Thai Ministry To Take Action Against Sex-Trafficking In Chachoengsao

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Ministry to take action against sex-trafficking in Chachoengsao
The Nation


FILE PHOTO: Laotian sex workers were rescued from a Chon Buri-based karaoke lounge in January.

BANGKOK: -- Social Development and Human Security Ministry officials have vowed action after discovering a rise in the number of immigrant workers in Chachoengsao province, especially Laotians working as prostitutes in karaoke bars.

The ministry's deputy permanent secretary Supareuk Hongpakdee said yesterday that ministry officials had inspected areas prone to immigrant prostitution as a result of violations of the 2008 Anti-Human-Trafficking Act.

Chachoengsao Governor Reungsak Mahawinitchaimontri said the province - which shares borders with Sa Kaew, Nakhon Nayok, Prachin Buri, Chanthaburi, Bangkok, Chonburi and Samut Prakan - had a large number of immigrants working in the agriculture, fisheries and industrial sectors, and some employers had grabbed the opportunity to take advantage of immigrant workers.

Of the 184,885 employees in the province's 3,568 businesses, 19,887 are immigrant workers (7,406 Myanmar citizens, 889 Laotians, 4,522 Cambodians and 209 from other countries/ethnicities), he said. Acting on 17 allegations of forced prostitution made since 2011 against karaoke bars, mostly in Chachoengsao's Muang district, the authorities had found 19 underage prostitutes - 16 Laotians and three Thais - and 12 Laotian immigrants working in the sex trade.

This year, similar complaints were filed against karaoke bars in Ban Pho, Plaeng Yao and Panom Sarakham districts, although fewer instances of forced prostitution had been discovered, as a result of stricter law enforcement, said Reungsak. Nevertheless, the ministry's inspection of the districts found forced prostitution at four karaoke bars, leading to the arrest of 39 suspected human traffickers and the rescue of five victims.

Reungsak said that the Chachoengsao's biggest problem with human trafficking was in the form of hidden prostitution at karaoke bars. He said most immigrant workers at the bars were Laotian women attracted by the relatively high wages. He said authorities were on the look out for victims of human trafficking - usually Laotian women and girls who had worked as waitresses before being forced into the sex trade and illegally detained.

The number of people applying to open karaoke bars in Chachoengsao rose to 25 last year. The province currently has 225 registered karaoke bars.

-- The Nation 2013-05-22

[WhizBang]

With so many Thai girls willing to enter the sex industry, why do they need to import girls fromm Laos?

I suppose it's all down to the money. They can pay the Lao girls a pittance and they are scared to speak up. But a Thai girl would not keep quiet if she were stiffed.

[canopus1969]

With so many Thai girls willing to enter the sex industry, why do they need to import girls fromm Laos?

I suppose it's all down to the money. They can pay the Lao girls a pittance and they are scared to speak up. But a Thai girl would not keep quiet if she were stiffed.

Can you change that last sentance please ...................

[A Member]

This the kind of story that very often features one of our favourite phrases of " a local politician / influential person in the area " is behind it.

[tomross46]

I have been hearing this since I came to Thailand in 1966. All talk no action. SSDD!

[bangkokstick]

Definitively time to visit this province !

:-)

[gtm2k]

I have been hearing this since I came to Thailand in 1966. All talk no action. SSDD!

another NATO "No action Talk Only" case !

[swifty5x5]

Yes. These girls are taking Thai jobs.

[terminatorchiangmai]

Thai men are attracted to Laotian women , for them it is like doing it with a foreigner.

This will never end.

[tragickingdom]

The "rescue" stories should be taken with a grain of salt. We have seen crooked organizations like GreyMan claiming the same thing, American NGO's are doing often the same. In most cases it means that the girls are saddled with more debts, all those NGO's forget to offer them a decent paying job and in most cases the girls know what they are going to do.

[Magic8ball]

The "rescue" stories should be taken with a grain of salt. We have seen crooked organizations like GreyMan claiming the same thing, American NGO's are doing often the same. In most cases it means that the girls are saddled with more debts, all those NGO's forget to offer them a decent paying job and in most cases the girls know what they are going to do.

Most likely

[ThaiSold]

225 Karaoke bars, damn, now I know where I'm going for my next vacation!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

"Illegally detained" by WHO??? Thais???? Thai karaoke bar owners??? Could this be true???

