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

[wildorchid]

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

What a pile of BS,,, or dose everyone have to follow YOUR way of thinking,

Small minds = small thinking.

[NeverSure]

I don't know about the original story. A gal from Isaan who was living in Pattaya ?? then is lured to be in the trades in another country. It's all sickening, whatever it is.

I know two guys in Isaan villages, both of whom were offered teenagers as permanent live-in "maids" for 50,000 baht. They declined.

When I was in Cambodia not that long ago, a taxi driver asked me to take a very pretty teenaged girl with me just so she could get enough to eat. Even though he said she was of age, I can't tell ages that well and certainly declined. I did give the girl what I think was US$25 (they use USD there) for some food.

If people don't think this happens, they are dreaming. It makes me sick.

[wildorchid]

everyone can have and express an opinion, that's fair,

but to make an ill informed opinion (comment) just makes you look like a FOOL, Sunday's experts on Thai culture,

[EyesWideOpen]

A timely story for me. I just talked to my girlfriend today , who said her cousin is in the same situation in Korea. She went there for a massage job that was supposed to be on the level. Now she is in essence locked in her room by the mafia, and cannot go outside. Her passport of course has been taken away. Like the girls in this story, the cousin was able to communicate with my girlfriend on facebook using her mobile phone. The cousin is not being forced to have sex, so is starting to look sort of like a really bad job. But am sure it is illegal to take away a person's passport in Korea. Anyway will be keeping a close eye on this situation.....

Sounds like you're being buttered up for a scam. Is anyone really stupid enough to go for a "massage job" in Korea without realising what that entails?

Hahaha no, after 13 years here, I am scam proof.... No need to worry about baht leaving my wallet to help cousins with poor judgement. I think it is really more of a bad controlling employment situation. When my girlfriend told me the story, I burst out laughing. But she said her cousin had worked there last year doing real massage, and wanted to come back and do it again.

Maybe there actually is good money money doing legit massage in Korea. Who knows , stranger things have happened. I will keep track and update...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

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...

In reading that comment in this news report, I was thinking the exact same thing...

But then again, in the Dubai case, it's not like the Thai police have been really trying.

[Eesat]

I don't know about the original story. A gal from Isaan who was living in Pattaya ?? then is lured to be in the trades in another country. It's all sickening, whatever it is.

I know two guys in Isaan villages, both of whom were offered teenagers as permanent live-in "maids" for 50,000 baht. They declined.

When I was in Cambodia not that long ago, a taxi driver asked me to take a very pretty teenaged girl with me just so she could get enough to eat. Even though he said she was of age, I can't tell ages that well and certainly declined. I did give the girl what I think was US$25 (they use USD there) for some food.

If people don't think this happens, they are dreaming. It makes me sick.

You could have just taken her for something to eat and drink,you don't have to do anything else,do you?

Well,you gave her some money at least,USD $25 is about two weeks wages for the average Cambodian,BTW!

[NeverSure]

I don't know about the original story. A gal from Isaan who was living in Pattaya ?? then is lured to be in the trades in another country. It's all sickening, whatever it is.

I know two guys in Isaan villages, both of whom were offered teenagers as permanent live-in "maids" for 50,000 baht. They declined.

When I was in Cambodia not that long ago, a taxi driver asked me to take a very pretty teenaged girl with me just so she could get enough to eat. Even though he said she was of age, I can't tell ages that well and certainly declined. I did give the girl what I think was US$25 (they use USD there) for some food.

If people don't think this happens, they are dreaming. It makes me sick.

You could have just taken her for something to eat and drink,you don't have to do anything else,do you?

Well,you gave her some money at least,USD $25 is about two weeks wages for the average Cambodian,BTW!

I felt really bad for her, but I was scared to death to go anywhere with her. Cambodia is really cracking down on child sex, and I didn't want to take any chances that it was a sting or anything else. I just wanted out of there. I was actually nervous just giving her some food money. And yes, $25 is a decent chunk of change for a Cambodian. Not much for a barang.

[TexasRanger]

I don't know about the original story. A gal from Isaan who was living in Pattaya ?? then is lured to be in the trades in another country. It's all sickening, whatever it is.

 

I know two guys in Isaan villages, both of whom were offered teenagers as permanent live-in "maids" for 50,000 baht. They declined.

 

When I was in Cambodia not that long ago, a taxi driver asked me to take a very pretty teenaged girl with me just so she could get enough to eat. Even though he said she was of age, I can't tell ages that well and certainly declined. I did give the girl what I think was US$25 (they use USD there) for some food.

