Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, appeared disturbed by the news report about Pattaya when quizzed by journalists on Sunday in Nong Bua Lamphu province. He has asked for a report from both the Ministry of Justice and the Royal Thai Police after DW TV made broad allegations linked with sex tourism and paedophilia in Pattaya, which has angered local business operators who have questioned the accuracy of the reports.

Pattaya’s dark resurgence: Shocking revelations as German and American tourists allegedly bribed their way out of child sex abuse charges. The scathing documentary exposes a seedy underbelly, prompting urgent investigations and public outrage.

Police in Pattaya, on Sunday, announced an urgent investigation into claims that two Western tourists, one an American and another German, were able to bribe their way out of trouble in Pattaya after being arrested in a 2022 case involving the sexual abuse of a minor, a girl under 15 years of age, at a hotel in the city. Pattaya itself is also back in the crosshairs after a scathing documentary on its red-light sex-for-sale culture broadcast by respected German DW-TV network in November.

 

In the heart of Thailand’s coastal paradise of Pattaya, now rocking again after becoming a ghost town during the pandemic era from 2020 to 2023, the neon glow of its famed go-go bars, seedy massage parlours, and open-air beer stalls conceals a grim reality — the resurgence of international sex tourism.

 

by Carla Boonkong & Pranee O' Connor

 

Full story: Thai Examiner.com 2023-12-04

 

- 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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I am sure he had no idea Pattaya is a place these type of incidents occur.

People buy themselves out of all sorts of crimes, happens in court also before giving sentence 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Police in Pattaya, on Sunday, announced an urgent investigation into claims that two Western tourists, one an American and another German, were able to bribe their way out of trouble in Pattaya after being arrested in a 2022 case involving the sexual abuse of a minor, a girl under 15 years of age, at a hotel in the city. Pattaya itself is also back in the crosshairs after a scathing documentary on its red-light sex-for-sale culture broadcast by respected German DW-TV network in November.

Americans are responsible for and punished for child sexual abuse anywhere in the world, just like they are responsible for their worldwide income for tax obligations. He can bribe his way out of Pattaya, but he still has to face justice in the US.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya’s dark resurgence: Shocking revelations as German and American tourists allegedly bribed their way out of child sex abuse charges. The scathing documentary exposes a seedy underbelly, prompting urgent investigations and public outrage.

Allegedly... Pattaya police taking bribes?

Perish the thought.

Sadly after over 20 years of living here I have known many cases where parents offer their children in order to make some money, not unheard of and not limited to tourist venues.

Too often the pretty girls find that thier bodies make more if they succumb to9 the advances of males, sad tale buit historically we all know it to be true. Tkes a wise m,an to recognise and reject the advances, my lesson is to ask for ID Card, and take photo of it, those who do not will probably be legal and those who lie will never supply ID Card. 

Police taking bribes in Thailand? I dont believe it 

11 minutes ago, Nicholas Paul KNIGHT said:

Sadly after over 20 years of living here I have known many cases where parents offer their children in order to make some money, not unheard of and not limited to tourist venues.

Too often the pretty girls find that thier bodies make more if they succumb to9 the advances of males, sad tale buit historically we all know it to be true. Tkes a wise m,an to recognise and reject the advances, my lesson is to ask for ID Card, and take photo of it, those who do not will probably be legal and those who lie will never supply ID Card. 

Naughty, if they 'look' borderline underage then there's a very good chance they are.....ID card or not!

2 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

Americans are responsible for and punished for child sexual abuse anywhere in the world, just like they are responsible for their worldwide income for tax obligations. He can bribe his way out of Pattaya, but he still has to face justice in the US.

Same for Germans I believe, but with the bribes has the evidence also been destroyed....lost.

The documentary refers to 'sex-for-sale' implying prostitution. The local Thai police under various Commanders have, in the past, searched and publicly reported that prostitution does not exist in this city. The PM can easily rebuff the inaccuracies in the report. 😋

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya itself is also back in the crosshairs after a scathing documentary on its red-light sex-for-sale culture broadcast by respected German DW-TV network in November.

Obviously all is fine if nobody broadcasts what's going on.

I think I remember some Thai police officers confirmed recently that there is no prostitution in Thailand.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

a scathing documentary on its red-light sex-for-sale culture

I saw such "documentary" before and at least what I saw in the "documentary" had little to do with real life.

Maybe they find one girl who is 17 and was forced to work in a bar by an abusive parent or boyfriend. And then they pretend everybody is forced to work there.

And then there are abusive customers. Sure, they exist, and it's sad they exist. But it seems those are not too many. And they come from all over the world.

When a documentary is produced by feminists and NGOs with a mission then we shouldn't believe too much of it.

 

As an alternative, maybe Thailand should show some documentary about the Reeperbahn in Hamburg. I am sure there are interesting facts to report and information which can be twisted to make it look worse.

 

 

2 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

Americans are responsible for and punished for child sexual abuse anywhere in the world, just like they are responsible for their worldwide income for tax obligations. He can bribe his way out of Pattaya, but he still has to face justice in the US.

Only if he's arrested and charged, with that nothing much will happen. So depending on when he paid the money it may not even show up anywhere other than in the minds if the few willing to remember and tell the story. 

