I first went to Thailand in 1997 and immediately fell in love with the country. Thailand at that time to me was mysterious and exotic, full of potentials and pitfalls.
Fast forward to 2010 and here I am after 13 years and many trips to the LOS sharing, with the help of my 
Is Pattaya the Biggest Brothel in the World?
I was scanning through Yahoo Answers over the weekend and I ran across this question. I know that Pattaya has quite a reputation, but I didn’t know it was quite that bad. I mean really, Pattaya is a smallish city at best, with an official population of just 72,000 people. Granted there is a large-ish number of westerners who live at least part time in Pattaya and aren’t included in that number, but c’mon.
Take a look at Nevada which has over 30 licensed brothels. And what about prostitution in New York, Los Angeles, Moscow, Seoul and even Bangkok itself. There are much larger numbers of prostitutes and in some places it is just as open as Pattaya.
Since the Thai’s don’t put the same negative connotation on prostitution that westerners do it is much more open. Don’t get me wrong, upper class Thai’s will still frown on prostitutes and will view them as second class citizens, but they also acknowledge the reality of the situation and the fact that prostitution has and will always exist. They know what pigs men are 
There is no doubt that Pattaya was developed due to the sex trade, maintained because of the sex trade, and prospers today because of the sex trade. It is likely that billions are spent annually in Thailand on sex and all of the related tourist dollars spent on hotels, food, drinks, condoms, gifts, taxis etc.
But Pattaya can be more than just sex. You can go windsurfing, parasailing, bungy jumping, horse-riding, Go-Karting, shooting, scuba diving, waterskiing, snorkeling, sailing, jet-skiing and bowling. Or you can play snooker, golf, badminton, tennis or squash. You can even race Formula 3 cars at the Prince Bira International Circuit which is located on the outskirts of town.
Pattaya is also by far the most westernized place in Thailand and you are just as likely to hear English or German on the streets as you are Thai. Most of the signs include both Thai and English, something you won’t find even in Bangkok. English language newspapers, books and magazines are easy to find and many of the bar owners in Pattaya are farang.
No, Pattaya probably isn’t the largest brothel in the world although it is the cheapest and that is the draw for many. That combined with the ease of obtaining any kind of sexual favor has made Pattaya a kind of legend among sex tourists and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Thailand would need to crack down on prostitution there as well as in Bangkok and Phuket and there is just too much money to be lost from the millions of sex tourists that come to Thailand each year.
If you are easily offended by seeing blatant sex for sale, fat old men with young girls or transvestites (katooey) then leave Pattaya off your tour agenda. But don’t expect it to change because Pattaya is what it is. Love it or hate Pattaya is there to stay.
BTW – I haven’t been to Pattaya yet, although Golf has. Seems a very interesting place for people watching. I do want to get there sometime if for no other reason than to see Tiffany’s Show. If you’ve been to Pattaya we’d love to hear about it, leave a comment.
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I’m a professional, middle aged, American man and have been to Thailand 5 or 6 times. Although I’ve toured most of the country, I always spend some time in Pattaya on every trip. Pattaya does have a stigma of decadence, but if you were to visit this place, you would see that it also has a very pleasant side that attracts couples, families and beachgoers from around the world. I hate being labeled a “sex tourist” just because I like Pattaya. It sounds so perverse. If having the affections of young, willing and beautiful women during your vacation is a crime, then I guess I’m guilty. I’m sure many other Western men would agree that Pattaya is rejuvinating to the spirit and body. Something we don’t get at home.
Pattaya is what it is and there is no place on Earth like it. Let’s be fair though, being what it is there is no way that a white male will NOT be labeled as a sex tourist if he’s off to Pattaya. Nothing wrong with that though if you can live with the label. I agree that it can be a lot of fun and quite relaxing and rejuvanating. Add to that the fact that it is cheap and relatively safe compared to similar destinations and it’s no wonder Pattaya sees millions of visitors a year.
And while it’s true that Pattaya DOES have it’s more innocent side there is no way I would choose it as a beach destination when I’m in Thailand. I mean really there are hundreds of islands in Thailand and every single one is cleaner than Pattaya.
