1 month in Pattaya - what to do?
Aug 13th, 2006, 03:57 PM
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1 month in Pattaya - what to do?
My husband needs to go to Thailand for a month, and there is no way he's going without me! ...so I took some time off from work & tomorrow I leave for the longest vacation I've had since college.
He told me we're staying in Pattaya, which doesn't get the best treatment from the guidebooks. Can anyone familiar with the town give some recommendations for interesting daytime activities?
I'm hoping to find a Thai cooking school, since I've always loved Thai food & thought that taking a cooking class would be interesting. There are listings online of hotels offering classes, but I haven't been able to find one with more than 4 hours of instruction.
I live in Japan & am having enough trouble with that language, so trying another language might drive me crazy. I'm not a 'lay on the beach' kind of person.. maybe a few hours a week as long as my book is good, tops. Any sports activities that are good in the area? I saw windsurfing, which is something I'd like to try, but no information on where you could learn how - is this for experienced people only? Also, any suggestions for day trips to nearby towns or islands?
Thanks for any help!
Stephanie
He told me we're staying in Pattaya, which doesn't get the best treatment from the guidebooks. Can anyone familiar with the town give some recommendations for interesting daytime activities?
I'm hoping to find a Thai cooking school, since I've always loved Thai food & thought that taking a cooking class would be interesting. There are listings online of hotels offering classes, but I haven't been able to find one with more than 4 hours of instruction.
I live in Japan & am having enough trouble with that language, so trying another language might drive me crazy. I'm not a 'lay on the beach' kind of person.. maybe a few hours a week as long as my book is good, tops. Any sports activities that are good in the area? I saw windsurfing, which is something I'd like to try, but no information on where you could learn how - is this for experienced people only? Also, any suggestions for day trips to nearby towns or islands?
Thanks for any help!
Stephanie
Aug 13th, 2006, 05:39 PM
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There are some interesting sights in the area. The Sanctuary of Truth, in Naklua, is an interesting project. I haven't been there in a few years, so I don't know how it's progressing. It is a little like Thailand's Sagrada Familia - one of those projects started long ago by someone who's now dead.
Further north, you might enjoy a trip to Koh Sri Chang - not to be confused with Koh Chang far to the east. Sri Chang was once a royal retreat and there are the remains of some palace buildings there. This is where Vimanmek Mansion in Bangkok was originally built.
Lastly, you might look into spending some time at the Redemption School in Pattaya. This is a Catholic run orphanage that mostly takes in disabled children. They can usually use all the help they can get, even if it's just taking the kids on an outing.
Further north, you might enjoy a trip to Koh Sri Chang - not to be confused with Koh Chang far to the east. Sri Chang was once a royal retreat and there are the remains of some palace buildings there. This is where Vimanmek Mansion in Bangkok was originally built.
Lastly, you might look into spending some time at the Redemption School in Pattaya. This is a Catholic run orphanage that mostly takes in disabled children. They can usually use all the help they can get, even if it's just taking the kids on an outing.
Aug 13th, 2006, 05:58 PM
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there is plenty to do in the area...lots of expats living there and lots of tourists...
you are aware that it is a major sex industry area....you can of course avoid all of this, but you will see lots of thai girls and boys in the company of older western men...just ignor it....the 'walking street' in downtown pattaya becomes a bud of activity for these folks after dark...its fun to walk there however and there are some decent restaurants there...
i have a friend who does guiding in thailand, she might be of some use to you....her name is cherry and you can reach her at [email protected] is based in pattaya...she can suggest day excursions to you, where she and her driver would guide you to...
there are some good restaurants in pattaya...bkk is only a couple of hours drive so you can go for the day...
jotiem beach is the town on the other side of the hill from pattaya....imo, it is far nicer, and the beach is nicer...
have a good time and let us know what you ended up doing
you are aware that it is a major sex industry area....you can of course avoid all of this, but you will see lots of thai girls and boys in the company of older western men...just ignor it....the 'walking street' in downtown pattaya becomes a bud of activity for these folks after dark...its fun to walk there however and there are some decent restaurants there...
i have a friend who does guiding in thailand, she might be of some use to you....her name is cherry and you can reach her at [email protected] is based in pattaya...she can suggest day excursions to you, where she and her driver would guide you to...
there are some good restaurants in pattaya...bkk is only a couple of hours drive so you can go for the day...
jotiem beach is the town on the other side of the hill from pattaya....imo, it is far nicer, and the beach is nicer...
