The Thai authorities often claim they intend to clean up tourism in Thailand. Specifically, they are going to clean up tourism related to the sex trade. If it happened, it would mean an end to girlie bars and other adult nightlife venues in Thailand’s popular tourist destinations like Pattaya, Bangkok, etc, that also have such a bar girl and naughty nightlife scene.
My understanding of the law relating to prostitution in Thailand is that it is illegal. But the finer points of the law defining, specifying what an act of prostitution is, what a brothel is, and who is considered to be a sex worker is a grey area, and open interpretation. Thus the prostitution laws are not rigidly enforced, allowing sex tourism in Thailand to prosper.
You could say it’s sort of a live-and-let-live situation.
Any successful eradication of the sex industry in Thailand may mean amendments to the laws covering prostitution in Thailand and without doubt a much stricter enforcement of those laws.
The promised clean-up of Thailand’s sex industry may or may not happen sometime in the future. But let’s say it does happen, and the sex trade and Thailand’s sex tourism industry are no more, completely outlawed.
The end of the sex industry in Thailand will undoubtedly have a diverse effect on potentially hundreds of thousands of people employed in the industry and other tourist-dependent businesses. It could also have a huge monetary effect on whole communities.
For sure, many poor families supported by the comparatively high earnings of Thai bar girls will feel the strain.
The Effects of No Sex in Pattaya
There are lots of possible variables and scenarios to consider. After what happened to Pattaya bars and nightlife during the COVID pandemic, it’s not hard to imagine what many streets and areas of Pattaya would look like if all girlie bars and adult nightlife venues were to be suddenly closed down.
Businesses in streets like Walking Street, Sois 7 and 8, Soi Lk Metro, Soi Chaiyapoon, Soi Honey, Soi Made in Thailand, Soi Yamato, and Soi 6 are almost entirely naughty nightlife and adult entertainment related.
The knock-on effect would, at least, temporarily, see many popular cheap restaurants, guest houses, hotels, and apartments struggling or closing, especially in the Soi Buakhao area.
Pattaya Doesn’t Need Sex
It’s commonly believed Pattaya flourished due to sex tourism, and that it still accounts for a large chunk of Pattaya’s annual tourist numbers, on which the city’s economy is heavily reliant.
But modern-day Pattaya has so much more to offer: with its International schools, great shopping, fine dining, family activities, and a huge choice of affordable houses and condos it has a large expat community.
An increasing number of events, festivals, and conventions attract large numbers of domestic tourists, and millions have been spent on improvements such as the Pattaya Beach nourishment program which beautified and widened the beach.
Will More or Fewer Tourists Visit Pattaya
Collectively, Pattaya’s girlie bars and naughty nightlife may or may not attract more visitors to Pattaya than anything, even everything else.
How many tourists would not come, and how many expats would leave if Pattaya ever had no bar girls and girlie bars is hard to estimate.
On the other hand, how many tourists would find Pattaya a desirable proposition if its seedy reputation was put to bed?
Would you visit Pattaya if there were no bar girls, girlie bars, and naughty massage parlors?
You can choose 2 options.
Previous poll results
In a previous poll, the question was “Can Pattaya Survive Without Sex?”
And the results were:
No (86%, 37 Votes)
Yes (14%, 6 Votes)