights of OTHERS. I agree there are social issues with what those current sex workers will do if they are cleared. Has it occurred to anyone there is a MASSIVE OVERSUPPLY of prostitutes anyway in Pattaya?

Quite a strange idea, Pattaya has never been a family resort (and if it were I'm sure gays wouldn't be welcome either), you would have to be a complete moron to try and go on a family holiday in Pattaya. Why not just keep all the other beach resorts as family places and allow Pattaya to remain a perverts paradise? At least everyone knows what to expect in Pattaya!

How would you like to face a campaign 'Ban poofs from beach road' Pattaya is a family resort!

(No offence intended to anyone to anyone with minority sexual preferences, just trying to demonstrate how freedoms can quickly be eroded)

Edited September 24, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[BaronCasey]

If a guy who didn’t eat bananas said bananas should be banned would you take him seriously?

Although you asked some qualifying information you missed the big qualifier.

Do you use beach road hookers?

As much as it is interesting information you have not approached the real topic.

The cops make money from the girls. The pimps make money from the girls. The stores make money from the girls. What about them?

The customers use the girls. What about them?

I think religion should be banned. I think all told it is the biggest harm in the world. I can make a case from before the crusades. But then again I don’t use religion. So I am not a good person to ask.

It would be as dumb asking me about religion as Geriatricked about prostitutes. Or Jingthing if he gets excited about the female body.

If I remember correctly Jingthing is revolted by women’s bodies. I don’t think he is a good person to listen to about women.

You remember INCORRECTLY. I did start a poll about the opinion of a famous writer. Read better, please.

In any case, my feeling would not be different even if it was mostly male prostitutes. I would STILL want to be able to hang out on the water without being constantly solicited.

Anyway, this isn't about stamping out prostitution. This is about making the beach promenade walk a PLEASANT thing for all kinds of people. This is a beach resort city, for Satan's sake, which is attracting ALL kinds of people now, and that is a good thing. A stroll on the beach promenade is a great feature for urban beach resorts throughout the world, but I daresay Pattaya has got the most whores on the beach. Would you take your family with children there the second time after you saw all those whores? Go go bars/beer bars/freelancer bars are an entirely different thing, you can go in there or not. You can walk down Soi 6, or not, but if you go to a beach resort city and can't take a beach promenade walk, you do indeed give credible ammunition to those with PDS (Pattaya Derangement Syndrome).

Sorry Jingthing. I would have gone back and checked but I am boycotting the gay forum without you posting there.

Oh... Jingthing - why don't you go and have your evening strolls along the beach in Jontien, instead of moaning about hetrosexual prostitution on Beach Rd. In Jontien there's plenty of families, and hundreds of gay men cottaging on the sand that you can wink at - there's nothing more irritating than a moaning old queen...!

[sarahsbloke]

Regarding the topic of this thread it might be an argument to keep the beach walkers where they are just to keep "holier than thou" people like sahrasbloke away from Pattaya (I suspect he is not allowed to come here by his wife/GF and resents us who can )

I have no idea, why you think I have a 'holier than thou' attitude?

More of a 'class' thing than a problem with P4P girls.

[Rumcabal]

For the next poll, you can ask if we would like to get the fat old farangs, without shirts on, off the beach road.

Haha yes now thats a true eyesore thats worth cleaning up

[raro]

speaking of cleaning up...the night shift was at peak performance again. I deleted two flames that were reported and couldn't be bothered reading through your bickering in detail.

Keep it civil in here or you'll get rounded up, shot, put on an island and sunk....or something like that.

[barryofthailand]

like it or not, i fully agree with those posters who advise you "pack your freaking belongings and leave!"

I am not seeking your advice on my place of residence.

BTW, foreign residents here are EXPATS, not guests. Look up the definition of guests for confirmation. It doesn't apply to expats.

Next ...

Jing,

Doesn't matter what the definition of a guest is. All foreign residents and tourists are guests of the Thai Government when your visa was issued.

If you have permanent resident status, then you are a permanent resident not a guest. All other type of visas issued by the Thai Immigration classifies you as a guest. Even a retirement Visa allows you only temporary stay.

