Somewhere in the world there may be a city with a more seedy reputation, a place more devoted to the sex industry and more notorious as a haven for criminals on the lam. But probably not.

 

When dusk comes to this beach resort, a sea of pink neon bulbs casts a pale glow onto the thickly made-up faces of thousands of women (and some men) who sit on bar stools waiting for their patrons.

 

If Las Vegas is Sin City, Pattaya is a bear hug from Lucifer himself.

 

And yet, amid the back alleys jammed with girlie bars and a beachfront peopled with what the Thais euphemistically call

Thanks GT... Interesting article.

 

I don't think it's so much about stamping out the sex industry so much as it is about simply attracting other segments of tourists. Making the place more pleasant will be fantastic. It will certainly get me to visit more often.

 

I love visiting Bangkok and I usually like spending a few days chilling out at beach before or afterwards.

 

I usually fly to one of the islands to do this because it's nicer but if they did up Pattaya I might use it more often since a 1hr45min drive is much more convenient than flying. It's never going to be as beautiful as Samui or Phuket but it's a good enough substitute for the level of convenience (to Bangkok) it offers.

 

Hua Hin is nice and I have had my beach getaway there but it's too quiet and sterile... I should give it (along with Pattaya) another chance.

 

But here in Pattaya, officials chuckle derisively at the notion that the city can be totally sanitized. Stamping out Pattaya’s sex industry is fantasy, said Niti Kongrut, the director of the Pattaya branch of the Thai government’s tourism office.

 

I think both can exist... you can have a family-oriented or party holiday (non-sex) oriented destination existing side by side with the gogo bars and such. The gogo bars can be confined to certain areas and people can visit them if they like.