Change coming to Pattaya?

[George Pill]

http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/225324/military-appointed-team-experts-take-pattaya-week/

There's been lots of news about bars being raided and closed. Bars open after hours, minors, drugs, and all kinds of crackdowns. Does this mean less streetwalkers on Beachwalk, no escorts allowed in hotels, no solicitations out in the open, more questioning of ladyboy robbers, undercover cops, more arrests and finings to fatten the payrolls, etc.? What is happening in Pattaya Beach? What is going to happen? Maybe my fun vacations are numbered.

[Rockheart]

We will have to be seen what happens. This article doesn't say who the new police chief is, and these are really bureaucrats they are installing in city hall. They could just have their hands full with a bitter police force.

They have already been clearing workers of beach road regularly, just like at the Nana Hotel sign in Bangkok.
Plus the police have cleaned up the actual beach completely already. Now all the shady vendors have been kicked out.
They already cracked down on open prostitution long ago really.
Walking street used to have unchecked freelancers but now there is a heavy police presence and the girls are very careful work there now.
The mugging and problems from beach road make regular news, so they will probably shut this right down as much as they can.

They probably will also crack down on all the tourist hawks and attractions. There has been far too many incidents around the country lately and they want to clean up Thailand's name. Too many boat accidents and other problems due to lax regulations and standards. This kind of thing makes the news not so much guys going there for sex.

I don't think anything will change with hotels and bars except they may enforce late openings.
However it seems some places are allowed to stay open all night anyway.

They are raiding bars all the time but it is never ladyboy bars, that I have heard of.
Ladyboys are almost always in the business voluntarily but on the girls side there is some trafficking rings and unscrupulous bar owners.
I remember there was huge raids on Soi 6 a few years back. The Mandarin was one of their main targets.
Some ship in busloads of broke girls from Laos or somewhere like that, then they live in squalor while "paying back" their debt.
I was in the Mandarin one time and went through the wrong door into a room where I had to step over all sorts of girls sleeping on the floor.
Probably the way things work today, these raid are kept fairly quiet though. The raids may also have something to do with places that don't keep up with their obligations...

If they were going to crack down on morality, I think Nana plaza would have been closed long ago.
Even though prostitution is technically illegal, adult entertainment like they have is sort of engrained in the culture.
Generally Thais are reserved in most things but the seem to like the option to step out sometimes.
You will probably find the army will be there to monitor the police more than the tourists.

Pattaya would make far less money if they changed their focus to a family resort.
The beaches are only for looking really, you can't swim in them.
The older male tourists that frequent Pattaya create more wealth in the country than any other type of tourist.
Pattaya is responsible for the prosperity of countless families in Thailand, I don't think they can just stop this.
Plus in Pattaya, who is an escort and who is a girlfriend, it is really hard to tell.

[rxpharm]

Unfortunately there have been a number of high profile news stories about attacks and crimes committed against tourists in Thailand. This is probably one of the main reasons why the military have stepped in.

The regular police haven't been able to do much to stem the crime and it is causing tourists to rule out going to Pattaya. I do agree with Crag, If the bars keep up with their "tea money" payments and make sure their lbs stay out of trouble then they will continue to operate. Freelancers will definitely be harassed more, and those who have been committing crimes will likely be swept up.

You will continue to enjoy your visits to Thailand.

[George Pill]

Once read that ousted President Thaksin Shinawatra tried to rein in the corrupt police but gave up and tried to live with them. I think it's wonderful if Chan-0cha plan is to replace the corrupt police department and replace it with soldiers who obey orders. I have seen a few foreign policemen, and they are an asset helping with foreign language and English communication. Thai cops can't even speak English or pretend to. Please don't do any surprise visits to Obsessions. I love to plan foodies under the table.