Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Thailand News and Discussion Forum | ASEANNOW

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Police Arrest Karaoke Owner, For Using Underage Girls

Police from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) arrested a 20-year-old karaoke shop owner in Yasothon province on 30 May 2026 following an investigation into the exploitation of underage girls for commercial sex. The suspect, identified as Miss Kochakorn, was taken into custody at her venue in Huay Kaeng subdistrict, Kutchum district.

Get today's headlines by email image.png

Officers acted on an arrest warrant charging her with human trafficking for the unlawful exploitation of prostitution involving a person over 15 but under 18 years of age and for arranging commercial sex between sex workers and clients.

The operation was led by ATPD Commander Maj Gen Witthaya Sriprasertphap, who ordered officers from Police Station 3, ATPD, alongside social development and human security officials from Yasothon province, to apprehend the suspect.

Investigators had discovered that the karaoke shop was employing girls under 18 as staff and secretly allowing them to take on prostitution work with customers. The underage girls were required to share income from sexual services with the shop owner in exchange for permission to leave the premises with clients.

Officers rescued three female victims from human trafficking: a 15-year-old, a 16-year-old found at a hotel in the area, and a 17-year-old who was inside the karaoke shop sitting, talking, and drinking with a customer at the time of the raid.

Thaitabloid reported that Ffollowing the arrests, the three underage girls were referred to social development officials for victim identification and protection. They have since been sent to a children’s shelter in Yasothon province for welfare safeguarding and psychological rehabilitation.

image.png

Picture courtesy of Thaitabloid

Join the discussion? image.png

Already a member? image.png

image.png Adapted by ASEAN Now Thaitabloid 31 May 2026

User Feedback

Recommended Comments

Explorator en Action Senior Member

Explorator en Action

Member
11 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Does any country still have 18 as the age of consent? I doubt it.

However, most, if not all, countries have laws preventing prostitution if under the age of 18. Sex cannot be consented to if it is transactional.

Age of Consent in Europe

The age of consent in Europe varies significantly across different countries, ranging from 14 to 18 years. Below is a summary of the age of consent in various European countries:

Overview of Age of Consent

Age of Consent

Countries

14

Albania, Andorra, Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Serbia, Montenegro

15

Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Iceland, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden

16

Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland

17

Cyprus, Ireland

18

Malta, Vatican City

Evil Penevil Gold Member

Evil Penevil

Advanced Member
12 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

However, most, if not all, countries have laws preventing prostitution if under the age of 18. Sex cannot be consented to if it is transactional.

That is 100% correct. Forget all the discussions about the age of consent in Thailand. They aren't relevant when it comes to prostitution. The Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act, B.E. 2539 (1996) in Section 8 makes it illegal to pay for sex with any person under the age of 18. Penalties are even tougher if they are under 15.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140228033956/http://www.thailaws.com/

Moreover, virtually all Western countries claim extraterritoriality when it comes to prostitution with under*ge partners. That means you can be prosecuted for acts committed abroad. Even if a foreigner is able to escape prison or get a light sentence in some countries through bribes, he can still get a heavy sentence when he returns home.

Think of it this way, gentlemen: there's no country in the world where it is legal to pay for sex with a partner under 18. Anyone who says different is spreading false information. End of story.

Explorator en Action Senior Member

Explorator en Action

Member
33 minutes ago, Evil Penevil said:

That is 100% correct. Forget all the discussions about the age of consent in Thailand. They aren't relevant when it comes to prostitution. The Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act, B.E. 2539 (1996) in Section 8 makes it illegal to pay for sex with any person under the age of 18. Penalties are even tougher if they are under 15.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140228033956/http://www.thailaws.com/

Moreover, virtually all Western countries claim extraterritoriality when it comes to prostitution with under*ge partners. That means you can be prosecuted for acts committed abroad. Even if a foreigner is able to escape prison or get a light sentence in some countries through bribes, he can still get a heavy sentence when he returns home.

Think of it this way, gentlemen: there's no country in the world where it is legal to pay for sex with a partner under 18. Anyone who says different is spreading false information. End of story.

Absolutely, they don't have agency to consent to sex while underage, and I know of no country that allows prostitution under the age of 18…….at our ages, “Why would we even consider it even at 18?” My number is 35 or older, much more fun, and that is still considerable younger than I am.

Create an account or sign in to comment

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.