War on sex traffickers to continue, pledges PM Prayut

[webfact]

War on sex traffickers to continue, pledges PM

By THE NATION

 

 

PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha has confirmed the government’s commitment to keep cracking down on human trafficking crimes as a national priority. His comment came as the Cabinet was yesterday updated on the progress made last year in preventing and suppressing human trafficking.

 

There were 304 human trafficking cases during (fiscal year) 2018 – these comprised 258 cases of sexual exploitation, 35 of forced labour, eight involving human trafficking of street beggars and three involving extortion. More than 75 per cent of these cases had been solved and processed by the justice system, said assistant government spokesman Athisit Chainuwat, citing the report by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS). 

 

Athisit also said the number of victims of human trafficking who received protection at shelters under the MSDHS had been on the rise and that the human trafficking prevention and suppression fund had paid a total of Bt6.15 million in compensation to victims in the same period, a slight increase over the previous year’s Bt5.64m.

 

The report also noted that the mission also received a budget of Bt3.8 billion for the current year, a 4.53 per cent increase over the previous year’s Bt3.64bn.

 

Thai authorities have also been trying to legalise foreign migrant workers, check on their national identity/working status and provide skills training in order to stop them from being exploited by human traffickers, he said.

 

Even as policymakers were discussing this in Bangkok, operatives on the ground continued to wage war on human traffickers. 

 

 

The latest success saw state officials raid a karaoke bar and rescue 12 Lao women from prostitution in Narathiwat province’s Sungai Kolok district on the Thai-Malaysia border on Monday. 

 

The raid against the Relax Pub on Charoen Khet Road was carried out at 8.30pm by officials from the Provincial Administration Department and the Department of Special Investigation, local police and district officials, as well as staff of an international non-governmental organisation.

 

Two of the 12 Lao women are thought to be under 18 years old and have been sent for bone tests at the provincial hospital to determine their real age.

 

The raid also netted bar owner Anon Hakaew, 41, manager Sakda Khamkanya, 34, and two unnamed staff members, who were charged with providing prostitutes, owning a venue for prostitution, operating an entertainment place without a licence and hiring undocumented workers. If the two Lao migrants are found to be under 18, the four suspects will face more charges, the officials said.

 

The investigation found that the bar allowed customers to take the Lao sex workers out for sex services at a rate of Bt1,500 per hour or Bt3,000 per night.

 

Bt750-Bt800 of this went to the bar’s coffers while the women had to wait until the end of the month to get their share.

 

The latest arrests followed a March 21 raid on a karaoke shop in Nong Khai’s Chiang Khan district that stemmed from a tip-off by the same NGO. That raid rescued 10 Laos women, one of whom told Thai authorities they used to work at the karaoke shop in Sungai Kolok, triggering an investigation that led to Monday’s raid.

 

Officials said the investigation has turned to identifying the gang behind the trafficking of Laos women into prostitution in the two bars.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30368644

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-01

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[Chang_paarp]

Will the authorities prosecute the inter-city bus companies for human trafficking as they move sex workers all over Thailand?

[ChrisY1]

I didn't realise there actually was an "war on sex trafficking".....I understood that raids were only carried out when someone got a bit disgruntled or for payback.....!

Anyway, the cops are so heavily involved, that only a token gesture "war" can happen

[jaiyen]

Still see women with babies, puppies, and even saw one with a rabbit, along Suk Rd near Asoke. 

[Tropposurfer]

Blanket sentences of decades of prison for any traffickers.

No plea bargaining no wais n tiny fines.

[Oziex1]

OK so let's see a diligent and dedicated copper point the finger at those involved at the top level of this criminal activity and see how long he stays in his job,  he may have to run and hide in Australia. 

[colinneil]

War on sex traffickers to continue, that is any outfit not sanctioned by us, is what should have been said.

[Khun Paul]

If they look at the home front as most of the offenders in using these illegal services are THAIS. It is another offence Thais commit that no one will admit too, like murder etc. 

 

Foreign offenders especially Westerners are only a very tiny percentage of offenders /users of these services, lets see prosecution of Thais for being users !

[Dionigi]

If by bone tests they mean MRI tests, these only tell you bone growth and not chronological age. There does not appear to be a test to reveal age that is accurate.

[Chris Lawrence]

Bumping uglies is usually the best way to get money for food to eat. Solve poverty and education. No backhanders hardest thing to stop. Has anyone worked out what % comes off the top of earnings. Say the girl gets 10-20% where is say the 80-90% distributed in the illegal community. Identify that and go after it.

 

 

[BuckBee]

What about all the illegal immigrant sex workers around the BKK army barracks, they going crack down on that and the thais who enable them into the country !

[johng50]

2 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

I didn't realise there actually was an "war on sex trafficking".....I understood that raids were only carried out when someone got a bit disgruntled or for payback.....!