I say just go and enjoy and don’t worry about what others think. And when you come back we’d love to hear your story here at Thailand Musings.
I think Pattaya probably has the largest red light area in the World. There is lots to
do in Pattaya and for a small city it really does pack everything in there. It is also obvious that that city has been built around the sex scene and that is what really keeps the city going. I think if there was a serious crackdown on prostitution then
the tourist rate would fall 30 – 40%. Saying that in recent years I have seen a lot of package holiday groups from China, Taiwan, India and Russia coming to town.
Like the place or not it is a fun place to be. Have to also say I have never seen a place with so many bars.
Is Pattaya the biggest brothel in the world? Yes and No. I live in Thailand, and when you know the country and its poor people from the North East, then you will understand why Pattaya is what it is. They do not consider it prostitution, it is a job to them, for which they are given a tip, which is up to the person concerned. A large amount of this so called payment goes home to support the family and usually the offspring who are being cared for by sisters and parents. There are off course the hardcore girls, but they are in the minority. Most only stay for a season or so, and are replaced by other from home, who see them return with nice clothes etc. and want to try for themselves. Most foreigners who see and talk to them would find it hard to refuse them, they are feminine, know they are femoine, and show they are feminine, probably some of the most beautiful girls in the world, and many finish up being married to foreigners. It is a life that has been going on for a long time now, and treated as going to work just like you and me. In reality only Pattaya, Phuket and parts of Bangkok have this hotbed of available sex, it is allowed but controlled, and you seldom hear complaints. Try it you may just form an opinion
i hope so going in dec. there.know good place to stay cheap.i am 68yrs.old want to die with smile on face. thank you please reply GEORGE
Hey George,
Have a great time, but please don’t die yet. You’re young enough to have many happy trips to the LOS so take it easy.
Cheap is a relative term based on your own finances so not entirely sure how cheap “cheap” is for you. No worries though, there are plenty of hotels in Pattaya that are under US$60 a night (which I consider cheap). You can do some searching and get a great deal at http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya.html
I have live in Pattaya for 7 years.
I know this city needs the tourist business to survive so
I don’t normally say anything against those who come
here, for whatever reason but to describe prostitutes as
‘willing’ is just incredible! I assume you mean they ‘want
it’, if the ‘it’ is money then yes, certainly, they do! If you
want to believe that prostitutes are just ‘horny’ then as
long as you keep spending, then I’m sure that is okay
with everyone. If you just come here for two weeks
there is no problem buying into the fantasy but if you
live here, you soon see how false it all is and that
many of the Thais who come here to work are
desperate, they don’t want to work in bars or screw
with farang. Thai law recognise children as solely
the women’s responsibility, even within marriage there
is no legal requirement for the ‘husband’ to provide
child support. Many women in Pattaya (not all by any
means) are single mothers who have been abandoned.
Well what can I say,yes there is sex available,often quite openly,I have visited Pattaya numerious times over the past three years, and have met some really nice girls,I think the trick is (when dealing with the girls) is to treat them as you would back home,,After all would you really send a girl/woman money just because you had sex with her,you dont have to be nasty about it,just say no.You have to be a bit “street wise”dont go around like Chuckaway Charlie,throwing money about as if its going out of style,or your bound to attract the wrong types,I personally prefere the openess found in Pattaya,and dont find it slezzy,as in various other capital citys around the world,I dont see myself as a “sex tourist”a term I think drempt up by P C types.
David/Nick
I think you’re right that the term “sex tourist” was dreamed up by the PC types and it’s a shame that these types of people cannot simply live their lives and let others live theirs. If they are so concerned with the “sex tourist” then why not do something about helping the girls who feel they have no other alternative to selling their bodies? The fact is that most of these western do gooders have no idea what it’s like to truly live in poverty or to have no opportunity to better yourself.
Pattaya is no better or worse than any other city in the world, there are good things and there are bad things, however this classification of good and bad mostly depends on your own perception. I would venture to guess that whatever is available in Pattaya is also available in your own home city, just maybe not so openly or cheaply.
