The Gambia retracts sex tourism slur

The Gambia has apologised to Thailand after Foreign Minister Hamat Bah said the Asian country was a haven for sex tourists, sparking a strongly worded protest from Bangkok. In a televised interview, Bah said The Gambia was losing tourists to the nearby archipelago nation of Cape Verde which was gaining a reputation as a sex haven. ‘The fact is that this country's image has been battered heavily. I discovered that this country (Cape Verde) has been considered a sex destination. We are not a sex destination. If you want a sex destination, you go to Thailand,’ he said. A report on the South China Morning Post site notes that the Thai Government last week lodged a formal protest, saying the country ‘has improved a lot in this issue’.