Anyway, the cops are so heavily involved, that only a token gesture "war" can happen

There must be hundreds if not thousands of places the same as these that have been raided, If you can give a big enough brown envelope your left alone it seems, or raids would be going on by the hour and 80% of businesses would be forced to close, Im all for them stamping out sex with underage, that needs to be done worldwide, but how do you stop prostitution, hell you would virtually have to close down thailand. 

[300sd]

Easy to fabricate evidence if you're a cop who didn't get what he wanted! 

 

No problem for a justice system to agree with this evidence, mold the case for the desired outcome.

 

There is a more serious criminal element in this country.

[Cadbury]

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

War on sex traffickers to continue, pledges PM

Another day, another token pledge by the PM. He leaves behind a trail of broken pledges.

People no longer believe these contrived humanitarian outpourings. All for image in the hope that

people might think what a caring man he is.

Military governments are not recognised for their compassion. They don't care a damn about anyone other than their own and their "friends".

[AAArdvark]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The investigation found that the bar allowed customers to take the Lao sex workers out for sex services at a rate of Bt1,500 per hour or Bt3,000 per night.

Seems kind of expensive for such an obscure province.  Do foreigners even ever visit that area?

[PerkinsCuthbert]

2 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

I didn't realise there actually was an "war on sex trafficking".....I understood that raids were only carried out when someone got a bit disgruntled or for payback.....!

Anyway, the cops are so heavily involved, that only a token gesture "war" can happen

Yes indeed, this so-called war is a sham and always has been. Though deeply humiliating and distressing for the girls and for the Thai government and its image both, this trade has always been a two-way street, and will continue to be so as long as countries contiguous to Thailand remain poor and/or at war; the girls and their families are desperate for money, the traders and the brothel/karaoke bar/tea shop owners are influential and/or venal, and there are countless willing customers.

In my thirty-odd years it has changed little; though you more rarely hear about Thai families selling their daughters for a fridge or a TV these days, there are still countless destitute people across the borders who will. And the shadowy figures who avoid the limelight while the low-hanging fruit are caught and prosecuted still go scott-free. One may speculate why....

[Scutty]

But if they crackdown too much there wont be any hookers for the sexpats and tourists .

[Derek B]

56 minutes ago, Dionigi said:

If by bone tests they mean MRI tests, these only tell you bone growth and not chronological age. There does not appear to be a test to reveal age that is accurate.

But nobody in the media knows that here so it becomes fact as it is not challenged publically in the media.

[Derek B]

At bit more news worthy than a daft school boy gold shop robbery which was probably an inside insurance job anyway as the stolen items were not promptly fenced off & fully recovered.

 

 

[BigC]

Is prayut still pm?

[elcaro]

6 minutes ago, BigC said:

Is prayut still pm?

I also thought it should say acting PM or acting government. But it seems nothing has changed since the election and it feels like it never will.

 

The people in our village seem to have forgotten there has been an election at all. 

[spidermike007]

I have never bought into this narrative. I think the war on sex trafficking here, is even less real, and less effective than the war on drugs in the US. Remember one thing. This administration was installed to protect the elite, the super wealthy, those that are connected, the police, and those in power. Has anything really changed? Have they brought improvement on any level? Was the anti corruption slogan ever anything but PR? I do not think so. How many top guys have gone to prison? Who do you think profits from illegal fishing, human trafficking, and the sex industry here? One can only surmise. But, it is certainly those near the top of the pyramid.

[Jadam]

28 minutes ago, AAArdvark said:

Seems kind of expensive for such an obscure province.  Do foreigners even ever visit that area?

I was thinking the same thing.  Prices must have gone up!

[shackleton]

the Government cant win on this they are dammed if they do and dammed if they don't 

at least something is being done no matter how little it seems

to  some people  here on the Thai Visa Forum 

[raccos21]

So how about the bars, clubs and streets in Bangkok and Pattaya. It is same, why he didn’t clean up that first. South is not really a tourists location.

[Oziex1]

59 minutes ago, BigC said:

Is prayut still pm?

Off topic a little but good question, remarkable that in spite of the election he has seamlessly remained the Prime Minister going about business as usual. All the other details EC's blithering incompetence and the other stuff  dont worry about that I am the PM. 

[PerkinsCuthbert]

1 hour ago, Scutty said:

But if they crackdown too much there wont be any hookers for the sexpats and tourists .

That is an entirely different matter, unrelated to the topic in question, which is trafficking.

Edited May 1, 2019 by PerkinsCuthbert

[raccos21]

Look like he tries to crack down the illegal transporting people from neighboring countries. 

[Thingamabob]

Pathetic.

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, johng50 said:

There must be hundreds if not thousands of places the same as these that have been raided, If you can give a big enough brown envelope your left alone it seems, or raids would be going on by the hour and 80% of businesses would be forced to close, Im all for them stamping out sex with underage, that needs to be done worldwide, but how do you stop prostitution, hell you would virtually have to close down thailand. 

Why should anyone want to stop prostitution? What people do with their own bodies is their own business, as

long as no one is being forced to do anything against their will, and of course no under age sex.