have a good time and let us know what you ended up doing
Aug 13th, 2006, 06:31 PM
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I live in Pattaya and it's a good fun interesting place to be, there are negative aspects, which can easily be avoided. The sex thing gets blown out of proportion by many people. You won't ever come across anything really shocking unless you are looking for it. Don't worry about even thinking about learning Thai, virtually everbody speaks English. In Pattaya you'll find excellent dining, great shopping, a huge variety of entertainment, every possible sporting activity, there are cinemas, temples to visit, trips to islands - on & on... Not really any need to list it all here because you'll soon find out about the main attractions when you arrive. The Walking Street is good fun, my wife and I go there often and always enjoy ourselves. We go to some of the go-go bars together, they're comfortable inside, airconditioned, beer's cheaper than the outside bars, and they play good music.
Sep 19th, 2006, 08:25 AM
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Does the children's sex industry in Thailand bother anyone else but me? I have stayed away from Thailand because of this. I can't bring myself to support a country w/my tourism dollars when they seem to do nothing about this and they seem very happy to attract sex tourists who want the Thai children.
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Sep 19th, 2006, 09:14 AM
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Emd-
The child sex industry is equally big in Taiwan, the Phillipines, Cambodia, and in Japan you've got lots of Western and Filipino women (not children, but young and naive)who go thinking they'll be models or singers and end up as indentured sex workers.
You won't likely see evidence of any of this (although snake alley in Taipei is pretty blatant), so I prefer to think that spending money in these countries on non-sex activities gives people the incentive (and funds) to to earn a living in other ways.
The child sex industry is equally big in Taiwan, the Phillipines, Cambodia, and in Japan you've got lots of Western and Filipino women (not children, but young and naive)who go thinking they'll be models or singers and end up as indentured sex workers.
You won't likely see evidence of any of this (although snake alley in Taipei is pretty blatant), so I prefer to think that spending money in these countries on non-sex activities gives people the incentive (and funds) to to earn a living in other ways.
Sep 19th, 2006, 09:40 AM
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It is the children that bother me. I am not sure that spending money there will give them an incentive to earn money in other ways, but maybe so. It sounds very flagrant.
As rhkkmk said, "you are aware that it is a major sex industry area....you can of course avoid all of this, but you will see lots of thai girls and boys in the company of older western men...just ignor it...."
As rhkkmk said, "you are aware that it is a major sex industry area....you can of course avoid all of this, but you will see lots of thai girls and boys in the company of older western men...just ignor it...."
Sep 19th, 2006, 10:00 AM
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Regarding the children's sex industry- Does the govt. of the countries Lcuy mentions turn the other way and encourage it by not doing anything to try to stop it? Maybe I am misunderstanding the situation.
Sep 19th, 2006, 02:09 PM
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Are you referring to JOhn Karr in Thailand? I think that was because of his alleged involvement in the Ramsey case, right? Would he have been arrested otherwise?
I haven't heard of the Cambodia arrest, what was it? Did they really arrest someone just for abusing kids?
I haven't heard of the Cambodia arrest, what was it? Did they really arrest someone just for abusing kids?
Sep 19th, 2006, 02:24 PM
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emd...don't be so sure that you haven't already spent your money in a place where the child sex industry is HUGE. Japan.
It's huge in Japan, ranging from "only" child rape themed manga to photos and videos to junior high school girls selling their virginity over and over to those who want and can afford it. Outright selling of themselves is more common than you'd think, with the prime motivation for it being earning money to purchase real designer goods. These kinds of "businesses" are conducted mainly via internet and cell phone.
There are also hostess bars that are staffed exclusively with "imported" girls who are brought here under the auspices of being waitresses, maids, or sometimes they even know they will be hostesses, but they don't know they will be prostitures. Even in rather provincial Kanazawa, there are several bars like this, where you pay a pretty low set fee for entrance, then you can pay the hostesses seperate special fees for things ranging from sitting on your lap, showing their breasts, extending to anything you might imagine. These girls are typically of eastern European and Russian origin, sometimes from the Philipines and other Asian countries. In almost all cases, they are under 20, which is a minor in Japan. Once they are here in Japan, it is very difficult to get out of the business, as their bosses typically have them virtually indentured for their expenses to get here and keep their passports and sponsor their visas (bogus as they may be).
It's huge in Japan, ranging from "only" child rape themed manga to photos and videos to junior high school girls selling their virginity over and over to those who want and can afford it. Outright selling of themselves is more common than you'd think, with the prime motivation for it being earning money to purchase real designer goods. These kinds of "businesses" are conducted mainly via internet and cell phone.
