The raid was ordered by DOPA Director-General Manrat Rattanasukhon after he received a tip-off from Operation Underground Railroad, a United States-based nonprofit organisation involved in the rescue of human trafficking and sex trafficking victims, with a special focus on children.
The tip-off explained that the ‘Velvet bar’ on Soi Sea Dragon was operating as a general bar for tourists, but was offering underage girls as prostitutes to foreign customers.
The raid began at 8pm after an undercover officer posing as a customer entered the bar and confirmed that the bar was providing underage girls for sex.
Taksakorn ‘Nam’ Supakaraphokin was confirmed to be the bar manager while Watcharaporn ‘Yuki’ Thongmak was identified or as the ‘ broker’ who recruited children to sell sex.
The two women were placed under arrest and later charged for human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation of children.
The two women were also deemed to be operating a brothel, and charged for that also.
While the two women were being taken into custody, other officers entered a hotel nearby where prostitutes working for the bar were waiting for customers. Six of the sex workers were underage. The young est just 15 years old. All six were taken into protective care.
“Human trafficking is a national problem,” said DPOA Inspector-General Ronnarong Thipsiri following the raid.
“This may affect the economy and image of Thailand, including the well-being of the people. Therefore, it is a problem that must be jointly solved.
“The Department of Provincial Administration, as an agency that takes care of the suffering of the people, has been accelerating the suppression of human trafficking, to push forward to raise Thailand’s ranking on the watchlist [of the US State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report] from from Tier 2 to Tier 1,” he said.
Mr Ronnarong urged people to report any suspected activities of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children to the DOPA Special Operations Department or by calling the national hotline 1567.
Alternatively people can make reports to the Damrongdhama Center (Provincial Ombudsman’s Office) via the national hotline 1567.