Police Shakedown On Loi Kroh Rd

[WinnieTheKhwai]

What extraordinary, self-serving, sad drivel!

"I only hang out with prostitutes to enhance the economic development of the Isaan region" is one line.

"It's all so enlightening" says another.

You two sound almost "holier then thou" in your quest to improve the world and yourselves, conveniently overlooking the fact that prostitution does little to enhance people's lives and much to destroy them. Try moving on from the "Pretty Woman" Hollywood take on prostitution. Sadly it's not a victimless activity and unfortunately the real victim is seldom the punter who can only buy attention and affection.

And before you launch into "religious, do-gooder" attack mode, I certainly qualify for neither, I just have a low tolerance threshold for smug exploitation.

CM was great 15 years ago because it "provided prostitutes rather than pandas". The simple reason that CM has lost it tourist mojo is that 15/20 years ago the only easy way to experience SE Asia was in Thailand. Now that the rest of the region is open for business CM cannot compete and is rapidly becoming a backwater with few unique reasons to visit it.

Agree in full with the last paragraph. Indeed Chiang Mai was never party-central within Thailand. There are so many more bars today than there were 15-20 years ago. LK had like two bars at the time.

As for the rest, I can't really relate to that, but you do sound agitated. I'm also not sure that anyone talked about it being a victimless activity, or about it helping Isan or any other region. You seem determined to put words in peoples mouths; can't have a discussion that way.

[folium]

What extraordinary, self-serving, sad drivel!

"I only hang out with prostitutes to enhance the economic development of the Isaan region" is one line.

"It's all so enlightening" says another.

You two sound almost "holier then thou" in your quest to improve the world and yourselves, conveniently overlooking the fact that prostitution does little to enhance people's lives and much to destroy them. Try moving on from the "Pretty Woman" Hollywood take on prostitution. Sadly it's not a victimless activity and unfortunately the real victim is seldom the punter who can only buy attention and affection.

And before you launch into "religious, do-gooder" attack mode, I certainly qualify for neither, I just have a low tolerance threshold for smug exploitation.

CM was great 15 years ago because it "provided prostitutes rather than pandas". The simple reason that CM has lost it tourist mojo is that 15/20 years ago the only easy way to experience SE Asia was in Thailand. Now that the rest of the region is open for business CM cannot compete and is rapidly becoming a backwater with few unique reasons to visit it.

Agree in full with the last paragraph. Indeed Chiang Mai was never party-central within Thailand. There are so many more bars today than there were 15-20 years ago. LK had like two bars at the time.

As for the rest, I can't really relate to that, but you do sound agitated. I'm also not sure that anyone talked about it being a victimless activity, or about it helping Isan or any other region. You seem determined to put words in peoples mouths; can't have a discussion that way.

Very un-agitated actually, and in terms of "being unable to relate to my comments", it was your good self who wrote about how enlightening the LK experience was (see your earlier post), and if you would like to read PlanetX's post at 1627 you will notice the development aspect of prostitution being advocated.

Looks like I don't need to put words in anyone's mouths, just reading their posts does the trick.

Edited November 6, 2011 by folium

[WinnieTheKhwai]

What extraordinary, self-serving, sad drivel!

"I only hang out with prostitutes to enhance the economic development of the Isaan region" is one line.

"It's all so enlightening" says another.

You two sound almost "holier then thou" in your quest to improve the world and yourselves, conveniently overlooking the fact that prostitution does little to enhance people's lives and much to destroy them. Try moving on from the "Pretty Woman" Hollywood take on prostitution. Sadly it's not a victimless activity and unfortunately the real victim is seldom the punter who can only buy attention and affection.

And before you launch into "religious, do-gooder" attack mode, I certainly qualify for neither, I just have a low tolerance threshold for smug exploitation.

CM was great 15 years ago because it "provided prostitutes rather than pandas". The simple reason that CM has lost it tourist mojo is that 15/20 years ago the only easy way to experience SE Asia was in Thailand. Now that the rest of the region is open for business CM cannot compete and is rapidly becoming a backwater with few unique reasons to visit it.

Agree in full with the last paragraph. Indeed Chiang Mai was never party-central within Thailand. There are so many more bars today than there were 15-20 years ago. LK had like two bars at the time.

As for the rest, I can't really relate to that, but you do sound agitated. I'm also not sure that anyone talked about it being a victimless activity, or about it helping Isan or any other region. You seem determined to put words in peoples mouths; can't have a discussion that way.

