为重塑泰国适宜女性游客的旅游胜地形象，泰国政府承诺将终止臭名昭著的性旅游业。
Thailand has promised to eradicate its notorious sex tourism industry as it attempts to reinvent itself as a female-friendly travel destination.
当前人口拐卖与雏妓问题日益引起社会关注，泰国首位女性旅游部长科甘·瓦他那朗恭承诺将终止性旅游业，上月警方对泰国的一些妓院进行了突击检查。
Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, the country’s first female tourism minister, made the pledge following a series of police raids on Thai brothels last month, amid concerns over human trafficking and underage sex workers.
科甘女士在路透社的采访中指出：“我们希望泰国提供高品质旅游活动，我们呼吁那些色情产业赶紧关门。”
“We want Thailand to be about quality tourism. We want the sex industry gone,” Ms Kobkarn told Reuters.
“游客来泰国不是为了进行性交易，而是来感受泰国灿烂的文化。”
“Tourists don’t come to Thailand for such a thing. They come here for our beautiful culture.”
自1960年以来，东南亚国家便将性交易视为非法活动，但这一行业仍有超过12万名性工作者，而政府也经常被指责对这一现象视若无睹。
Prostitution has been illegal in the south-east Asian country since 1960, but the industry employs more than 120,000 sex workers, with authorities frequently accused of turning a blind eye.
科甘女士自2014年上任后就开始美化泰国旅游业形象，在全国范围内，她从乌烟瘴气的芭堤雅着手，以该城市为试点进行改革。
Ms Kobkarn began her drive to clean up Thai tourism’s image soon after arriving in office in 2014, singling out the seedy resort city of Pattaya as a pilot project for the country at large.
芭堤雅有1000多个酒吧和按摩会所，而它们基本上都是为非法色情产业打的幌子。
Pattaya has more than 1,000 bars and massage parlours, many of which are fronts for illegal brothels.
但是在上个月的警方突袭检查中，警方关闭了一所曼谷高级按摩会所并逮捕了100多名性工作者——其中有15位是未成年人——这一事件成为整个色情行业的转折点。
But last month’s police raids, in which police closed down a high-profile Bangkok massage parlour and arrested more than 100 sex workers employed there – 15 of whom were underage – could mark a turning point for the industry.
尽管主要顾客是泰国人，但是外国游客和移民也经常出没于在曼谷、芭提雅和其他城市的性工作场所。每年有近一百万英国人来泰国旅游。
Although clients are predominantly Thai men, foreign tourists and expats also flock to brothels in Bangkok, Pattaya and other cities. Almost a million Britons visit the country each year.
为了使旅游业多元化，泰国计划在八月发起一项“女性游客月”运动，到时国际机场会专门为女性开辟一道粉色的入境通道与停车区域。
In an attempt to diversify the industry, Thailand is starting a “month for women travellers” campaign in August, in which female-only pink immigration lanes and parking zones will be set up in international airports.
这项运动也恰好赶上了泰国王后诗丽吉8月12日的生日。
The campaign is timed to coincide with the birthday of Thailand’s Queen Sirikit on Aug 12.
泰国政府同时也支持发展其他旅游项目，比如结婚旅行、蜜月旅行以及生态旅游。
Other travel sectors including wedding and honeymoon tourism, and eco-tourism, are also being pursued.