Sex workers at the Royal Garden Shopping Plaza

Sir,

I arrange tourist visits to Pattaya and have been pleased to see over the past few years that most of the sex workers have been removed from the Royal Garden Shopping Plaza.

However, I have now been in Pattaya for the past three weeks with my family and as my three children enjoy playing on the games machines on the third floor level I have personally experienced the reason for many of the recent complaints from my clients regarding the underage sex workers that are reappearing there.

On almost every occasion I have taken my children to the games area during this time I have been approached at all times of the day by one particular 17 year old boy. He readily admits he is an underage sex worker without ID and waits to pick up farang clients at the games machines and the balcony area that leads to RipleyтАЩs, he also appears to be an тАШagentтАЩ for other workers. I have seen him approach and be approached and go off with farang customers, which apart from his age making it illegal also gives the Royal Plaza a bad name and gives parents of children playing in the area cause for concern for their safety.

As so many children enjoy this area and as parents wish to feel that their children are in a safe area we have up until now promoted this Plaza as one of the shopping highlights in Pattaya for both its range of shops and its safe environment.
I did raise the question with security staff in the Plaza but they did not seem interested in the problem and in fact one was seen being handed money by the boy. We have now received so many adverse comments during the past few weeks about this situation from some of my tourist clients that we are temporarily stopping the child care service that we offer to clients whereby our female staff take clientsтАЩ children to the games area whilst parents shop and are informing parents of the current situation. We have also learned that men looking for young boys are being directed to the Plaza which indicates a return to the bad old days of that Plaza a few years ago and of course a danger to children who are there quite innocently.

It hoped that by bringing this to your attention, the Royal Garden Plaza management and the police will be able to take action to remove this boy and his fellow workers from the Plaza making it once again a place that both adults and children can feel comfortable spending time in. Maybe the Pattaya Mail is able to solicit a response on the situation from the PlazaтАЩs management where I have been unsuccessful in doing so.

In hope
Paul Adams
Adams Thai Travel Experiences


Royal Garden Plaza responds:

First of all, we greatly appreciate your information. As your concern, we do not ignore this issue, but we have also been monitoring this problem seriously. In addition, we would take your concern as our first priority to make you feel safe.
If any annoyance to our customers, we would record the pictures of any suspect sex workers and remove them from Plaza immediately. Not only to prevent this unexpected occurrence, but also to make our customers feel safe as well as comfortable spending time in the Plaza. We distribute pictures of suspected sex workers to our security guards to monitor those people before getting into Plaza areas.

Once again, we fully thank you for your information and your concern. We do hope that our actions would relieve your concerns and allow you to feel more comfortable and enjoy spending time in the Plaza.

Regards,
Suvit Vathna
Plaza Manager
Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya

http://www.pattayamail.com/current/letters.shtml#hd5

[ikarus]

re

If the security guards there are anything like those at other places (Silom Complex in Bangkok comes to mind) at least some of the security guards will be pointing out potential customers to the "working" boys

Tourists often say they want to see The Real Thailand. This is it! Teenage prostitution, drugs, corruption and probably "donations" to the boys in brown to stay out of it.

Say, how it is going with the BBC hidden camera crew? Are they still in Pattaya or is it safe to walk down Beach Road by now without being taped and cross-edited with scenes of some glue-sniffing street kids? :glasses11:

Pattaya? care factor?

Sir,

I arrange tourist visits to Pattaya and have been pleased to see over the past few years that most of the sex workers have been removed from the Royal Garden Shopping Plaza.

Royal Garden Plaza responds:

First of all, we greatly appreciate your information.

The recent threads about a scam where punters after picking up a boy and then after business was done were then confronted at their hotel and substantial sums of money demanded did in two cases originate at the RGP where the initial meeting took place.

RGP also have a policy of turning over their CCTV recordings to the police who have recently been working with a foreign film crew illustrating the problem of the underage sex trade in Thailand.

