Will You Still Visit Thailand.......

[BKK90210]

“Will you still visit Thailand if it’s without naughty nightlife?”

Thailand has many kinds of nice places for you to visit and many things to learn on culture and its people. Thai people, who are not in the tourism field, are still nice and worth meeting.

Many Thais think - it is now time for the government to change Thailand's image as a sexual paradise. We should promote tourism in more appropriate ways - to attract more and better quality tourists…..not quantity of tourists.

Many thais also feel that many places in Thailand have changed since tourism has been promoted. It doesn’t mean that it is not good to promote it, but it must be done in the correct way otherwise tourism will be a weapon that will destroy those places.

Deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said:

'The government wants to change Thailand's image. We’re trying to attract a better class of tourist not the certain type of tourists. We’re trying to promote tourism here on the basis of beaches, sunshine, history and culture more than entertainments. Tourism here in Thailand does need to be regulated for the benefit of society - to help rebrand the country as a land of beaches, temples and sunshine.’

But critics - from entertainment industry - warn:

‘This idea would cost a million jobs, devastate tourism and take Thailand out of tourism map. Because most hotels, restaurants and night-time entertainment are based on repeat tourism by certain type/class of tourists’

Your thoughts on this? - if it’s without naughty night life?”

[Tippaporn]

I live here and have rarely frequented the bars. I have my wife and we have no problem with entertainment. Wouldn't make a difference to me. I'll stay.

[think_too_mut]

Now it would work for me without any nightlife.

But, when it started, 6 years ago, without NL I would not have come back.

Sunshine, beaches - can get that in Australia, most places are as nice and enjoyable as in Thailand if not better (a beach like 7km Jomtien in Pattaya would have been closed by authorities and fenced off due to polution if it were in Oz).

I would agree with those pointing that extermination of NL venues would cost million of (regular) jobs.

An example - how many staff Nana Hotel might have? 100?

IMO, they should be aiming to have the mix of tourists that Hua Hin gets. There, nightlife is not out in your face but still available for those who want to partake.

[chippie]

I also live and work in Thailand, but the first time I came was, in part, due to the reputation of the place. If the government wants to change the image of Thailand I think it needs to weigh up how much money it will lose. It is really only Pattaya and certain areas in Bangkok that have a bad( in some peoples book) reputation and if it were to steer away from this what would it offer?

Families, on the whole don't spend much money, single men do. Taking a child to the beach, again no money spent, maybe an ice cream. Visiting a temple, relatively cheap. visiting a market to look and buy trinkets, cheap.

Just look at the amount of hotels and bars in Pattaya and think how many are frequented by families. At night you go out with your wife and kids, have a meal, couple of drinks, stroll along the beach and off to bed. Hardly a recipie for success.

A lot off hotels and bars will close and get left to rot, then the place will look shabby(er), people will not want to see this and not return.

I am not saying nothing should change, just make it a little less obvious. Keep the best industry you have just paint it up a bit better.

[Tippaporn]

There's an inherent problem with doing away with the current nightlife as it is now. It would affect all the Thais, too. I don't think so . . . Not unless they exercise extremely blatant double standards. But it would be tough to separate the industry to be exclusively for the Thais (and the Chinese, Japanese, etc.).

[Mighty Mouse]

I'm a regular tourist but I don't come to Thailand specifically for the night life.

The red light districts in the various towns/cities are relative small in comparison to the towns/cities themselves and if you took out the go-go-bars and short time rooms it wouldn't make a whole lot of difference.

I don't frequent them anyway but I do like to sit in a beer bar and watch the hour hand of my wristwatch go around.

No matter how hard they try, the authorities will never stop prostitution, so those workers who want payment for their personal services will find a way, and a place, for offering it and for selling it.

It is far better for authorities to control it rather than make futile attempt to eliminate it.

The beer bars and discos offer alcoholic refreshments with horizontal activities available at the snap of your fingers, if you want them.

Beer bars are here to stay, discos are here to stay.

Girls will be girls and boys will be boys and always the twain shall meet.

[stumonster]

instead of the pert phrase "naughty nightlife" maybe you need to elaborate on what exactly you are concerned with.

very few major cities in the world do not have an area where sex , alcohol and small furry animals are available in exchange for money.

the idea that thailand is the sex destination on the planet is just an idea promugated by the masses with small amounts of comprehension who fell the racist need to look down on others.

Thailand is not the cheapest place on the planet - just the most discussed.

and tourism is not the silver bullet to solve thailands standard of living issues . Large numbers of tourists does not equate with enviromentaly good practices .

[Jockstar]

I live here and have rarely frequented the bars. I have my wife and we have no problem with entertainment. Wouldn't make a difference to me. I'll stay.

Same!

[ThaiPauly]

I live here and have rarely frequented the bars. I have my wife and we have no problem with entertainment. Wouldn't make a difference to me. I'll stay.

