Does sex tourism in Thailand/Asia mean greater number of 'pests' in diving there?

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Hi girls, I'm considering doing my Instructor Certification and go anywhere in the world. I want to go to Asia for the diving but am concerned there will be poorer behaviour from those who are not just there for the diving. I'm not a prude and am not averse to relationships developing but overtly and continuous sexual references and inappropriate behaviour is depressing. Is this a real problem or just my perception?


I live and work in Phuket, Thailand where you have the combination of great diving and sex tourism or "sexpats". To be honest I've never been uncomfortable by it. I'm a 25 year old instructor on the island so i'm young and female. It's not something that's ever thrown in your face unless you want it to be. And I've never been pestered too bad. There are always the occassional creeps that come along and want to share some pretty grotesque stories, but I just ignore them. I would so go ahead with it! I love it here and I spend most of my time on the boat anyways :)
 
i went to bohol, alona beach a few months back. i didn't see any inappropriate and shady stuff in the island. as a matter of fact, everyone there in alona was very respectful and polite with the tourist. i'm sure it does exist, i see posters in the airport about warnings and where to report if you happen to see anything like that. but yeah, for the most part it's not out in the open.
 
One of the many reasons why many expats including myself choose to live on or near Alona Beach,Panglao,Bohol. The area is just the right size for visiting people, male or female to have a great vacation without the threat of hustlers,drugs,bar girls,ladyboys,or crime. It does make me laugh when someone comments "his girlfriend looks 16 & he looks 50". How the heck do you know & why is it your buisness? My girlfriend 'looks' 16 but is actually 28. It is just the way Asian locals appearance is and how lucky they are!
Dive safe & Have fun!
KT
 
I can't talk about Thailand, but I live and work in Subic Bay. Neither can I offer a woman's perspective - although I can pass on what I have heard, or have seen.

The 'vibe' here in Subic is very different to Thailand. There is a sex trade here and it is common to see older men (think, retirement age) with young (legal age) girlfriends. Some are tourists (the girlfriends 'Rent-a..'), but many others live here... and they are married to those young ladies.

It's hard to get your head around the financial and cultural issues that foster such a great age disparity in relationships. That said, these girls are mostly very happy, they enjoy a level of security that would otherwise be unobtainable for them. They know their children will be raised to a better life, with greater opportunities. For the most part, they will be loved, respected and cared for.. often far more so than they might enjoy from a local partner of the same culture. In many cases, the western boyfriend will pay for their girlfriend to go through college - offering them a real long-term future.

The only time I see those girls upset is when their western boyfriend breaks their heart. Genuine heart-break because the guy, many decades their elder, ended a relationship. There's nothing faked about that.

The bar culture here is an interesting study. I've been here a while, so have had opportunity to see this life 'behind-the-scenes'. I do occasionally drink in the bars (some have great live music) and and know many of the staff as genuine friends: the (western) owners, the mama-sans and the girls. The owners demand their girls are treated with respect. The 'mama-sans' are called that for a reason - they protect and guide the girls like a mother. I don't envy either the owners, nor the mama-sans, for having to deal with the dramas and demands of dozens of 18-26 year old girls....

I do not engage the services of the girls - they know that, so I don't get viewed as a 'customer' and enjoy a more genuine relationship with them. Most are sweet, caring girls who do their jobs to feed their children and, perhaps, meet the foreign 'man of their dreams'. I end up as a 'relationship counselor' far too often. Most enjoy their jobs, get treated with respect and enjoy an income far greater than they could otherwise hope to earn. There are times I go home with my cheeks aching from laughter... or spend an evening discussing politics or culture etc with a 'dancer'. It defies preconceptions. Some of the girls are college educated. One friend is a fully qualified nurse..very intelligent, very articulate and a good conversationalist...degree educated, but unemployable due to that job market being saturated here.. she's a former bar waitress of several years.. but now engaged to, and very happy with, a retired US Navy officer. An observer might scorn them - a large age gap - but the true story is quite remarkable and heart warming.

I don't see under-age prostitution here. I know it probably happens, but not in the 'main' bar areas. I assume it's a shady back-alley bar sort of thing. All I know is that the Philippines authorities have a very firm line on under-age sex. You'd need to be an idiot to cavort, or be seen in public, with an under-age girl. It really isn't an issue, but may appear so, due to the fact that many Filipino girls look considerably younger than their actual age. My Filipina partner genuinely looks mid-twenties... but she's 40 (the same age as me)...and an ENT/Cosmetic surgeon. Guessing her age is not made easier due to her passion for all things 'pink' and 'Hello Kitty'. It pays not to be prejudiced, as assumptions can be wildly wrong.

For a visiting western female, I think it'd be fair to say that there is little cause for concern about harassment. I know several western girls who live here (Subic) and the only thing I hear them complain about is the impossibility of finding a guy. It must be depressing to have 'the tables turned', but western girls really are the 'chasers' here... not something they'd be used to at home. Those western girls that I know here also drink in the bars and also have friends who work in those bars. When you can see beyond the facade and cultural stereotypes, the reality is very different... very understandable and not very objectionable really...
 
Sexism and male privilege happen everywhere. Go for your goals, and find a situation that is right for you. Believe me, I work in construction and am usually the only woman and the only openly gay person there, so I know inappropriate behavior all too well. It's all about finding a shop/group of divers that is right for you.
 
male privilege?
Really?

Must be something over there

Why is the rum always gone
 
Seems like most of the sex tourism these creeps are into is about prepubescent boys. At least that's what you always see in the news...
 
I have lived and worked for over 13 years in Asia but cannot say at any point I have been too bothered by the sex tourism. In Thailand it is in limited places, I have been in Phuket now for many years and it does happen, but you can easily avoid it. On the boats there is not a problem. As it was said in a previous post, the men who are interested in that side of Thailand are interested in the Asian girls, so pretty much leave the westerners alone. As a dive professional you are not included in that side of the island by the tourists who are here for that reason.
Other places in Asia are pretty much the same, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia I had no problem living there.
If you are in a Muslim area just respect the locals by not exposing too much flesh when in public area's, beaches and boats are fine for swimwear but not the streets. Just use common sense and there should be no problem.
 
Seems like most of the sex tourism these creeps are into is about prepubescent boys. At least that's what you always see in the news...

Not just in the news. I was in Bangkok the other day, and my sons were bitching because I refused to pay for adjoining rooms, so they had to alternate sleeping on the couch in our hotel room.

Then one day we were going to breakfast as an older Westerner and his young Thai "friend" (male) came out of the room, and my youngest asked loudly "I wonder if he is making his son sleep on the couch as well?". Somehow I thought that was improbable.
 
male privilege?
Really?

Must be something over there

Why is the rum always gone

OMG.... The "rum" jokes have even found their way over to this thread from the Coz crowd. How funny.

Seriously though, I have avoided Thai diving trips for one simple reason. I don't feel like having my name flagged in any Fed Government computer as a possible "sex feind". They actually track who comes and goes to this region and coordinate with Thai authorities on any sex crimes cases that accure. As they should. There are lots of great diving locals that don't have these issues. I will stick with diving there. B.
 
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