Barry

[contemplating]

Hello all, and especially to Jing. I kinda understand what your getting at, BUT, even though the beach and beach road should be the "Jewel in the Crown", it is a piece of shit, with or without the girls. A "destination" resort should be more than one beach road. Sure, I wouldnt take my family for a walk there at night, but then I wouldnt take my family for a walk during the day either. What would they see, vendors, a sea of umbrellas, and if they could actually see the beach, they would see a garbage dump that even Manila would envy. You said that its impossible to walk there, have you seen any other street in Pattaya that you could walk on with your family? Every space is filled with junk to sell, and the sellers are the ones that really bother you. If I want a shirt, I will ask, I dont need a special price for a piece of s...! Every sidewalk is so full, that you cannot walk side by side, so how do you plan on walking with your family, in a line with the kiddies getting stopped by the vendors? There is no room to walk in Pattaya, and that is a fact. Besides the girls, the design of the beach walk was all wrong. The architect may have had some artistic ideas, but its impossible to navigate the trees and narrowing of the walk, for no reason at all.

What would you actually do with the girls? Where would you move them to? Off to some dark soi? For one reason, they are there because the potential customers are there. Another reason, is that they probably feel safer together, and in a relative open space. I agree, there are ä-way too many but that is a sign of this sick economy, there is just no work for them. Maybe can do like Pol Pot, and send them to the rice paddies would be an answer. But if you send them away, please send a few vendors with them, and anyone trying to shake your hand on the street.

I have posted several times about the shit on the beach, so maybe the subject is getting a bit old, but im sure there are many that think the same way. If the beach is the "jewel in the crown", then please someone take the garbage off the crown so we can see it. I can accept unimpaired steets, garbage and even the motor bikes, but a sea full of garbage is not what people come to a "destination" resort for. Although I have heard that somewhere in Manila, you can get a tour to the famous dump there. That might be a new idea for Pattaya, and can build a monirail, so everyone could get a better view of the crap that floats up on the beach.

[mark45y]

Given the choice of A. a moaning old queen. B. wood elephant seller. C. German refugee from October fest in a speedo. D. Beach road babe. I think I’ll take D.

Personally I switched from Beach Road to Uni girls making tuition on the weekends years ago. I only do this out of a desire to increase educational opportunities for the underprivileged in Thailand and not out of any sense of impure behavior.

Although the Beach road area would be classed up a lot if the Uni girls worked there apparently they don’t feel safe doing so.

[chops]

you know, some guys don't have the money to pay barfines. where are they supposed to find women of the night? 300 baht is not pocket change when you are on 30k a month.

[mrtoad]

If you don't like it, go home

Typical! Did you rack your brain to come up with that one?

Better still, why don't you whining pansies just mind your business,and stop slagging Pattaya? If any other group,or area was criticized to the extent that you myopic simpletons habitually practice, then there would be a surge of whining to the mods. Furthermore, you cretins are making Thai Visa a laughing stock. Also, this kind of constant flaming is not tolerated on any other forums--even the ones of "Ill repute", so go join a knitting circle, and stay out of the adult's conversations.

Better still, engage brain before you write something - you might of realised that my reply was how can we put it to a simpleton? "Tongue in cheek". You may need to go and Google that, as you may have difficulty understanding idioms.

[prakhonchai nick]

you know, some guys don't have the money to pay barfines. where are they supposed to find women of the night? 300 baht is not pocket change when you are on 30k a month.

It costs them an arm and a leg just for a drink, even before considering a barfine!

[mrtoad]

Blackpool, Weston-Super-Mare and Rhyl all have pleasant promenade walks I believe at this time of year.

[soundman]

Interesting poll result to date.

29 for removal to 43 against with the percentages from different demographics rather similar.

So the majority are saying "Don't fix what ain't broke?"

[Thailaw]

JTbeing gay and probably not having children can be forgiven for not knowing that it is not the girls that keep families with children off of the beach side of Beach Road at night. After dinner, families with kids would not frequent a dimly lit stretch of sidewalk in the dark with children. The beach cannot be seen (its too dark) and kids have nothing to do. They head for the shopping malls or arcades or other places that kids can get an ice cream or play with a toy. Beach Road after dark is not an option with kids with or without the ladies. In the daytime, when the beach can be seen and the view (as bad as it is, with all of the plastic bottles and black plactic bags and other trash) enjoyed, there are families with kids in large numbers (mostly on the beach and not on the sidewalk, as you would expect from kids). And, for the most part, the women cause no problem for families or anyone walking on the beach side. It is not that any of us "love" Beach Road and the girls that frequent it. We tolerate it, and accept that it is part of Pattaya and a price for freedom of choice, which Pattaya gives all of us. It is not made better ot worse by the number of women (or male farang or food vendors) sitting there. I have never seen a scarlet "P" on the shirts of any women sitting on Beach Road and I wonder how tourists (and their children) identify all of the women sitting there as prostitutes (I guess if they assume, like you, that evey Thai woman is a whore then the math is easy). I am not gay (and don't love or hate gays), but if I had to guess the thing that most arabs (and perhaps Indians) find most disturbing about Pattaya and having their children see is the open affection between older farang men and their younger gay male lovers/boyfriends. If you want to clean it up, clean it all up and make it a haven for the most religiously conservative segments of socitey. I personally would much rather the police devote their time and attention to enforcing the traffic laws and protecting those of us that drive from the loons in cars and on motorbikes, like the guy that killed several people in the baht bus at Dolphin circle last week, rather that putting priority on "victimless" crimes in Pattaya. If you find these parts of Pattaya objectionable, Hua Hin provides a similar oceanside resort atmosphere without the more seedy side that you and your fellow Pattaya bashers seem to dislike -- why not try that? Intolerance runs deeper that I thought among TV forum readers, especially from some of those that want and expect tolerance for their own personal behavior and choices. I'm looking for a sinkable island, but not for the ladies...................

