Authorities in Thailand have arrested eight Lao girls, seven of whom entered the nation illegally to work as prostitutes, and one who labored as their madam, Radio Free Asia has discovered.
In keeping with the Anti-Trafficking in Particular person Unit of the Thai Division of Particular Investigation, the seven girls have been aged 21 to 36, and so they have been arrested at a karaoke bar in Bang Pakong district within the southern province of Chachoengsao. The eighth lady is the spouse of the bar’s proprietor.
A police officer in Bang Pakong district confirmed Monday that the seven girls, who have been arrested on April 4, are nonetheless in custody and are awaiting trial and shall be deported to Laos later.
The intercourse commerce is technically unlawful in Thailand, however legal guidelines in opposition to it are not often enforced. Authorities do, nevertheless, extra strictly implement immigration legal guidelines.
“Normally, individuals from Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar are allowed to work in Thailand in solely sure varieties of work like development, however not in leisure venues or karaoke bars,” Col. Pattanapong Sripinproh of the Anti-Trafficking in Individuals Unit advised RFA Lao.
“They don’t seem to be allowed to work as bar ladies or drink ladies,” he stated. “In the event that they do, they’ll be arrested.”
Sripinproh defined that police have been in a position to catch the eight girls by going undercover and posing as johns.
“Considered one of our law enforcement officials disguised as a buyer on the karaoke bar and agreed to pay 2,000 baht ($54) for intercourse with one of many girls,” he stated, explaining that the bar proprietor and a lodge get their minimize of the cash and the lady would get about 1,300 baht ($36).
Following this lead, the law enforcement officials inspected the bar and located that seven girls have been working illegally.
“Primarily based on the legislation on overseas employees … the violators shall be fined as much as 10,000 baht (US$272) and/or jailed for 2 months,” he stated, however acknowledged that normally there isn’t a wonderful or jail time. As a substitute the ladies are normally deported and blacklisted for 2 years.
He additionally stated that if the husband and spouse have been discovered responsible of human trafficking they may withstand 20 years in jail.
“However in these circumstances we discovered that these seven girls are older than 20 and none of them have been pressured to prostitution,” stated Sripinproh. “So, the husband and spouse gained’t be charged with human trafficking. However they are going to be charged with doing unlawful enterprise by offering sexual providers.”
RFA reported in March that 4 Lao girls have been arrested in Ban Bueng district in close by Chonburi province for getting into the nation illegally and dealing as prostitutes. They advised Thai police that they entered Thailand as vacationers, rented rooms in a lodge after which offered intercourse.
Translated by Max Avary. Edited by Eugene Whong.
