When did bangkok become sex capital?

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nowhereman

didn't know that and I lived here for years, I guess I must be missing something.

gillespiebkk

Prostitution is long established in Thai culture. But Bangkok became a byword for selling sex to Westerners in the mid-late 1960s, when it was used as an R&R base for US servicemen in the Vietnam conflict.

IceCube

Since the US arm forces set up bases in Thailand and the US nevy started to stop over both in Pattaya and Bangkok around the peak of the Vietnam war during the 70's. There was an airforce bases in Udon, still exists today is the underground radar that links directly to the sattlelitte.
Oddly, I've seen US nevy ship stop not far from Nice where the whole beach was topless (seen thousand of pairs myself), but nice has never been tarnished of their reputations..
More importantly, most of the topless girls on the beach were Americans. I talked to many.

Dawgmeat17

John S is exactly right, Thailand is an extremely conservative nation when it comes to sex. There is no nudity in movies, Playboy doesnt have a single naked woman, porn is illegal and any "actors or actresses" who are Thai and make a porno are subject to arrest if they are caught. Kissing or other forms of affection dont take place in public. Also hate to break the news to the 3 people who gave John a thumbs down for what Im assuming was his claim that America has more prostitutes per capita then Thailand, but hes right. Outside of the tourist districts in Thailand, you wont find a prostitute. Go to any American city and youll find prostitutes.

james b - so youre claiming that all the sex workers in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai who cater to foriegners only make up 10% of the sex workers in Thailand? to say that claim is ludicrious would be an understatement. you clearly have no idea what youre talking about and are pulling figures from an orifice below your waist.

i could easily list no less then 50 cities in Thailand that i have spent at least 3 days in and have not seen a single prostitute. im not impressed by your 2 years there or your wikipedia link. my fingernail clippings have the equivilant to 2 years in Thailand. i have been to Thailand no less then 2 times a year every year since 1986, and no .... i dont go for the sex scene, the only person i have had sex with in Thailand is my wife. i didnt even bother reading your post after the first few lines, i found the Three Little Pigs to be a better read and closer to reality.

Oliver G

No way Bangkok is the sex capital, it has a population of only 10 million.
Prostitution is way more abundant in China, India and Indonesia, hence their massive populations. You just need to know where to look.

snikleback

I always thought the sex capital of the world was Amsterdam

peanutz

Thailand had always been conservative in nature, especially regarding sex. However when the US forces started stationing there during the Vietnam war, their R&R consist of letting loose in the cities there. The tolerant nature of the Thais was in a way exploited and became known as easy sex country, even though th US forces were confined to a few cities only. Guess bad reputation spreads much faster than truth.

pitchaya.

SINCE YOU GOT YOUR GRAMMAR RIGHT

snorkelsnorkel

Actually porn is illegal in Thailand. Porn websites are blocked. There are no nudie magazines sold (legally). Often 'normal' western movies get censored, romantic/erotic scenes get cut out of normal mainstream movies. The attitude is quite prudish here, almost worse then the US, in Thai society.

But as a tourist coming to the nightlife venues, meeting nothing but prostitutes, you can easely get the wrong idea, asif its all normal in Thailand. It isn't. But yes, ironically, there is a well developed pay-for-sex scene. But sex capital of the world ? There are more liberal places in the world, that's for sure

Nigel t

I was there in the early seventies and it was in full swing then as it was in Singapore and Hong Kong

Avery Goodman

When sex was first discovered.

scratchpole

Your information is out of date. There is abundant sexual activity and cheaper if you go 100 k. south to Pattaya. The red light area is maybe five times the size of Bangkok's three districts.

James B

With no disrespect to dawgmeat and to jon s, you are both naively blind.

Fewer than 10 percent of the sex workers in Thailand cater to the foriegn whoremonger. Every small town in Thailand is crawling with prostitutes. They work in Karaokes, Massage Parlours, Lounges, or they simply may just go to a discotheque hoping to seduce a local, then drain his wallet in the morning.

I would have to know a source for your outrageous claim that there are fewer prostitutes per capita in Thailand than the US. Think about it this way, if you have ever been to Pattaya you would know that well (WAY OVER) over 50% of the females in Pattaya/ Jomtien are prostitutes. In Vegas, where prostitution is legal, the number would not break 10%.

Just because you can't spot a prostitute does not mean they are not there. It just means you are VERY naive.

Anyway, Koh Samui- a place you would never associate with prostitution has more than 10,000 sex workers.

Consider this, if Thailand was as conservative as you are lead to believe about sex, why are more than 30% of the children born here born to single moms?

Anyway to answer the question, Thai men have long histories visiting brothels, and having plural marriages. They have their wife, and one or more "mia noi" or minor wife.

I have worked in three areas of Thailand, Bangkok, just north about 130Km and in the Muslim area of Yala. The only place that comes to mind in terms of girls just waiting on the streets for men on Sukhumvit is Clark Field in Angeles City, Philippines. I currently live and teach in a town of about 10,000 and there are well over 50 sex workers here. In Yala, which is VERY conservative, they had all manner of massage parlor, Karaoke, and so on. Also, the island of Krabi has more than 250 at Ao Nang alone, and about 4,000 prostitutes on the island.

As stated before, the explosion of prostitutes catering to western men began when the US would dock their ships in the Pattaya harbor and let the boys go play. Today, Pattaya is in serious decline for a number of reasons, but the sex industry in Bangkok is thriving, but the number of Korean/Chinese/Japanese sex tourists is significantly higher than the number of "farangs". It is hard for a westerner to tell the difference between a Chinese Bloke and a Bangkok businessman.

And to the comment that there are more "liberal" places... I do not know how you can consider prostitution liberal??

I have lived and taught in Thailand, & China, and have been to a dozen or so other Asian countries. The other Asian countries have their share of prosititutes, but not nearly so many who spefically cater to western men.

Dawgmeat, I have been in Asia since 76, have researched, and written about this. I am published, and well respected. So keep coming with your twice a year holidays & save your toenail clippings. Here are a slew of links, some referencing materials I too have referenced in my writings. When you are ignorant of something, it is best to keep your mouth shut, and thought to be ignorant, rather than opening it, and removing all doubt.

By the way: Sex with a minor is only punishable by 20 years in jail (Life sentence is possible if the girl is UNDER 13). Recently an English teacher was arrested in Pattaya for having sex with hundreds of young boys, had an extensive collection of child porn, and he was sentenced to 10 years. Get your facts right and back them up.

I will post a question shortly and please feel free to read and become educated.

ben dover

i dont think it is! but its name may lead you to think so.

john s

the United States has more prostitutes per capita then Thailand. truth of the matter is that Thailand is a VERY conservative nation when it comes to sex. youll be hard pressed to find a prostitute outside of a tourist area in Thailand, they simply dont exist. get caught having sex with somebody under the age of 16 in Thailand and youre looking at a LIFE sentence.

Norma

Recently, i heard that but before i didnt

benny_chops

in past decade when western blokes started holidaying there and realised they can exploit young thai women by flashing their wealth

Billy Bob

Bangkok is the best places in the world lots of hookers and ladyboys

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