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No more Thai sex for SA
By Martin Williams
BANGKOK – Men who visit Thailand for sex, be warned: the new government is out to stop you.
That was the message when Tourism and Sports Minister Suvit Yodmani addressed a group of South African journalists in Bangkok at the weekend.
Suvit said he welcomed South Africans because they’re “quality tourists”.
And he was not talking about their wealth. His example of quality tourists was a group of 1 000 not very well off Vietnamese who recently stayed in a Thai monastery.
Suvit made it clear the administration, which came to power in a bloodless coup on September 19, aimed to curtail the sex trade.
“Prostitution is illegal in Thailand,” he said. The South East Asian country’s police force is being assisted by “tourist police”, and will be further bolstered by specially trained volunteers .
He is due to announce further steps before the end of the month to tighten up on the policing of the sex industry.
Each year about 40 000 South Africans visit Thailand, far behind the 700 000 British holidaymakers and almost as many from Germany, France, Sweden and other European countries.
The Tourism Minister believes most of those who come are drawn by Thailand’s cultural, environmental and sporting attractions.
Golf is big with a large group of “Black Economic Empowerment” South Africans currently enjoying first-class holidays here.
The Minister also listed water sports and athletics, saying a recent marathon pulled 4 700 entries.
In briefings to SA journalists, government Ministers have been at pains to justify the regime change, which has not been approved of by South Africa, the European Union or the US.
Despite the coup, and the tsunami two years ago, tourist numbers have in fact increased, and international trade is at record levels.
In the major cities there is no visible sign of martial law. Most Thais have accepted the political change, taking their cue from their monarch, who is held in high esteem throughout the nation.
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