Five Vietnamese bargirls arrested in prostitution crackdown in Thailand

Five Vietnamese bargirls were arrested in a prostitution crackdown in Thailand.

The women were allegedly hired to drink with customers and provide sexual services at the beer bar in Pathum Thani, on the outskirts of Bangkok.

Police arranged a sting on October 19 following reports of illegal prostitution and employment at the establishment.

Undercover agents pretended to book prostitutes before Immigration Division 3 officers raided the establishment in Bueng Nam Rak.

Three Vietnamese women were found working as hostesses, sitting and drinking with customers, while the other two were allegedly offering sexual services, police said.

Police seized marked banknotes used to pay for the sexual services.

Some of the bargirls were found working without valid permits, while one of them had also overstayed her visa.

The five Vietnamese women face charges, including prostitution, unauthorised employment and immigration violations.

The owner Thongchai, 44, was also detained. He allegedly admitted hiring the women and renting the premises to operate a business selling alcohol and tobacco.

He faces charges related to prostitution and employing foreign nationals without the required permits or allowing them to work outside their authorised scope.

Officers also seized three account books detailing the bar's income and expenses, along with other documents, for further investigation.

Police Major General Songprod Sirisukha, commander of Immigration Division 3, said the raid was part of a directive to intensify inspections of businesses suspected of facilitating prostitution, illegally employing foreign nationals or exploiting migrant workers.

He said: 'The Immigration Bureau is not only responsible for inspecting entries into and exits from the country, but must also prevent and suppress crimes involving foreigners, particularly operators who use business premises as a front to commit offences.

‘If such activities are discovered, strict legal action will be taken, with no tolerance for unlawful activities within our area of responsibility.'

The arrests came two days after officials raided four unlicensed karaoke bars in Rayong province on October 17 over suspected links to a sex trade involving Vietnamese women.

Investigators said they found evidence of prostitution at two venues. A police superintendent and a district chief were subsequently transferred pending an investigation into allegations they had accepted bribes to ignore the bars' activities.