Same!

Hey JS... I have only ever seen you in bars

Looking forward to your next visit...not too long now mate

[MikeRay]

Of course, as a married man with 2 kids the nightlife doesn´t attract me at all.

Mainly for single male´s in Thailand it´s anyways about booze and girls (well some like boys), if I would only be interested in that I would at least travel to different countries.Always the same destination-not for me !

[expatgaz]

The nightlife brought me to THailand but now I'd stay with or without it.My wife & Boy are the ones that count.

EPG

[gburns57au]

Where ever tourists go, there will be nightlife....where ever tourists go there will be a sex trade. even in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam there is nightlife and prostitution, maybe not as overt as Thailand but it is there none the less.

I would still go to Thailand without the "Naughty Nightlife", I rarely get to see it now anyways, my GF has put a stop to that part of my holidays.

[Savage]

It would be the best thing that could happen to Thailand. If you took away the naughty nightlife then Thailand would attract a different type of tourist. Perhaps the English/German beer louts would stay in Spain and more family's would be attracted here. Thailand has long been a dumping ground for the lowest farang scum. Doing what it can to change its image is the right way to go.

[Nignoy]

“Will you still visit Thailand if it’s without naughty nightlife?”

Thailand has many kinds of nice places for you to visit and many things to learn on culture and its people. Thai people, who are not in the tourism field, are still nice and worth meeting.

Many Thais think - it is now time for the government to change Thailand's image as a sexual paradise. We should promote tourism in more appropriate ways - to attract more and better quality tourists…..not quantity of tourists.

Many thais also feel that many places in Thailand have changed since tourism has been promoted. It doesn’t mean that it is not good to promote it, but it must be done in the correct way otherwise tourism will be a weapon that will destroy those places.

Deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said:

'The government wants to change Thailand's image. We’re trying to attract a better class of tourist not the certain type of tourists. We’re trying to promote tourism here on the basis of beaches, sunshine, history and culture more than entertainments. Tourism here in Thailand does need to be regulated for the benefit of society - to help rebrand the country as a land of beaches, temples and sunshine.’

But critics - from entertainment industry - warn:

‘This idea would cost a million jobs, devastate tourism and take Thailand out of tourism map. Because most hotels, restaurants and night-time entertainment are based on repeat tourism by certain type/class of tourists’

Your thoughts on this? - if it’s without naughty night life?”

well I have been a fan of thailand ,since my first visit in 1962, then there were no bars or hotels in pattaya, we used to put our bivouacs on the beach next to the australian tent, there was not a great deal of naughty night life in Bangkok either!! it was available from 64 onwards it seemed to take off then thats when we had the first bars and brothels in pattaya as I recall , so we have seen the changes over the years, I agree with the comments about looking for the same type of tourism as huahin or even singapore, where the sleazier side is not so in your face and blatant,as far as the comments about closing beaches because of pollution , now with the mass build up of population in queensland for example, the pollution in parts of moreton bay and the pumicestone passage are just as bad as some of the thai beaches,nignoy

[Old Croc]

I agree with the comments about looking for the same type of tourism as huahin or even singapore, where the sleazier side is not so in your face and blatant,as far as the comments about closing beaches because of pollution , now with the mass build up of population in queensland for example, the pollution in parts of moreton bay and the pumicestone passage are just as bad as some of the thai beaches,nignoy

Oh well, there's a cyclone on the way to clean things out Nignoy

If you want clean beaches come to the west!

[Sing_Sling]

Of course - it would be a shallow git who flies somewhere only to get laid.

Thailand offers so much to families, and the majority of better/higher class hotel accomodation is taken up by couples and families.

(Possibly not in Pattaya or Phuket)

[Jai Yen Yen]

I live here and have rarely frequented the bars. I have my wife and we have no problem with entertainment. Wouldn't make a difference to me. I'll stay.

Same!

Same same - my g/f is my nightlife.

[Stephen Cleary]

Let us face the facts, if it's cheap naughty nightlife you after these days - you oughn't even go to Thailand - Cambodia is the best place in the region for that!

I think i have read other readers here at TV recommending a trip across the border to escape the clutches of the wife at bargain rates!

Thailand has changed a lot and most of the tourists who come here these days are after a lot of things besides just its naughty nitelife. As Mr Burns mentioned earlier, there is a rampant sex trade in all the neighbouring countries, no need to just go to Thailand anymore.....if thats the kind thing you are after......

I originally came to Thailand as a backpacker and then as a student. I came here as i loved the country and I hardly ever visited any bar. It wouldn't make much difference to me.

[jamman]

Of course - it would be a shallow git who flies somewhere only to get laid.

Thailand offers so much to families, and the majority of better/higher class hotel accomodation is taken up by couples and families.

(Possibly not in Pattaya or Phuket)

Of course it would be a shallow git who thinks that getting laid is a shallow activity.

