14-Year-Old Girl Arrested For Running Underage Prostitution Ring In Samut Prakan

[Jayman]

This is news worthy? It's business as usual here in Isaan.

I presume you're just a troll. But if you're not then I suggest you report what you know to the local police. Or do you condone child prostitution? If you know this goes on and don't report it, then you deserve to be locked up.

I don't think anyone's condoning child prostitution Dave Maybe half the population could report the other half?

Amazing how many are living in a country they appear to know nothing about, let alone what's happening at the other end of their own soi. Not that they'd need to ... they wouldn't be able to grasp the concepts anyhow.

A farang 'reporting' something (right or wrong in our minds) ingrained in Thai culture to other Thais who understand it all too well - and in a lot of cases, condone it. Lol.

This story's not even the tip of an iceberg. It's just one little chunk well and truly solidified in the middle of it.

Unfortunately I have to agree, this goes on all the time all over the place and is well known to the Thais themselves. In fact the major customers of these younger girls/boys are Thais themselves (at least I am so informed by a couple of Thai friends).

As someone else pointed out she is no way the leader, just the fall person.

Of course the main customers are Thais. This is Thailand after all and the majority of ppl here are Thais.

What's shocking to me is that the child prostitutes were the ones arrested. Or at least in the story that was quoted in the OP.

[Fozfromoz]

Some of you guys really need to get out and about a bit more. It's the oldest trade in the world, makes most money and is run by the biggest bosses. Doesn't matter what country you look into - it's there. I can speak from personal first-hand observations in South America, Africa, India, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Germany, ad nauseum .......

What are the girls like in Ad Nauseam?

[asiawatcher]

This one hitting the papers is nothing on the hundreds happening everywhere around Thailand and yes the B.i.B. are well aware of it, get to throw a leg over themselves, and make a tidy income to boot. As Animatic put it so clearly, don't judge. This ain't our country and no-one here plays by our sense of values or rules. Having interviewed some 200 for a book I wrote a long time back, they are getting paid for what they were giving away for free in the village, and usually to uncle Somchai, their brother or worse, their fathers'. They pool together for protection and the brightest gets the job as madam, 14 or even less in some cases. And they see nothing wrong with it. It's all about survival. Read James A Micheners book The Origin and read about the 12 year old girls on Bora Bora. That may shed some light on western prejudices. Also as one girl told me - "My body is my temple and I will use it how I see fit until I am ready to leave it".

[HappyWanderer]

This is news worthy? It's business as usual here in Isaan.

Don't really understand what you mean...d'you mean that it is normal practice in your part of Isan for 14 year olds to run prostitution rings?

It's pretty common across Thailand sadly, I've heard of this happening in Bangkok and a number of other places. I always laugh when I am told by NGO's how the girls are "sold" into bars etc by their evil families, the greatest recruiters are other girls in the bar.

But that doesn't sound so good when you're a doe eyed dancer trying to convince someone you'd really don't like working there, nor as wallet opening if you're a NGO trying to "save" the same gals.

Frankly a poor reflection upon Sex Education in Thailand which is pretty dismal, the country with one of the highest unmarried teen pregnancy rates in the world.

Could you go back and retype what you wrote with some proper punctuation? Your point gets lost in that mess you just typed.

I can understand it easily. Its not a mess to me and I dont get lost with it at all (I'm not saying I agree, just saying that I can understand his point clearly).

In fact I think he's perfectly understandable.

Edited November 5, 2012 by HappyWanderer

[Fozfromoz]

Interesting map accompanying the original article. Might it be helpful to have a place name or two on it, just to speed things along?

its done that way to protect the identify of the police station responsible for the area.

[jpinx]

Some of you guys really need to get out and about a bit more. It's the oldest trade in the world, makes most money and is run by the biggest bosses. Doesn't matter what country you look into - it's there. I can speak from personal first-hand observations in South America, Africa, India, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Germany, ad nauseum .......

What are the girls like in Ad Nauseam?

See??? I said you need to get out more.......

[HappyWanderer]

Do you have any stats to support above statement?

Do you have any stats to prove him wrong? He doesn't have to prove he is right or his stats are correct. You have to prove him wrong.

This is a logical fallacy: the "burden of proof" falls upon the one advancing a hypothetical explanation, proposing a theory, accusing someone of a crime, etc.

These rather "abstract" remarks do not mean that I do not the find the situation of 14 year old girl running a prostitution ring heinous: I do ! But, we have no reliable information about how she came to be in this position (should I say "prone to be be in this condition" ?), and I am sure we will never have such information.

