In assuming most men going on holiday alone to Thailand, are going to have sex with prostituted women or men?

[Grennie]

It is estimated that about 1% of Thailand's GDP is earned through sexual exploitation tourism.

In 2003 (the last year for which full figures are available) some 545,000 British residents arrived on visits. If you remove the children, and the British citizens visiting for business or reasons other than a holiday, you arrive at about 489,000—314,000 men and 175,000 women. That is 139,000 more British men than women coming to Thailand for a holiday—a gap of 28 per cent.

In no other international holiday destination, is there such a big difference in the number of women and men travelling there. There is no obvious reason for this apart from prostitution.

And ethical travel means not sexually exploiting local women, men or children.

According to Visit Korea

kto.visitkorea.or.kr/eng/tourismStatics/keyFacts/KoreaMonthlyStatistics.kto

there were more than twice as many male Western visitors to Korea as female.

Are they all sex tourists too?

Aga - You need to take business travellers out of these figures first, as I did.

Grennie Sun 16-Feb-14 17:52:04
And ethical travel means not sexually exploiting local women, men or children.

But can you be a male solo traveller AND also travel ethically? Or are the two mutually exclusive? Clearly not.

So Grennie

Which destinations are acceptable places for lone travellers to visit?

Do you still think most lone men in Thailand are there for sex or do you want to add some more detail to that general statement?

And you could give us a percentage estimate of how many go there for sex?

Why so much focus on the poor hurt men's feelings? Many here have confirmed that parts of Thailand are indeed full of single men or men in groups having sex with prostituted people.

Why can't you answer your question?

You have said that most lone men in Thailand are there for sex.
You have provided no evidence about the word "most".

There are men there for sex. Of course there are.

And you now avoid answering your OP by saying why should we worry about men's feelings.

Are you able to back up your OP?

Why? Because if you want to tackle the problem, you actually have to understand the problem fully and effectively target it!!!

"Many here have confirmed that parts of Thailand are indeed full of single men or men in groups having sex with prostituted people."

Yes. True. But it's a simple question.

What does "most" mean?

The sex industry is a massive problem in Thailand. That is true.

Does your generalisation about men contribute anything?

So - YABU to assume most men going on holiday alone to Thailand are going to have sex with prostitutes.

YANBU to say that there are men who go on holiday to have sex. Lots of men.

YANBU to say that the sex industry is awful and exploitative in Thailand and that men take advantage of people - especially underage girls.

Why do I care? Because generalizations about groups without actual evidence had been used in history and at the moment to create hatred and to reinforce prejudice.

If you have no evidence, then say so.

Ah now Holly. Get a hold of yourself my dear.

The sex industry is not a problem in Thailand at all except for HIV. And of course it may be soul destroying for the women and children who are sex workers but we have no figures on that so maybe not. What we do know and can quantify is that men who buy sex in Thailand contribute a huge financial boost to the economy. Hurray for well-off men with no conscience!

Does that make you feel better about the poor diddums?

I have lived in Vietnam for over 7 years and have been to many countries in SE Asia. I've been to Thailand plenty of times.

I live in a guesthouse in Hue, so talk to plenty of backpackers. Many like SE Asia because the beer is cheap. Many go on tours, others won't pay the $5 fee to enter the citadel but prefer to buy beer... Their choice. Men are approached by cyclo and motorbike drivers offering rides, drugs or girls....

Russians can come here without a visa, and many go to Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Phu Quoc.

If you go to HCM City, there are plenty of seedy places where touristsan get a happy ending s or boom boom.

Parts of Thailand and Cambodia have all kinds of nasty things going on. Many children are trafficked from Vietnam and Cambodia to work as flower girls and such. One of them was chatting to an older man about fu€£%#g and does he have a girlfriend. She was 12 and out at 3 AM....

Thailand has a huge number of Russian and African prostitutes. If you think it's an exaggeration, watch documentaries or search youtube... Or go to Rajah Mansion on soi 4 Sukhumvit and the surrounding area....

I forgot to point out that lots and lots of Thai, Vietnamese etc use prostitutes or have "mia noi" small wives.

Women too! There was an article last year in the Bkk Post about more women wanting to have their needs met. There are clubs for Thai girls to meet "boyfriends."

The German sex industry is worth $20 billion a year.

www.smh.com.au/world/germany-is-now-the-bordello-of-europe-20140114-hv8by.html

Three times more than Thailand.

But visitors to Germany are not assumed to be perverts.

sorry aga
yes they are if going there on stag parties
or i do anyway

assume them to be going for the prostitutes that is

tbh most just admit it upfront. its hardly a big secret

I think that's a common thing with stag parties in any country really. It's not as if any country in the world is free of prostitution.

I disagree that unaccompanied male visitors to Germany are not assumed to be punters. And yes, a lot of men will admit it upfront, wherever they are going.

ok, sorry, all men going anywhere at all on their own are going to get laid. Because it's so hard to find prostitutes in the UK.

Blimey I would never have assumed a man travelling to Germany was going for sex!

You learn something every day.

www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/why-sex-tourism-in-thailand-is-not-as-black-and-white-as-you-think/

Some good points in here.

There are some very interesting books by Thai bargirls out there.