"is at Pattaya Beach Road. CentralFestival Pattaya Beach is different from Central Festival Center Pattaya because CentralFestival has been an alternative name for the Big C North Pattaya for several years. But in 2016, Central Festival Center Pattaya has a big renovation and rename to Central Marina. The mall is capable of providing parking places for over 2,000 vehicles. CentralFestival Pattaya Beach CentralFestival is a shopping mall in Pattaya, Thailand. The mall opened in 2009 and was the first shopping mall of Central Pattana, Thailand's largest retail corporation under the ""CentralFestival"" brand. The mall has a retail podium of 200,000"
"was replaced as tourism minister in November 2017. On 21 February 2017, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that he will order the police to dismantle Pattaya's sex industry. ""I don't support prostitution"", said Prayut. Sex tourism is niche market in Thailand that many tourist visiting Thailand attempt to utilize. There are 30,000 estimated sex workers in Thailand. Because the sex market trades with foreigners, the spread of HIV is big concern for the Thai government. Tourism in Thailand Tourism is a major economic contributor to the Kingdom of Thailand. Estimates of tourism receipts directly contributing to the Thai GDP"
"annual visitors. In July 2005, Phuket was voted one of the world's top five retirement destinations by ""Fortune Magazine"". In 2017, Phuket received about 10 million visitors, most of them foreign, with China the leading contributor. Tourists generated some 385 billion baht in revenues, nearly 14 percent of the 2.77 trillion baht earned by the nation as a whole. As with most of Thailand, the majority of the population is Buddhist, but there is a significant number of Muslims (20 per cent) in Phuket, mainly descendants of the island's original sea-dwelling people. Among the Muslims, many are of Malay descent."
"In July 2016 it was reported that the Thai government intended to abolish the sex industry. Ms Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, the tourism minister, said ""Tourists don't come to Thailand for [sex]. They come here for our beautiful culture"" and that ""We want Thailand to be about quality tourism. We want the sex industry gone"". Kobkarn was replaced as tourism minister in November 2017. The primary tourist ""prostitution zones"" of Thailand are often identified as the red-light districts of Bangkok and Pattaya as well as Patong Beach Resort on Phuket Island. In addition Hat Yai and other Malaysian border cities cater to"
"kind, including prostitution, taking place there. Pattaya also has Asia's largest gay scene based around Boyztown, the Jomtien Complex, and Sunee Plaza. The city is also famous for its flamboyant ""kathoey"" cabaret shows where transsexual and transgender entertainers perform to packed houses. Large hospitals in the area include Bangkok Pattaya Hospital (private, the most expensive), Pattaya International Hospital (private), Banglamung Hospital (public), Pattaya City Hospital (public) and Pattaya Memorial Hospital (private). Many foreign tourists have dental and medical procedures done in Pattaya, although Bangkok is more popular as a medical tourist destination. In recent years, Pattaya has served as a"
"the region, killing up to 5,300 people in Thailand, and two hundred thousand more throughout the Asian region. Some 250 were reported dead in Phuket, including foreign tourists. Almost all of the major beaches on the west coast of Phuket, especially Kamala, Patong, Karon, and Kata sustained major damage, with some damage caused to resorts and villages on the island's southern beaches. Thailand's hardest hit area was the Takua Pa District of Phang Nga Province north of Phuket, where a thousand or more Burmese workers building new beach resorts died. In December 2006, Thailand launched the first of 22 tsunami-detection"
"as US$825 million owing to reduced international and national tourism. TAT projected that between 220,000 and 300,000 visitors would cancel their trips. Tourism numbers had been running higher than 2010 until the end of October 2011. Arrivals at Bangkok's airport were up 6.7 percent compared to October 2010 and same month last year, Phuket arrivals were up 28.5 percent. The TAT wanted tourists to know tourist destinations such as Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Pai, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Pattaya, Sattahip, Chonburi, Chantaburi, Phetchaburi, Hua Hin, Cha-am, Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Surat Thani, Trang, Satun, Hat Yai, Rayong, Trat, Chumphon,"
"and healthy. Phu Foi Lom Phu Foi Lom (Thai: ภูฝอยลม) is an ecotourism destination in Udon Thani, Thailand. Its plateau is 600 meters above sea level, and it is a part of Pan Don Pa ko National Reserve Park. The name ""Phu Foi Lom"" is derived from the lichen named ""Foi Lom"", but they are hard to find because forest trespassers used to invade the area and gather them. Phu Foi Lom is officially established as an eco-tourist attraction especially for natural lovers. In this place, you can find some unique plants and flowers, with beautiful colors and fascinating structure."
