Every now and then I hear people listing out that Western European countries are terrible (and U.S.), and that eastern Asia especially countries like Thailand are very tolerant and close to child lover Utopias.

I've been to Thailand and it's not my experience. Children on the beach at least the local kids wore long pants and long shirts. On the beach in near 100F (38C) weather kids were covered from top to bottom. Occasionally a boy would be topless, but long pants were always there. I didn't go to any touristy beaches so I guess it's possible the locals actually wore bathing suits in those areas, but not in any place I went.

As far as interacting with children. I never saw a male interacting with a female child. Occasionally a male child. So maybe more of a boy lover thing? Even then it didn't seem any different from a guy volunteering to coach a soccer team in the U.S.

In my travels the best places to interact with kids without the parents freaking out was Brazil or Eastern Europe. Kids there would walk up and ask questions if they knew English or just be interested and the parents never had an issue with any of it.