I could not believe that the following letter has appeared in the Pattaya Mail (or, at least, in the on-line edition).

It should certainly stir up a hornets' nest!

Dear Sir;
Having lived and worked in Thailand for many years prior to my retirement I make an effort to keep up with events by reading the Thai press and the English language Thai press on-line. Also friends keep me informed of the status quo in the country.
I am writing to express my concern about the fact that your journal carries detrimental and negative stories on a nearly weekly basis about a tiny minority of farangs, namely those who love adolescent boys.
As you are no doubt aware, Asian culture and Buddhist culture in particular reveres men who look after the welfare of young people, especially boys. They are seen as putting wayward youth on the path of acceptance and tolerance. A scant knowledge of Thai classical literature, documents these traits. Needless to say, the role of monks in boysтАЩ upbringing is legendary. The fact that this vindictive campaign is only aimed at farangs speaks volumes. As far as I have been able to ascertain no Thai has been in trouble for consensual relationships with a boy.
Until quite recent times there was no such concept in law in Thailand (or elsewhere in South-East Asia, except for laws left over from colonial times), of an age of consent. But we are now in the quite ridiculous situation where the age of consent in Thailand is higher than the average in Western nations.
As we all know it is of course the dominance of Western NGOs in developing countries forcing Judeo-Christian values on foreign cultures which has resulted in this very sad state of affairs. Where there was love and harmony, in the space of a few short years, due to the introduction of Westernisation, there is now exploitation and violence. Young people and their adult friends are now no less than criminals. The mafia and corruption are the name of the game these days.
Boy lovers are now being violently blackmailed, even held hostage until large sums of money are handed over, and their captors safe in the knowledge the farang will not complain to the authorities for fear of prosecution in Thailand or back home. Children and young people are being forced into having relationships with farangs by ruthless gangs in order to satisfy these criminal activities. This complete volte-face in the space of a few short years has been brought about by the busybody do-gooders of the west.
I feel your newspaper along with others really ought to be ashamed of yourselves by giving publicity to these Western pressure groups. Instead you should be highlighting the damage they are causing to the fabric of life in Thailand and how the East has nothing to learn from Westerners on social mores. (One only has to compare the behaviour of Western youth to its counterpart in the East). You should be celebrating the difference of Thai culture vis-├а-vis the West and bring out its strengths of tolerance, social harmony and acceptance. That, no doubt, is after all why you like living in Thailand!
Be brave, fight for the truth!
Yours faithfully,
A. Doctor
England

PS On the same page was another letter, reprinted below. I guess that's what's meant by "balanced coverage"!

Editor;
I have been visiting Thailand (every 6 months) for the last 8 years. ItтАЩs a beautiful country and the Thai people are fantastic! I would like to give a тАЬbig thank youтАЭ to the Thai police and everyone else involved with the arrest of all the foreign pedophiles (Pattaya Mail, 30th May-5 June). ThatтАЩs the тАЬonly problemтАЭ I have noticed in Pattaya: too many foreign pedophiles, walking along Beach Road and hanging out in local malls, looking for kids.
Please continue the crackdown on these sick perverts and hopefully all of them will receive a sentence of at least 30, 40 or 50 years in prison.
A very special тАЬthank youтАЭ to Ms Mariel Schaltz, keep up the good work.
Thank you,
J. Cole
USA

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