Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing, well we're discussing eventually something has to give. The reason for the thumbnail is I think as I'll get to here in a moment, there was a recent bust up of more foreign prostitutes on Thai streets. This used to be something we'd see like once a month, now it's happening like weekly, because Thai Law enforcement is doing their job and unfortunately there's more demand for them to be doing their job. Then on top of it, I just picked one of the videos at random to do part of the thumbnail side by side here, but I've seen about a half dozen in the past week; different videos of different foreigners at various tourist locations here in Thailand, bar streets, pub crawl streets in various places just getting completely violent. Look, I'll be the first person to admit, I like having a drink. I like going out, I like going out in Bangkok, I like going out at the beach towns. I know what it's like to get a little bit crazy, but I mean these are knockdown, drag out fights; sometimes multiple different people. The point I'm trying to make with this video, let me just get to it.

That said, for the first sort of thing, this is coming from chromecrumpet.com, that is chromecrumpet.com, the article is titled: Pattaya prostitution crackdown leads to arrest of foreign nationals in Thailand. Quoting directly: "A Pattaya prostitution crackdown has led to the arrest of multiple foreign nationals during coordinated late-night operations in both Pattaya and Bangkok. Thai authorities say the actions respond to public complaints and aim to enforce laws on public conduct and immigration in key tourist areas."  And that is the key thing. 'Public conduct'. I have discussed this in many other videos. The Thai Prostitution Law is written in such a way that basically actions that occur behind closed doors between consenting adults is not what the Thai Police are looking for, based on the law. There is a promiscuity, or sort of what I would call 'open and notorious' element associated with the Prostitution Law; basically streetwalkers is who they are going after because they don't like that stuff in the public domain. It's considered contrary to the notions of morality here in Thailand; they just don't want it out on the street. I don't blame them. There's plenty of places where that type of industry flourishes, but behind closed doors and pursuant to certain rules and regulations, and again what happens between consenting adults - emphasis on both words - I agree with the notion. That's between them; it's nobody else's business. But yeah, if you're flaunting it in the street, that's a problem. Also a problem again, I don't think anybody in Thailand wants to be importing that. So again it has immigration implications. 

Similar can be said for fighting, and I'm not going to cite any citation on this. Frankly I don't want to lend it any more sort of online energy for lack of a better term, or momentum in terms of going viral or something. I have seen multiple of these.  In the last few days it seems to have gotten worse. We are here sort of in this weird sort of end of high season, going into Songkran there's always kind of what you call in the market's a dead cat bounce from Songkran where we get some extra tourism. And then after Songkran we really do tend to go into the doldrums, because again, there is still the heat and there's not the splashing and partying although different cities do go longer with the water fighting and things. So again, in Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, Phuket to say nothing of the islands and elsewhere in the provinces.; different places may be doing Songkran a little longer. Here in Thailand it is primarily the first 3 days of this upcoming week here sitting here in what are we at, April 12, and going in to 13th, 14tg, 15th. That said, our offices are actually closed for Songkran this whole week. We will be working towards the end of the week but to deal with clients and stuff during this week is a little bit difficult especially in downtown Bangkok, Silom specifically; it's like trying to live and work during Mardi Gras in downtown New Orleans.

In any event the point I'm trying to make with this video, I am not trying to glorify all the fighting and all of this stuff, but the thing I'm worried about is something is going to give here. And Parliament is in session now and Thailand has got a much more sort of unified attitude, and a much more nationalistic attitude. I'm not sure that like all of this stuff in the aggregate isn't probably getting to policymaking circles and they are probably not sitting around going "hey do we really want to continue some of the Visa policies that we have had that have led to this, because if all this means is we are going to be inundated with a bunch of drunks fighting each other and a bunch of foreign prostitutes, then is that really good immigration policy?" I'm sitting here asking the question - I'm sort of an honorary Thai, I mean I became Thai - but I have to imagine amongst Thai policy making circles this is a serious question. If I'm asking it, they definitely are already looking at it. 

Now exactly how it turns out with regard to any possible changes in actual Immigration Law remains to be seen, but we will certainly be keeping folks updated on this channel as the situation evolves.