"Poipet Poipet () is a Cambodian boomtown on the Cambodia/Thailand border, in Ou Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey Province. It is a key crossing point between the two countries, and also extremely popular as a gambling destination as gambling is popular, but illegal in Thailand. There is a strip of casinos and hotels between the Cambodian and Thai passport control counters, enabling Thais and other foreigners to gamble in Cambodia without needing to go through Cambodian immigration. In Cambodia, gambling is illegal for Cambodian citizens but not for holders of foreign passports. There is another border on the Cambodian side of"
"still does not. Of the 26.74 million visitors recorded by TAT in 2013, 11.23 million were men suspected by NGOs to have come to Thailand explicitly to engage in prostitution. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, named Thailand's first female tourism minister in 2014, has pledged to eradicate Thailand's sex industry. ""We want Thailand to be about quality tourism. We want the sex industry gone,"" Ms Kobkarn told Reuters. ""Tourists don't come to Thailand for [sex]. They come here for our beautiful culture."" She has named Pattaya, with its thousands of bars, brothels, and massage parlours, her ""pilot project"" in the cleanup campaign. Kobkarn"
"Paradise Complex gay. Both are lined with many bars, discotheques, and go go bars. Prostitution in Thailand is illegal, but tolerated, as is the case in Patong. On 26 December 2004, Patong Beach along with many other areas along the west coast of Phuket and Thailand were struck by a tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The wave caused a great deal of destruction to the waterfront of the beach and immediately inland and only one woman was killed in a basement seafront grocery store. Patong was one of the worst affected areas of Phuket, although the destruction"
"2018 Phuket boat capsizing On 5 July 2018, two tourist boats capsized and sank near Phuket, Thailand, during a sudden storm. Forty-six people died and three were missing, all of whom were on the double-decker ship ""Phoenix PC Diving"", which carried 101 people, including 89 tourists (all but 2 were Chinese nationals). All 42 passengers aboard the second boat, ""Serenita"", were rescued. On Thursday 5 July 2018, the double-decker cruise boat ""Phoenix PC Diving"" sailed from Phuket, one of the most visited resorts in Thailand, for Koh Racha, a popular snorkeling island off the coast of Phuket. She carried 101"
"Siem Reap (home to Angkor Wat), Sihanoukville and its offshore islands, Battambang, Phnom Penh, Kampot Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City, Dalat, Mui Ne, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Sapa Indonesia: Lake Toba Bali, Gili Islands, Nusa Penida, Lombok, Yogyakarta, Mount Bromo Philippines: Boracay, Banaue, Sagada, El Nido, Siargao The Banana Pancake Trail also seems to have a northern extension into Yunnan, China with Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Yangshuo as the major centres. The most common route passes through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City via Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, as well"
"from 2015, generating 61.4 billion baht, up 6.3 percent. In 2016, Thailand expects 1.7 million Japanese tourists, generating 66.2 billion baht in revenue. To accommodate foreign visitors, the Thai government established a separate tourism police force with offices in the major tourist areas and its own central emergency telephone number. Since the opening of the Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos borders in the late 1900s, competition has increased because Thailand no longer has the monopoly on tourism in Southeast Asia. Destinations like Angkor Wat, Luang Prabang and Halong Bay now rival Thailand's former monopoly in the Indochina region. To counter this,"
"on the map as the original seashore destination in Thailand. The long white sandy beaches themselves are clean and pretty. Besides sunbathing snorkeling and swimming, visitors can also enjoy golf, spas, caves, peaks, waterfalls, shops, and nearby national parks. Prachuap Khiri Khan Province Prachuap Khiri Khan (, ) is one of the western provinces (""changwat"") of Thailand. It is in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some south of Bangkok. Neighboring provinces are Phetchaburi to the north and Chumphon to the south. To the west it borders Tanintharyi Region of Myanmar. Prachuap Khiri Khan covers an area of ."
