Child Snatching In Thailand

[dmax]

i was disturbed to hear from a guy last night that child snatching in thailand happens quite regularly, he came off with a figure of 50 kids snatched in the pattaya area alone in 3 years ( dont know where he got that info from) but i questioned him about his facts, i mean why has this not been in the international media etc, he told me that the thai government wouldnt let this out as it would affect tourism etc, the story of organised gangs stealing kids to order for sexual abuse and to use as beggers horrifies me, ive also heard that udon thani is especially bad for this type of thing as the kids can be wisked across the border to laos easilly . can anyone shed any more light on this ? i,ll be watching my little one like a hawk in future, usually when me and the wife are out at bar we would let the girls take our daughter away ( not far) just to show her off or dance and joke with her, now im even concerned about that in future.

[toptuan]

I put this in the category of the many urban myths which float around Thailand, akin to the roving gangs in vans who kidnap victims in rural villages to steal their internal organs for sale, cell phones microwaving your brain until it explodes, etc. For some reason the urban myths seem to be a bit hot and heavier in Thailand than I experienced back in my home (western) country. Also, appears to be many more "true believers" here as well.

Strictly my opinion and from casual conversation with others, but no supporting hard facts, similar to your opening post.

Either way, mate, I'd still be cautious about letting your daughter go with the bar girls out of your sight. (Of course, depending on your daughter's age, whether you're in a big city or local village, how well you know the "girls," etc. A lot of factors here). Again, just my opinion.

[needforspeed]

Not much information about this, only thing my GF always told me is that it happen a lot.

Just few month ago close to my house near a super market a girls 5 years old been draged in to a mini van and gone.

Most kidnappings happening in:

Colombia

Mexico

Che Chnya

Brasil

Philippenes

Nigeria

Venezuela

Afghanistan

Iraq

Haiti

Thailand is mention as very safe regarding to kidnappings.

[Heng]

It does make the news now and then, so I wouldn't put it in the urban legend category. But probably not 'rampant,' which I guess depends on the individual as to what level of child abductions is 'okay.'

[dingdongrb]

Child kidnapping can and does happen anywhere. How much, I don't have a clue. But believe you me I keep an eye on my 4 yr old as well as not allowing her to stroll off unless she is with immediate family members..Why? Because I love her and at the age of 4 she cannot fend for herself.

[toptuan]

It does make the news now and then, so I wouldn't put it in the urban legend category. But probably not 'rampant,' which I guess depends on the individual as to what level of child abductions is 'okay.'

...probably also depends on if the terms "regularly" (OP) and "make the news now and then" are the same thing.

...probably also depends on whether "make the news now and then" means: "another rumor has been reported" or "we've investigated the reports and here are the facts."

Then, we can probably determine what's urban myth and what's not.

[KhaoNiaw]

A couple of years ago, the Mirror Art group, an NGO which does a lot of work on following up missing persons reports, tried to verify some of the child snatching stories that were doing the rounds at the time, the vans with the blacked out windows etc. They found plenty of people telling them it was happening but it was always the next village and they didn't come up with a single first-hand account. They couldn't conclude it wasn't happening, but I think that in their records the vast majority of missing children are teenagers.

[ianf]

A couple of years ago, the Mirror Art group, an NGO which does a lot of work on following up missing persons reports, tried to verify some of the child snatching stories that were doing the rounds at the time, the vans with the blacked out windows etc. They found plenty of people telling them it was happening but it was always the next village and they didn't come up with a single first-hand account. They couldn't conclude it wasn't happening, but I think that in their records the vast majority of missing children are teenagers.

About 20 years ago my friend's 12-year old daughter was snatched in Florida at a famous entertainment venue. The authorities did their best to cover it up and the daughter was never found. It was rumoured at the time that a pretty 12-year-old blonde was a valuable commodity for snuff movies in Latin America. Seems that this could happen anywhere.

[elcent]

From emails I receive from concerned local citizens regulary it may be around this number. Most of the time it's a family abduction case.

[LivinLOS]

I would also say far more cases of children stolen by the Thai family for ransom back and other reasons.

Also why steal when you can just buy, I knew a girl who was a friend of my GF, she was sold by her mother to a whorehouse when she was about 14. Makes you wonder !!

[elcent]

I would also say far more cases of children stolen by the Thai family for ransom back and other reasons.

Also why steal when you can just buy, I knew a girl who was a friend of my GF, she was sold by her mother to a whorehouse when she was about 14. Makes you wonder !!

It was common practice that girls from 12 years up were sold into prostitution by their parents and/or care-takers. It was controlled by influencial Phu Wahs (kind of provincial governeurs) and MPs who paid a lumpsum to the parents and the girls had to work it off for years.

Once I had nearly a serious fight with a Northern Puh-Wah (refered as higher than police by locals), when I didn't know what Puh-Wah means. Fortunately I could stop him without any incidence of violent nature and a Royal project was initiated shortly after this happened and 600 girls were sent back to their families at once.

