shygye Posted August 17, 2001 Report Share Posted August 17, 2001 quote: Originally posted by BkkShaggy: Well..I talked to a Dutch guy while I was in Europe and when I asked him if he would like to visit Thailand. He said because of its negative reputation, his wife and himself decided not to go there. I guess he does not visit Amsterdam because of its negative reputation. I wonder which reputation of Thailand was the deciding factor, Sex industry Death sentences for drug offences Destruction of rainforests Official corruption I am sure once the Dutch guy is divorced he will be on the next KLM nonstop to BKK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted August 17, 2001 Report Share Posted August 17, 2001 So much for expats able to do without a sanook scene: only in these pages, 2 "from BKK" can't hide titillation about that new possible playgrounds such as that saphan kwai... maybe not the same expats Stick alluded to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashman Posted August 18, 2001 Report Share Posted August 18, 2001 I would imagine if the sex and drug scene was cleaned up and the image of this effect was sold to the tour opperators in the west Thailand would make a lot more money through straight tourism I think this is already happening. [ August 18, 2001: Message edited by: Ashman ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashman Posted August 18, 2001 Report Share Posted August 18, 2001 After saying that I don't think there will ever be a shortage of tarts and spliffs in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 18, 2001 Report Share Posted August 18, 2001 Ashman, The tourism from America would sure as hell drop off. The sex trade is the number one draw for Americans. Thailand is an excruciating flight. Only sex could drive a person to endure it. Any other American tourist you see in Thailand is on a long excursion through the whole of Asia, with Thailand just being a side stop. Thai beaches certainly are overrated, as is the food at most restaurants in Thailand. America's neighbors to the south, Mexico, Brasil...all kick ass all over Thailand, in terms of beaches and food (and shopping, or whatever stupid things tourists go for). Hell, even American BUSINESSES (looking for a first-time Asian beach head) will turn away from Thailand, if guys can't get laid there. That is the reason for all the American and Japanese companies going to LOS. Managers like to get laid on business trips. Take that away, and managers will just a easily tilt towards Malaysia or elsewhere. Why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 18, 2001 Report Share Posted August 18, 2001 I think it goes without saying that tourism what drop considerably if the sanuk scene here was tidied up. I won't say 'gone' because, as Ash said, it will not just pack up and disappear anytime soon. I'm sure there are statistics out there of the male/female ratio of tourists to Thailand. I've heard it's something like 8:2 male/female. Now that has to be saying something! I don't think it's men that enjoy the cuisine or the beaches more than the females. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farangman Posted August 18, 2001 Report Share Posted August 18, 2001 The split is approxiamately 60:40 male to female. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 18, 2001 Report Share Posted August 18, 2001 quote: Originally posted by Ashman: I would imagine if the sex and drug scene was cleaned up and the image of this effect was sold to the tour opperators in the west Thailand would make a lot more money through straight tourism I think this is already happening. I have been in the tourism and resort development business for twenty years now (middle management, but still underpaid), and I can tell, it won’t happen, at least not in the short-run for a number of reasons, and the people at TAT know this. If Thailand really decided to change its reputation, it would take years (five to ten is my estimate) after the Sanuk scene went away before the perception of Thailand would change. Reputations last a long time, and Thailand’s reputation won’t change anytime soon irrespective of what actually happens in Thailand. That is just the nature of the industry. As I understand matters, Thailand was counting on tourism as its primary source of foreign exchange and revenue for the immediate future while it restructures its manufacturing sector. Their time horizon is not five years from now, but right now and next year. Tourist revenues are needed now to bring in foreign exchange and revenue to help the economy keep to at least 1-2% growth while the other sources of revenue are in a slump. Even if the sanuk scene ended today, Thailand had the best possible tourist promotion program imaginable and the US, Japanese and European economies were booming, it would still take at least another five years before “straight tourism” made up for the loss of revenue from “other tourism.” Making matters worse, the US, Japanese and European economies are not booming – they are in a slump. When there is a slump, the first thing people tend to cut back on is vacation spending. I know this all too well; my industry is one of the most vulnerable to recessions. If the down turn continues, tourist destinations such as Thailand will be competing for fewer tourists. Not exactly the best time to make your country a less attractive tourist destination if you are counting on tourist dollars. The early closing times will irritate regular tourists more than it will sanuk seekers. I think we have seen that already on this board. Like it not, a good part of Thailand’s allure is the nightlife. The nightlife not only attracts single men, but also couples, even if they never step foot in Nana or Soi Cowboy. Think about most of the main hot vacation spots like Greece or Spain – they all have great night life. And they don’t shut down at 1:00 a.m. If Thailand shuts everything down at 1:00 a.m. it stands a greater chance of losing its regular tourists than its sanuk seekers. Finally, don’t underestimate the amount of revenue the sanuk scene generates. The amounts are incredible, but no one really can talk about it officially. [ August 18, 2001: Message edited by: Robbie Fowler ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Zeppelin Posted August 18, 2001 Report Share Posted August 18, 2001 I've always stayed near Khao San Road and being the place where all the backpackers head, there's always a real party atmosphere at night. When I speak to fellow travellers over here in the UK about Bangkok, they don't say how wild the sex industry is (they're not interested!) but it's how wild it is down Khao San Road. With these earlier times, it's these people who are going to be the ones pissed off and there's a lot of them. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagoturner Posted August 18, 2001 Report Share Posted August 18, 2001 I think there is an important distinction here. People like going out at night in Bangkok. It's fun. Though you might not guess it from these boards there are a huge proportion (and I refuse to invent a statistic as I have no way of knowing what that proportion is) who go to the bars, drink, have a laugh and then go home. In a sense a large part of the industry really isn't a sex industry. It's a drinking and entertainment industry. I have no idea how much of a bar's revenue comes from barfines but I wouldn't be surprised if the real money isn't on drinks sold. By cutting down on the hours this industry is allowed to operate they will do nothing to decrease the level of prostitution but they will significantly damage money made on drinks, most of which are brewed in Thailand. It is cosmetic to say the least to close legitimate bars early. The end result will be a slightly diminished economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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