"of Lamai Beach. Wat Khunaram Wat Khunaram is a Buddhist temple on the island of Ko Samui in Surat Thani Province, Thailand. It is most notable for being the shrine of ""the Mummy Monk"", Luang Pho Daeng, who died in 1973 and directed that his body be put on display as a reminder of the transience of human existence. It is located in the area between Na Muang and Hua Thanon on Thai route 4169, the main route around the island. It is 13 km southeast of Nathon, the island's ""capital city"" and main port, and 6 km west of"
"Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, and Vietnam. Thailand also attends the annual meetings held by the foreign and economic ministers of the ASEAN nations, including the inaugural East Asia Summit that was held in Kuala Lumpur in December 2005. Regional cooperation is progressing for Thailand in economic, trade, banking, political, and cultural matters. In 2003, Thailand served as an APEC host and formulated the meeting's theme: ""A World of Differences: Partnership for the Future"". Supachai Panitchpakdi, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, served as Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) between 2002 and 2005. Summary"
"India, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Tibet, Mongolia, and Japan. Both land and small ship adventures are available, including a river cruise on China's Yangtze River. Optional pre- and post-trip extensions take travelers through the Gobi Desert, the heart of Cambodia, Hiroshima, and other regions. Quicker add-on tours are available for more intimate engagement with Asian art, music, and daily life. In 2016, OAT added a 19-day journey to South India and Sri Lanka, including stops in Chennai, Colombo, Negombo, Kumarakom, and Cochin. Central and South American land adventures include trips to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize,"
"called Nordic and New Nordic on the Pratumnak Hill. Jomtien Beach is known for its water sports (jet skis, para-sailing, scuba diving), and for several annual sponsored sports events, such as a Jet Ski World Cup event, and festivals, attracting visitors from around the world. Pattaya is served by frequent bus services from Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit) and the Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekamai). Buses from Pattaya serve nearby provincial towns and direct long distance routes serve many provincial capitals. City and suburban services are mainly provided by blue songthaews. They are available to the Pattaya Nuea bus terminal"
"splendens"" species are native to Thailand and were first collected for fighting during the reign of King Rama III. Thailand Thailand () ( ), officially the Kingdom of Thailand and formerly known as Siam (), is a country at the center of the Southeast Asian Indochinese peninsula composed of 76 provinces. At and over 68 million people, Thailand is the world's 50th largest country by total area and the 21st-most-populous country. The capital and largest city is Bangkok, a special administrative area. Thailand is bordered to the north by Myanmar and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to"
"North Pattaya Intersection, and then provides transfers to local hotels. Buses from a terminal on Sukhumvit Road near Pattaya Klang (near the Central Pattaya intersection) connect Pattaya with many destinations in the north-east (i.e., Isan). City and suburban services are mainly provided by ""songthaew"", popularly nicknamed ""baht buses"" or ""blue taxis"". Pattaya is about by road from Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), the country's largest international airport. By road, it is accessed from Sukhumvit Road and Motorway 7 from Bangkok. Pattaya is also served by scheduled flights via U-Tapao International Airport (UTP) which is 45 minute drive south of the city. A"
"island from the 16th century until petering out in the 20th century. In modern times, Phuket's economy has rested on two pillars: rubber tree plantations (making Thailand the biggest producer of rubber in the world) and tourism. Since the 1980s, the sandy beaches on the west coast of the island have been developed as tourist destinations, with Patong, Karon, and Kata being the most popular. Since the 2004 tsunami, all damaged buildings and attractions have been restored. Phuket is being intensely developed, with many new hotels, apartments, and houses under construction. Phuket has 60,000 hotel rooms for its 9.1 million"
"Thailand. The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign ship logs of Portuguese, French, Dutch, and English traders. It formerly derived its wealth from tin and rubber and now from tourism. There are several possible derivations of the relatively recent name ""Phuket"" (of which the digraph ""ph"" represents an aspirated p). One theory is it is derived from the word ""bukit"" (Jawi: بوكيت) in Malay which means ""hill"", as this is what the island appears like from a distance. Phuket was formerly known as Thalang ( ""Tha-Laang""), derived"
"for more than 64,000 Burmese, Lao and Cambodian workers legally residing on the island. The Thai census figure for 2015 shows a population of 386,605 persons. The number of people on Phuket island swells to over a million during the high season, as tourists, mainly from Western Europe, China, the United Kingdom and the United States flock to Phuket around Christmas. Phuket International Airport (HKT) commenced a 5.7 billion baht (US$185.7 million) expansion in September 2012, scheduled for completion on 14 February 2016. The airport will increase its annual handling capacity from 6.5 million to 12.5 million passengers, and add"