[PattayaParent]

I voted no because if they're moved they'll just go somewhere else.

[aussiechick]

I really not impressed that the whole beach side has prostitutes sitting there all afternoon, taking up every available seating area. It has gotten worse over the years

After dark, OK I am really not going to stroll down the promenade.

I want to sit down and watch the world go by while having a cool drink and I cant 1). I feel uncomfortable 2). beacause I have had a male approach me on 2 separate occassions because they make the assumption I am there for one purpose only. Believe you me I was amazed as I am certainly no spring chicken!!

Get the girls of the beach in the daytime and the cheap charlie guys will go too!

BTW - I would take a gamble and say if it was gays (male and/or female) there would be an uproar by certain members of TV

[NanLaew]

Interesting poll result to date.

29 for removal to 43 against with the percentages from different demographics rather similar.

So the majority are saying "Don't fix what ain't broke?"

Yes, but just you wait till the OP gets all these Iranian families signed up on TV, posting and voting. Only THEN you'll see the real truth!!!

[BB1950]

the premier boulevard of an ocean side resort should not be the MAIN red light district of a city. Thats all. Farang or not, it is an embarrasment. It also kills tourism industry slowly but surely, but what do we, farangs know..

oh, and Thais surely celebrate the transformation of Beach Rd to a main prostitution zone, btw. /end sarcasm/

I don't quite agree. I've seen many foreigners bring their families here to gawk at what goes on. Almost like an attraction. It kind of reminds me of the early days of Las Vegas.

So did you come to Pattaya just to be sarcastic? I think not.

[BWPattaya]

Patrick,

the only reason I post and have an opinion is because Pattaya IS a place for me. I LOVE Pattaya!

You happen to love Beach Rd the way it is. And I say, good for you! I happen to avoid it. But I miss the days when I was able to sit down at the board walk and have a smoke, that's all.

But PLEASE, do not suggest Pattaya isn't for me! This sounds so much like "If you don't like it here, why won't you go home then!" and that is the lowest form of argument. We discuss stuff here cos we live here, we live here cos this is our home.

Peace!

Leave the girls there, they don't offend me and never harass me. I would find your smoking much more nauseous.

[Jingthing]

There is a predictable amount of virulent homophobia in the responses here. Shame on you, haters, shame on you. There are so many it's not even worth taking them on, one by one. It's like you are saying a gay man doesn't have the right to have an opinion about the general quality of life in the city they live in because they aren't straight and don't see the value add of thousands of street hookers. For those gays who think we live among accepting people, think again. As far as strolling at night, again look at Puerto Vallarta. Add LIGHTING. Add publicly funded nightly MUSICAL and CULTURAL events and the non-prostitution crowds will flow in, all kinds of people, and they will love it. I love this area, but it could be so much better, if the small minded things can NEVER change folks would give it a chance.

I think the issue of where the street walkers go is valid. But that isn't the question. The question is do you want the beach road promenade liberated from the occupation of thousands of street hookers, or not? To repeat, I am PRO WHORE, just not as an occupying force on the beach promenade which should be a PUBLIC resource for ALL the public here.

Long live naughtiness in Pattaya! But add the OTHER elements of a great city, and then we can really have a great city here.

Edited September 24, 2010 by Jingthing

[Ulysses G.]

The question is do you want the beach road promenade liberated from the occupation of thousands of street hookers.

The answer seems to be an obvious NO.

[aussiechick]

The question is do you want the beach road promenade liberated from the occupation of thousands of street hookers.

The answer seems to be an obvious NO.

I think most people are assuming night time - get them off in the daytime is all I ask (and I am not the only one)