Cops raid Phuket massage parlours in anti-human trafficking drive: VIDEO

[webfact]

Cops raid Phuket massage parlours in anti-human trafficking drive: VIDEO
Tanyaluk Sakoot

PHUKET: -- As part of a nationwide drive to clamp down on human trafficking, Phuket police last night (February 2) carried out raids on two massage parlours in the Phoolpon area of Phuket Town.

Girls in one of the massage parlour hide their faces from the press.

The raids, aimed specifically at discovering underage sex workers or women forced into prostitution, drew a blank, however.

A team of more than 100 police, tourist police and volunteers gathered at Phuket City police station at 9pm to to be briefed before the raids.

Then, led by Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Patchara Boonyasit and Phuket Governor, Nisit Jansomwong, they gathered outside the first target of the night's activities

During the raid of the first massage parlour, where about 15 women who clearly didn̕t want to be identified, were working, police checked the owner's business licence and all the women's ID cards.

Everything was found to be in order, with none of the women being under 18 or complaining of being forced to work.

Police then moved on to a second parlour close by. Some of the workers, who were surprised by the raid, were in a awaiting customers. Once again, checks confirmed that all was in order, and that nobody was forced to work in the shop.

One woman's ID card did not give her full date of birth, only the year (1985). She told police that she was 31 years old and that she had transferred her nationality from Burmese to Thai.

Gen Patchara told media who accompanied police during the raids, “We have done raids like this before, but this time we have to work harder and ensure that underage workers and trafficked women are not working as prostitutes in Phuket.

“If we do find any woman working who is under 18, the owner of the parlour will be charged according to the law and the shop will be closed down.

“If the girls are Thai, they will be sent to a foster home. If they are foreign we will send them back to their country.”

He said that other areas of Phuket will also be checked, especially for childern selling garlands and flowers, and that if any illegal workers are found they will be arrested. This, he said, will make the mission a success.

Anti-trafficking police last Thursday (January 29) raided a karaoke bar in the Wang Sam Mo district of Udon Thani where they found seven Laotian girls providing sexual services to customers. Three were believed to be underage. It is not clear whether any of the girls or women were being forced into work as prostitutes.

The raids came as part of the governnment̕s drive to lift Thailand out of Tier 3, the lowest grade in the United States̕ Trafficking in Persons Report.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/cops-raid-phuket-massage-parlours-in-anti-human-trafficking-drive-video-50861.php

-- Phuket News 2015-02-03

[brewsterbudgen]

Good to see they discovered no trafficked or underage girls.

[NeverFaFer]

Born 1985 and she is 31?

Which girl, that is forced into prostitution, is going to raise her hand when her pimp stands right behind her?

[Traveller45]

Good Sport. Perhaps these people ARE legal after all. Legal doesn't mean GOOD by any stretch of imagination, but it is a beginning. Underage traffickers will find their work harder to do, bribes will go up and as a result, income will go down. Why do it, if there is no shortage of young and beautiful girls "barely legal"...? Volunteers, quote unquote, most of them?

[brewsterbudgen]

Born 1985 and she is 31?

Which girl, that is forced into prostitution, is going to raise her hand when her pimp stands right behind her?

Where were the pimps?

[bheard]

Would it not have been a good idea to hit both the establishments at the same time.? Let's face it, a quick phone call to the second place from the first and all the young'uns have dashed out the back.

Oh. ok, not to worry, they've both already had a quick phone call from the police station . . .

[schietkop]

The pimps? They were the ones doing the raid, I guess

[empireboy]

Telephoning ahead to warn the owner ensures a good "legal" outcome and a nice kick-back

[RigPig]

Maybe raiding the right premises will help.....

[Vermor]

I m just surprise they didn t been yet to a specific soi in this PhunPhon area...

[stevenl]

Born 1985 and she is 31?

Which girl, that is forced into prostitution, is going to raise her hand when her pimp stands right behind her?

Yes, traditionally Thais count themselves in the year they become 1 to already be 1. So if she is born in January she would be 30 now in western years, but 31 in Thai.

[The Deerhunter]

Born 1985 and she is 31?

Which girl, that is forced into prostitution, is going to raise her hand when her pimp stands right behind her?

Thais always refer to their age as the year they are in. If she was born in January 1985 she would be 30 and now "in her 31st year" by Falang speak, Thais would say she was 31!

Edited February 3, 2015 by The Deerhunter

[SPB65]

Gotta love Thailand, not a day goes by without a new headline relating to sleaze. Such a classy country !

[boss49]

Pleased to see the raids continue to expose those who profit from misery

[The Deerhunter]

Gotta love Thailand, not a day goes by without a new headline relating to sleaze. Such a classy country !

