Biggest Sex for Sale website shut down by police unit in early morning raid targeting foreigners

[webfact]

Police questioned the American Thai couple, a 34-year-old Thai woman and a 48-year-old American national at a luxury property in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan, last Sunday, the 13th of August 2023, after they raided it at 6 am. The couple was arrested on foot of a warrant issued in Pattaya on the 10th of August last after an investigation by a police task force in July. ฿40 million in assets were seized.

 

Deputy Immigration Bureau Chief Police Major General Panthana Nuchanart explained that the operation carried out by a special task force was part of a programme ordered by Prime Minister Prayut Chan Ocha targeting online criminality linked to foreigners in Thailand which was damaging the image of the kingdom and which posed a nuisance to the public.

Police this week arrested an American Thai couple in Hua Hin after they suppressed the operation of what they believed to be Thailand’s leading prostitution website catering to foreign tourists in the kingdom. A press conference in Bangkok was told that ฿40 million in assets were seized including a pool villa and ฿9 million in bank deposits in a joint task-force raid last Sunday morning.

 

Police in Bangkok with the Immigration Bureau and Information Technology Crime Suppression Centre have announced the closure of Thailand’s biggest online escort service and sex agency website operated by a husband and wife team who lived in Hua Hin.

 

by Carla Boonkong & Pranee O' Connor

 

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2023/08/18/biggest-sex-for-sale-website-shut-down/

 

-- Thai Examiner 2023-08-19

 

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[Walker88]

How far might this Potemkin moral fiber extend?

 

Will Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy, Walking Street and LK Metro be closed down? Will the dozens of Thai-owned Escort Services be shuttered and taken offline? Will "Soapies" be boarded up? Will massage shops begin offering only 'traditional' massage and no happy endings? Will high-ups and government officials be subject to arrest for taking on university students as mia nois?

 

Will the business laws be changed and put "owning a business geared toward prostitution" on the same list as diamond polishers, hairdressers or wood carvers---jobs prohibited to foreigners?

[save the frogs]

5 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

How far might this Potemkin moral fiber extend?

the main "moral issue" is under the table / undeclared monies. 

 

even in conservative western countries, if the "massage shop" is paying taxes, then it's good to go. 

 

 

[Ralf001]

Website is still online.

 

[Swiss1960]

That is what happens, when you don't push enough profits up the ladder...

[harleyclarkey]

I just love the blinkers these guys at the top wear. 

They get their y-fronts all in a twist over a single web site while the country is afloat in "naughty" venues.

 

Why do we still have all this stupid fuss over the oldest profession? 

Just leave consenting adults alone!! 

[Bim Smith]

You mean someone wasn't getting their cut. Using the old "damaging the image of Thailand" stick has never visited Pattaya or Nana plaza or any of the other bars in Bangkok and beyond. 

[neeray]

Does this mean that some army high-ups are shaking in their boots because their side gig may be in jeopardy?

[swm59nj]

I bet quite a few expats and tourists are heart broken 

[arick]

These foreigners aren't very smart with this 40 million baht seized. When Thais steal from foreigners 5 billion the money is gone within seconds there's no assets seize. Wake up foreigners. 

[NemoH]

Never heard of te website .. lol … sad that it’s gone now .. ????????????

[Elkski]

Didn't like the competition Huh.   Prayut doing biddding for his buddies while he can.   

[Enoon]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

Website is still online.

 

Hurry now while stocks last!

 

 

[CartagenaWarlock]

1 hour ago, Walker88 said:

How far might this Potemkin moral fiber extend?

 

Will Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy, Walking Street and LK Metro be closed down? Will the dozens of Thai-owned Escort Services be shuttered and taken offline? Will "Soapies" be boarded up? Will massage shops begin offering only 'traditional' massage and no happy endings? Will high-ups and government officials be subject to arrest for taking on university students as mia nois?

 

Will the business laws be changed and put "owning a business geared toward prostitution" on the same list as diamond polishers, hairdressers or wood carvers---jobs prohibited to foreigners?

I like Thai approach. As a foreigner one must be hunted down for all criminal activities to make money from Thailand. As per the native Thai, they will be treated as unfortunates who don't have access to earn dollars for no fault of their own. The World should learn this approach from the Thais. 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Walker88 said:

Will Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy, Walking Street and LK Metro be closed down? Will the dozens of Thai-owned Escort Services be shuttered and taken offline? Will "Soapies" be boarded up? Will massage shops begin offering only 'traditional' massage and no happy endings? Will high-ups and government officials be subject to arrest for taking on university students as mia nois?

