If tourism has a dark side, it’s our own fault: Thai editorial

Used to be Thailand was thought to be a feudal kingdom where people wore funny costumes and got around riding elephants. 

US servicemen returning from the VN War told lurid tales of their R&R in Thailand.  Around 1970 there was a movie called "Emmanuelle" (I think it was French, but became an international hit) that featured lurid happenings in Bangkok, such as ladies performing the flying ping-pong ball trick; I believe this is the source of the ping-pong show notoriety.   

Bad publicity?  Well, if this reputation was a stain, they certainly played into to it.  On arrival about 20 years ago I went to the tourist office at DM on arrival to get a map, and was given a lot of other 'promotional tourist material' as well.  The ads were mostly for female companionship, and while neither the text nor the images were graphic they were pretty obvious.

IMO the biggest negative is RTP.  Not only that they cannot be depended on, but that they must be avoided.  "We have met the criminals, and they are us."