[smotherb]

hmmm, wonder what bail for all nineteen girls would be?

[drdoom6996]

With so many Thai girls willing to enter the sex industry, why do they need to import girls fromm Laos?

I suppose it's all down to the money. They can pay the Lao girls a pittance and they are scared to speak up. But a Thai girl would not keep quiet if she were stiffed.

Can you change that last sentance please ...................

That's the best you can do? I will be looking forward to your next post of poor comedy and absolutely nothing to say on the subject.

[me313]

The concensus on this forum is that human rights has very little to do with the concern over human trafficking.

[biplanebluey]

hmmm, wonder what bail for all nineteen girls would be?

Split it nineteen ways its cheap ------ Put me down for two

[Always18]

Yep!..........got to protect the domestic monopoly................

[davidmann]

look into some of the bars along the mekong river ,very sad to see ,girls work sleep live in huts ,can they leave ? funny thailand has a lady in control and it seems police run the bars ,will it ever change ,land smiles and little control must be money in it for some ,maybe to same world over

[wilcopops]

With so many Thai girls willing to enter the sex industry, why do they need to import girls fromm Laos?

I suppose it's all down to the money. They can pay the Lao girls a pittance and they are scared to speak up. But a Thai girl would not keep quiet if she were stiffed.

Not completely true - Thai girls arre entering the industry less and less as the money becomes less attractive - so the exploiters have to look elsewhere for cheap labor

Edited May 22, 2013 by wilcopops

[KuhnPaen]

LMAO. Yes, the Thais are so concerened about women sex workers that they only pick on the Laotians, Khmer, and Burmese girls. Why? Because they compete. Plain and simple. The fact that Laotian girls work and send money back to Laos instead of Isaan irks the authorities who rely on those remittances to keep the country folk happy.

Good job Ace, keep it up.

[Neeranam]

Thai men are attracted to Laotian women , for them it is like doing it with a foreigner.

This will never end.

They are foreigners!

[Neeranam]

Definitively time to visit this province !

:-)

?? Do you mean you would willingly further abuse these women who have been forced to prostitute themselves??

[how241]

Thai men are attracted to Laotian women , for them it is like doing it with a foreigner.

This will never end.

+1

[johnlandy]

With so many Thai girls willing to enter the sex industry, why do they need to import girls fromm Laos?

I suppose it's all down to the money. They can pay the Lao girls a pittance and they are scared to speak up. But a Thai girl would not keep quiet if she were stiffed.

You don't think so.

[newermonkey]

"sex-trafficking" <deleted> these people are not Trafficked, they are Economic Migrant Workers they come to Thailand to work as prostitutes because of the good money prospects.

Trafficking is where people are sold by a third party, I very much don't think this is the case here.

Its the same with lots of the so called NGOs "Rescuing" people who definitely don't want to be rescued and normally they are paraded in front of the media, which embarrasses then to hell.

CNN has been showing lots of this, and the publicity and attention gets the so called victims incredibly upset.

[Just1Voice]

Ho, Hum, the latest "Crack Down of the Week" contender.

I also find it somewhat strange that the only girls "rescued" were all non-Thai. Sounds like the Phuket Tour Guides wanting the gvt to close all non-Thai tourist agencies so they don't have any competition, regardless of the fact that they can't speak Russian, English, Chinese, or anything other than basic, elementary Thai.

[Dumu Ali]

all you guys seem a bit slow, most of us knew that Thailand is a HUB for sex trafficking - this story shows also that UN staff eat salary and do little other than put on shows

[oldsailor35]

The "rescue" stories should be taken with a grain of salt. We have seen crooked organizations like GreyMan claiming the same thing, American NGO's are doing often the same. In most cases it means that the girls are saddled with more debts, all those NGO's forget to offer them a decent paying job and in most cases the girls know what they are going to do.

Be careful what you are saying! The Grey Man is NOT a crooked org. They are doing a very good job. Just because a minor mistake was made, you are insulting many good volunteers. How about an apology.

[johnlandy]

With so many Thai girls willing to enter the sex industry, why do they need to import girls fromm Laos?

I suppose it's all down to the money. They can pay the Lao girls a pittance and they are scared to speak up. But a Thai girl would not keep quiet if she were stiffed.

It's just a ruse, before they make it (whoring) a protected occupation for locals only, same as for tour guides, security guards, etc

Can't have these blow-ins taking money from the locals eh?