Only foreign competition will be wiped off the streets of Thailand..

Nana Plaza and all the other venues will operate as normal.

[Zack61]

Did he have a work permit? This is the only explanation that would make a modicum of sense for justification of this raid. 

[IamNoone88]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

Website is still online.

 

New emergency numbers to contact the police!

[webfact]

UPDATE:

 

American national and Thai wife in Hua Hin arrested for operating escort website

By Online Reporter

 

 

Immigration Police on Friday (Aug 18) announced the arrest of an American man and his Thai wife who allegedly ran an escort website from their home in Hua Hin.

 

Police say their website was used to allegedly facilitate in luring foreign victims into compromising situations with alcohol and drugs and the subsequent theft of their possessions.

 

Police Lieutenant General Phakphum Phiphat, Commander of the Immigration Police, confirmed the arrest of the 48-year-old American named only as Mr Brad in Hua Hin at 6am on Aug 13.

 

His accomplice, Ms. Kanya (last name withheld), 34, was detained after arriving on a flight at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

 

Full story: https://www.huahintoday.com/local-news/american-national-and-thai-wife-in-hua-hin-arrested-for-operating-escort-website/

 

-- Hua Hin Today 2023-08-19

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[BE88]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

Website is still online.

 

The police are investigating those who link to this site  ????

[HappyExpat57]

35 minutes ago, NemoH said:

Never heard of te website .. lol … sad that it’s gone now .. ????????????

Nah, it's still up. The A-list girls look rather tasty.

[HappyExpat57]

I'm sure this is just a case of "The Forgotten Brown Envelopes." I did a quick search for "escorts bangkok" and there are more similar results than you can shake your stick at.

[Ralf001]

3 minutes ago, BE88 said:

The police are investigating those who link to this site  ????

Lucky for me I did not link to it then.

[mstevens]

43 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Only foreign competition will be wiped off the streets of Thailand..

Nana Plaza and all the other venues will operate as normal.

Isn't Nana Plaza owned by foreigners? Pretty sure it is.

[hotchilli]

2 minutes ago, mstevens said:

Isn't Nana Plaza owned by foreigners? Pretty sure it is.

Rented monthly surely ^^

[bradiston]

Trying to clean up Thailand's image abroad? And this from a man who just cooked the political books to destroy democracy here. What a joke. Thais are brought up to believe they are members of the most exclusive club in the world, thanks to one man. But to almost everyone else, it's nudge nudge, wink wink when you mention Thailand abroad. It's the only thing that separates it off from other SE Asian countries. Prostitution is the backbone of the economy, or at least, the tourist economy. Beaches? Thousands available world wide. Food? Standards falling. Temples? 2 a penny. Politicians? ????????????. Corruption? Drugs? Scams? Yeah, no tarnishing needed. Thai tarnish. You've tried the rest. Now try the best.

Edited August 18, 2023 by bradiston

[ukrules]

29 minutes ago, mstevens said:

Isn't Nana Plaza owned by foreigners? Pretty sure it is.

I heard the master lease for the entire place was rented by a motorcycle club some time back, one of the clubs on the recently published list.

 

However it likely changed hands a long time ago as they moved on for one reason or another.

 

People were complaining about ourlaws mc stickers appearing all over the place at the time.

[bob smith]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

the operation carried out by a special task force was part of a programme ordered by Prime Minister Prayut Chan Ocha

why is this clown still giving orders?

 

Isnt he supposed to be sat at home looking after his grand kids?

[Reginald Prewster]

Okeeee? 

40 million with an escort service in Thailand, where you can pick girls by the hundereds in Walking Street or Nana Plaza? 

 

Sounds to me like selling live music on tape, but seem to work... 

(Before he get deported with empty pockets lol.)  

[Andre0720]

2 hours ago, harleyclarkey said:

I just love the blinkers these guys at the top wear. 

They get their y-fronts all in a twist over a single web site while the country is afloat in "naughty" venues.

 

Why do we still have all this stupid fuss over the oldest profession? 

Just leave consenting adults alone!! 

"stupid fuss over the oldest profession"

But it is a fuss about money, associated with a nationality...

[NORDO]

Use a server in another country and funds deposited to another country bank, then make regular withdrawals in cash.  Don't leave a paper-trail.

Most of all, if the operation may be considered rouge, don't acquire expensive titled properties or assets.

Rent or lease, don't buy titled assets in the countries you are operating a rouge business.