I agree with other posters who have suggested she was a "fall girl," who'll "take the heat" for "hidden hands," and I reject the hypothesis this is an example of some kind of "budding, young, early entrepreneurial genius, in the field of human body-rental" based on Occam's Razor, aka "horse-sense."

~o:37;

no no no. If you are saying he is wrong, prove it. Right "the burden of proof" you have the burden of proof to prove that the stats he has quoted are wrong.

Innocent until proven guilty

[Mosha]

Go to a border town near Myanmar, and visit the red light area. The Burmese start young.

[Naam]

Some of you guys really need to get out and about a bit more. It's the oldest trade in the world, makes most money and is run by the biggest bosses. Doesn't matter what country you look into - it's there. I can speak from personal first-hand observations in South America, Africa, India, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Germany, ad nauseum .......

What are the girls like in Ad Nauseam?

they are slightly older than the girls caught In Flagranti but much younger than the ladies In Mausoleum

[Unkomoncents]

This is news worthy? It's business as usual here in Isaan.

I presume you're just a troll. But if you're not then I suggest you report what you know to the local police. Or do you condone child prostitution? If you know this goes on and don't report it, then you deserve to be locked up.

In theory yes. Local police eh?

in reality, likely you are going to be reporting it to one of her bosses partners.

And the more you push the more likely you get pushed back at.

If there is some sort of wide scale publicity then there may be some action,

but limited to the one child and her circle. As soon s it's quiet again,

back to business as usual, but minus one nosy farang in the neighborhood.

This is not your culture, they do NOT have guilt and ethics in the same way you do,

they will likely worry more about the 'lose of face' than about 'the age of the girl'.

Sure, they don't want their nationalistic country losing face in the eyes of bigger

western countries if the story gets out too far.

But more for that face loss than our western angst about the child.

This is not your land, you the square peg trying to fit

into the in a shape-changing hole.

Good post and you're exactly right. The only thing I would add is a little emphasis on HOW different the culture is. Many of us grow up knowing that some people worship this god and others, that, all the while thinking that this is the extent of "cultural difference". In Thailand, the concept of justice, the public good, and even health and hygiene are enough to trigger question marks in the eyes of a foreign visitor. The language is different, quite radically, which changes the fundamental thinking process of those using it. Even on the subject of hard work, Americans, Brits and Northern Europeans come out with a comparable ethic with that of the Japanese but in Thailand, the whole scale of worth is shifted. What we deem valuable is not so here, and what is deemed valuable in Thailand doesn't equate with cultural value in much of the West. This will inevitably affect those harboring the Western conception (often secular) of progress and logic. Many Westerners need to understand that "logic" can often appear/be used relatively. Those that want to live in/understand/work in Asia, need to be prepared for a restructuring of the "understanding" bestowed by their own language and culture.

Edited November 5, 2012 by Unkomoncents

[Songhua]

On the town one night in HatYai with two middle-aged Thai business acquaintaces who took me to a back street I probably wouldn't have dreamed of entering alone. Stopped at an interesting looking club style place with flashing neons and lights ablaze .... but a locked door. Knock on the door, peep hatch opens, ok, door opens.

There must have been thirty girls in there but apart from mama-san, not a single one of them over 16!

Did I partake? Absolutely Not. But I did enjoy the Mekhong Cokes while waiting twenty minutes for my colleagues to reappear.

My eyes were opened that night - there are doors like that all over the country .... as much as we'd prefer to deny their existence.

'Report them'? ALL of them?

[CTO]

I had no proof as such, just repeating what's going on what I have heard my wife discuss,

As part of my wifes current passion she is assisting in Sakon Nakorn with a Sex Education project and the local hospital. I did over hear my wife and the nurse she co-ordinates with discuss this recently, so by chance the nurse was with my wife a few minutes ago going over a volunteer we hope to get in from over-seas to assist in the project, so I took the opportunity to ask the nurse if I was correct with my stats, the nurses job it is too work closely with kids at risk etc and she confirmed what I had heard.

Currently Thailand is 3rd in the world - HOWEVER - a quick google search brought up these stats

• 
  

Thailand has the second highest rate of mid-late teenage pregnancy in the entire world, according to Office of Welfare Promotion, Protection and Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups deputy chief Samatchai Chomvinya.

South Africa had the highest rate, according to a report from the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.

About 70 Thai women out of every 1,000 aged 15-19 - or about 7% - already have children, Mr Samatchai said.

World Health Organisation figures show the global average number of pregnancies for every 1,000 girls in the 15-19 age group is 65. In Asia it is 56, but it rises to 70 in Thailand.

