Pattaya - holiday for older people
What you might recognize as a typical holiday party is two weeks in Magaluf that includes
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| Girl from Pattaya |
Think again. Welcome to Pattaya - Lego land for the aged.
For in Thailand is actually a bit different. On both sides of the Walking Street in the former fishing town, with pubs and bars, wall-to-wall. This is not a Swedish 20-year-olds with lick and polo shirt who sits around and keeps his lover, but older men in the 50 - and 60-years to do exactly the same. Minus weld. And the polo shirt.
Pattaya's History
But Pattaya has not always been a city with a tarnished reputation. It was only when the Americans arrived in Pattaya in a truck during the Vietnam War that it started. The year was 1961, and the American soldiers apparently took good care of what their options concerning alcohol and women. Rumors spread quickly to other forces in the American Army - and it would not take many months before Pattaya was filled with tourism in droves.
What is it that draws people to Pattaya?
As of today Pattaya only a few of attraction again, cheap alcohol and prostitute in droves. With such a travel brochure, it is clear only certain people who looked happy to go to what many called "the great seaside resort." After the Americans looked finished their stay in Vietnam began the construction of hotels and hostels to explode in full swing. Mass Tourism exploded in line with the development - and in 2011 comes the 10 (!) Million tourists to Pattaya. About 90% of them are aged men.
Burrowing Danish journalism in Pattaya ended badly
Danish journalists were in place in Pattaya two years ago (2009) to cover the season from the ex-fishing village (as they are doing in Ayia Napa every summer, you know ...). After two weeks they could not be there more. The reason? Well, it was pretty simple.
The story that was portrayed was as follows:
When reporters would one day home from "work" in Walking Street, they took the elevator to the hotel room. Just as the doors of the elevator begins to move again, grabs a middle-aged thailender hold of the door and then enter the elevator with a little girl about 4 years. Together they take the elevator up to the fifth floor, where all the exit from the elevator. The Thai girl and the man first - after the Danes.
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| Pattaya girls |
Child prostitution takes place probably in all countries and corners. The same with sexual exploitation of women of age. But in Pattaya it is organized, and in some circles it is also very socially accepted.
Walking Street in Pattaya
Back to Walking Street. On a somewhat tired "Go-Go bar in central street sits a few Danes and staring out over the women they can pay to take home tonight. Forums are solved and fixed, but eventually turn it into a particular peoples in earnest have set their roots in Pattaya - the Russians. Accusations of crime, increased crime and black money is pouring in all year against the Russian community in Pattaya. And the most special of all, they import their own prostitute to sell (the blood price) in Pattaya's most famous whore strokes.
In time, one Dane eye on two excellent pieces of trouble over a woman in nabobarens premises. The local tourist police are immediately put in place to separate the troublemakers and give them a tour of the jail. Then handles the Danes had in their beautiful 20-year-old thailender pay a hundred pounds to the bar's owner, only to go hand in hand back to his hotel to do his business. Will things ever improve in Pattaya?
The Day After repeated everything in Pattaya's Walking Street and there is no sign that Thailand's mass tourism will be less cynical as long as authorities do not take hold of the problems.
