13 foreign sex workers arrested in undercover operation in Pattaya
Facing charges, fines and permanent bans from re-entering the kingdom
Police officers yesterday, May 8, arrested 13 foreign sex workers who were illegally offering services to tourists along Pattaya Beach. Some were also found to overstay their visas.
More than 50 officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station, the Tourist Police, and the Immigration Bureau conducted a crackdown operation at around 7pm on Pattaya Beach, targeting illegal sex workers. The operation was carried out undercover, with officers posing as domestic tourists.
During the operation, police focused on foreign women who approached numerous beachgoers and attempted to persuade them to purchase sexual services.
Officers arrested 13 foreign prostitutes, including seven Uzbek nationals and six Ugandan nationals. Lubricating gel and condoms of various sizes were seized from each woman as evidence.
According to a report by Thai Press, some of the women were staying in Thailand on student visas, while others were found to be overstaying.
All suspects were taken to Mueang Pattaya Police Station for criminal recording and further legal proceedings. They were charged under Section 5 of the Act on Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution, which covers contracting, inviting, introducing, or offering prostitution. The offence carries a fine of 1,000 baht.
Some also faced further charges for overstaying their visas, which can result in imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both, under Section 81 of the Immigration Act. They would also face a ban from re-entering Thailand.
Each sex worker will be deported from the country after serving their penalties.
In a separate incident on the same day, a crackdown on a foreign prostitute was also reported on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. In this case, an officer came across multiple sex service advertisements on the website www.Thailand.escortnews.com.
One of the sex workers advertised was a 34 year old Russian woman residing on Koh Pha Ngan. A police officer posed as a client and arranged to purchase sex services from her at a rate of 11,000 baht per hour. The officer set up a meeting at a hotel, where the woman was subsequently arrested.
The woman confessed to her illegal activities and revealed that she earned several hundred thousand baht through the trade. Most of her clients contacted her between 1am and 5am each day.
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