I am also informed by collegues working with CPU in Pattaya that the presence of farang police in RGP has now been increased following the complaint which was also made to the police and the Mayor as well as the CPU in Bangkok.

How does any of this make Pattaya any different than other world wide cities of the same size or bigger? Not condoning it, just making a point.

BBC undercover.... hmm... is it that MacIntyre fellow again? I remember when he was in Milan and discovered that the teenage models in the fashion industry were less in front of the camera than in bed with Italian men.

http://macintyre.com/

I always wondered why tourists want to bring their kids to Pattaya and to South Pattaya in particular. ...

From what I have seen in holiday brochures that promote Thailand almost every package included 'the lively beach resort of Pattaya'.

I would imagine that most people with or without families who do not know Pattaya take at face value the blurb the brochures put in front of people and do not bother to research the destinations themselves. After all if you are paying a professional tour company for a holiday most people would tend to take on face value what the company tells them about each desitnation.

[Hmmm]

Most of the people who know Pattaya's reputation are those who have some prurient interest in that reputation. I include myself in that group.

The rest of the world is largely unaware. My sister in the UK asked me about the very attractive Pattaya packages she was seeing in the UK press. She has been to Thailand before but didn't know Pattaya. I used the description from one of the Thailand guide books - "one big whorehouse".

Pattaya just won some award in Russia as SE Asia's top holiday destination. Makes you wonder doesn't it ? Along with that apparently undiscerning market, Pattaya now obviously taps an almost inexhaustible source of tourists from new markets in Asia, such as China.

I might be more sympathetic to a foreign guy running a business for foreigners in a foreign country if he wasn't lecturing the locals about the sensitivities of his affluent clients and showed some greater understanding of the problem beyond the impact on his business.

To bring unknowing tourists to a well-known brothel and then complain when they find sex there is disingenuous to say the least.

[Smiles]

A couple of years ago I was speaking to a couple of farangs (husband & wife) on the beach. Just idle conversation about their holiday and how were they enjoying it etc etc etc. Their reaction was somewhat muted (they liked a "lot" about Thailand) but both seemed to be especially taken aback by the (straight) beer bars, bar/pole dancing, screaming come-ons to passers-by (read: "themselves"). I kind of snickered a bit to them and asked whether they had been aware that such entertainment was pretty standard for Thai resort towns. No, they had not heard!

The Patong Beach version of debauchery is pretty well restricted to Bangla Rd and Sawatdirak Rd for the straight stuff, and one or two small sois in the Paradise Centre.
The rest of the place is lively enough, with all the normal tourist rip off stalls abounding in confusion. It also brags a 1000% better beach than Pattaya, and a lot of beautiful countryside throughout the rest of the Island. But these folks chose to stay in Patong the whole time, on the beach . . . so the walk back to the hotel every day took them past the bordello, and thus gave a rather dramatic-yet-scewed picture for them as to what Thailand is all about.

Pattaya has many more "sanook" sois than Patong has by a country mile. The beach is a cesspool. The sidewalks are broken up & dangerous (sad experience there!). The noise never-ending. It's fun for a few days, but a whorehouse nonetheless.

Farangs should do their homework. Brochures put out by travel agents or tour companies hardly qualify as "homework".

Cheers ...

[dab69]

Kids really PLAY all those crappy games they have on third floor there?

Don't blame the kids!!!!!!!!!- poor little devils are there because Of the demand from western punters ,


don't say security have missed all westerner's that troll around the "Royal Garden Plaza" looking for kids to pick up ,

they generally out number the kids that are prostituting themselves.-----[Of course they've got them all on film Thai police aren't stupid they know who is who ]

go along on any evening between 5-30-----9-pm ish --------and just observe , they the westerners sit on the benches opposite the toilet's -or walk around and around from level to level , and they troll the kids playing on the games machines ----------then end up in droves hanging around at the exit area near the steps going down to the beach, until they pick up trade,

[Dodger]

Every time I take Boy Specials step brother (age 9) shopping at RGP I end up getting hand-tugged into the game room where he does the rounds. For a 9 Y/O he amazes me at the skill in which he plays these games.

