Τώρα θα μου πείτε χρονιάρες μέρες τέτοια θα λέμε; Κι όμως, πιστεύω πως ο σκοπός αυτών των ημερών είναι περισσότερο η περισυλλογή και λιγότερο η διασκέδαση. Για διασκέδαση προσφέρεται όλος ο υπόλοιπος χρόνος, για πνευματική αναζήτηση όμως; Ας αδράξουμε λοιπόν όποιες ευκαιρίες μας παρουσιάζονται. Αναρωτιέται κανείς συχνά γιατί τέτοιες μεγάλες καταστροφές συμβαίνουν σε περιοχές όπου επικρατεί μεγάλη φτώχια, έτσι ώστε να επιβεβαιώνεται το ρητό ''Όπου φτωχός και η μοίρα του''. Η φύση δεν μεριμνά καθόλου για τον άνθρωπο;
Είναι όμως έτσι, ή μήπως ο ίδιος ο άνθρωπος μεριμνά για την καταστροφή του;
Η πραγματικότητα είναι ότι τόσο στην Ταϊλάνδη όσο και στα διάσημα πλέον νησιά Phuket, τα τελευταία 40 χρόνια ανθεί μια βιομηχανία του sex. Τα συγκεκριμένα νησιά Phuket, λέξη που στην τοπική γλώσσα σημαίνει λοφώδη, γεμάτα με λόφους δηλαδή, χάριν του σεξουαλικού τουρισμού έχουν ισοπεδωθεί εντελώς. Οι χαρακτηριστικοί λόφοι κόπηκαν για να γεμίσουν τις άδειες εκτάσεις. Το αποτέλεσμα ήταν να μετατραπούν τα νησιά σε ένα τεράστιο ταψί, γεμάτο με στριπτιζάδικα, gay-bars, γραφεία συνοδών κλπ., ευάλωτο όμως από την άλλη σε κάθε μανία της φύσης.
Παραθέτω ένα απόσπασμα από κάποιο πολύ ενδιαφέρον άρθρο, καθώς επίσης και την πηγή, για όποιον ενδιαφέρεται να το διαβάσει ολόκληρο.
Sex-Tourism
Another important issue related to tourism in Thailand is prostitution and the growth of the sex trade to satisfy foreign travelers, many of whom come to Thailand on sex tour package trips. This phenomena began in the 1960s mainly with
American soldiers stationed in Vietnam who came to Thailand for R&R vacations. In the early 1980s the number of Thai prostitutes was estimated at 1 million; there were 400,000 more women than men in Bangkok, the country's capital, and 89% of all tourists were male (14). The World Health Organization estimated that between 45, 000 to 50, 000 Thais had AIDS in 1989, and that possibly one out of every two prostitutes in the Northern region was infected with the disease. The AIDS problem, as well as the prostitution issue was left untouched for many years for fear of harming the tourism industry. The growing recognition, however, of the long term effects of such a policy has led to greater efforts to curb sex tourism and to initiate AIDS education and precautionary measures such as distributing condoms and issuing health cards (15).
History of Tourism Development in Thailand
In 1967 the US Government made an arrangement with Thai Government to send its soldiers fighting the Vietnam War on R and R (Rest and Relaxation) vacations to Thailand. The
American soldiers quickly nicknamed Rand R as I and I (Intercourse and Intoxication), taking advantage of the existing sex industry which earlier catered to the local people. In fact, Senator J. William Fulbright asked whether R and R is "an
American Brothel".
The sixteen million dollars spent by the
American Soldiers in 1967 gave a boost both to the Thai economy and the sex trade. In early 1980s the number of Thai prostitutes was estimated at one million when population of Thailand was only 45 millions. There were 400,000 more women than men in Bangkok, the Country's capital, and 89% of all tourists were male.
Once Vietnam War was over, the
American soldiers went home, and this revenue gap was quickly bridged by promotion of tourism. The ready availability of sex workers transformed the character of tourism from a nature and culture oriented one to the sex oriented one.
The World Health Organization estimated that between 45,000 to 50,000 Thai people had AIDS in 1989, and that possibly one out of every two prostitutes in the Northern region was infected with the disease. The AIDS problem as well as the prostitution issue was left untouched for many yeas for fear of harming the tourism industry.
- Thailand had a population of 60.6 millions in the year 2000
- Thailand got 9.57 million tourists in 2000
- There were more than 1 million sex workers in the Country
- The number of Child prostitutes was estimated between 200,000 to 250,000
- 9 out of 10 child beggars on the streets of Thailand are bought and sold to be smuggled over the border to Cambodia for sex trade
- Girls from Myanmar are regularly smuggled in and sold to the sex trade operators in Thailand
- In 1999, 66,000 people died of AIDS in Thailand
- In 1999, 755,000 people were living with AIDS or were HIV positive
- In 1998 a study reveals that tourism; heavily dependant on the sex industry brings in four billion dollars annually.
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