Underage sex worker rescued in raid on child prostitution operation as bar owner arrested
Underage girls were rescued from a suspected brothel during a police sting in southern Thailand.
The youngsters, aged 14 to 16, were allegedly made to sit, drink and entertain customers at a karaoke bar in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
The bar owner and madam Thanchanok, 43, was said to have forced them to have sex with clients, using rooms on the upper floors of the same building.
Police raided the establishment on October 13, following reports that it was employing minors and arranging sexual services for patrons.
An undercover agent arranged a session and paid Thanchanok 3,500 baht to book a 15-year-old girl.
Officers then swept into the premises after confirming the girl was being paid for sex.
They rescued the teen and found a 16-year-old girl in another room. A further search of the bar found four employees, including a 14-year-old girl, while the other three were over 18.
Officers also found 1,500 baht in marked banknotes, while Thanchanok was arrested with the 3,500 baht initial payment.
Police said customers paid a 500-baht fee to take an underage bar girl to upstairs rooms, with Thanchanok negotiating the price for sexual services.
A 14-year-old girl told cops she had travelled from Bangkok to work at the venue, but was forced to sleep with clients within days of starting the job.
She said she was paid 15,000 baht for two sessions after the owner took a cut of her payments.
Police Major General Wittaya Sriprasertphap, commander of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division, said: ‘We escorted the bar owner to the Nakhon Si Thammarat Children and Family Shelter to complete the arrest record and inform her of her rights and charges.
‘She was later handed over to the inquiry officer to face legal proceedings on charges related to human trafficking, procuring and exploiting child prostitution, child abduction, and operating an entertainment venue without a licence, among others.
‘The suspect partially denied the allegations.'
Underage prostitution is rampant in Thailand despite government efforts to curb it through strict laws and enforcement initiatives. Driven by poverty, trafficking, and lack of education, vulnerable minors are sometimes forced into the sex industry to earn money.
