Phuket Shock Allegation: Police Pandering Alien Prostitutes

[webfact]

Phuket shock allegation: police pandering alien prostitutes

THAT'S SIAM: The allegation claims that some police officers use

the basement shop area of upscale shopping complex Jungceylon

as a venue to arrange 'meetings'.

PHUKET: -- Phuket authorities are investigating a formal complaint that police officers are pandering illegal alien prostitutes to foreign tourists in the basement shop area of an upscale shopping mall in Patong.

The investigation follows a recent complaint lodged with the Damrongtham Center at Phuket Provincial Hall by a person identified only as “a Patong Person”.

The complaint alleges that members of the Patong Police, some on plainclothes duty, are trafficking women from Burma, Cambodia and Laos to work in the local sex trade.

The complaint alleges that the racket is being carried out in the “That’s Siam” section in the basement of the upscale Jungceylon shopping plaza.

Phuket Vice Governor Somkiat Sangkaosuttirak yesterday chaired a meeting at Patong City Hall to discuss the issue together with representatives of the Phuket Provincial Police, Phuket Employment Office, Kathu District Office, Phuket Immigration, Patong Municipality and other agencies.

According to the complaint, one particular officer is paid 3,000 baht to 5,000 baht for each woman procured, allegedly with the tacit approval of some higher-ranking officers.

The officer in question sets up meetings between prostitutes and potential clients at a variety of locations, such as restaurants and massage parlors, all over Patong, the meeting was told.

One of the establishments allegedly used for meetings was less than 100 meters from Patong Police Station, V/Gov Somkiat said.

Prapan Kanprasang, head of the Damrongtham Center, said a task force had been assigned to investigate the accusation.

He said anyone with information or complaints can lodge them with the Damrongtham hotline (Tel: 1111) or through its website: www.1111.go.th

“After we receive a complaint, we must appoint authorized officials from relevant agencies to ensure fairness to both sides,” he said.

V/Gov Somkiat said, “We don’t intend to take sides. In fact I like hanging out at Jungceylon. For now, we will instruct Jungceylon to inform its shop owners to check the status of all their migrant workers.

“We will give them 15 days to act. After that we will have an authorized team check on compliance,” he said.

V/Gov Somkiat said he understood that Jungceylon rented out retail space to a large number of tenants.

“That’s why we have to inform them first because they know which shops have migrant workers,” he said.

Governor Tri Augkaradacha would be kept informed of developments in the investigation, he said.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-07-08

[Boater]

Police corruption.... Prostitutes in Phuket ........ i nearly faiting, please say this isnt true !

[LivinginKata]

Police corruption.... Prostitutes in Phuket ........ i nearly faiting, please say this isnt true !

Shock allegations .... mmmm, much the same as many other places in the world. No shock to me.

[ScubaBuddha]

Policing the police in Thailand is like professional wrestling. Actors putting on a show, entirely scripted and without any real consequence. A farce.

[uptownbob]

i'm scheduled to fly in there on sunday..thank you thai visa for alerting me to this unheard of case of corruption and , god forbid, prostitution..i'm cancelling immediately and going to pattaya where i've heard it's a lot safer!!

[sydneyjed]

'Alien prostitutes'What is that exactly? ..."Men are from Mars..Prostitutes are from Laos and Cambodia"

[bangkokmaco]

the problem of course is that they are taking Thai jobs. even for the police, this is wrong

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Is there any explanation of this "Damrongtham Center"

And correct me if I'm wrong but it seems their statements seem to be responding to a different type of complaint, as if someone alleged that the shops in Junceylon are employing illegals?

“After we receive a complaint, we must appoint authorized officials from relevant agencies to ensure fairness to both sides,” he said.

What "both sides"? The allegedly pimping police on the one and ?

“In fact I like hanging out at Jungceylon. For now, we will instruct Jungceylon to inform its shop owners to check the status of all their migrant workers."

“We will give them 15 days to act. After that we will have an authorized team check on compliance,” he said.

“That’s why we have to inform them first because they know which shops have migrant workers,” he said.

I don't think his remarks were in response to the allegations in the article. . .

[ROMANOBA]

...What's the news?!...

Police corruption.... Prostitutes in Phuket ........ i nearly faiting, please say this isnt true !

[Thaddeus]

In most countries I know they would have pounced before making a press release.

Here it's 'there will be a raid at 3pm on Friday'

Laughable.

[Puccini]

Prapan Kanprasang, head of the Damrongtham Center, said a task force had been assigned to investigate the accusation.

A deep penetration undercover agent should be able to flush out the prostitutes and through them identify their pimps.

[bifftastic]

I think this is absolutely outrageous! Something must be done about it immediatley!

I mean, just what is the world coming to? (please, no-one say 'Ravel's Bolero'!)

What I don't understand is, how can this be allowed in the first place? Surely the weight of moral outrage would have prevented this from happening?

There are all kinds of associated problems any society will have to cope with if this kind of thing is left un-checked, it will have a long-lasting and detrimental affect on the well being of not just everyone involved but the knock-on effects will be significant.

I'm so upset by this news, I can hardly type!

5,000 baht? It's just unbelievable!

[rich54321]

...What's the news?!...

