Crackdown on prostitution:

57 alleged prostitutes rounded up in Phuket Town

PHUKET TOWN: -- A team of provincial civil defense officials and volunteer police on Sunday night raided three well-known entertainment venues, in the heart of Phuket Town, suspected of serving as fronts for prostitution.

A spokesperson from the Phuket Provincial Office Public Relations Bureau said the raids were ordered by Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop following complaints from local residents that the three venues – two massage parlors and a nightclub – were actually fronts for prostitution.

A total of 57 alleged female prostitutes, including at least one Burmese girl under the age of 18, were rounded up by the special task force led by Phuket Deputy Governor (Palad) Chaiwat Tephee, Phuket Provincial Defense Office head Wirote Suwanwong, and volunteer police.

One of the venues raided is a long-established massage parlor that specializes in full service ‘soapy’ massages by sexily-attired women who wear numbers and sit inside a glass display case waiting to be called by potential customers.

Among the evidence seized in a search of service rooms inside the building were used condoms, according to the spokesperson.

There was no mention of any involvement by Phuket City Police. Rather, the women and some of the brothel operators were taken by pick-up to the Muang District Office, where they were questioned and informed of the various infractions they had committed.

One local cable television news show showed footage of the raids last night.

Most of those taken into custody were released after paying fines, but an unspecified number of illegal "aliens" were taken to Immigration Police for processing and possible deportation.

Despite the serious nature of the charges, there was no mention of any criminal charges filed against the venue owners.

Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop said the raids were just the first in what will be a strict and ongoing crackdown on prostitution.

According to official police statistics, there were a total of 1,588 people arrested for prostitution in 2009, up 13.3% year-on-year.

There were 225 arrests for prostitution-related charges in December 2009, just over double the figure from December 2008.

With the possible exception of the Burmese, however, it is unlikely that Sunday night's raids will be included in official crime statistics since most of the alleged prostitutes were released without being charged.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-01-26

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Despite the serious nature of the charges, there was no mention of any criminal charges filed against the venue owners.

I wonder why not?

"Among the evidence seized in a search of service rooms inside the building were used condoms, according to the spokesperson."

This is not an evidence that the place was a brothel but proofs this was a pigsty.

Despite the serious nature of the charges, there was no mention of any criminal charges filed against the venue owners.

And how about the male customers? Were any of them rounded up and fined? That's crap.

I wonder if Thailand is reaching the "Tipping Point" as in the authorities are increasingly uncomfortable with the LOS's international reputation with respect to prostitution. Of course it could also just be an isolated case of some owner(s) not tendering the usual tea money to the proper persons.

My gut tells me that the naughty night life scene may not be encouraged as in the past and only tolerated if it is more discreet.

Time will tell

Despite the serious nature of the charges, there was no mention of any criminal charges filed against the venue owners.

And how about the male customers? Were any of them rounded up and fined? That's crap.

Agreed. Even more: I think that only male customers must be fined. Girls should be punished by whipping

Surely there are more than 57 women in Phuket? Why not just arrest them all and discard a few? Were there any ladyboys included in that figure I wonder?

Despite the serious nature of the charges, there was no mention of any criminal charges filed against the venue owners.

I wonder why not?

Because the owner is.....................

Oh.. the utter hypocrisy of it all

Phuket ?......what a sleazy place ,im staying in Pattaya,.

Despite the serious nature of the charges, there was no mention of any criminal charges filed against the venue owners.

I wonder why not?

Because the owner is.....................

Now skint !

Let's hope the police don't ever find out about what goes on in Bangla Road...

Surely there are more than 57 women in Phuket? Why not just arrest them all and discard a few? Were there any ladyboys included in that figure I wonder?

Read what it said:

A total of 57 alleged female prostitutes, including at least one Burmese girl under the age of 18, were rounded up by

I lolled

The owner obviously wasn't paying enough, or said something untoward and was taught a lesson... simple as that...

On a related note: Juan Valdez was arrested for selling coffee, Papa Smurf was charging for being blue, and a local brown bear may serve as many as 30 days in jail for crapping in the woods.

I cannot begin to express how utterly stupid this makes those in charge look.

Despite the serious nature of the charges, there was no mention of any criminal charges filed against the venue owners.

And how about the male customers? Were any of them rounded up and fined? That's crap.

Agreed. Even more: I think that only male customers must be fined. Girls should be punished by whipping

Ok, ok, good point. I forgot that there technically could be female customers too!

I guess they were doing a crackdown on foreign bar-pimps owners

as everybody seemed to be thai = no problemo

only a few brown envelopes switched hands

Once Thaksin or his proxies are back in, this'll all be history . . .

Let's hope the police don't ever find out about what goes on in Bangla Road...

Exactly. That's ground zero for the scene in Phuket (or so I hear). I agree with an earlier comment that some people didn't pay their bribes and were punished. Are you telling me that the police don't know what goes on at a soapy massage? hel_l, they're probably some of the best clients.

Good for them. I wouldn't mind a nice big prostitution crackdown. I can't stand it when the first thing people say when I say I live in Thailand is something about the women or sex or prostitution or AIDS. Sex will always be easy to come by here for foreigners, but it does not need to be advertised so openly and for sale everywhere you go.

Quite understandable. Now the Democrat led government is running their own massagae parlors (Poseidon, owned by Thailand's minister of commerce and her family) their is no reason to root out the competition.

Wonder when they will catch the other 28 Million prostitutes in Thailand

Looks like they will go after falang bar/brothel owners in the industry (cant have that) and Thais who are not paying enough tea money.

Soon it will all settle down.

Good for them. I wouldn't mind a nice big prostitution crackdown. I can't stand it when the first thing people say when I say I live in Thailand is something about the women or sex or prostitution or AIDS. Sex will always be easy to come by here for foreigners, but it does not need to be advertised so openly and for sale everywhere you go.

For goodness sake!

I wonder if Thailand is reaching the "Tipping Point" as in the authorities are increasingly uncomfortable with the LOS's international reputation with respect to prostitution. Of course it could also just be an isolated case of some owner(s) not tendering the usual tea money to the proper persons.

My gut tells me that the naughty night life scene may not be encouraged as in the past and only tolerated if it is more discreet.

Time will tell

Personally i think its just a 'storm in a teacup' - some bar owner p*ssed off the wrong copper or didnt pay his monthly tea money...

... if they were serious about it, the could easily arrest hundreds (or dare i say thousands) of 'working girls' In Patong, or even further south in Kata, Karon or Rawai

Once Thaksin or his proxies are back in, this'll all be history . . .

Than we have again the crackdown on dive centers.

If this spreads to be a nationwide crack down, then the prisons will be full to bursting, if they are not already...

ThaiDict: Sorry, we could not find a direct match for your search "hypocrisy" in the dictionary.

It all just boggles the mind. Welcome to "Toontown"

One local cable television news show showed footage of the raids last night.

Own up - who's hogging the youTube link?

C'mon, share the joy.

I wonder if Thailand is reaching the "Tipping Point" as in the authorities are increasingly uncomfortable with the LOS's international reputation with respect to prostitution. Of course it could also just be an isolated case of some owner(s) not tendering the usual tea money to the proper persons.

My gut tells me that the naughty night life scene may not be encouraged as in the past and only tolerated if it is more discreet.

Time will tell

Tolerate if it was more discreet? They id the raid in Phuket town, where there are a few soapie shops. There are hundreds of massage joints in Patong, and discretion is not their business.........