The authorities in Phuket have issued arrest warrants for a Swiss man and 2 Thai women as part of an investigation into alleged child prostitution at a bar in Patong. The bar on Bangla Road was raided last Wednesday, by a special task force unit from the Department of Provincial Administration.
The incident has had a knock-on effect of police enforcing a punitive closing time of 1am in an effort to maintain some control over Phuket’s red light district. Businesses are maintaining that they are losing millions of baht from the public and official reaction to the incident.
Police allegedly discovered 6 minors being sexually exploited and 2 suspects were arrested at the scene. It’s understood the bar is owned by a foreign man, named only as “Ronny”, who is believed to have fled to Laos.
Region 8 Police Commander Surapong Thanomjit has confirmed that the Phuket Provincial Court has issued an arrest warrant for 2 Thai women and a Swiss man, who has already fled the kingdom. The 3 suspects have not been named, but police say they are tracking them down and working with their counterparts in Laos to find and extradite the Swiss man.
Officers are also investigating several other foreign nationals, believed to be involved in child exploitation. According to a Phuket Express report, 5 senior Patong police officers have also been transferred following the raid.
SOURCE: The Phuket Express
