Aunt Sold Girl, 17, For Sex Work In South Korea: Thai Police

[webfact]

Aunt sold girl, 17, for sex work in Korea: police
Wisit Chuanpipatpong
The Nation

Niece used Facebook to flee parlour in Seoul; seven other Thais rescued

BANGKOK: -- The police's Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTD) yesterday applied for an arrest warrant for a Thai woman who allegedly lured her 17-year-old niece into prostitution with a well-paid job in South Korea.

The move came after the girl was rescued and sent back to Thailand on Saturday night after calling for help via Facebook.

AHTD commander Pol Maj-General Chawalit Swangpuech said Thai Police worked with Seoul police to rescue the Roi Et girl, identified as Ae (not her real name). The girl, a former employee at a Pattaya tour company, reportedly told police her 43-year-old aunt, who married a Korean man and opened a massage parlour in Seoul, told her about a well-paid restaurant job there. So, she travelled to South Korea with a Korean man and a Thai woman early this month.

After arrival, a Korean gang took her passport and forced her to work as a sex worker for 20 hours a day. She said she tried to phone her aunt for help but was turned down, so she used Facebook to notify a Thai police officer - which led to the rescue.

Chawalit said police had applied for an arrest warrant for the aunt for charges of human trafficking and procuring a child for sex work. Police were also checking with Immigration Police for the names of the Korean male suspect and Thai female that accompanied the girl to Seoul.

AHTD officer Pol Lt-Colonel Chusak Apaipak said this case, which saw collaboration between AHTD and the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, had also led to the rescuing of seven other Thai women. Besides a suspect now in police custody, he said Thai police would also ask Interpol in South Korea to arrest a Korean man alleged to be the gang's leader.

Deputy superintendent of Khok Srisuphan station in Sakhon Nakhon, Pol Lt-Colonel Thanin Jindasamut, was the person who received Ae's call for help via his Facebook page. He said the girl managed to tell him about her ordeal and the shop location so he alerted AHTD and the Thai Consulate to aid her.


-- The Nation 2013-05-21

[BookMan]

Not much of an Aunt. Not much of a person really.

[NongKhaiKid]

Not much of an Aunt. Not much of a person really.

This story is quite different to that reported on yesterday's IN Channel 07.00 talk show which made the victim seem quite gullible and stupid. No mention was made of her aunt just she had received a message offering the job and lo and behold there she was in Seoul, nothing said about how she got there, who offered her the job, where the travel expenses etc. came from.

As I listened I thought " what a dummy " but now the story is more understandable and I'm afraid IN channel slipped up badly and if this current version is completely accurate they did this girl a massive injustice.

[webfact]

AHTD helps a 17 year-old girl after being tricked to prostitution in South Korea

The Anti-human trafficking division helped a 17 year-old girl who had been tricked to prostitution in South Korea. She asked for help over facebook after being tricked to work as a prostitute in a massage parlor. It was reported that she had to work 20 hours a day and that her passport was taken away.

BANGKOK -- [PDN]; Media outlets reported that a certain Ms. Aey (alias), age 17 from Roi Et province was tricked to sex trade in South Korea. She was tricked from her old working place in Pattaya to a massage parlor in South Korea. Little did she know that she had to work as a prostitute there.

Ms. Aey (alias) then pleaded for help on Facebook. She claimed that she was tricked by a South Korean TIP gang. She then contacted the AHTD to help her. The AHTD then tried to work out a solution with the South Korean embassy as well as the consul in Seoul. On May 18, 2013, Ms. Ae (alias) was safely helped out by the South Korean officials.

Police then led by Police Maj. General Chaowalit Sawangpued together with Police Lt. General Chusak Apaipuk and officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security picked up the 17 year-old girl at Suvarnabhumi Airport. After questioning the girl upon her arrival, it was known that she went with the TIP gang because she needed the money to support her family. She also revealed that she had to work as a prostitute at the South Korean massage parlor for 20 hours daily. Police will now try to expand the case in hopes to arrest the TIP gang

Source: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2013/05/20/ahtd-helps-a-17-year-old-girl-after-being-tricked-to-prostitution-in-south-korea/

-- Pattaya Daily News 2013-05-21

[soi41]

In Buddhist Thailand, family is the most important thing. That is unless you can make a baht or two by pimping them out!

