PATTAYA, Thailand – Pressure groups in Pattaya are lobbying for government action following the recent BBC video about Thai prostitution. They include the Chonburi association representing tourism, a local real estate consortium and even PPP (Pattaya Pot Promoters). Thousands of social media warriors think The Dark Side of Paradise is just plain nonsense.
They all emphasize the damage done by sexual innuendo to international Thai tourism, although the arguments vary. Some say that Pattaya now has many other attractions and is fast becoming a family resort. Others stress that property prices could be undermined by bad publicity, whilst the cannabis lobby emphasizes that the video wrongly claims that the weed is about to be recriminalized.
A common reaction is to argue that Thai cities should ringfence prostitution by zoning procedures. This idea was first raised by the post-coup administration of general Prayut Chan-o-cha who in 2015 ordered a short-lived national crackdown on commercial vice. He asked for the 1960s’ entertainment venue act, which outlawed solicitation and indecent display, to be properly enforced.
The surprising thing is that the opening program of the miniseries The Dark Side of Paradise scarcely mentions Pattaya but concentrates on a Bangkok red-light district known as Khao San Road. The 50-minutes video also includes sections on the British embassy’s modest services, successful British entrepreneurs living a life of luxury and a segment with a Thai prostitute who sees British fathers and sons as a principal customer base.
One Facebook contributor wrote, “There is much nonsense in the video including misunderstandings about cannabis legislation and the laws about filming in public. The interview with the Bangkok prostitute is clearly designed to shock British audiences by promoting the idea that family members from UK are all sex tourists.”
The main point about The Dark Side of Paradise is that it’s “reality” TV, namely that the filming is essentially for entertainment rather than information. Presenter Zara McDermott is absolutely a reality star with programs such as Love Island and Made in Chelsea already under her belt. Another Facebook warrior wrote, “This click-bait program is in the broad tradition of the most famous reality star of all time: Donald Trump.”
