2 Ugandan women arrested in Pattaya prostitution crackdown
Tourists report harassment and threats sparking police action
Police arrested two Ugandan women at a hotel in Pattaya yesterday, 23 September, on charges of prostitution following multiple complaints from foreign visitors irritated by persistent service offers.
The Director of the Tourist Police Bureau, Saksira Pueak-am, reported that officers had received repeated complaints from tourists visiting Pattaya Beach that groups of foreign sex workers were causing a nuisance.
The women allegedly approached tourists persistently, offering sexual services, and became aggressive when their advances were rejected.
According to the complainants, they would at times grab their arms while walking and resort to vulgar language if they refused.
Saksira added that police had previously received reports of foreign prostitutes physically assaulting and extorting money from tourists as well.
The complaints prompted the Tourist Police to launch a crackdown on foreign sex workers. As part of the operation, two Ugandan women were arrested yesterday at a hotel near Pattaya Beach. One woman is 31 years old, and the other is 40.
Both confessed to engaging in prostitution and admitted that they stood on the beach opposite Pattaya Soi 13 to advertise their services to passersby.
The women were charged under Section 5 of the Act on the Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution, which prohibits contacting, soliciting, following, or enticing another person in a public place for the purpose of prostitution. The offence carries a maximum fine of 1,000 baht.
Pattaya officials had previously carried out a major crackdown on foreign sex workers in May when 13 foreign women were arrested on Pattaya Beach. Those arrested at the time included nationals from Uzbekistan and Uganda, some of whom were also found to have overstayed their visas.
Phuket has seen similar cases, particularly in entertainment venues. In March, five Ugandan women were arrested in Patong for offering sexual services, while in April, a Russian woman was caught soliciting at a hotel in the city centre.
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