Very un-agitated, and you wrote about how enlightening the LK experience was, and if you would like to read PlanetX's post at 1627 you will notice the development aspect of prostitution being advocated.

Looks like I don't need to put words in anyone's mouths, just reading their posts does the trick.

Ah yes; well I don't agree with that economic development line either. I wouldn't advocate it as any kind of sustainable way to develop a region or class of people. As for victims, most are probably victims in one way or another before turning to prostitution. Mostly related to lack of money and opportunity. Prostitution may or may not help to provide those, but it's clearly not for everyone. I didn't do statistical research but it seems at least 50% of those who try working the bars decide it's not for them, and move on to other things real soon.

Anyway, this may distract a bit from the topic at hand. Seeing that the place that got hassled the most was a French restaurant, and that the crackdown applies just as much to a couple backpacker bars only playing wholesome Bob Marley tunes, clearly this didn't happen out of concern for a couple sex workers on LK. More likely goals from last Friday would be police leadership's next Benz, or impressing Bangkok based elements.

Edited November 6, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[folium]

Anyway back to "window dressing" operations in LK road.

Would it have anything to do with the fact that there have been a couple of what looked like S-92s flitting about, plus the Comrade Mugabe style convoys racing around town (priceless commentary from my 9 year old, " hey dad, I've never seen a Thai police car going somewhere in a hurry" and "who needs 3 ambulances following behind them?").

So who are the BIB trying to impress?

Perhaps they are here to see the pandas (is there more than one?), or maybe they just seek enlightenment WTK-style

[jackr]

CM was great 15 years ago because it "provided prostitutes rather than pandas". The simple reason that CM has lost it's tourist mojo is that 15/20 years ago the only easy way to experience SE Asia was in Thailand. Now that the rest of the region is open for business CM cannot compete and is rapidly becoming a backwater with few unique reasons to visit it.

What tosh, though you had me for a minute on your mawkish-like rant on prostitution.

I don't see CM has lost any spark and it retains many unique reasons to visit. In fact, it's probably better than it's ever been, save the burgeoning, whining expat populace. It still has a moat and old town, the mountains are still around, the hilltribes folk are still there, and it's still a million miles from Bangkok. A backwater it is not, nor ever will be. Do youself a favour and leave off the Chang.

Edited November 6, 2011 by jackr

[folium]

Wildly off-topic, but let's have the " What have the Romans ever done for us challenge?" CM-style.

My contention remains, CM, great base and place to live, but seriously 2nd/3rd rate tourist destination.

So, apart from the delights of LK road (with or without the riot police), please name a tourist attraction unique to CM that cannot be found and/or done better elsewhere in SE Asia.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

My contention remains, CM, great base and place to live, but seriously 2nd/3rd rate tourist destination.

So, apart from the delights of LK road (with or without the riot police), please name a tourist attraction unique to CM that cannot be found and/or done better elsewhere in SE Asia.

Songkran.

And Loi Krathong. And other, smaller festivals and fairs. But I'll grant you that the attraction is more in the overall combination of attractions, history and overall easy going vibe than that there is something that completely stands out as a must-visit attraction. It goes something like this:

- There's historical sites but it's not Angkhor Wat

- There are mountains but it's not Nepal

- There are forests and trekking but it's not Borneo

- There are hilltribes but it's not Burma/Lao/China

- There's bars but it's not Pattaya

- There's shopping but it's not Hong Kong

- There's a traveller/backpacker scene but it's not Goa. Or Ko Pha Ngan even.

However, as a mix it's got all those things in a very friendly, easy going package. I'll admit that this is a harder sell than having the Giza pyramid next to town.

Edited November 6, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[expatmakmak]

It is not only Loi Kroh and Spicy, Reggae et al that is under pressure. The Night Bizarre is also under significant strain at the moment. If you have knowledge of the local area, and it's property owners, you might be able to join the dots and come up with a name. A post on the second page of this thread alluded to some of the motivation behind these actions.

Talk to me

[Beetlejuice]

Wildly off-topic, but let's have the " What have the Romans ever done for us challenge?" CM-style.

My contention remains, CM, great base and place to live, but seriously 2nd/3rd rate tourist destination.

So, apart from the delights of LK road (with or without the riot police), please name a tourist attraction unique to CM that cannot be found and/or done better elsewhere in SE Asia.

