Brits warned of 'Sin City' beach resort with 'cheap sex and punters beaten up'

24 November 2023 , 08:57

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'Walking Street' in Pattaya pictured (Image: Bettmann Archive)

People are being warned of a "paradise" city in Thailand with a dark side where prostitutes roam the streets and punters could find themselves beaten up.

Pattaya has sandy beaches and glorious weather but it is also a hotspot for sex tourism with many visitors heading to 'Walking Street' which is lined with bars and women hoping to find a partner. This seedy area has been blamed for damaging Thailand's reputation and giving Pattaya the nickname 'Sin City'.

Brit Jack Fitzmaurice, 28, reportedly found himself in the middle of a 'Wild West type bar room brawl' at a strip club in Pattaya. He was having a drink with a woman when others became jealous and a huge fight broke out.

Sunaree Tungprakhon, 35, who was involved in the initial fight, told police that her argument with another dancer had sparked the chaos. Nick Hodge, another Brit present at the time, reportedly said: "There was hair being pulled and legs flying everywhere. Then the bar staff joined in and it became quite nasty. It was like a Wild West-type bar fight you see in the old movies. Just mad."

Outside a go-go bar on 'Walking Street' (LightRocket via Getty Images)

Escape Artist, a magazine for expats, said there are many women trying to find a Western husband. It wrote: "It would be quite an unfortunate experience if a family of tourists were to accidentally stumble upon this part of town. Women in crop tops and short shorts roam the bars on this street, and others like it, hoping to find a Western husband who can give them a better life."

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Pattaya was once a quiet coastal village but has transformed into a notorious sex tourism destination where local women often sell themselves, mainly to British men. One Brit named Darren runs a blog called 'Pattaya Unlimited', where he says "sex is easy" and objectifies Thai women, despite having a Thai wife and children, reported the Daily Star.

Jack Fitzmaurice, 28, pictured on the floor in a Thai club (ViralPress)

The man wrote: "What happens with girls in Pattaya, in girlie bars, adult nightlife venues, and naughty massage parlours, is what Pattaya is most famous for, why it's been dubbed 'Sin City,' and why most men visit Pattaya for the first time." He also confessed that "the pursuit of girls and sex, whether at bars and naughty nightlife venues, massage parlours, or online, will account for much of your time and most of your expenditure while on vacation in Pattaya."

Pattaya boasts sandy beaches and fine weather (Getty Images)

In 2010, the New York Times described the destination as: "If Las Vegas is Sin City, Pattaya is a bear hug from Lucifer himself." But the city administration has tried to improve its image and Pattaya does have a growing number of more refined restaurants, an annual music festival and even regular polo tournaments. "There are people who say Pattaya is the paradise of criminals," Col Atiwit Kamolrat, the head of the immigration police, said in 2010. "It's now going to be impossible for them to hide here."

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Leigh Mcmanus