Thailand to launch free WiFi for tourists
"the government of thailand announced last week that it was extending internet coverage so that the more than 19 million international tourists who visit the country annually will be able to access free wifi across the state. the government of thailand has unveiled a program under the name 'ict free wi-fi for tourism' to install high-speed internet at 1, 615 hotspots in the main tourist attractions across the country. the government said the program will start soon, without giving a specific date.
around 15 percent of the routers (253) will be installed in the country's capital bangkok. 446 in the central region which surrounds the capital. 201 in the eastern region bordering cambodia. 323 in the southern region where the popular phuket island is located. 325 in the northern region between myanmar and laos, and 67 in the less touristy northeastern region.
the aim of the program is to promote the economy through tourism, one of the country's biggest economic motors. according to thai travel news website, in 2011 thailand received a record number of 19, 098, 323 international tourists. 19. 84 percent more than in 2010, most of them coming from malaysia (2. 47 million) , china (1. 76 million) and japan (1. 12 million).
last month, the city of pattaya, one of the most popular beach resorts among international tourists, signed a contract with internet provider true corporation to install 1000 routers in the main tourist districts in the city.
pattaya receives around 5. 5 million tourists a year. 70 percent of whom are foreigners. according to mayor itthiphol khunplome these tourists stay an average of three days and use 30 minutes of internet at a time."
now, that's what i ca; ; tourist friendly. next, free tgs. doesn't hurt to dream, does it.
The Demise of the GFE - Myth or Reality?
One of the frequent complaints on the punter boards is the demise of the girl-friend experience (GFE). It's often claimed that the girls, particularly in Pattaya go go bars, now have poor attitudes and the level of service has decreased while prices have risen. Girls are no longer interested in L / T, with S / T the only option, so the story goes. Comparisons are made to how things used to be five, ten. 15 or more years ago, with the conclusion that things were much, much better in the "good old days."
But is it really true?
I fully believe that it is still possible get excellent service in terms of the GFE and L / T. Whether it is the same service level and attitude that used to be the "norm" depends on the definitions you use. A lot of what some guys term a "great attitude" was actually desperation.
I've been visiting Thailand (and Pattaya) since 1979 and have indeed seen enormous changes over the years, mostly for the better. Prior to the mid-1980s, Thailand was a poor country and Isaan was a wretchedly poor area. Many, many girls. Thousands upon thousands. Turned to prostitution because they had no other way of surviving. Everything they owned, a change of clothes and a few cosmetics, if they were lucky, could be carried in shoulder bag. When a girl had no money, no place to live and not even food for the day, she would trade sex for a roof over her head and a square meal or two. That had nothing to do with a good attitude, it was an echo of the desperation that comes with dire poverty.
Back then, a lot of guys paid the girls nothing, especially the freelancers. The P4P scene was very much smaller in the 1970s and 1980s than it is today. The girls who had jobs in the few go go bars that existed then belonged to the elite and could demand cash payment, but the other girls had to accept what came their way. To a girl who was hungry and had nowhere to sleep, a bed and a meal but no money was better than no bed, no meal and no money. The girls stayed with a customer until he kicked them out because they had nowhere else to go.
Moreover, most girls were hoping to win the farang lottery, I. E, marry a farang who could lift them out of poverty. They did everything they could. Iron shirts, pack his suitcase, please him sexually. To convince him they were good wife material. Some girls did indeed get lucky and found husbands, which only fueled the dream for the much larger number who didn't.
But in the mid-1980s, things began to change. The Thai economy began to develop rapidly. This created more opportunities for girls inside and outside P4P. There was a very gradual switch from survival prostitution to what could be called occupational prostitution. The girls no longer traded sexual services for minimal level, but because they considered it far more lucrative than any other job they could realistically get. While quite a few girls still hoped to marry a farang, a lot have learned, sometimes through their own bitter experience, sometimes through stories from family members and friends, that it was a remote chance. Today, the girls make sure they are compensated fairly for their services while waiting for Prince Charming to whisk them away.
Nowadays most girls have a life outside of P4P, hence the unwillingness to spend all night and all day with customers. They can skip the second morning round that gave them only few hundred baht more because many earn enough through their bar salaries, lady drinks and S / T fees to live at a standard they find acceptable. It's clear, if the girl likes you. She'll be willing to spend more time with you. I agree L / T has become rarer for some punters. And deservedly so. But by no means for all.
In short, what some call a "worse attitude" I see as less desperation on the part of the girls. I don't believe that can ever be a bad thing. It's certainly a negative for punters who can't or don't want to open their wallets a bit wider, but the guys who treat the girls decently and reward them appropriately won't have any problem finding a GFE, including L / T.
Evil