I can just imagine how I would be perceived on camera having a 9 Y/O boy sitting on my lap as we speed around those dangerous cures on the Speed Racer game. Also, included in our RGP visit routine, is final stop at Dairy Queen to treat ourselves to double scoop ice cream cones which are devoured by the time the song teaw reaches the curve at Walking Street.

I imagine the viewers of those hidden cameras think the ice cream was the tip.

As an add-on...I've never once caught on to the fact that all those kids hanging around the games were prostitutes...how naive of me!

As an add-on...I've never once caught on to the fact that all those kids hanging around the games were prostitutes...how naive of me!

I do not think for one second that many of the kids hanging around the games area are prostitutes.

In fact I think one of the the points of the letter was, that kids innocently playing the machines would be taken for prostitutes by punters looking for underage trade.

As you say everything that happens in RGP is filmed and the Thai Police have ready access to the film.

However I understand that since the letter was received by not only the Pattaya Mail and the local boys in brown but also the Bangkok CPU action is being taken by the Bangkok CPU to address the problem.

I find this an interesting series of replies and several things spring to mind. First, the RGP is an air conditioned haven which as an entertainment centre has plenty within it to draw in all ages. Thai kids and teens, at weekends and during school holidays will gravitate towards it in the way of young people everywhere. This means I support the view that the vast majority of kids there are entirely innocent and not 'on the game'. Likewise, the vast majority of farangs who circulate around the place are also not 'on the prowl'.
Sing Shorty Sing's post, like others posted here, are written in a way that on the surface gives the impression that he is anti child abuse, but nonetheless gives the game away as to where to go, what to do, what to look out for. Very helpful if you didnt know pattaya and were an incoming first time chickenhawk. Dont attack me shorty, I am sure you are a kind guy, but as some might say 'thanks for the tips'.
Then we have the suggestion that the halls of RSG are riddled with Thai and farang undercover police interested solely in building up intel about child prostitution, where CCTV footage is diligently perused and shared, and where its impossible to move without bumping into reporters, cops, CPU lurkers. God help a bored farang who watches behind a Thai child as he play on a machine. Knowing how Thailand works, I dont think this is true. There are people who write here who have honourable intentions about ridding the city of this sort of thing. However, they do exaggerate things, possibly in the hope of if they throw out enough scary stuff (eg CCTV footage regularly looked at), then this in itself will have an effect. I hope this is true, but lets not make the innocent farang child liker so scared he wont want to interact with one of the friendliest races we have.
My suggestion is for more overt policing to take place with kids who haunt the place each evening and afternoon asked to leave if they are drifting aimlessly about. Perhaps they coukld concentrate on youngsters who dont have traditional Thai school haircuts; this would remove the 'street kid' element.

[bing]

It has been known for years that the Royal Garden is one of the prime spots for law enforcement to observe for underage contacts. The other side of the coin is that there are some neat places to eat and shop. The Japanese Zen restaurant is one of my favorites. It may be the Sake that allures me into the front door. Also the Underwear store is a shopping must. I don't do gold for Thia friends, but some neat shorts are always fun to go shop for.

[Geezer]

A couple of years ago at RGP I was walking up an escalator which was turned off. When I was about two meters from the top, the escalator started -- going down!. I decided to make a dash for the top of the descending escalator, and in the process presented quite a spectacle.

About two hours later a friend called me to say he had just seen my performance on TV. Later I returned to see if I could spot the hidden camera, and failed.

lester ---

I am not a new face in Pattaya having stayed in The area -for very long periods in the past -yes I have regularly visited The royal Garden -I used to stay at the adjoining "ROYAL GARDEN HOTEL" you rightly say there are some really good restaurants ,and high class shops ,yes you observe i am anti child abuse ,"VERY " much so , And I have taken time to observe the goings on ,