 

If people don't think this happens, they are dreaming. It makes me sick.

You could have just taken her for something to eat and drink

Not a sensible idea, think about it.

[simple1]

Excuse my prose but I cannot paint a pretty picture about this shit. This kind of "thing" happens throughout Southeast Asia so often.

Parent's do it, relatives do it, family friends do it...all in the name of money. The poor girl has no idea what she's getting into save for the

glossy images auntie's and uncle's show/paint for her. She's just a commodity...same as rice and pork bellies to those shits who only

have Baht/Dollar/Euro signs as their guiding light(s). Interpol has been aware of these bastards who perpetrate this crap for years

however most of the duty concerning apprehension falls upon local law enforcement agencies who are known to be corrupt. In this case,

press wise, good on the BIB...let's see the results in the future on this case and hopefully the many others which have never made the

"news".

A quote from a recent report on Human trafficking in Thailand as well as forced labour in the sex industry; detail at http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/thailand

"Very few cross-border labor exploitation investigations lead to arrests of alleged traffickers, and even those arrested rarely find themselves prosecuted in court"

[meatboy]

back in the 80's i new an agent that used to send girls to japan,little did they know once there you cant get back only if you married and got a new japanese passport.

[Traveling Sailor]

GOOD JOB! It is heardening to see a positive conclusion to police efforts. It proves that not all police are corrupt and just in it for the money. Cheers to all those who helped.

[DRONGOH]

What's all the fuss?

A Thai mother was selling "her own" 9 year old daughter for sex just a few weeks ago in Melbourne in Oz.

[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!

YOU REALY ARE NOT TO SMART ARE YOU!!!

Sinsod and human traffcking are not the same, but you think you are the expert on Thai culture and custom, then please give us more of you expertise and wisdom ohh great teacher...

Than you're the expert that should be able to explain us what it is when a family marries their 15 year old daughter out to some half stranger after he paid x-amount of Baht in front of the neighborhood.

[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!

YOU REALY ARE NOT TO SMART ARE YOU!!!

Sinsod and human traffcking are not the same, but you think you are the expert on Thai culture and custom, then please give us more of you expertise and wisdom ohh great teacher...

Than you're the expert that should be able to explain us what it is when a family marries their 15 year old daughter out to some half stranger after he paid x-amount of Baht in front of the neighborhood.

It seems to me that you are the one who made the outlandish claims re sinsod.

Perhaps you could back those up, and then wildorchid (and no doubt some others) will have something to refute.

ps I am still waiting for your reply to my post asking why the payment of sinsod by some of the richest and most high profile families in Thailand (ie not poor families) is not Thai culture.

Selective ignorance perhaps.

[Eesat]

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!

YOU REALY ARE NOT TO SMART ARE YOU!!!

Sinsod and human traffcking are not the same, but you think you are the expert on Thai culture and custom, then please give us more of you expertise and wisdom ohh great teacher...

Than you're the expert that should be able to explain us what it is when a family marries their 15 year old daughter out to some half stranger after he paid x-amount of Baht in front of the neighborhood.

In Victorian England girls were married off at 13 years old!Right or wrong if it follows the law what else can you do?Plus it helps out the girl's family who I'm sure were poor.

[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!

YOU REALY ARE NOT TO SMART ARE YOU!!!

Sinsod and human traffcking are not the same, but you think you are the expert on Thai culture and custom, then please give us more of you expertise and wisdom ohh great teacher...

Than you're the expert that should be able to explain us what it is when a family marries their 15 year old daughter out to some half stranger after he paid x-amount of Baht in front of the neighborhood.

It seems to me that you are the one who made the outlandish claims re sinsod.

Perhaps you could back those up, and then wildorchid (and no doubt some others) will have something to refute.

ps I am still waiting for your reply to my post asking why the payment of sinsod by some of the richest and most high profile families in Thailand (ie not poor families) is not Thai culture.

Selective ignorance perhaps.

To those who have no connections and spend time with poor people in Thailand, often found in rural area's or slums, it may be difficult to believe the way sinsod turns out. I know all about the cultural meaning, but many times it doesn't work that way. People are often up to their neck in debts, not with banks, but with employers and loan sharks. Getting a sinsod for a daughter even if she's underage (age of consent is 15 in Thailand) is a way to ease the financial situation. Although I try to avoid, I have seen these weddings and far more hear about them from for example my wife's home village. The first and often only question asked is "teng taurai" (married for how much?). I'm very sure that many of TV members have similar observations. Effectively the sinsod leads to exploiting of girls to ease the families financial trouble.

