Police beef up operations against prostitution in entertainment venues

[Lite Beer]

Police beef up operations against prostitution in entertainment venues

BANGKOK, 31 January 2015 (NNT) - The Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police has instructed all police units to arrest illegal entertainment venues nationwide in an effort to prevent prostitution.

Police Spokesman Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri said they were a great number of entertainment venues, such as night clubs, karaoke bars and restaurants, involved in prostitition and human trafficking. The national police chief therefore ordered all police units to enforce all related laws against the crime, especially child prostitution.

Those who recommitted prostitution and human trafficking would face stronger charges and police officials who did not take the crime seriously were subject to investigation, the spokesman added.

-- NNT 2015-01-31

[chiang mai]

How do you arrest a venue! Right then, come along with me you naughty Nana Plaza, you're nicked!!

[halloween]

BIB have hardened their attitude, stiffened their resolve and inserted themselves into prostitution rings. Things could get messy. But I can't see a happy ending from this.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

And how many of all the entertainment venues in Thailand that offers play for pay are legal, 1%?

[NongKhaiKid]

Nice potential for internal conflict here when police raid a venue owned / protected by other police officers who in turn conduct a revenge raid.

[Dannyboy666]

This should be Interesting....

[ColdSingha]

and a million sexpats cried out in horror..

[shirtless]

You could shut down every bar and club and still not stop prostitution , If you own a bar now would be a good time to sell.

[JohnThailandJohn]

And how many of all the entertainment venues in Thailand that offers play for pay are legal, 1%?

Nana, Cowboy, Patpong ... are "legal" entertainment venues.

Edit: As well as other areas including much of Pataya.

[thesetat2013]

This is more lip service only since most establishments are affiliated with policemen or Gov officials. Most likely the only places that this will be enforced are the businesses that don't have the police protection.

[NongKhaiKid]

Nana, Cowboy, Patpong ... are legal entertainment venues.

Edit: As well as other areas including much of Pataya.

The venues may be legal but what of some of the activities conducted or organised within ?

[JohnThailandJohn]

Nana, Cowboy, Patpong ... are legal entertainment venues.

Edit: As well as other areas including much of Pataya.

The venues may be legal but what of some of the activities conducted within ?

Point is they are not affected by what is being mentioned in the OP.

As for legal, it is debatable but general rule is as long as the acts are not being committed on premises and not done in a vulgar (forget exact legal term they use) manner then it is legal.

Edit: I "think" entertainment areas like the Ratchada massage parlors it is legal on premises.

[huanga]

Love to see how RTP will clean up Ratchada. Many powerful backers behind the venues. Or, it's just another slogan. The big fish will still be in tact whereas the small fish get the frying pan.

[brewsterbudgen]

Nana, Cowboy, Patpong ... are legal entertainment venues.

Edit: As well as other areas including much of Pataya.

The venues may be legal but what of some of the activities conducted or organised within ?

What activities? This article is about prostitution. The bars and gogos aimed at foreigners are already tightly regulated.

[Loaded]

It could be that vice is soon going to be monopolized nationally by someone 'connected to Chinese mafia godfathers'.

[JohnThailandJohn]

While prostitution may be illegal in Thailand, there is a big loophole in how Thailand defines prostitution:

"prostitution" means sexual intercourse, or any other act, or the commission of any other act in order to gratify the sexual desire of another person in a promiscuous manner in return for money or any other benefit, irrespective of whether the person who accepts the act and the person who commits the act are of the same sex or not;"

Without the part in red, in Thailand's legal eyes it would be prostitution just for the benefit of not satisfying being horny. Well that is my take being from the US where how a law is worded is often more important than the intent which I assume when they say benefit it is to mean material or monetary benefit.

[NongKhaiKid]

Nana, Cowboy, Patpong ... are legal entertainment venues.

Edit: As well as other areas including much of Pataya.

The venues may be legal but what of some of the activities conducted or organised within ?

What activities? This article is about prostitution. The bars and gogos aimed at foreigners are already tightly regulated.

Prostitution isn't an activity ?

[crusader79]

Thank you, Captain Renault.