Police corruption.... Prostitutes in Phuket ........ i nearly faiting, please say this isnt true !

Exactly - where is the news - its everywhere!!!!!

[anon467367354]

was somebody actually shocked by that allegation? what kind of freakin' headline is that?

[ToffeEFCpower]

How much are they charging for a Martian prostitute?

[jitenshaman]

what hasn't been mentioned is that the tuk tuk mafia are getting their cut as well, ferrying the girls and clients around at gouged out prices.

[LivinLOS]

Police corruption.... Prostitutes in Phuket ........ i nearly faiting, please say this isnt true !

Shock allegations .... mmmm, much the same as many other places in the world. No shock to me.

Yes the rest of the world has just the same levels of open sex for sale and police corruption..

[jmccarty]

the problem of course is that they are taking Thai jobs. even for the police, this is wrong

And what about income tax?

[PlastikbinLina]

Police corruption.... Prostitutes in Phuket ........ i nearly faiting, please say this isnt true !

Yes yes...What on earth is the world coming to. Shock horror. Who would have thought..? OMG <deleted>

[dude007]

Policing the police in Thailand is like professional wrestling. Actors putting on a show, entirely scripted and without any real consequence. A farce.

... and the worse is that after a few days/weeks the crack-down and punishment comes to the illegal immigrants, the poor ladies from Burma, Cambodia and Laos, being lured into prostitution to escape from being sent back to their countries or being framed, but surely not the police pimps who are taking bribes on them and use them as merchandise in their flesh market! What a scam! Disgusting police corruption, probably only the tip of the ice berg! :bah:

[dude007]

what hasn't been mentioned is that the tuk tuk mafia are getting their cut as well, ferrying the girls and clients around at gouged out prices.

EXACTLY!!! Perfectly right!

[hpwheelman]

It said shocking. There was mention of prostitutes. I thought that the police were maybe arresting the hookers. THAT would have shocked me. This? This is business as usual. Where is the shock?

[spidermike007]

These allegations are only shocking if you are one of the optimistic few in LOS, who have an expectation that there is something being done to fight corruption. If you do not have that attitude, then the correct response is, "Of course the police are involved. there is some money to be made, right?" Thailand is the largest economy in the region, that is not fighting corruption, on any significant level. Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and China are serious enough about this problem, to be trying, and jailing important men, who violate their societies, by whoring themselves out to the highest bidder. On China's case, they are often executed. Imagine how much attention that would get in thailand, if one of the generals was executed, or the mayor of Samui was jailed for 20 years, like he deserves. Just imagine what would be possible here.

[Sydebolle]

Alien or Aliens may refer to:

• Alien (law), a non-citizen inhabitant of a country - POSSIBLE
• Extraterrestrial life, defined as life that does not originate from Earth - LIKELY
• List of alleged alien beings (ufology) - MORE LIKELY
• Any introduced species, a species living outside its native distributional range - DEFINITELY

and on Prostitution I found the following: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Thailand

Mind-boggling indeed.......

[MaxYakov]

i'm scheduled to fly in there on sunday..thank you thai visa for alerting me to this unheard of case of corruption and , god forbid, prostitution..i'm cancelling immediately and going to pattaya where i've heard it's a lot safer!!

I concur. Outrageous behavior. But, before I do anything rash, perhaps I should run over to 'That's Siam' and absolutely confirm this situation personally.

P.S.: I now call Pattaya: PartyYeah!

[MaxYakov]

These allegations are only shocking if you are one of the optimistic few in LOS, who have an expectation that there is something being done to fight corruption. If you do not have that attitude, then the correct response is, "Of course the police are involved. there is some money to be made, right?" Thailand is the largest economy in the region, that is not fighting corruption, on any significant level. Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and China are serious enough about this problem, to be trying, and jailing important men, who violate their societies, by whoring themselves out to the highest bidder. On China's case, they are often executed. Imagine how much attention that would get in thailand, if one of the generals was executed, or the mayor of Samui was jailed for 20 years, like he deserves. Just imagine what would be possible here.

How can a halfway decent anarchy be maintained when you're discouraging it by executing folks?

[jfchandler]

The only thing that would have surprised me would have been to hear that the local police were renting out their jail cells as short-time rooms for the aforesaid "aliens" -- and taking their fair cut....

But seriously, for anyone not born here, I'd suggest it's important to remember to distinguish in our own minds between a) recognizing that this kind of stuff is rampant here vs. b] that it's still not right or legal and not what anyone anywhere should expect from the police...the people who are supposed to be enforcing the law... not violating it.

By the way, let's all have a public meeting on the subject at City Hall so all the wrongdoers involved will have loads of advance warning that a "crackdown" is coming...

Edited July 8, 2011 by jfchandler

[exbelg]

the aliens landed on our planet and went to Thailand. Sadly they are held against their will and forced in sex labour... hope no one escapes and calls the mothership in space or we will all be doomed

[rockdoc]

Prapan Kanprasang, head of the Damrongtham Center, said a task force had been assigned to investigate the accusation.

A deep penetration undercover agent should be able to flush out the prostitutes and through them identify their pimps.

I think a "deep penetration" undercover agent is exactly what's needed to flush out a prostitute

[JohnAllan]

Some problem with the grammar. Pandering? Did they mean procuring?