The city of Pattaya in Thailand is known all over the world for sex. The playground of arrogance is like the beach of Pattaya! In February of this year, the British media The Mirror made a report about this city. The report called Pattaya the 'sex capital of the world'. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was outraged by this news. The Thai police have commented that the British newspaper's information is fabricated.
Thailand's Bangkok Post published an article on February 26 about how Pattaya went from being just a prison town to relaxation, entertainment and the 'sex capital of the world'. It is said that once the place named Pattaya was a fishing village in the Gulf of Thailand. There was nothing there except a few boats in the sea and some huts for the villagers to stay on the shore.
Pattaya's splendor began to grow when large numbers of troops began arriving at Ban Sattahi Airfield next to Pattaya, now known as U-Tapao Airport. Nearly half a century later, Pattaya has become a destination for everything from Vietnam War veterans to sex tourists and residents of Thailand's red light district.
During the Vietnam War, an agreement was signed between Thailand and the United States to create rest and recreation facilities in Thailand. In 1964, GIS arrived at U-Tapao, the first US base off Pattaya Beach. From then until 1976, about 700,000 international troops were sent to Thailand every year for a week of rest and recreation.
Single elderly US citizen Matt. It is impossible for him to find a beautiful young woman to marry back home in California. But 60-year-old Matt has not given up hope of finding his partner. After three failed attempts to marry a Western woman, he stopped looking for white girls. Because he thinks they are not worthy of love. He started looking for Asian girls. Matt realizes that Pattaya is the only place to fulfill his dreams.
Matt came to Pattaya 10 years ago. Matt says, 'Love is found here every day. I usually come here for three months a year. I live in a cheap apartment I bought. I cannot tell you how many I have brought into my love nest.' He also said, 'Good people go to heaven, and bad people go to hell.' Matt's expression appears to be the slogan of the city of Pattaya. Although there is a hint of irony in this slogan, it can be said for sure that this is the mentality of many tourists who come to Pattaya.
Supin, a 28-year-old sex worker. When he was 21, he came here from the northeastern province of Surin on the advice of a friend. Supin decided to leave home to raise money to send the children to school. He first went to Bangkok to work as a food distributor in a restaurant a year before coming to Pattaya. There he earned 280 baht (Thai currency) daily. It was accompanied by tips. That money was not enough to support the whole family. Because, after her husband left two children, all the responsibilities fell on her shoulders. Supin was advised by one of his friends that there is more income in Pattaya. Supin was aware of what work there would be extra income. He was ready to do anything to get the money he needed.
48-year-old human rights activist and popular figure Thanada Ning Tswangneter received the award for writing a book about her experience as a sex worker. He describes in the book how he was forced to choose this profession due to financial crisis.
Ning said, 'I gave birth to a child because of unprotected sex at a young age. I need a lot of money to raise the child.…I came to Pattaya on the advice of a friend and started working in a bar. I used to earn five thousand baht a month by serving drinks there. Later I started working as a sex worker.' This sex worker also said, it is a profession, which cannot be said with pride to anyone. So he thought of quitting this job many times. But at the end of the day it is this profession that brings money to his family. He occasionally did other work. But what she earned as a sex worker was much less than her other work.
Thai government officials, particularly Prime Minister Prayuth, were furious after a Mirror article described Pattaya as the 'sex capital of the world'. He vowed to end prostitution and illegal businesses in Pattaya. He thinks these activities are embarrassing for Thailand.
After the publication of the report, on February 21, Pattaya municipal officials, the local unit of the police and the administrative unit of Chon Buri held a press conference on a new policy called 'Pattaya Happy Zone'. The policy is being implemented soon to keep Pattaya's popular areas regulated and crime-free.
The police officer said, 'If Thai girls have physical relations with a foreigner, it is their personal matter. I don't see anything wrong with them doing things in closed rooms like each other. As the police chief in charge of the area, I can vouch that Pattaya is still a safe and beautiful place to visit.'
Director of Service Workers IN Group Foundation and social activist Surang Janiyam expressed his opinion, "We should not fool ourselves by saying that there are no sex parlors in Thailand." Rather, sex workers should be thought of as part of society. As human beings, their place of honor must be ensured.' He added, 'We cannot close our eyes and say there are no sex workers in Thailand. The number of 27,000 sex workers published in the Daily Mirror is completely wrong. The number of sex workers here is not so low. Much more than that.'
Surang Janiyam said, 'What is the actual number of sex workers, it is not important. We have to think about improving their quality of life. Raiding sex-strips and arresting sex workers will not solve the problem. Sex workers will lose their jobs and their income will stop. Sex workers selling themselves for money is not the real issue. The real issue is that the government is unable to do anything to improve the dire economic situation; Due to the economic conditions many people are forced to enter this decrepit business.'
Apisuk expressed concern that the legalization of prostitution may not happen in his lifetime. Because there is a bigger reason behind it. He said, 'In Thailand there is a relationship between prostitution and bribery. Every brothel owner bribes the police to run their business. How will the police make money if prostitution is legal? Let's not forget that this type of business is a major source of our income.'
Thanada Ning Tswangnetar agreed on the legalization of prostitution. But his main concern is that if legalization is granted, sex workers will be identified, putting them back in a shameful situation. He also said that legally registering sex workers means admitting to selling their bodies for a living. Although many in Thailand are associated with this practice, it is frowned upon. He said, 'I have many friends in this sex business. They were tortured, injured. Many died due to torture. We are so scared that we cannot file a complaint with the police. Because what we do is not legal. We should be protected by the same law, no matter where we work.'
Sex workers and locals believe the best solution is to rehabilitate those involved in prostitution. Because none of them willingly come to this work. He was forced to enter the body business after falling into the trap of various crises. The best solution would be to transfer them from this profession to another profession.
