Mae Hong Son underage prostitution scandal: TAO head turns himself in

By The Nation

 

NONTHABURI: -- The head of a tambon administrative organisation (TAO) in Nonthaburi province turned himself in to a court on Monday to face a malfeasance charge related to a trip to Mae Hong Son province during which a member of his government allegedly bought sex from an underage prostitutes.

 

Wasu Phan-ngern, president of the Ban Mai Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO) in Bang Yai district, turned up at the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases at about 8am.

 

On Saturday, the court approved an arrest warrant for him for failing to report to police.

 

The charge against Wasu is linked to the Mae Hong Son sex scandal, which has seen many police and state officials accused of buying sex from underage prostitutes. 

 

Investigators alleged budget documents were falsified to indicate the Ban Mai to Mae Hong Son trip last September was a study trip and local politicians in the group bought sex from teenage prostitutes.

 

One of the Ban Mai TAO members allegedly told a young prostitute he was the Mae Hong Son governor. 

 

That led to the province’s top official being suspended and transferred out of the northern city while a disciplinary investigation is conducted.

 

Wasu left the court at about 8.40am and said everything would proceed according to legal procedures.

 

Bang Mae Nang Police Station chief Colonel Chotewat Luangwilai said Wasu should have surrendered to the station instead of going to court.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/breakingnews/30315921

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-05-22

This is... something.
I could wish they would consider legalizing prostitution, since they all seem to be participating, but leave the kids out of it.
I have no oar in the water on the practice for medical reasons, and all I will say on that aspect.
It seems to have worked reasonably well in the areas where it is legal and regulated. Less incentive for mob participation, and lower rates of STDs, for instance.
Just my opinion.

A good start would be scrapping these "fact-finding tours" and "study trips". What were a bunch of hangers-on from Nonthaburi doing on a government-funded trip to Mae Hong Son? Learning about rice farming? Clearly the attraction was the opportunity for extra-curricular entertainment.

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4 hours ago, Bill Miller said:

This is... something.
I could wish they would consider legalizing prostitution, since they all seem to be participating, but leave the kids out of it.
I have no oar in the water on the practice for medical reasons, and all I will say on that aspect.
It seems to have worked reasonably well in the areas where it is legal and regulated. Less incentive for mob participation, and lower rates of STDs, for instance.
Just my opinion.

That sounds like a commonsense farang idea, unfortunately not wanted in Thailand.

 

No money in it? 

Check his bank accounts and see if he has received any BIG payments recently. Fall guy for this?

Wasu should have surrendered to the station  (they would have understood) instead of the court (where it is now on record)

3 hours ago, lvr181 said:

That sounds like a commonsense farang idea, unfortunately not wanted in Thailand.

 

No money in it? 

You know what mate? you could have a row, in an empty house.

10 hours ago, KamnanT said:

A good start would be scrapping these "fact-finding tours" and "study trips". What were a bunch of hangers-on from Nonthaburi doing on a government-funded trip to Mae Hong Son? Learning about rice farming? Clearly the attraction was the opportunity for extra-curricular entertainment.

Sent from my SM-N910C using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Pattaya was all booked up?