I love competitions. Are there any prizes for the correct answers?

As Winnie has so answered your inquiries with precision, there are themes and attractions that are unique to Chiang Mai. Besides that, there are the Temples, the wonderful Chiang Mai people and the culture. All depends what one expects of a holiday destination and enjoys. Everyone has choices.

For some reasons you seem disgruntled with Chiang Mai and I cannot understand why?

Have you tried in the past to establish yourself here and failed? Or perhaps been let down by a girl in Chiang Mai? There are usually some personal reasons involved when these sorts of attitudes are displayed.

[nikster]

Nowhere beats CM in the "really excellent food for very little money" department. Nowhere I've been or know of in any case.

The Sunday market?!

Loved the city when I first set foot here 9 years ago. It's just pretty unique with the old city and the moat, and many things accessible on foot. Chiang Mai authorities are frankly idiots that they don't exploit the hell out of that. Build proper sidewalks for example. Then again, I guess that aspect is more attractive for westerners than asian / Thai tourists.

[folium]

Wildly off-topic, but let's have the " What have the Romans ever done for us challenge?" CM-style.

My contention remains, CM, great base and place to live, but seriously 2nd/3rd rate tourist destination.

So, apart from the delights of LK road (with or without the riot police), please name a tourist attraction unique to CM that cannot be found and/or done better elsewhere in SE Asia.

I love competitions. Are there any prizes for the correct answers?

As Winnie has so answered your inquiries with precision, there are themes and attractions that are unique to Chiang Mai. Besides that, there are the Temples, the wonderful Chiang Mai people and the culture. All depends what one expects of a holiday destination and enjoys. Everyone has choices.

For some reasons you seem disgruntled with Chiang Mai and I cannot understand why?

Have you tried in the past to establish yourself here and failed? Or perhaps been let down by a girl in Chiang Mai? There are usually some personal reasons involved when these sorts of attitudes are displayed.

Thanks for the concern.

As stated in my previous post, CM is a great place to be based and to live, it's just not a must-visit tourist destination anymore, as it was when I first arrived in the early 1980's.

You yourself Beetlejuice, highlighted a decline in CM's attractiveness in your earlier post, though you put it down to the fact that CM had traded in prostitutes for pandas and this wasn't to your taste. Is that the cause of your disgruntlement perhaps?

[drnkurmlkshk]

I just have a low tolerance threshold for smug exploitation.

Folium

These girls are being "exploited" in the same way that any other low skilled worker is. Is it not also exploitation when a person buys Som Tam for 25 baht? Or what about when someone shops at a 7-11 in Thailand. Think about the person behind the counter, the guy delivering the product or the people working in the factory who made the goods. None of these people are making a great living at all.

All of that said you're right that the guy who wrote that punters buy sex for the reason of supporting strangers in Issan is not telling the truth. Nobody is really buying services to help the other person - in most cases. We don't pay our maids 100 baht an hour to support their families. We hire her to clean our place. And she is doing it because it is a better option than anything else she can find. People act on their own self serving motivations for the most part and there is nothing wrong with that.

[Mestizo]

My contention remains, CM, great base and place to live, but seriously 2nd/3rd rate tourist destination.

So, apart from the delights of LK road (with or without the riot police), please name a tourist attraction unique to CM that cannot be found and/or done better elsewhere in SE Asia.

Songkran.

And Loi Krathong. And other, smaller festivals and fairs. But I'll grant you that the attraction is more in the overall combination of attractions, history and overall easy going vibe than that there is something that completely stands out as a must-visit attraction. It goes something like this:

- There's historical sites but it's not Angkhor Wat

- There are mountains but it's not Nepal

- There are forests and trekking but it's not Borneo

- There are hilltribes but it's not Burma/Lao/China

- There's bars but it's not Pattaya

- There's shopping but it's not Hong Kong

- There's a traveller/backpacker scene but it's not Goa. Or Ko Pha Ngan even.

However, as a mix it's got all those things in a very friendly, easy going package. I'll admit that this is a harder sell than having the Giza pyramid next to town.

- There are burgers but its not Fuddruckers

- There are Pizzas but its not Papa Johns

- There's also Thai food, but its not Thailand.... oh no, wait!

[heybruce]

I could see why this might motivate the police to crack down on underage drinking.