The husband is in many cases introduced via via and barely or not even known to the girl. These wedding ceremonies have no legal meaning and break up easy after a few years, the guy runs off with no obligations and the girl can take care of the kid(s).

It's not surprising that some TV members can't relate to this, in the very layered Thai society even many Thais of middle and higher social layers have no idea about the living circumstance of poor people in Thailand.

I already answered about rich or middle class families:

To answer your question in rich or middle class families marriages are

arranged and the sinsod is often used to invest in a house or so for the

couple or returned. For many girls, certainly from the middle class

families where the arranging is not working so easy (anymore) it's difficult to

find a partner that both families agree on and I see many of them still

looking for a suitable partner at 30+ or hiding their relations for the

family.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

As best as I can gather, there are at least two different layers of this.

1. It's a real legal marriage with a sinsod paid to the wife's family. But the motivation of the woman and her family basically is just to reap a financial windfall.

2. Probably more in the remote and border areas, there certainly are cases where the family simply sells the daughter outright to some third party. It's not a marriage and there's no sinsod. It's simply conveying the daughter to someone for a price.... to work as a prostitute, to work as a maid-servant, to be sent abroad, or perhaps as a plaything for the male purchaser.

[recycler]

As best as I can gather, there are at least two different layers of this.

1. It's a real legal marriage with a sinsod paid to the wife's family. But the motivation of the woman and her family basically is just to reap a financial windfall.

2. Probably more in the remote and border areas, there certainly are cases where the family simply sells the daughter outright to some third party. It's not a marriage and there's no sinsod. It's simply conveying the daughter to someone for a price.... to work as a prostitute, to work as a maid-servant, to be sent abroad, or perhaps as a plaything for the male purchaser.

You are close, but:

1. What many Thais call marriage is the ceremony at home with the sinsod, it bears no legal significance at all. The only legal marriage (jot tabiansamrot) is done at the district office (tessabaan) and will cost a few hundred Baht. It's surprising how many Thais also from higher social levels are not legally wed.

2. The remote and border areas are much larger than you imagine.

[farang000999]

This only makes it to the press because evil foreigners are involved cause this thing never happens in Thailand, a Buddhist society.

[rubberduck]

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

Buddhist ? Thais are Animist, defenitely not Buddhist.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

As best as I can gather, there are at least two different layers of this.

1. It's a real legal marriage with a sinsod paid to the wife's family. But the motivation of the woman and her family basically is just to reap a financial windfall.

2. Probably more in the remote and border areas, there certainly are cases where the family simply sells the daughter outright to some third party. It's not a marriage and there's no sinsod. It's simply conveying the daughter to someone for a price.... to work as a prostitute, to work as a maid-servant, to be sent abroad, or perhaps as a plaything for the male purchaser.

You are close, but:

1. What many Thais call marriage is the ceremony at home with the sinsod, it bears no legal significance at all. The only legal marriage (jot tabiansamrot) is done at the district office (tessabaan) and will cost a few hundred Baht. It's surprising how many Thais also from higher social levels are not legally wed.

2. The remote and border areas are much larger than you imagine.

Yes, but my point was... in Scenario #1, at least the parties are doing a village wedding (and perhaps even going on for the formal legal marriage). It's just that the motivation of the woman's family is purely monetary. Some might call that selling their daughter, but at least they're going thru the pretense of a marriage.

In Scenario #2, I was trying to give the benefit of the doubt. Certainly that occurs in the remote and border areas. I don't have a good feel for just how pervasive the practice is in the more mainstream parts of the country. Certainly more common in the past than it is today in mainstream areas... But I'm sure it does occur.

[glomp]

A lady at a clean massage place told me her father tried to sell her for booze money to a bad place in canada. She was smart enough to know it would take her 10 years to pay back the proposed sum, not that she would ever see a bath of it. True or not it was a chilling story.

[nottocus]

A lady at a clean massage place told me her father tried to sell her for booze money to a bad place in canada. She was smart enough to know it would take her 10 years to pay back the proposed sum, not that she would ever see a bath of it. True or not it was a chilling story.

God. She would have stunk

[creekside]

The aunt, Phiangjai Phanplado, was arrested last night at Swampy after arriving on a flight from South Korea. She denied the charges and said her niece made the whole story up. Further details in today's Bangkok Post.