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PM: "I love Thailand" - a bid to restore country's image
5/07/2009

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva reiterated in his Sunday's television programme that the "I love Thailand" project, which was launched on Saturday, is intended to restore Thailand's image which has been badly damaged during the past few years.

Mr Abhisit said the project was launched due to the fact that when his government took office the country's image had been bruised with internal conflicts, violence and protests.

The situation was made worse by incidents involving violent protests by the red shirts in Pattaya and in Bangkok in April.

Therefore, it is now time for the Thai people to join hands to improve Thailand's image so that the government can solve problems of drugs, sex and violence more effectively, he said.

Apirak Kosayodhin, an adviser to the prime minister, asked overseas Thais to give their opinions and suggestions through the website <www.ilovethailand.org>.

bangkokpost.com

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gjbkk

I have never had problems having sex in Thailand. Whats he on drugs or something.

FlyFree

Apart from all the other questions that bubble up about 'Thailand's image', this is a interesting little window iinto his 'mind'.....

It's unlikely to be a logical thought that he expressed, I know, but on the off-chance that it may be, does that mean he needs more credits to spend on the 'war on drugs'?

And the sex thing??

watterinja

The 'sex thing' generates more black income that the total national budget. Probably trying to figure out how to tax the game more effectively - pay-as-you-cum.

DrB0b

They just need to install coin-operated pussometers. I'm working on a patent, I've got a meeting with LoyToy next week and he's promised to give me a triilion dollars for the idea.

Kapilvastu

The situation was made worse by incidents involving violent protests by the red shirts in Pattaya and in Bangkok in April.

So he doesn’t think that the illegal coup and the action of the ultra right wing, yellow shirts in seizing the airports had anything to do with Thailand’s declining image in the world. Maybe that’s because it was these actions and these factions, and not the votes of the people, that eventually brought him to power and upon which his shaky coalition still depends.

gjbkk

Drop the "amazing Thailand" bit and change it to "Thailand, just cum"

Kapilvastu

The 'sex thing' generates more black income that the total national budget. quote.

Sex toursits and sex pats constantly delude themselves into believing that Thailand somehow depends on their buisness. In fact tourism , as a whole, accounts for only six percent of Thailand's GDP and sex toursism is estimated to contribute less than two percent. This is because sex tourists are generally low end tourists who spend less than genuine tourists. Both the last government and this one are on record as saying that they would gladly sacrifice this income in order to restore Thailand's self respect.Cleaning up Thai tourism might well lead to an increase in regular toursits, who spend more and behave better. (Drunken Australian bar mat thieves excepted) In fact the sex touriists probably take more out of the country than they contribute.So, please don't decieve yourselves when you are next propping up the bar at one of the sleezy sex bars that you are engaging in some sort of foreign aid programme.

blackgang

He does have part of the idea right.
if everyone is holding hands it will stop the police from the grafting and stop some of the thieving and murders, but there will always be a way to slip in some corruption someway, Remember this is Thailand.

DrB0b

It's a little puzzling that they don't then, isn't it? Especially considering that the sex trade is already illegal. Kind of reminds me of how certain people insist that they don't want lese majeste charges pressed but somehow they're never listened to. It's just more hypocritical hot air.

I agree with you that sex tourism doesn't represent much of Thailand's tourist income and doing away with it wouldn't have a negative financial effect but you have to remember that while it doesn't represent much of an income for Thailand as a whole it's a nice little earner for a number of cops and politicians.

Government statements on cleaning up the sex industry are the same as 90% of all government statements in Thailand, face-saving lies to cover up the fact that as long as there are back-handers to be earned nothing is going to be changed.

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crazy dog

Why just overseas Thai's? if they loved Thailand so much they would not have fucked off out of it would they. A better Idea would be a site named I WOULD love Thailand if: plenty to list on that one!

watterinja

I was referring to the total sex industry, of which the foreign cum-ponent is something like only 4-6%.

watterinja

Dang, beaten to the draw.

I was about to register a tradename - Cum-U-meter

crazy dog

Just as important is how many jobs rely on tourism, must be hundreds of thousands at least

Chairman Mao

I signed up last night. Interesting to get the thai pov on certain issues.

DrB0b

But not many of those rely on sex tourists. Sex tourism, for foreigners anyway, is confined to only a few areas of Thailand.

Chairman Mao

Yes, where every town and village has a 300B short-time house for the Thais.

gjbkk

^
not only for the Thais

dirtydog

If people are coming to Pattaya for the beaches and temples they are going to be sadly disappointed.

EmperorTud

Tourism was estimated to be over 10% of GDP in last year's figures.

So you're wrong straight off the bat there.

Sex-tourist are not genuine tourists? They just visit for different reasons, but are still tourists. No such thing as a 'genuine tourist' anyway.

I would say sex-tourists spend a lot more than your average tourist, not the other way round, but that is based on my experience of ten years living in Thailand, not gauged on mere prejudices as your entire post seems to be.

Link?

Very speculative.

The fact is that the red-light areas that service primarily foreigners are a big draw for a lot of tourists as an attraction, not only hang outs for sex-tourists. That's exactly why the market selling touristy items is smack bang in the middle of Patpong.

More speculative nonsense.

Bottom line is Thailand has a massive sex industry and many foreigners come here to engage in said industry. The problem is a Thai one, not a foreign one.

And until they clean up their own sex-industry, which is unlikely in the foreseeable future, the foreign one will remain and continue to flourish.

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