Do good and treat others as you would want to be treated. If everyone could follow this advice I think the world would be a much better place.
i plan on visiting Pattaya in may! will let you know.
I can tell you that Pattaya has changed there seam’s to be a large amount of Russian money coming into Pattaya. Walking Street has changed it is getting to up scale and expensive. The old Walking Street has changed and in my way of thinking not for the better. But it is a place to put on your list of places to visit while in LOS. All large cities in Thailand have there sex trade going on and you will not have to look to hard to find it. I’ve been to most areas and love the people and the country I have been going to LOS four times a year for the past seven years.
There are clean and very cheep hotels there and the girls will help you save money because if they do they know you will tip them better and that is what it’s all about so do treat them the way you would any one back in your home country and they will show you the time of your life. Remember if you would like a companion to travel with you through out the country they are willing to show you there country.
I’ve heard much about the influx of Russian money into Thailand and it seems as if much of it has been negative. I can’t say that I’ve run into any Russians in Thailand, however I did spend some time (about a month) in Russia several years ago and I can say that I found the Russians that I met to be very welcoming, honest and hard working. If it weren’t for the horrible weather I wouldn’t mind spending more time there, but really the only months that aren’t cold are July and August and even then warm for Russia is quite mild.
i was just in pattaya a few months ago. this time again, with my thai wife. we were looking for bookstores so i could resupply my reading material. except for a few provocatively dressed girls, and a few young girl with much older man couples, you wouldn’t even know there was a “sex trade” there. if you didn’t goto the walking street and the few blocks before it, you also wouldn’t really know.
i get weary of fending off the knowing looks and rolling eyes from people who haven’t been there, but still ask me, “so there’s a lot of prostitution in thailand i hear. and a lot of sex with children available isn’t there?” every alternative newspaper in the USA has pages of ads in the back for “escorts”. i ask these people, “what do you think those ads are about? do you think that we don’t have prostitution here?” i try to let people know that the sex trade is a tiny part of thailand – because it is – confined to a few small areas in a few cities.
pattaya does have a lot of tourist fun to be had- steve gave a good list of them. it’s a little TOO westernized for my taste, but i live in thailand (work in the states) and i prefer to be with the regular thai people in the country… but i love bangkok!
girls in the bar business are not the best candidates for marriage and long term – the easy money and constant acting is hard to undo. there are many many more thai women who would just like a good husband.
i went to pattaya, and patpong, nana, and soi kowboy a number of times on my early trips before i was married. very rejuvenating indeed! but i like being married to my country girl better. it has long term benefits.
@george if you want to find an inexpensive hotel in pattaya – even $15-$20 a night for a no frills room, tell your taxi driver there is an extra 50 baht for him if he takes you to a 500 baht per night hotel, make him wait while you go inside and confirm the price and room, then go out and pay him the tip. you’ll find one that way. you arrive in pattaya by bus, and the buses drop you off on the big road a ways from the beach, so you have to take a taxi, or sam-lo to the beach area.
Lol, when you go to pattaya you will find it has a damn site more than 30 brothels; many streets have that many!
I’d go for Angeles city being the biggist shit hole in the world though.
The whole reason for travel is to understand the world a bit better – to step out of one’s comfort zone and experience the world as it is; not as one thinks it should be, and certainly not to compare it to home. If you want home, then stay there. If you want to get a broader perspective, be quiet, look, and listen. Pattaya is no different than any other city in the world. It is populated by hard working, honest people doing what they need to do to make a living. If you have hard criticisms for Pattaya, you might want to take a look at your home city. Is it perfect? If not, go home and make it so, then travel the world teaching the rest of us how you accomplished it.
Pattaya is hands down the dirtiest, most disgusting city I’ve ever been in. If anyone really wants to see a beach, there are so many better places. So many sleezy, creepy men and prostitutes everywhere. I will never go back there.
Yes, this is what I can comment upon, I’ve been there…and this stuff holds the whole Pattaya !