What, on earth, is more deep than sex?

Family? Like staring into the eyes of a lover is less profound than staring into the eyes of a child? Business? What? Sex is the concentration of all that is important into one timeless piece of time. Shallow. Shallow is in the depth of the eyes of the beholder.

And are you equating better/higher class hotels with the more worthy and less shallow? Money=depth?

Edited March 19, 2006 by jamman

[britmaveric]

It has no bearing on why I visit. However naughty nightlife from tourism perspective is minute in comparison to what thai(s) active participation is. So until they clean up their own act, this always will be the way. I think the naughty side will always have a place whether you agree with it or not is another question.

Edited March 19, 2006 by britmaveric

[Nawtilus]

The more Thailand tries to develop great tourist drawing areas, the more they stuff up and ruin these areas.

They should to stick to what they were good at and stay in the nightlife biz.

[Prakanong2005]

It has no bearing on why I visit. However naughty nightlife from tourism perspective is minute in comparison to what thai(s) active participation is. So until they clean up their own act, this always will be the way. I think the naughty side will always have a place whether you agree with it or not is another question.

Good point

I would still visit if the nightlife went away - first time I came I never bothered with girlie bars but in subsequent visits.....well

What about "normal" nightlife then - if the girlie bars were shut down the market would just move to the so called normal bar's.

Something would have to be done about the loss of income to the poorest region, Isaan, as well. I doubt a welfare system would spring up so they had better start priming the economy there.

The amount of money from the farang scene going to Isaan either in sponsorship or in one off fee's must be pretty high.

Close it all down by all means but the means to satify economic demands needs to be replaced - even in tightly controlled singapore they realise you can not close it completely.

I bet the figures are pretty high as to why "Most" guys ended up in Thailand whther it was for paid sex or looking for a woman. Backpackers and expats on posting apart I bet the % is way up there (I may be wrong but it is a debateable point)

Some of the most vociferous of critics (hypocrits?) of the farang nightlife scene (they conveniently forget the massive Thai and other Asian scene) came first for the nightlife and some have built nice little earners out of it while slagging it off and taking advertising money for brothels.

[NovaBlue05]

Any reason the different worlds can't co-exist? Does the Government really believe that they can legislate their personal vision of morality?

Certainly the country has more pressing internal issues

[leftcross]

the naughty nightlife only exists because there are so many poor isaan farm girls without a future who are prepared to take part in it for a better life.

if you ban everything then who will help these people? many of these girls help sustain families back home.

many of you holier-than-thou posters on here may be shacked up with a wife and kids now but i bet that's not what brought you here in the first place......

[Jeff1]

When I first read the title of this thread " Will you still visit Thailand if .... "

I guessed all the answers would be " yes , it does not affect me at all "

I was right .

[The Dan Sai Kid]

the naughty nightlife only exists because there are so many poor isaan farm girls without a future who are prepared to take part in it for a better life.

if you ban everything then who will help these people? many of these girls help sustain families back home.

many of you holier-than-thou posters on here may be shacked up with a wife and kids now but i bet that's not what brought you here in the first place......

Once Toxin has erradicated poverty none of this will be an issue anymore!

[Nignoy]

I agree with the comments about looking for the same type of tourism as huahin or even singapore, where the sleazier side is not so in your face and blatant,as far as the comments about closing beaches because of pollution , now with the mass build up of population in queensland for example, the pollution in parts of moreton bay and the pumicestone passage are just as bad as some of the thai beaches,nignoy

Oh well, there's a cyclone on the way to clean things out Nignoy

If you want clean beaches come to the west!

Cheers mate we are on our way to Cairns tomorrow so the weather should make it an interesting weeks holiday Nignoy

[Old Croc]

Yes, it's crossing south of there tomorrow. Hang on tight to that steering wheel (or arm rest) mate.

[ourmanflint]

BKK90210... The nightlife you are referring to and western tourists, is such a small part of the Thai sex industry, I think less than 3% of all girls involved in sex in LOS deal with westerners... so why would it disappearing have any major effect on tourism... I personally wouldn't care either way!

Thailand has a lot more to offer for everyone coming there, but like any country rich or poor anywhere in the world, there are men and women getting drunk in bars and getting off with each other. Thank god for that!!

I personally see it as a bit of organised fun, just cuts out a lot of messing about.

[Jai Yen Yen]

the naughty nightlife only exists because there are so many poor isaan farm girls without a future who are prepared to take part in it for a better life.

if you ban everything then who will help these people? many of these girls help sustain families back home.

many of you holier-than-thou posters on here may be shacked up with a wife and kids now but i bet that's not what brought you here in the first place......

Once Toxin has erradicated poverty none of this will be an issue anymore!

Don't hold your breath.

Ah, sorry, didn't quite get the sarcasm in your post