Is there much under age drinking on Loi Kroh?

I suppose some girls in the shadows could be, but most seem to be in their mid 30's and up.

Unless it's the farang schoolboys they are after.

I don't know about Loi Kroh, but in the Zoe in the Yellow/Heaven Beach/Reggae bar area there are definitely high school kids getting drunk, the occasional fight, idiot tourists lighting up joints, and other activities inviting a crackdown.

There may be one or more big-shots in town providing cover for the crackdown, but I talked to a bar manager tonight who stated that it's mostly motivated by sour grapes from the police because they can't keep Spice open past midnight. It seems the neighbors have complained, and who can blame them?

Edited November 6, 2011 by heybruce

[folium]

I just have a low tolerance threshold for smug exploitation.

Folium

These girls are being "exploited" in the same way that any other low skilled worker is. Is it not also exploitation when a person buys Som Tam for 25 baht? Or what about when someone shops at a 7-11 in Thailand. Think about the person behind the counter, the guy delivering the product or the people working in the factory who made the goods. None of these people are making a great living at all.

All of that said you're right that the guy who wrote that punters buy sex for the reason of supporting strangers in Issan is not telling the truth. Nobody is really buying services to help the other person - in most cases. We don't pay our maids 100 baht an hour to support their families. We hire her to clean our place. And she is doing it because it is a better option than anything else she can find. People act on their own self serving motivations for the most part and there is nothing wrong with that.

Totally agree. Exploitation comes in many forms, some more heinous than others.

The compounding element is deriving some form of satisfaction (and thus denying the underlying issue) from such exploitation. Hence my comments about economic development via prostitution and self-enlightenment at the expense of others, both classic forms of smug exploitation.

[folium]

I wonder if this all coincides with a private jet coming and going into CM for the last few days?

Private jets heading into CNX are just hisos gapping it out of Bangkok in case the tassels on their Gucci loafers get a trifle moist.

What is far more interesting is who has the clout to get a pair of brand new S-92s to play with, and gets to ride around town in 12 vehicle convoys while the BIB hassle punters along the recreational hub of LK road.

Who has their proverbial ear to the ground?

[zorro1]

Wildly off-topic, but let's have the " What have the Romans ever done for us challenge?" CM-style.

My contention remains, CM, great base and place to live, but seriously 2nd/3rd rate tourist destination.

So, apart from the delights of LK road (with or without the riot police), please name a tourist attraction unique to CM that cannot be found and/or done better elsewhere in SE Asia.

have to agree with that. I had to visit CM twice because I was convinced I missed something the first time

Most people living there appear very happy but you rarely speak to tourists saying cant wait to hit Thailand and CM

Edited November 6, 2011 by zorro1

[Ulysses G.]

CM was great 15 years ago because it "provided prostitutes rather than pandas". The simple reason that CM has lost it's tourist mojo is that 15/20 years ago the only easy way to experience SE Asia was in Thailand. Now that the rest of the region is open for business CM cannot compete and is rapidly becoming a backwater with few unique reasons to visit it.

What tosh, though you had me for a minute on your mawkish-like rant on prostitution.

I don't see CM has lost any spark and it retains many unique reasons to visit. In fact, it's probably better than it's ever been, save the burgeoning, whining expat populace. It still has a moat and old town, the mountains are still around, the hilltribes folk are still there, and it's still a million miles from Bangkok. A backwater it is not, nor ever will be. Do youself a favour and leave off the Chang.

I have been meeting tourists that say Chiang Mai is the only place worth visiting in Thailand ever since I arrived on these shores, so there is something that many people like. Personally, I also enjoy the beaches and Bangkok's nightlife, but there are large numbers of tourists who to CM every year and stay for months at a time without traveling anywhere else and keep coming back.

[chiang mai]

CM was great 15 years ago because it "provided prostitutes rather than pandas". The simple reason that CM has lost it's tourist mojo is that 15/20 years ago the only easy way to experience SE Asia was in Thailand. Now that the rest of the region is open for business CM cannot compete and is rapidly becoming a backwater with few unique reasons to visit it.

Rubbish and wholly incorrect.

[Pillion]

re .. complaints had been received about late night noise at the new location of Spicy on Chiang Moi Rd

ahhhh... so thats what these posters put up in chiang moi road were about

now know !

dave2

ps .. pics taken on 26 oct.

At least the English is better on Loy Kroh!

