Thailand has promised to eradicate its notorious sex tourism industry as it attempts to reinvent itself as a female-friendly travel destination. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, the country's first female tourism minister, made the pledge after a series of police raids on Thai brothels last month, amid concerns over human trafficking and underage prostitution."We want Thailand to be about quality tourism. We want the sex industry gone," Kobkarn told Reuters."Tourists don't come to Thailand for such a thing. They come here for our culture."Prostitution has been illegal in the Southeast Asian country since 1960, but the industry employs more than 120,000 sex workers, with authorities frequently turning a blind eye.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.Pattaya has more than 1000 bars and massage parlours, many of which are fronts for illegal brothels.But last month's police raids, in which police closed down a high-profile Bangkok massage parlour and arrested more than 100 prostitutes - 15 of whom were underage - could mark a turning point for the industry.Thailand is starting a "month for women travellers" campaign next month in which female-only pink immigration lanes and parking zones will be set up in international airports. ..