Thais, in common with Vietnamese and some other South-East Asian peoples, have decided that white skin is attractive. Their favorite pop stars and actors are ghostly pale, as are all their models. Most of the mannequins in clothing stores are western. And Nivea’s range of skin care products for men in Thailand includes this ‘Whitening Cream’, which guarantees to whiten your skin in five - yes, five! - different ways.
Meanwhile most of the western visitors who come here go directly to the beach resorts of Phuket, Ko Tao, or Ko Phi Phi in search of a deep tan.
Skin transplants anyone?