Pattaya City – Disneyland for Adults

True, Pattaya has made immense efforts to upgrade its sleazy image in the past decade – away from its tattered reputation as a receptacle for so-called sex tourists and “sexpats”, towards more “upmarket” and family-friendly “quality” tourism.

Then again, have these efforts been really successful? Or have the chief strategists of the tourism ministry and the TAT been rather naive and presumptuous with their ambitious new advertising strategies for a “clean” Pattaya? Isn’t the underlying problem that prostitution is deeply ingrained in Thai culture itself and has a lively and much longer tradition in Siam than modern-day mass or “sex” tourism?

Granted, Pattaya today can no longer be reduced to its bustling nightlife and “sex industry” but has managed to attract an ever-increasing number of recreation seekers from all walks of life. But let’s face it, Pattaya’s nightlife and “bar girl industry” are still thriving – and remain the top draw for a large percentage of visitors to Funtown.