Even the locals where after the money from the Puh-Wah and many considered it as a blessing they were not quite happy with the way they had to go for paying it back.

I opened their eyes.

One time a man came to me and said: "you're not looking with your eyes but your heart, we believe what you say". - This may have saved my life.

Edited June 5, 2010 by elcent

[Takeo]

It does happen. There is even a book about it, but due to the books content they had alot of trouble releasing it. its titled 'Guns, Girls, Gambling, Ganja: Thailand's Illegal Economy and Public Policy', can be found on amazon if anyone was interested. But of course children are kidnapped and sold into prostitution. Perhaps even worse are the children who are perfectly fit and well, having a arm or leg removed as they will earn more money begging.

At the same time, i dont know to what scale. Child kidnapping and smugeling is not uncommon in most developing nations.

[sweeneythailand]

may be true it happens kids are easy pray to the nastys out there 1980 it did a lot kids were sold snatched used as begers sex toys . easy money for the nastys farmers who had no money sold there kids to some woman who told of rich houses wanting maids the kids were then sold in bkk as whores this is fact and still gos on watch your kids. familys have kids snatched too see the thai news on tv all thais know as they see it on tv some times the truth is hard to take

mobiles do rot the brain and will pop corn look on youtube mobile popcorn

I put this in the category of the many urban myths which float around Thailand, akin to the roving gangs in vans who kidnap victims in rural villages to steal their internal organs for sale, cell phones microwaving your brain until it explodes, etc. For some reason the urban myths seem to be a bit hot and heavier in Thailand than I experienced back in my home (western) country. Also, appears to be many more "true believers" here as well.

Strictly my opinion and from casual conversation with others, but no supporting hard facts, similar to your opening post.

Either way, mate, I'd still be cautious about letting your daughter go with the bar girls out of your sight. (Of course, depending on your daughter's age, whether you're in a big city or local village, how well you know the "girls," etc. A lot of factors here). Again, just my opinion.

[Fookhaht]

Yes, those urban legends....

mobiles do rot the brain and will pop corn look on youtube mobile popcorn

...seem to have a life of their own, don't they?

Absolutely false. Don't believe everything you see you YouTube. The video is a fake.

Check out the urban myth debunking website: snopes.com

It includes an investigative report by CNN showing the video was created and edited by an advertising agency for Bluetooth, presumably to scare people into keeping the cell phones away from their ears.

[Heng]

It does make the news now and then, so I wouldn't put it in the urban legend category. But probably not 'rampant,' which I guess depends on the individual as to what level of child abductions is 'okay.'

...probably also depends on if the terms "regularly" (OP) and "make the news now and then" are the same thing.

...probably also depends on whether "make the news now and then" means: "another rumor has been reported" or "we've investigated the reports and here are the facts."

Then, we can probably determine what's urban myth and what's not.

In this case, 'makes the news now and then,' means just that, I, one person have seen reports of children being abducted (and sometimes found and sometimes mistakenly assumed to be abducted) on the news on more than one occasion. As for investigating whether these news reports were accurate or not, I have not.

It might be an urban legend that I watch television.

[astral]

I fear it is not an urban myth.

I cannot vouch for any numbers, but stories of children being snatched from villages

go back 25 years to my knowledge...........

Never reported in the press, but if you speak to people in the villages they will tell you.

Sad to say.

[MikeyIdea]

I have heard the same as astral - It does actually happen occasionally from what I have heard over the last 20 years, I think that the Thailand statistics when it comes to child snatchings looks very good internationally though. We are talking about very small numbers.

[tuky]

may be true it happens kids are easy pray to the nastys out there 1980 it did a lot kids were sold snatched used as begers sex toys . easy money for the nastys farmers who had no money sold there kids to some woman who told of rich houses wanting maids the kids were then sold in bkk as whores this is fact and still gos on watch your kids. familys have kids snatched too see the thai news on tv all thais know as they see it on tv some times the truth is hard to take

mobiles do rot the brain and will pop corn look on youtube mobile popcorn

QUOTE (toptuan @ 2010-06-05 12:03:29) I put this in the category of the many urban myths which float around Thailand, akin to the roving gangs in vans who kidnap victims in rural villages to steal their internal organs for sale, cell phones microwaving your brain until it explodes, etc. For some reason the urban myths seem to be a bit hot and heavier in Thailand than I experienced back in my home (western) country. Also, appears to be many more "true believers" here as well.

Strictly my opinion and from casual conversation with others, but no supporting hard facts, similar to your opening post.

Either way, mate, I'd still be cautious about letting your daughter go with the bar girls out of your sight. (Of course, depending on your daughter's age, whether you're in a big city or local village, how well you know the "girls," etc. A lot of factors here). Again, just my opinion.

Huh?

[MisterMan]

perhaps you shouldnt take your little one to bars!

[dmax]

perhaps you shouldnt take your little one to bars!

i dont see a problem taking my wife and child to a bar on a rare occasion