Sleaze sells newspapers and TV viewership in every country of the world in every possible media if legally permitted. Had you not noticed that? It always helps if it can be marketed with a bit of good, righteous indignation.

Edited February 3, 2015 by The Deerhunter

[bruceky]

"she had transferred her nationality from Burmese to Thai."

makes it seem so easy that anyone can just transfer nationalities, maybe as a skilled applicant?

[asdecas]

Clearly General Happiness's recently announced campaign is already bearing fruit - all the girls at the two establishments raided were proper adults, working voluntarily, and with their papers in order.

Is there nothing the Dear Leader cannot tackle with alacrity and effectiveness supreme?

[Tboy928]

this is as effectiv as drug testing the police,, they advertise in media 1 week before they start the drug test.. Only in Asia possible.. just a teater for the naive..

[wow64]

Police said "We have done raids like this before" for tea money.

[charmonman]

The video really makes me shake my head. If these girls are "victims" then why humiliate them further by taking a video where they have to try to hide their faces and then make it available for all to see on Youtube?

[catweazle]

The video really makes me shake my head. If these girls are "victims" then why humiliate them further by taking a video where they have to try to hide their faces and then make it available for all to see on Youtube?

The answer to this, my friend, is: THAINESS !

[LivinLOS]

The comedy factor is that prostitution is illegal.. And here you are, with the top cops and media in tow.. Going to places that even the cop doesnt try to pretend is not a place of prostitution, but thats Ok because there was no one underage...

If its illegal.. How does the cop manage to reconcile that HUGE operation happening on his patch (I know.. Rhetorical question)..

[brewsterbudgen]

The comedy factor is that prostitution is illegal.. And here you are, with the top cops and media in tow.. Going to places that even the cop doesnt try to pretend is not a place of prostitution, but thats Ok because there was no one underage...

If its illegal.. How does the cop manage to reconcile that HUGE operation happening on his patch (I know.. Rhetorical question)..

Prostitution is not illegal, it's regulated.

[tifino]

tea money taxed

[thaibeachlovers]

Pleased to see the raids continue to expose those who profit from misery

What are you blathering about, or can't you read? Nothing out of order was found. Why don't you go and shut down massage parlours in your own country?

FYI prostitution is legal in New Zealand, Australia, parts of the US, Venezuela and many ( ? most ) countries of Europe. Why are some on this forum constantly rabbiting on about it in Thailand?

As for the "volunteers", if they were farangs, shame on them for participating in this farce, and since when were they legally allowed to act like real policemen?

[joboss]

Would it not have been a good idea to hit both the establishments at the same time.? Let's face it, a quick phone call to the second place from the first and all the young'uns have dashed out the back.

Oh. ok, not to worry, they've both already had a quick phone call from the police station . . .

Yes.. Anyone of a hundred at the briefing could have rung. Or x2 the partners, relations, neighbours they could have mentioned it to. Loose lips.....

[Suffinator]

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't get on my knees and thank the stars above that I wasn't born a Thai.

The on-going news clearly depicts Thailand in all its glory ... yes the land of scams, rip-offs, prostitution and violence crime; mostly perpetrated against any foreigner stupid enough to visit.

The raids came as part of the government̕s drive to lift Thailand out of Tier 3, the lowest grade in the United States̕ Trafficking in Persons Report.

This is NOT going to be anywhere near enough for the US to reconsider its position. Apart from all the underage prostitution there still remains high levels of human trafficking and slavery. Add to this the mix of martial law, the removal of fundamental human rights, the on-going discrimination and the media being effectively forced into silence unless it meets with gov approval and you have the perfect recipe for potential sanctions ... it amazes me to this day how Thailand has managed to escape sanctions over the years.

You could offer me $100 million and I still wouldn't step foot in Thailand ... human dignity has no price; unless of course if you're a Thai and then they'll sell it for 100 Baht.

[faraday]

Seems to me that no matter what the Police do, they get criticised. Ok, maybe it could have been better organised - I really don't know.

But at least something is being done.........

[nuananddon]

Telephoning ahead to warn the owner ensures a good "legal" outcome and a nice kick-back

sounds like Los Angeles where the immigration people call ahead and tell the owners, " tomorrow we are coming in to check if everyone is working legally and have the correct visa's", when tomorrow comes all the illegals are not there, stupid A-holes.

[smotherb]

The comedy factor is that prostitution is illegal.. And here you are, with the top cops and media in tow.. Going to places that even the cop doesnt try to pretend is not a place of prostitution, but thats Ok because there was no one underage...

If its illegal.. How does the cop manage to reconcile that HUGE operation happening on his patch (I know.. Rhetorical question)..

Massage parlors are not illegal. No mention of anyone caught in flagrante delicto.