DW-TV is 'respected' by who?  Having watched that documentary I thought it was sensationalist nonsense.  DW-TV might be better turning their attention to some of the things going on in Germany right now - including forced betrothals of underage girls and 'temporary marriages' in some communities. 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Police in Pattaya, on Sunday, announced an urgent investigation into claims that two Western tourists, one an American and another German, were able to bribe their way out of trouble in Pattaya after being arrested

So The PATTAYA Cops will investigate themselves,... nothing to see here move along now, its all a misunderstanding.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Police in Pattaya, on Sunday, announced an urgent investigation into claims that two Western tourists, one an American and another German, were able to bribe their way out of trouble in Pattaya after being arrested in a 2022 case involving the sexual abuse of a minor, a girl under 15 years of age

What's to investigate?  Who got the lion's share of the grease?

Quote

The incident, initially exposed by Germany’s DW or international broadcaster Deutsches Chevelle on its prestigious documentary channel

"Deutsches Chevelle" vs "Deutsche Welle"

I assume that the first one refers to an American Muscle Car driving on the Autobahn, while the second one is a German public, state-owned international broadcaster 

2 hours ago, Nicholas Paul KNIGHT said:

ask for ID Card, and take photo of it, those who do not will probably be legal and those who lie will never supply ID Card. 

Huh?  Those who "won't show their ID will probably be legal"?  Ya think?

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Shocking revelations as German and American tourists allegedly bribed their way out of child sex abuse charges

Is this the German they are talking about, he got his just deserves. 

 

https://metro.co.uk/2023/07/11/thailand-suspected-child-sex-offender-found-dismembered-in-freezer-19108657/

 

Sadly, there's probably more than one of them. 

 

1 hour ago, Dan O said:

4 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

Americans are responsible for and punished for child sexual abuse anywhere in the world, just like they are responsible for their worldwide income for tax obligations. He can bribe his way out of Pattaya, but he still has to face justice in the US.

Only if he's arrested and charged, with that nothing much will happen.

There do not need to be arrests or charges in Thailand, US authorities can instigate their own investigation unilaterally...

" Section 2423(c) of Title 18, United States Code, prohibits United States citizens or legal permanent residents from traveling from the United States to a foreign country, and while there, raping or sexually molesting a child or paying a child for sex.  Citizens can be punished under this law even if the conduct they engaged in was legal in the country where it occurred".

That section obviously precludes the necessity for an arrest or charge existing outside the US.

17 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Is this the German they are talking about, he got his just deserves. 

 

https://metro.co.uk/2023/07/11/thailand-suspected-child-sex-offender-found-dismembered-in-freezer-19108657/

Gawd.  Very obviously, that was not the same person. How could a dismembered, dead German escape back to Germany and have a different name from the one referenced in the OP?   And it's "just deserts".

Woman says she is 18 works as a sex worker in the red light area 'shocking sexual abuse of a minor!'

48 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Gawd.  Very obviously, that was not the same person. How could a dismembered, dead German escape back to Germany and have a different name from the one referenced in the OP?   And it's "just deserts".

Yep, sadly more than one of those Germans. ☹️

 

And yes thanks, it is deserts but it just doesn't sound right. 

2 hours ago, Dan O said:

Only if he's arrested and charged, with that nothing much will happen.

He does not have to be arrested and charged where the crime happened. Any US prosecutor with sufficient evidence can bring the charges in the US. But the bigger question is how to motivate a prosecutor to bring charges, unless it's a huge racket and some US NGOs are involved in gathering evidence. 

no surprise really, some very suspect people hanging around in bars here

8 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

There do not need to be arrests or charges in Thailand, US authorities can instigate their own investigation unilaterally...

" Section 2423(c) of Title 18, United States Code, prohibits United States citizens or legal permanent residents from traveling from the United States to a foreign country, and while there, raping or sexually molesting a child or paying a child for sex.  Citizens can be punished under this law even if the conduct they engaged in was legal in the country where it occurred".

That section obviously precludes the necessity for an arrest or charge existing outside the US.

There has to be some action that initiates the investigation. If there isn't a police report or charge its pretty much empty air unless a victim comes forward which is my point since these guys supposedly bought their way out of whatever happened. The US would need something to initiate their actions but yes they have that right to prosecute that crime as well as many other crimes.

6 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

He does not have to be arrested and charged where the crime happened. Any US prosecutor with sufficient evidence can bring the charges in the US. But the bigger question is how to motivate a prosecutor to bring charges, unless it's a huge racket and some US NGOs are involved in gathering evidence. 

There has to be something the initiates the action by the US and depending on how these guys bought their way out there may be nothing available unless a victim comes forward

Family friendly Pattaya with clean beaches.

15 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya itself is also back in the crosshairs after a scathing documentary on its red-light sex-for-sale culture broadcast by respected German DW-TV network in November.

 

I can only see it as a step forward that defamation charges have not been drawn against the Germain DW-TV network for bringing Thailand into disrepute. 

 

Of course, the nonce who paid the bribe, the Police who took the bribe and the owners of the 'establishment' or 'person' which provided under-age sex workers should all be facing charges of the utmost severity.

 

17 hours ago, webfact said:

which has angered local business operators who have questioned the accuracy of the reports

 

The usual knee-jerk reaction. I have no doubt that there's nothing wrong with the reports but everything wrong with the corrupt Thai officials and criminal foreigners involved.