[JohnThailandJohn]

Love to see how RTP will clean up Ratchada. Many powerful backers behind the venues. Or, it's just another slogan. The big fish will still be in tact whereas the small fish get the frying pan.

As mentioned already Ratchadaphisek is a legal entertainment district and not what the OP is referring.

[brewsterbudgen]

Nana, Cowboy, Patpong ... are legal entertainment venues.

Edit: As well as other areas including much of Pataya.

The venues may be legal but what of some of the activities conducted or organised within ?

What activities? This article is about prostitution. The bars and gogos aimed at foreigners are already tightly regulated.

Prostitution isn't an activity ?

That's why there is a "barfine". Any act of prostitution takes place elsewhere, not on the premises.

[Kurtsie]

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Nana, Cowboy, Patpong ... are legal entertainment venues.

Edit: As well as other areas including much of Pataya.

The venues may be legal but what of some of the activities conducted within ?

Point is they are not affected by what is being mentioned in the OP.

As for legal, it is debatable but general rule is as long as the acts are not being committed on premises and not done in a vulgar (forget exact legal term they use) manner then it is legal.

Edit: I "think" entertainment areas like the Ratchada massage parlors it is legal on premises.

What about all of the illegal beer bars on the sidewalks on Asoke and Sukhumvit. These have all the the same things found in the "entertainment venues" booze, irls for hire, drunks, loud bad music,etc and they are allowed to stay open to the sunrises and you can actually see what the girls look like... We know who run these....

[rabid old goat]

This should be Interesting....

how many times can you find hot air interesting?

[JohnThailandJohn]

What about all of the illegal beer bars on the sidewalks on Asoke and Sukhumvit. These have all the the same things found in the "entertainment venues" booze, irls for hire, drunks, loud bad music,etc and they are allowed to stay open to the sunrises and you can actually see what the girls look like... We know who run these....

What do you mean "you can actually see what the girls look like"? If they were in burqas it would make some difference?

If they are illegal then maybe those are the places included in the OP but they may be legally operating during those hours ... just like the shops they are replacing that are there earlier.

[LuckyLew]

Pattaya gonna be a ghost town

[worgeordie]

TAT will not be pleased to hear this,as that is what a lot of tourists

come here for,not just for temples,culture,food etc,if this does take

off,what will a sterile,squeaky clean Thailand be like.

regards Worgeordie

[brewsterbudgen]

Pattaya gonna be a ghost town

Why? Entertainment venues in Pattaya are, mostly, operating legally and those that are not are regularly raided.

[brewsterbudgen]

TAT will not be pleased to hear this,as that is what a lot of tourists

come here for,not just for temples,culture,food etc,if this does take

off,what will a sterile,squeaky clean Thailand be like.

regards Worgeordie

I doubt many tourists even know about, let alone visit, the illegal brothels and karaoke bars that often have trafficked women and underage girls and are found in provincial towns and local areas of cities.

[pedro01]

BIB have hardened their attitude, stiffened their resolve and inserted themselves into prostitution rings. Things could get messy. But I can't see a happy ending from this.

lol - Bravo!

[eeworldwide]

The national police chief therefore ordered all police units to enforce all related laws against the crime, especially child prostitution.

anyone here know all related laws here in Thailand?

[Kaalle]

While prostitution may be illegal in Thailand, there is a big loophole in how Thailand defines prostitution:

"prostitution" means sexual intercourse, or any other act, or the commission of any other act in order to gratify the sexual desire of another person in a promiscuous manner in return for money or any other benefit, irrespective of whether the person who accepts the act and the person who commits the act are of the same sex or not;"

Without the part in red, in Thailand's legal eyes it would be prostitution just for the benefit of not satisfying being horny. Well that is my take being from the US where how a law is worded is often more important than the intent which I assume when they say benefit it is to mean material or monetary benefit.

Does it matter what is illegal and what is legal in Thailand? A country with no democracy, no functioning criminal justice system, an utterly corrupt and incompetent police force etc etc etc.

What matters is the occasional power struggle, the occasional statement by somebody in power for the purpose of saving face (not for the betterment of the country) and this then prompting some sort of action that has a ridiculously small impact and is forgotten within a week.