"7.63 percent) and 40,762 domestic (up 16.1 percent). <div class=""floatleft""> <br> Phuket International Airport Phuket International Airport () is an international airport serving the Phuket Province of Thailand. It is in the north of Phuket Island, from the centre of Phuket City. The airport plays a major role in Thailand's tourism industry, as Phuket Island is a popular resort destination. It is the third-busiest airport in Thailand in terms of passengers, after Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. The airport set a record 15.1 million arrivals and departures in 2016, up 17.8 percent from"
"Thailand is targeting niche markets such as golf holidays, holidays combined with medical treatment or visits to military installations. Thailand has also plans to become the hub of Buddhist tourism in the region. In the ""MasterCard 2014 and 2015 Global Destination Cities Index"", Bangkok ranked the second of the world's top-20 most-visited cities, trailing only London. The U.S. News' ""2017 Best Countries"" report ranked Thailand at 4th globally for adventure value and 7th for cultural heritage. ""The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015"" published by the World Economic Forum ranked Thailand 35 of 141 nations. Among the metrics used to"
"Sukhumvit Road Sukhumvit Road (, ""Thanon Sukhumwit""), or Thailand Route 3 (), is a major road in Thailand, and a major surface road of Bangkok and other cities. It follows a coastal route from Bangkok to Khlong Yai District, Trat border to Koh Kong, Cambodia Sukhumvit Road is named after the fifth chief of the Department of Highways, Phra Bisal Sukhumvit. It is one of the four major highways of Thailand, along with Phahonyothin Road (Route 1), Mittraphap Road (Route 2) and Phetkasem Road (Route 4). Sukhumvit Road begins in Bangkok, as a continuation of Rama I Road and Phloen"
"noticed was on the Similan Islands, a famous diving site located about 70 km from Phang Nga town in Pha Nga province or 13 km from central Khao Lak. The sea around these islands when the tsunami struck was reported to have strong currents and divers underwater felt as though they were in a washing machine. Some flooding also occurred inland, though no casualties were reported. The popular tourist resort of Phuket was badly hit. Some 250 people were reported dead, including tourists. The tsunami struck the west coast of Phuket island, flooding and causing damage to almost all the"
"first adult-only nudist resort for both genders, opened its doors in 2004. It subsequently expanded from 3 to 15 rooms and added from two more swimming pools. Nudism is considered taboo in Nepal. Although there are no laws governing nudism, people may be detained, arrested and fined for public nudity. Nevertheless, many Hindu male sages practice nudism and they are not legally detained. Nudist sages can be seen in Pashupatinath. Nudism was successfully introduced 10 years ago in Pattaya (Chan Resort), and six more nudist resorts have been created all over Thailand. Barefeet Resort in Bangkok, Lemon Tree in Phuket,"
"at Soi 63 Ekkamai. Major sois off Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok and other parts: Sukhumvit Road Sukhumvit Road (, ""Thanon Sukhumwit""), or Thailand Route 3 (), is a major road in Thailand, and a major surface road of Bangkok and other cities. It follows a coastal route from Bangkok to Khlong Yai District, Trat border to Koh Kong, Cambodia Sukhumvit Road is named after the fifth chief of the Department of Highways, Phra Bisal Sukhumvit. It is one of the four major highways of Thailand, along with Phahonyothin Road (Route 1), Mittraphap Road (Route 2) and Phetkasem Road (Route 4)."
"bars. Phuket FantaSea Phuket FantaSea is a Thai nighttime cultural theme park located on the island of Phuket, in the south of the country. The park covers an area of 60 acres (20 ha) and features three main attractions, namely a Thai culture theatrical show, a theme buffet restaurant, and a shopping street. The park was created at a cost of over THB 3,500 million (USD$ 100 million) and was opened to the public for the first time on 20 December 1998. A Thai cultural show infused with illusion techniques and special effects. The show is approximately 70 minutes in"
"in Europe, gained most of its custom from the British soldiers stationed in the city; indeed it collapsed after Irish independence was achieved and the soldiers left. The notorious Patpong entertainment district in Bangkok, and the city of Pattaya, Thailand, started as R&R locations for US troops serving in the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. Sex industries are also small but growing in several college towns. Prostitution is extremely prevalent in Asia, particularly in Southeast Asian nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand. Due to the longstanding economic instability of many of these nations, increasing numbers of women"
"Caribbean (led by Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic); Brazil, Egypt, Turkey, Southeast Asia, and Phuket in Thailand); and Gambia, Senegal and Kenya in Africa. Other popular destinations include Bulgaria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Fiji, Colombia and Costa Rica. Bali in Indonesia is the only destination where females from Western Europe, Japan and Australia engage in sex tourism with male locals. According to ""The Ethics of Tourism: Critical and Applied Perspectives"" by Lovelock and Lovelock, romance (in general) and sexual encounters (more specifically) are a key factor in world travel. Tourist markets have exploited this motivation for travel through"