Its fair comment that many tourists -and Ex pats do visit the royal because of its air Conditioning , and do innocently watch kids and look at the Computer game machines---------
But I'm not talking about them I'm talking about those that are there preying on the Kids-OK I agree many of the kids are there to pick falangs up ,That cannot be denied !! but until these kids are of a legal age [Actually prostitution is illegal in Thailand} we are assuming 18 yrs old then the predators are criminals not the children,

But the hard fast fact remains , theses kids have young lives that a\re being totally destroyed by these people------there are plenty of organizations that try to help get theses people behind bars -and they have my full support ---------so if I catch any in my camera lens ?????????????????
-------------------------you want my reasons --------I was sexually abused as a child,----------And it hurts , and any one who try's to defend these bastards is as guilty

took this from other posting



2006-02-03 20:09:39
Italian Restaurant Owner Arrested after Accusations of Under-age Sex and Possession of Child Pornography.

Officers from the Transnational Crime Suppression Unit at Pattaya Police Station received a complaint from the National Women and Childrens Welfare Protection Agency, in Bangkok about an Italian Man here in Pattaya who was alleged to have abused young boys. Police Major Panya began the investigation into the foreigner and based on evidence an arrest warrant was issued and Police made their way to the Simpatia Italian Restaurant, in Pattaya Second Road in South Pattaya and arrested Mr. Enrico Dellea aged 46 from Italy. He was taken back to his apartment at the View Talay Condominium where Police inspected the room and his computer which contained a number of Illicit images of young boys. He confessed to touring Pattaya late at night looking for street kids and he would offer them 500 baht and take them back to his condo where 2006-02-03 20:09:39
Italian Restaurant Owner Arrested after Accusations of Under-age Sex and Possession of Child Pornography.

Officers from the Transnational Crime Suppression Unit at Pattaya Police Station received a complaint from the National Women and Childrens Welfare Protection Agency, in Bangkok about an Italian Man here in Pattaya who was alleged to have abused young boys. Police Major Panya began the investigation into the foreigner and based on evidence an arrest warrant was issued and Police made their way to the Simpatia Italian Restaurant, in Pattaya Second Road in South Pattaya and arrested Mr. Enrico Dellea aged 46 from Italy. He was taken back to his apartment at the View Talay Condominium where Police inspected the room and his computer which contained a number of Illicit images of young boys. He confessed to touring Pattaya late at night looking for street kids and he would offer them 500 baht and take them back to his condo where he would allegedly conduct lewd acts with them. Police have charged the man with sex with minors and possession of illegal child pornography. He is now in the hands of the court who will either deport him or send him to prison here in Thailand assuming he is found guilty of the crimes committed.
Pattaya City News.
Friday 3rd February 2006.

he would allegedly conduct lewd acts with them. Police have charged the man with sex with minors and possession of illegal child pornography. He is now in the hands of the court who will either deport him or send him to prison here in Thailand assuming he is found guilty of the crimes committed.
Pattaya City News.
Friday 3rd February 2006.
ANY TIPS HERE FOR YOU LESTER----------

[dab69]

if all this was really true why are so few arrests ever made?
the place was empty the whole two times I have gone up there to see the
cheapo games they have, although some preacher/social worker (really badly dressed)
looked real bad with some kids around the food court, i didn't ass-u-me anything

some mentalities can whip into a frenzy without fact or clue, others boast their
high connections with "knowledge" of imaginary cameras and "police"

-----do you have a white stick by any chance ?-----

DELETED

What ever next,will the plaza stop farrangs taking there boy friends in to shop,or "straight men" with there "girls" ??. It is however the responsibility of all visitors to refuse under age boys and girls if offered sex,and if he says or looks under age do not risk it.I have stayed in two hotels where the boys in brown turn a blind eye to underage sex.I do not stay there any more the hotel lost a long stay customer. It is up to the majority of us who do not wished to be labeled in the press as perverts hunting down young boys and girls . We should also report the ones who do one bad apple and all that. The Plaza is a good place to shop while in Pattaya and I would not stop visiting there just to avoid the boys we do not need to have sex with everyone we meet show some control.