Further search took me too:

http://en.wikipedia....enage_pregnancy

Surveys from Thailand have found that a significant minority of unmarried adolescents are sexually active. Although premarital sex is considered normal behavior for males, particularly withprostitutes, it is not always regarded as such for females. Most Thai youth reported that their first sexual experience, whether within or outside of marriage, was without contraception. The adolescent fertility rate in Thailand is relatively high at 60 per 1000. 25% of women admitted to hospitals in Thailand for complications of induced abortion are students. The Thai government has undertaken measures to inform the nation's youth about the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy.

This last is of interest to us, as it's the area my wife is co-ordinating with in Sakon Nakorn, namely unplanned pregnancy and poor access to medically correct abortion.

I am not taking a moral stand on the last, except to say that with 25% of complications from backyard abortions is also dreadful.

Regarding the young girls and prostitution rings, yes they do "self organise", we know from experience one girl who we had previously called "at risk" had become involved with that, my wife working to remove her from that activity.

So yes they do self-organise. Call it a ring of three if you want, but typically one older girl recruits a few "friends" and from word of mouth lets her "boyfriends" spread the word.

And yes, these are activities my wife has been involved in to close down.

And lastly it was in Bangkok that it took place. Notably the driver or reasons given for doing this is access to "Pocket Money" to buy all the latest "things" the girls want. Phones stoopidly at the top.

So I am just going on personal experience, but interesting to note the "Stats and Proof" are in the public domain.

Edited November 5, 2012 by metisdead
: Bangkok Post links removed as per forum rule 31.

[CTO]

<<

I can understand it easily. Its not a mess to me and I dont get lost with it at all (I'm not saying I agree, just saying that I can understand his point clearly).

In fact I think he's perfectly understandable.

>>

Thanks but I do know my English sucks, blame it as I do on it not being my first language! Also getting caned weekly aged 10 for not spelling Engleesh right but now I am mixing posts.

[metisdead]

A post has been edited to remove links to Bangkok Post as per forum rule 31:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?app=forums&module=extras&section=boardrules

[davejones]

This is news worthy? It's business as usual here in Isaan.

I presume you're just a troll. But if you're not then I suggest you report what you know to the local police. Or do you condone child prostitution? If you know this goes on and don't report it, then you deserve to be locked up.

In theory yes. Local police eh?

in reality, likely you are going to be reporting it to one of her bosses partners.

And the more you push the more likely you get pushed back at.

If there is some sort of wide scale publicity then there may be some action,

but limited to the one child and her circle. As soon s it's quiet again,

back to business as usual, but minus one nosy farang in the neighborhood.

This is not your culture, they do NOT have guilt and ethics in the same way you do,

they will likely worry more about the 'lose of face' than about 'the age of the girl'.

Sure, they don't want their nationalistic country losing face in the eyes of bigger

western countries if the story gets out too far.

But more for that face loss than our western angst about the child.

This is not your land, you the square peg trying to fit

into the in a shape-changing hole.

Not true at all. Plenty of Thai people are outraged at child prostitution and many try to stop it. But people like you would prefer to turn a blind eye because "it's not your culture". These children need help, not people like you hiding behind some supposed culture excuse. Grow a pair.

[davejones]

This is news worthy? It's business as usual here in Isaan.

I presume you're just a troll. But if you're not then I suggest you report what you know to the local police. Or do you condone child prostitution? If you know this goes on and don't report it, then you deserve to be locked up.

It probably wouldn't do him any good. The ring is probably being run by the police or paying the police off.

Spot on.

So we should all sit back, relax and let it carry on? That's your choice I suppose.

[davejones]

This is news worthy? It's business as usual here in Isaan.

I presume you're just a troll. But if you're not then I suggest you report what you know to the local police. Or do you condone child prostitution? If you know this goes on and don't report it, then you deserve to be locked up.

It probably wouldn't do him any good. The ring is probably being run by the police or paying the police off.

If that's the case, then why did the police arrest her?

[bri1guy]

I think its remarkable that she was running the operation alone! She must of had help but amagine her potential given more oppurtunites!

”Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.” - William Shakespeare

[steveG]

not suprising news but,...what i've never understood about thailand is how easy it seems for these girls to get into prostitution , and some it seems with the blessing of the parents , it just seems thais look on it as "no big deal" when there kids start being payed for sex at the drop of a hat, {or knickers more like}.....where is the morality amoung thais ? is there any ? does it exist here ?......i see very little evidence of any

The Thai culture is very different from ours in the West. What we find abhorant is sometimes acceptable in Thailand. I must add that I dont agree with very young "people" being exploited.