There are also hostess bars that are staffed exclusively with "imported" girls who are brought here under the auspices of being waitresses, maids, or sometimes they even know they will be hostesses, but they don't know they will be prostitures. Even in rather provincial Kanazawa, there are several bars like this, where you pay a pretty low set fee for entrance, then you can pay the hostesses seperate special fees for things ranging from sitting on your lap, showing their breasts, extending to anything you might imagine. These girls are typically of eastern European and Russian origin, sometimes from the Philipines and other Asian countries. In almost all cases, they are under 20, which is a minor in Japan. Once they are here in Japan, it is very difficult to get out of the business, as their bosses typically have them virtually indentured for their expenses to get here and keep their passports and sponsor their visas (bogus as they may be).
Sep 19th, 2006, 02:33 PM
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And yes, the Japanese government has an official stance of being against the child sex industry...is there really a government that openly supports it?
The Japanese government turns a blind eye. Government officials, civil servants, teachers, bankers, take part in it, as we can sometimes see on the news...they get arrested, released, and life goes on as before. Hostess bars that are certainly more like brothels operate all over Japan however "legal" they may be. Virtually every convenience store in the country sells magazines devoted to child pornography, photos and manga...have a look. They are in the open, available for browsing.
Just another example of how truly weak laws and their enforcement really is...Gambling is also illegal...and pachinko is the national past time. You officially win silver balls when you win...but you take your bucket of balls around the corner to a "secret" marked window and exchange them for money or other prizes.
Just because the Japan tourists see looks pretty spick and span, just under the surface, and not even hidden well, is one of the biggest child pornography markets in the world.
The Japanese government turns a blind eye. Government officials, civil servants, teachers, bankers, take part in it, as we can sometimes see on the news...they get arrested, released, and life goes on as before. Hostess bars that are certainly more like brothels operate all over Japan however "legal" they may be. Virtually every convenience store in the country sells magazines devoted to child pornography, photos and manga...have a look. They are in the open, available for browsing.
Just another example of how truly weak laws and their enforcement really is...Gambling is also illegal...and pachinko is the national past time. You officially win silver balls when you win...but you take your bucket of balls around the corner to a "secret" marked window and exchange them for money or other prizes.
Just because the Japan tourists see looks pretty spick and span, just under the surface, and not even hidden well, is one of the biggest child pornography markets in the world.
Sep 19th, 2006, 02:38 PM
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You might be interested in reading the wikipedia about child porn.
The majority of internationally available hardcore child pornography is produced in developing countries in South-East Asia and Central America, and in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Germany was one of the main sources of naturist child erotica in the past. Japan was and still is one of the leading producers of softcore child pornography, which was outlawed there only in 1999, after much international pressure; enforcement remains somewhat sporadic. A lot of modern legitimate softcore pornography (so-called Lolita art or Pret art) is also made in Russia and other ex-Soviet-Union countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_pornography
The majority of internationally available hardcore child pornography is produced in developing countries in South-East Asia and Central America, and in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Germany was one of the main sources of naturist child erotica in the past. Japan was and still is one of the leading producers of softcore child pornography, which was outlawed there only in 1999, after much international pressure; enforcement remains somewhat sporadic. A lot of modern legitimate softcore pornography (so-called Lolita art or Pret art) is also made in Russia and other ex-Soviet-Union countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_pornography
Sep 19th, 2006, 05:45 PM
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emd, there have been a few arrests, not just the Karr arrest, and yes it was "just" for sexually abusing kids. The arrests I remember off the top of my head were of Brits and Americans, though now that I think of it, there were a couple of Chinese men as well.
Sep 19th, 2006, 05:56 PM
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Wow, what an eye opener, Kim. Thank you for the info. Kathie too.
I was not trying to be malicious or anything of that nature by asking about this- I am really trying to understand how this works in these differnet countries and if it is just tolerated or openly embraced or crakced down on by the local govts.
I was not trying to be malicious or anything of that nature by asking about this- I am really trying to understand how this works in these differnet countries and if it is just tolerated or openly embraced or crakced down on by the local govts.
Sep 19th, 2006, 06:15 PM
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and Kathie, please understand that I was not trying to imply that the offense was somehow diminished in the "just for abusing kids" part on my post. To the contrary, I am concerned about this issue. I was contrasting the arrest you mentioned in Cambodia with the Karr arrest which was, as I understood it, for suspicion of murder.
