​Protect Naturism – Respect Others

Participants at 4th NATCON selects slogan for Naturist Association Thailand.

The 4th International Naturist Conference (NATCON) by Naturist Association Thailand was this year 2015 attended by 30 naturists from Thailand, United States, Denmark, Taiwan, Singapore, Holland, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, France and South African.

The conference took place at Oriental Village Chiangmai, a member resort of Naturist Association Thailand.

As part of the conference, the members voted on key statements, slogans, that they believed would be suitable for Naturist Association Thailand. Significantly, the slogan "Protect Naturism - Respect Others" was selected as the top slogan by all working groups. The members also liked "Leave Your Clothes Behind" and "A Day Nude is a Day Well Spent".

The first day of the conference was Friday 12 June. This day was the arrival day and no other content was planned than for the participants to mingle around the pool and get to know each other over an informal dinner. Some also tried out the massage treatment offered at the resort.

On Saturday morning, the start of the conference was postponed to accommodate a few latecomers who had mingled a bit too much the night before. The conference was opened by key organizer Bruce Kendall with a presentation of the status of the Naturist Association Thailand in terms of members, events and online presence. Bruce Kendall also presented the idea that if we wanted to defend naturism in the bombardment of sexually loaded images that we increasingly saw in the media and social media these years, we had to create a "Naked Army" of active internet users who would tirelessly point out to the public through comments to news, via posts on Facebook, Google plus and other social media that plain nudity is not shameful, not lewd, not sinful. And a drunken man streaking naked down Main Street is not a nudist. If we don't educate the public, they will never understand the difference, he said.

Bruce Kendall's keynote presentation was followed by founding member Gregers Moller, who briefed on two major developments for Naturist Association Thailand that would both be implemented this year.

The introduction this year of a member fee for members who want to be active in the association is the most significant change. The fee will be modest and graduated for singles and couples but it will make it possible for the association to increase the service level towards the members and make the association economically self sustainable.

Related to this change, a new website will be setup, where the member administration will in the future take place. Currently, the member management is handled by social website which has several flaws - among others the automatic exclusion of members after a period of inactivity.

Finally, the members engaged in groups in a discussion about the slogan for the association and key content on the new website. It was during this part of the conference, that consensus evolved to adopt the slogan "Protect Naturism - Respect Others".

After lunch, the members engaged in a series of games that eventually had all members splashing in the pool.

In the evening, a Grand Dinner was served where Bruce Kendall once again welcomed everybody. Long time active member Victor Wong opened the music and karaoke floor and a lively party followed.

Sunday morning, most of the participants joined an excursion to a hot spring nearby, where a private hot tub bath room was arranged for the members. After the boiling, cooling and second boiling, some members went for a foot massage outside while others went shopping. The day was departure day, so after returning to the hotel, the participants checked out and agreed to meet again next year. Location and time for this arrangement is still under consideration.