[tomyummer]

Who would've thought I'd congratulate the good ol' BiB.

[NongKhaiKid]

Not much of an Aunt. Not much of a person really.

This story is quite different to that reported on yesterday's IN Channel 07.00 talk show which made the victim seem quite gullible and stupid. No mention was made of her aunt just she had received a message offering the job and lo and behold there she was in Seoul, nothing said about how she got there, who offered her the job, where the travel expenses etc. came from.

As I listened I thought " what a dummy " but now the story is more understandable and I'm afraid IN channel slipped up badly and if this current version is completely accurate they did this girl a massive injustice.

Well, well IN Channel are now covering the story again and using the most recent version naming the aunt as recruiter. Pity they hadn't done their research properly yesterday.

[simple1]

Who would've thought I'd congratulate the good ol' BiB.

Yes good on some RTP doing their job - excellent. However, let's hope the Justice system does it's job, that if arrested & charged the accused doesn't get bail to then disappear.

[JeremyBowskill]

Gotta wonder what percentage of poor Essan families have a story similar to this to a lesser or greater degree. Its certainly A story I have heard time and time again over the last 10 years. Would be interested in statistics.

Even lots of the girls who weren't tricked into such situations are quite often emotionally blackmailed into making the choice themselves.

Edited May 21, 2013 by JeremyBowskill

[noitom]

In Buddhist Thailand, family is the most important thing. That is unless you can make a baht or two by pimping them out!

Family first!

[toybits]

When I was living in Thonburi, a neighbor of ours had a pretty little girl. Looking back, I realized she was not a grand daughter or niece of that neighbor. I was informed that they were asked to take care of that girl by some person - who later abandoned the child. A while later I noticed that I had not seen the girl in the neighborhood for a while - so I asked what had happened to her. People told me that the family that was taking care of her had sold her off to someone. Heartbroken. That is how I feel. It is not an uncommon thing it seems.

[alant]

In Buddhist Thailand, family is the most important thing. That is unless you can make a baht or two by pimping them out!

more important to ban alcohol on Buddhist holidays...

[Berkshire]

In Buddhist Thailand, family is the most important thing. That is unless you can make a baht or two by pimping them out!

What a ridiculous comment. So you're implying that this is normal behavior, Thai families all pimping out their kids? This story was on Thai news this morning. Everyone discussing this story made it clear how disgusting and evil it was, an older aunt luring her young, trusting niece to Korea under false pretense. Only you in your sick mind would consider this normal.

[yourauntbob]

In Buddhist Thailand, family is the most important thing. That is unless you can make a baht or two by pimping them out!

What a ridiculous comment. So you're implying that this is normal behavior, Thai families all pimping out their kids? This story was on Thai news this morning. Everyone discussing this story made it clear how disgusting and evil it was, an older aunt luring her young, trusting niece to Korea under false pretense. Only you in your sick mind would consider this normal.

I would not go so far as to say its common, but its not surprising when it happens here either.

[RadKiter]

I always found it hard to believe this crap actually occurs. Sorry to see I was mistaken.

[recycler]

Millions of daughters in poor families are sold in Thailand, they call it sinsod, say it's culture. It often starts at the age of 12 and yes many of them end up in bars and other venues all over the country most of the time with knowledge of the family and by an aunt or whatever family member middling for a commission. Never any shocking stories about that, but when a girl ends up in Korea it all of a sudden is a big scandal. Selective outrage this is!

Edited May 21, 2013 by recycler

[Lancelot]

The girl seemed savy, using Facebook to alert the Thai police that she was being enslaved and forced ito prostitution.

In cases like this -in any country- I favor making the criminal pick up trash, clean out sewers and similar tasks while wearing bright colored prison garb with a sign saying "I sold my niece into prostitution so that I could gamble and buy a new mobile phone."

Oh and financial restitution after serving an appropriate "Community Service" sentence.

Karma

[chrisinth]

First off, kudos to the girl for getting the cry for help out, and also for the RTP Pol Lt-Colonel Thanin Jindasamut for following up.

What is good to see is the cross-border cooperation in this case to get the girl safely back to Thailand.

"Happy endings", in this case, would be for the entire ring to be taken down and the 'aunt' returned to Thailand and properly convicted.