[chiang mai]

CM was great 15 years ago because it "provided prostitutes rather than pandas". The simple reason that CM has lost it's tourist mojo is that 15/20 years ago the only easy way to experience SE Asia was in Thailand. Now that the rest of the region is open for business CM cannot compete and is rapidly becoming a backwater with few unique reasons to visit it.

Rubbish and wholly incorrect.

Personally I'm deliriously happy that folks think that CM is quite, tame, boring mojoless or whatever, stay away with my blessing, please.

[Ulysses G.]

The simple reason that CM has lost it's tourist mojo is that 15/20 years ago the only easy way to experience SE Asia was in Thailand.

Huh? That is news to me.

I was having a great time traveling in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore back then. Burma was the only county in SE Asia that was a problem and I'm pretty sure that you could join a tour if you did not want to miss it. I loved Thailand back in the old days, but prefer it now with many of the comforts of back home.

[elektrified]

What extraordinary, self-serving, sad drivel!

"I only hang out with prostitutes to enhance the economic development of the Isaan region" is one line.

"It's all so enlightening" says another.

You two sound almost "holier then thou" in your quest to improve the world and yourselves, conveniently overlooking the fact that prostitution does little to enhance people's lives and much to destroy them. Try moving on from the "Pretty Woman" Hollywood take on prostitution. Sadly it's not a victimless activity and unfortunately the real victim is seldom the punter who can only buy attention and affection.

And before you launch into "religious, do-gooder" attack mode, I certainly qualify for neither, I just have a low tolerance threshold for smug exploitation.

CM was great 15 years ago because it "provided prostitutes rather than pandas". The simple reason that CM has lost it tourist mojo is that 15/20 years ago the only easy way to experience SE Asia was in Thailand. Now that the rest of the region is open for business CM cannot compete and is rapidly becoming a backwater with few unique reasons to visit it.

Agree in full with the last paragraph. Indeed Chiang Mai was never party-central within Thailand. There are so many more bars today than there were 15-20 years ago. LK had like two bars at the time.

As for the rest, I can't really relate to that, but you do sound agitated. I'm also not sure that anyone talked about it being a victimless activity, or about it helping Isan or any other region. You seem determined to put words in peoples mouths; can't have a discussion that way.

Indeed he is putting words in people's mouths by misquoting them and going as far as to use quotation marks to make it sound even more dramatic. I believe misquoting people intentionally like that is forbidden on the forum.

[Gonsalviz]

Nothing wrong with the bar scene in my opinion and would like to see some expansion, new bars, new restaurants, a new vigour of life into the town.

Whether the so called squeaky clean and holier than thou like it or not, these establishments bring in revenue and attract more tourists, even if they are the types of tourists the toffee nosed and good clean decent folk hate.

There seems to be a few self-rightous hypocrites that want to turn Thailand into a dry county in Alabama. Having fun is part of the Thai culture and long may it reign.

+1

[Paagai]

Seems some people on this forum have short memories:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/448517-bar-inspections-this-week

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/448507-police-in-loi-kroh-last-night

By my reckoning the six monthly crackdown is a couple of months overdue

The great thing about living in Thailand is that the dysfunctionality is entirely predictable! There's always a high visibility crackdown and cleanup before high-season and particularly just before Loy Khratong and Songkran (top up time for the BIB party fund ). A squad comes up from Bangkok every now and then to impress the NGOs and show the locals who's boss. There's another show of force whenever a new police chief gets appointed and strictly enforced midnight closing when certain people are in town (which I heard was the case this time). Seems like business as usual to me

Isn't it about this time of year that the plan to move all party bars and entertainment venues out to Chiang Mai Land, or some other forgotten place beyond the superhighway, is taken off the shelf and dusted down for another airing? We wouldn't want to scare the tourists would we?

Then there's the on-going rivalry between some of the big venue owners trying to get one over on the competition. Who's currently shut down, Fabrique or Discovery? Probably Mandagay's turn next seeing the old competitor just re-opened. The merry-go-round keeps on spining, maybe with a little Spice this time

[bristolgeoff]

for as long as can remember spicy was always a problem but every now and then it would close then re open.many bars in LK if closed will give the thai landlords no money and then they complain to the police why u do this.i hope it settles down for the high season coming.the never ending job of the police to get their tea money goes on.are they doing more helmet checks as well now

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Totally agree. Exploitation comes in many forms, some more heinous than others.

