Prostitution long has been illegal in Thailand and, if you asked some senior government officials in recent years, it doesn’t exist at all in Pattaya. But a city councilman now has suggested that hookers on Beach Road be “organized” into a confined zone.
Maybe Boonanan Pattanasin, the head of the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association, can be forgiven for talking about such a taboo subject as the prostitution that, outside Pattaya, the city long has been famous/infamous for. After all, Feb. 18 was his first meeting as a newly appointed Pattaya City Councilman.
Boonanan is concerned about Pattaya’s image for newly arriving tourists. He thinks seeing Beach Road sprinkled end-to-end with streetwalkers – as it has been for decades – looks tawdry. Perhaps, he had the audacity to suggest – the prostitutes should be confined to their own zone, out of view of those millions of families, children and faithful men who tourism officials believe are coming to Pattaya soon.
Of course, establishing a zone for prostitution, while acknowledging reality, would give a stamp of approval to an illegal activity. In addition, Pattaya authorities wouldn’t be able to refill their coffers by sweeping up, fining and releasing the streetwalkers each month.
New Pattaya City Council Chairman Sittiporn Kutnak was more interested in discussing other topics, such as traffic at Bali Hai Pier and broken railings at Koh Larn’s public viewpoint.
Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome said that, after all barriers were removed at Bali Hai, there are plans to put them back, now that tourism – and traffic – is picking up again.
Parking on the pier access road will be banned and concrete barriers returned to keep cars in their lanes and buses and mini vans parking picking up and dropping in their designated areas.
As for Koh Larn, Boonanan said having railings break and tourists falling two meters and ending up in the hospital isn’t good for business. He urged the city to inspect all tourist spots and perform any repairs needed immediately.
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