| re: -< Nude Beaches in the Orient? >-
>> Saw an article in the Boston Sunday Globe 7-17-88, talking about
>> nude beaches (Page B-23, Travel Section) in the Orient, in
>> Phillipines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Found it hard to
>> believe, since I've been to three of those countries and never
>> seen/heard of this. Especially it mentioned north side of Penang
[..]
>> anyone out there that can give more data (or
>> personal experience) in this particular instance, as well as the
>> other countries mentioned (like exact locations)?
I cannot comment on the Philippines; however, being somewhat familiar with
Malaysia, Bali and especially Thailand, here are my comments.
I know of no bona fide nude beach in southeast Asia. I highly doubt that
Malaysia would have any, due to its being a Moslem country. This is not to
say that people *haven't* taken their clothing off on any of the country's
beaches. It is fairly well known to European travelers in the area that
Malaysia is not particularly tolerent of many European customs (like sunning
without clothes), which is *not* to say that it *isn't* a wonderful country with
lovely people!
Every beach on Bali is topless, but I've gone nude when there haven't been
many people around. There are times when I've felt my nudity would have
offended the Balinese and, of course, I refrained from stripping down
completely. One great thing about these beaches are the people who sell
massages. They are best taken when nude and (a few years ago) were a very
good value : about 75� U.S. for an hour. Mmmmmm...
Thailand is known as the country of smiles. The Thai are an incredibly tolerant
people, but extremely modest. In other words, they will put up with a lot from
tourists, but appreciate respect in return. On the island of Koh Samui (very
touristy beach spot), there are no nude beaches; however, Mae Nam beach is not
crowded and probably the most beautiful of all on the entire island and I have
gone nude there and felt comfortable. As with Bali, all the beaches are
topless. Other islands off Koh Samui are, in some ways, a better bet for
gaining an all around tan due to lower population (both Thai and tourists), but
going nude there may also require more sensitivity on the part of the sunbather.
Koh Phangan is more remote than Koh Samui and the beaches have a
tendency to be less touristed, but you sometimes will feel that you could be
embarassing the Thai by being nude...the fewer the number of tourists who
have passed, the more modest/timid the Thai might be regarding flesh. Makes
sense. On the island of Koh Tao, there are almost no tourists and the people,
although extremely friendly and outgoing, require careful treatment re: nudity
from those tourists who *have* managed to find the place. I have always gone to
the numerous tiny beaches and taken the sun in the nude, but as soon as I saw
a Thai (in a boat fishing, on the beach picking coconuts, etc), I put on some
covering. They don't seem to be bothered too much about breasts, but as a show
of respect, I have covered mine.
In a nutshell, I have never heard of a "legally declared" nude beach anywhere
in southeast Asia, but depending upon the location, the number of people around
and "the feeling", it *is* possible to take advantage of the sun in a manner
which leaves no tan lines. The bottom line (no pun intended) is to be
sensitive, sensible and respectful to and of the people, no matter where one
travels.
Lillian
p.s. I like Koh Tao so much that I'm currently in the process of buying some
land there!
p.p.s.I'm quite curious to see this article..would you be able to find it and
send it to me via interoffice? I'm at @GEO.
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I can confirm the broad outline of 90.1: I was in Thailand last
fall for a fairly extensive visit (my wife is Thai, so we combined
a visit to my in-laws with a second honeymoon and some business
I had to deal with (not DEC-business)).
Thailand in fact has no laws about public nudity per se, though it does
have laws about causing a nuisance: if you walked naked down Rama
IV Highway in Bangkok you'd probably be arrested for causing a traffic
jam... Nor does Thailand have nominated clothing optional beaches:
but it does have beach areas nominated by the Tourist Authority
of Thailand to be "Tourist Beaches" and these are indeed topless
by convention, and you aren't likely to upset anybody by finding
a quite part of the beach and going nude. The biggest problem of
course is that the beaches are by and large all in the south, and
the south is the area with the largest moslem population. Finding
a non-tourist beach in the south could lead to your being arrested
for offending the moral susceptability of the local moslem community.
The only case I know of a person being arrested for nudity was a
few years ago a group of European photographic models and the
photographer were arrested when one of the models posed naked sitting
on a statue of the Buddha in a Wat in Chiang Mai. The Thais do get
very upset when their religion is insulted.
Incidentally for the non-muslim Thai community you'll cause greater
distress by crossing your legs and pointing your toes at them than
by lying nude in the sun.
This is not to say of course that Thais are not extremely modest
in public: whilst living in America my wife would not wear a bikini
at the beach or poolside, sticking to her very modest Thai one-piece
swimming costumes. However on a tourist beach in Southern Thailand
she switched to her Frederick's of Hollywood bikini the first day,
and by the thrid day she was going topless and wearing a thong.
However this wariness is less related to a fear of public nudity
than to the fact that Thai culture values a pale skin much more
than a dark one, and avoids sunbathing studiously... (Rich upper
class people can stay indoors and have servants work for them, and
hence have nice pale skins... the poor have to work, usually in
the fields, where their skin tans. Hence a pale skin equates to
a life of leisure and luxury - this of course is the reverse of
the west where the rich can frolic in the sun, and the poor are
trapped indoors in factories... This inversion of attitudes to tanning
is common in the hotter parts of the world).
/. Ian .\
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| On the island of Phuket,some spots are used occasionnally for nude bathing;first,
the southern end of the Club Med beach at Kata,but before Kata Noi,is used
rather freely over a strech of 300 m or so,mostly by italians and french (not
japanese).Then,the southern end of Surin beach,1 km north of Kamala,itself 7 km
north of Patong ,is used more openly.It is very very nice-Some thais join in.
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