The compounding element is deriving some form of satisfaction (and thus denying the underlying issue) from such exploitation. Hence my comments about economic development via prostitution and self-enlightenment at the expense of others, both classic forms of smug exploitation.

'satisfaction' seems a strange indicator to determine if a business relationship is exploitive in nature. I get satisfaction from having a pizza delivered by a dude on a motorbike even though I know it's a very dangerous job. I get satisfaction from having some home improvement / grinding work done even though it's super dusty and clearly hazardous to the person's health. I get satisfaction from getting a massage even though I know the therapist gets only a couple baht for it. I get satisfaction from a nice leather wallet stitched together in an Indian sweat shop. And I get satisfaction from chatting with a bargirl and buying her some drinks, but only this activity is smug exploitation and the others aren't?

Edited November 7, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[folium]

Totally agree. Exploitation comes in many forms, some more heinous than others.

The compounding element is deriving some form of satisfaction (and thus denying the underlying issue) from such exploitation. Hence my comments about economic development via prostitution and self-enlightenment at the expense of others, both classic forms of smug exploitation.

'satisfaction' seems a strange indicator to determine if a business relationship is exploitive in nature. I get satisfaction from having a pizza delivered by a dude on a motorbike even though I know it's a very dangerous job. I get satisfaction from having some home improvement / grinding work done even though it's super dusty and clearly hazardous to the person's health. I get satisfaction from getting a massage even though I know the therapist gets only a couple baht for it. I get satisfaction from a nice leather wallet stitched together in an Indian sweat shop. And I get satisfaction from chatting with a bargirl and buying her some drinks, but only this activity is smug exploitation and the others aren't?

Interesting that you highlight the downside of each of the exploitative scenarios you mention (health hazards of construction, poor rates of pay, sweat shop labour etc), but with prostitution there is no highlighted downside.

The smugness element can be applied to any of these scenarios if downside is minimized or ignored and perceived benefits magnified, as this enables one to be self-righteously complacent.

Prostitution is part of the fabric of most societies but at the end of the day remains probably one of the most exploitative activities around. If hanging out with prostitutes is your bag, that's your business. It's capitalism 101, supply and demand for an agreed price, but it is still an industry that brings few people many long term favours, and needs to be recognized as such (if only on reflection).

[ludditeman]

Prostitution is part of the fabric of most societies but at the end of the day remains probably one of the most exploitative activities around. If hanging out with prostitutes is your bag, that's your business. It's capitalism 101, supply and demand for an agreed price, but it is still an industry that brings few people many long term favours, and needs to be recognized as such (if only on reflection).

How strange that I never noticed it in the UK, yet here every other girl I meet is in the trade.

I would have thought getting something for free was more exploitative than paying for it.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

'satisfaction' seems a strange indicator to determine if a business relationship is exploitive in nature. I get satisfaction from having a pizza delivered by a dude on a motorbike even though I know it's a very dangerous job. I get satisfaction from having some home improvement / grinding work done even though it's super dusty and clearly hazardous to the person's health. I get satisfaction from getting a massage even though I know the therapist gets only a couple baht for it. I get satisfaction from a nice leather wallet stitched together in an Indian sweat shop. And I get satisfaction from chatting with a bargirl and buying her some drinks, but only this activity is smug exploitation and the others aren't?

Interesting that you highlight the downside of each of the exploitative scenarios you mention (health hazards of construction, poor rates of pay, sweat shop labour etc), but with prostitution there is no highlighted downside.

Who said there's no downside? That I'm comparing at all should at least indicate that it is a potentially hazardous profession, along with the other ones mentioned. You're the one singling it out as being exploitive, but I'm trying to understand what exactly makes this particular one exploitive and the others not.

Prostitution is part of the fabric of most societies but at the end of the day remains probably one of the most exploitative activities around.

Because?

And even if it is, or can be, then is cracking down on providers the best way to approach the issue?

If hanging out with prostitutes is your bag, that's your business. It's capitalism 101, supply and demand for an agreed price, but it is still an industry that brings few people many long term favours, and needs to be recognized as such (if only on reflection).

Yes, I agree with all of that.

When going out I don't really dwell on who is or isn't a prostitute; too many gray areas. I'd go crazy trying to label every person I meet in this country's nightlife; it's not an exact science.

Edited November 7, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai