Police find underage prostitution at Pattaya go-go bar | Thailand News Today

Parks and sanctuaries closed by fire in N.Thailand

Thailand’s air pollution centre has asked the Department of National Parks to close eight parks and wildlife sanctuaries in northern provinces to control forest fires.

Department head Pinsak Suraswadi said that the closures will allow firefighters greater flexibility to deal with problems in the parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Average PM2.5 levels in the past 24 hours increased 67%, while hotspots doubled overnight.

Forest fires in Thailand annually occur during the dry season from December to May with their peak in February-March. In extremely dry sites, double burning is common. The fires consume surface litter, other loose debris on the forest floor and small vegetation.

The department head said that 800 hotspots were detected Thursday, about 93% of which are in forest reserves and protected forests. A survey, conducted between January 1 and February 15, showed that the PM2.5 problem and hotspots in northern provinces will be worse than in the past two years.

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Police find underage prostitution at Pattaya go-go bar

In a sting operation, police found evidence of underage prostitution at Club 4, a go-go bar in Pattaya in eastern Thailand. Police ordered the closure of Club 4 in the Bang Lamung district for five years. A woman was arrested under suspicion of human trafficking.

Officers from Pattaya City Police Station received concerns that the venue was offering prostitutes under the age of 18 years old to clients.

In a sting operation, police sent a foreign customer into the bar last night and swooped in to make arrests after confirmation.

Police arrested a 49 year old woman named Jidapha under suspicion of human trafficking by smuggling children under 18 years old into prostitution And a 50 year old woman named Kessaran who was “taking care of the venue,” under suspicion of opening an entertainment venue without permission.

Police didn’t reveal how many children were working as prostitutes at the bar or their ages. The police said they will continue investigating the venue and arrest the “real owner” of the venue.

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Officials bust Phuket man selling crocodiles on TikTok

Officials busted a Phuket man yesterday who sold baby crocodiles on TikTok.

Officers from the Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office seized 22 freshwater baby crocodiles from the suspect’s house on Moo 8 SriSoonthorn in Thalang district. The officers found the crocodiles in an area in the house with a small pool.

The raid followed complaints that crocodiles were being advertised on TikTok as available for delivery anywhere in the country, according to an official report.

The suspect, 35 year old Theeradej, said that he previously had a legal permit to trade wild animals obtained from breeding, but the permit expired on September 9 last year. Theeradej confessed that he had continued to sell baby crocodiles over the Internet

Theeradej was charged with illegal possession of protected wildlife under the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act of 2019.

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Elderly Thai market vendor wins 12 million baht lottery jackpot

An elderly Thai lady says she will continue her career selling fried chive cakes at the market despite winning 12 million baht in the government lottery yesterday.

72 year old Kh. Phuangphet from the northern province of Uttaradit forgot to check the lottery results.

When her colleagues started talking about the winning numbers, Grandma Phuangphet leapt up, screamed and started dancing around Khun Nai Market in Mueang district, realising she won the lottery’s first prize.

Grandma Phuangphet bought two tickets with the number 590417, winning 12 million baht (US$347,217).

Grandma revealed that yesterday morning, she experienced “itchy hands” which she took as a sign to enter the lottery, so she bought two tickets from a local lottery ticket vendor in the market.

Note to self: Buy a lottery if you’re feeling itchy in your hands.