Thai woman trapped in Dubai seeking 100k ransom, desperate parents plead for help

A Thai mother is pleading with authorities to help her 38 year old daughter, who is being held captive in Dubai and forced to work to repay a debt. The daughter had travelled to Dubai to work since mid-April, however, her captors now demand a ransom of 100,000 baht.

The tearful parent, 59 year old Pranuan, informed police in Udon Thani province of Kornkamon’s predicament. Their daughter initially went to Dubai to work as a massage therapist due to poverty and to repay her significant debts.

Two weeks ago, their daughter contacted a foreign friend, Robert, requesting help in escaping from Dubai as she was being held against her will. She had almost paid her debt off, but her captors informed her that she still owed 100,000 baht. However, the daughter refused to work further and was subsequently locked up with several other women. Robert advised Pranuan to file a report and seek assistance.

Pranuan revealed that a pregnant Thai woman in the group of women locked up with her daughter, who was unable to work, had jumped from a seven-storey building. The distraught parents, desperate to avoid a similar fate for their daughter, begged for the authorities’ intervention while weeping and showing respect with a traditional Thai bow.

Unfortunately, there have been several reports of Thais being trafficked in Dubai.

In December last year, it was reported that a Thai man was lured to Dubai for the promise of a job as a massage therapist. Once he arrived at the massage shop in Dubai in November 2021, the Chinese manager seized his passport. The victim was then forced to sell sex to pay off more than 70,000 baht of debt he was told he owed for his travel costs. He was able to get help from Dubai authorities after he was traded to a second massage shop. The victim was then able to escape back to Thailand, where he reported the situation to the police.