Two arrested for human trafficking in karaoke bar raid in northeast Thailand

Two individuals were arrested and charged with human trafficking following a raid on a karaoke bar in Warin Chamrap district of the northeast Ubon Ratchathani province last night.

A police team from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) apprehended the 63 year old owner of the karaoke bar on Pathumtheppakdi Road, named Somporn. They also arrested the bar manager, 45 year old Usanee. Both their surnames were withheld.

Employees providing sexual services to patrons were required to pay 500 baht to the establishment for each transaction, according to Sarut.

Somporn and Usanee faced charges of collusion in human trafficking for procuring girls under 18 years old into prostitution and related offences, Bangkok Post reported. Both individuals confessed to the charges and were brought to ATPD sub-division 3 for legal action, said Sarut Khwaengsopha.

This news comes just a week after another venue in Thailand was busted for sex trafficking.

Last week, police swooped on a massage parlour in the northern province of Tak after a tip-off on underage sex trafficking. The owner of the parlour was arrested and two teenage Burmese girls were rescued.

The Anti Trafficking In Persons Division Police (ATPD) received a tip-off that a Thai woman was operating an underage sex trafficking racket behind her massage business. To verify the information, an undercover police officer posed as a customer as he visited the massage parlour, located on the Mae Sot-Umphang Road in the Mae Sot district of Tak.

The suspect offered sexual services to the officer, explaining that two Burmese girls, aged 16 and 17, were available for 1,500 baht each. The two Burmese girls are considered the victims and are now under the care of the Department of Children and Youth. The suspect confessed to the crime, admitting that she gave the girls 1,000 baht and kept 500 baht for herself.

Similar cases of child sex trafficking were recently reported in the popular holiday resorts of Phuket and Pattaya.