This is our world!?!? which we have created

[CTO]

A post has been edited to remove links to Bangkok Post as per forum rule 31:

http://www.thaivisa....tion=boardrules

Sorry I don't post much in areas here that quote news,

DaveJones agree totally.but by same token I also notice from many years working in similar areas you need to plan your response carefully. That's not condoning it, but being smart HOW you respond and react, which you should do.

[pmem]

Undercover agents pretended to solicit sex arranged by the girl, who was charging THB2,000 each for two other underage girls aged 14 and 16

The girls were arrested immediately..

This sounds like a huge ring indeed. So glad they shut it down now and arrested the girls involved . Send all these harlots to the monkey house.

They are just kids in a &lt;deleted&gt;***ed up society, education might help. Of course never happens in a farang society does it.

[Thai at Heart]

She must not have learned to pay off the cops. In the future she will have her tea money ready.

In this context, wouldn't lunch money be more apt?

[maapaa]

This is news worthy? It's business as usual here in Isaan.

I presume you're just a troll. But if you're not then I suggest you report what you know to the local police. Or do you condone child prostitution? If you know this goes on and don't report it, then you deserve to be locked up.

Yes, right. And ... even if it's more common in other areas of Thailand doesn't mean that one can diss the whole country for that. Samut Prakan is not Isaan - so it's not "business as usual" here.

[lizardtongue]

He said undercover agents attempted to solicit sex from the girl who tried to charge them 2,000 baht each for two minors, one 14 and one 16 years old.

The girls were arrested on the spot. The 14-year-old told the police that she normally received a 500-baht "finder's fee" for each of the girls she set up with customers.

Not exactly the biggest of 'rings' sounds more like a 3 kids getting together to make some easy money!

[bentarm44]

It's another one for, "those who care don't know, and those who know don't care", I recon.

My birds' 14 year old thai daughter was giving it out for free at school.

She had birth control pills.

At least, I think it was for free.

Sigh

[khaowong1]

This is news worthy? It's business as usual here in Isaan.

I presume you're just a troll. But if you're not then I suggest you report what you know to the local police. Or do you condone child prostitution? If you know this goes on and don't report it, then you deserve to be locked up.

Dave, Dave, Dave, I think for sure without being mean you fall into one of the following three clasifications. Never been to Thailand, just arrive or a troll. I will give you the benifit of the doubt on being a troll. I have lived in Isaan since 1995. The local police are one of the major participants of this pleasure tour of young ones so to speak at my girl friend's sister's "resort" ( <Snip!> hotel) just outside this village just like they are in the daily hi-low game next door to me. They come to collect their daily 500 Baht and stay to play hi-low. If I reported it who would I report it to Super Charlem?

If you reported it, there would without a doubt be one less farang in Issan, probably a death by falling off your roof while fixing a broken roof tile. "So sad, he was such a nice farang. Why he didn't get someone else to fix that roof is beyond us."

[DocN]

This is news worthy? It's business as usual here in Isaan.

Not wanting to get into a PC-pissing contest with you, but...this is not "newsworthy"...but a ladyboy- beauty pagent makes you sick?

Interesting morals and ethics, my friend!

[Beng]

This is news worthy? It's business as usual here in Isaan.

Don't really understand what you mean...d'you mean that it is normal practice in your part of Isan for 14 year olds to run prostitution rings?

Exactly, 14 years is a bit too young. Even in LOS. Simply unbelievable.

Edited November 5, 2012 by Beng

[MILT]

I heard bla bla bla and these things happen across Thailand? Issan? So NGO's who rely on donations as sources of facts? Let's see if I was an NGO and needed to get the funds rolling in why I would just make a real sad terrible story of how Thai families sell their kids into prostitution and yank on the heart strings of the gullible.

I don't buy it!

Yes they caught an enterprising girl pimping other underage girls.

I see this as an isolated incident

I saw a doc on this subject about Cambodia where the most predators like to go.

Children as young as 6 and 8 being payed for oral sex.

Parents behind it 100%

I just know way to many Thai families and see how much they love their kids.

[Jaivin2011]

Ok first is first, its a bit concern that a 14year girl is running a brothel but no need to atlk about lack of morality in thailand....just go back to Uk or the USA and see 12 and 13 year old girls losing their virginity and parents not caring or even oblivious and soemof the school gorls there into porn and also selling themselves to buy luxury things. Just because it looks glamourous in the west, it does not mean that its ok!

All this demand for young teens originates from the West and also Chinese businessmen. First catch the guys who exploit these poor girls and then execute them to death to set an example and also parents who support such actions should als be publicly executed to make an example.