[CLUBBER]

Good on that cop , good police work and finally something good coming from Facebook Hope they get the Korean scumbag and the Aunt that ran this operation !

[Soutpeel]

Thai police would also ask Interpol in South Korea to arrest a Korean man alleged to be the gang's leader.

Good luck with that..the Thai police havent had much sucess using interpol to get another criminal arrested and they know exactly were he is...

[berg1666]

One wonders why there is no mention of what happened to the Korean brothel owners. No doubt they have a cosy relationship with their local constabulary, and after all it is only a few Thais.

[Jim walker]

What humans will do to other humans for money is sometimes almost unbelievable, and money being the number one thing in Thailand it comes before family or children.

[lee b]

How could you do this to a family member ? How could you do this to anyone ! This Aunt needs a rocket up her a*** !

[wprime]

In Buddhist Thailand, family is the most important thing. That is unless you can make a baht or two by pimping them out!

That's not fair, you can't judge an entire race based on one horrible aunt.

[jackspratt]

Millions of daughters in poor families are sold in Thailand, they call it sinsod, say it's culture. It often starts at the age of 12 and yes many of them end up in bars and other venues all over the country most of the time with knowledge of the family and by an aunt or whatever family member middling for a commission. Never any shocking stories about that, but when a girl ends up in Korea it all of a sudden is a big scandal. Selective outrage this is!

What is it called when sinsod is paid by very rich families?

What a nonsense post.

[Payboy]

She claimed that she was tricked by a South Korean TIP gang.

What's a TIP gang?

[pisico]

In Buddhist Thailand, family is the most important thing. That is unless you can make a baht or two by pimping them out!

It is done every time a girl marries in Thailand. It is called the Sin Sod. In other words, the man buys the girl from her parents. No Sid Sod, no marriage.

I hope the usual Thai apologists will not go out of their way with explanations to make this a "cultural" trait and not a buy out of a human being.

[indyuk]

Without Ptrejudice: I am not a professional investigator so have to caution that this artical is submitted a hearsay.

Over the last 20 years I've grown understand that the sale of young girls into prostitution is a daily occurrance in Thailand. They are sold by their mother's grandmothers, and/or the so called 'village witches of the I-san' and are trafficked mostly to Thai brothels and beer bars including to some of the foreign owned bars. The seem to be occasions when Thai grandmothers' will compete for custody of a granchild as she approaches puberty.

In the child's family the charges for a pubecent girl ranges from 10,000 to 40,000 Baht.

Further; thousands of young girls are sold or bartered by the family for marriage between the age of 12 and 16 years. The sale is usually to the son a relative, though often to ad hoc males in a neighboring community. A great tradegy here is that the so called Thai husband will leave his child wife when she bears a child. The youngest girl that I am aware of being sold was 14 years old at the time. Subsequently the girls that are now abandoned single mothers finish up working in Thailands sex industry, having been sent into the business by her mother or of her own volition.

[jackspratt]

Millions of daughters in poor families are sold in Thailand, they call it sinsod, say it's culture. It often starts at the age of 12 and yes many of them end up in bars and other venues all over the country most of the time with knowledge of the family and by an aunt or whatever family member middling for a commission. Never any shocking stories about that, but when a girl ends up in Korea it all of a sudden is a big scandal. Selective outrage this is!

What is it called when sinsod is paid by very rich families?

What a nonsense post.

Ditto - see below.

It is done every time a girl marries in Thailand. It is called the Sin Sod. In other words, the man buys the girl from her parents. No Sid Sod, no marriage.

I hope the usual Thai apologists will not go out of their way with explanations to make this a "cultural" trait and not a buy out of a human being.

[pisico]

In Buddhist Thailand, family is the most important thing. That is unless you can make a baht or two by pimping them out!

Family first!

Sinsod first. No money no marriage. Marriage is pre-arranged by the girl's family. Ah!you are going to say that sometimes the money is returned to the groom... Sometimes? In the union of two people who love each other, why there has to be money given to the girl's family? <Thai language removed> Tradition to sell a daughter to a man she may not even love? Wait!! I forget,: Farang cannot understand Thainess

Edited May 21, 2013 by metisdead
English is the only acceptable language, except within the Thai language forum, where of course using Thai is allowed.