Southern Thailand
Even Bombings Can’t Threaten the Sex Trade in Thailand’s Deep South
BANGKOK – Located in Thailand’s most remote south, some 1,200km from the capital Bangkok, Betong is a lively part of Yala province.
The area, together with neighboring Pattani, Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla, has been hit by decades of violent armed conflict between separatists and Thai authorities.
Thousands of shootings and bomb attacks have rocked the region since 2004, while hundreds of cases of arson have destroyed schools and homes.
The violence has resulted in more than 4,000 deaths and about 10,000 injuries over the past 15 years. Many incidents took place on a stretch of road connecting Betong with central Yala.
It is known locally as “the road of death” as the route winds through areas frequently targeted by insurgents.
Constant Threat of Bombings
In June, a bomb attack rocked a security checkpoint outside a bank in Yala’s Bannang Sata district.
On the map, Betong is about an hour’s drive away from there. The border town itself also faced bomb threats earlier this year.
Yet, despite the potential risks, it manages to draw a steady stream of visitors – mostly foreigners who cross the border from Malaysia.
Betong’s strategic location next to the Malaysian state of Perak provides tourists with relatively safe and easy access to an abundance of nightclubs, discotheques and karaoke bars.
“When it comes to security, Betong is considered the safest among 37 districts in the deep south,” said Betong district chief officer Anand Boonsamran.
“Malaysian and Singaporean tourists account for 80 per cent of Betong’s visitors.
They can travel from Malaysia to the town centre through the Betong border checkpoint. The distance is only 7km and it’s the safest route for tourists,” he added.
But while visitors seem willing to make the short hop over the border, those coming from elsewhere in Thailand seem more nervous.
“We have to admit that for Thai visitors, who have to travel 140km from central Yala to Betong, we haven’t been able to establish enough confidence for them yet,” the district chief said.
Each year, Betong welcomes hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors – Malaysians, Singaporeans, Indians and Chinese – who mostly arrive by land from Pengkalan Hulu in Perak.
In 2018, more than 524,000 visitors came to the border town.
Many of them are drawn by the pristine nature in the area and local delicacies.
But for others, it is the infamous sex trade that operates freely in this border town which is the main attraction.
Inside Batong’s Underground Club
On a narrow street in the city centre, dance music thunders from an underground club.
Inside, the pyjama party is in full swing. The air hangs heavy with the smell of cigarettes. Alcohol is everywhere. So are women in revealing nightclothes.
Many of them are chatting to male customers, smiling and laughing in a light embrace. Others are up on a narrow stage, swaying to the deafening music.
The room is pitch black save for the disco lights.
“No photo, please,” one of the staff told customers ahead of the night’s highlight. “You can’t take any photos of the next show.”
While regular clients can guess what is about to happen, newcomers look at the stage with growing anticipation. As soon as a new song plays, a file of women in lingerie takes to the platform.
One by one, they strip as the rowdy crowd cheers.
“It’s very easy to find someone at night,” said one of the regular customers.
The 30-year-old lives in central Yala and often visits the border town to have fun with his friends. Their favourite place is the underground club, where many tourists come looking for sex workers.
But this is not always straightforward
An additional issue for those wanting to visit Betong for adult entertainment is that prostitution is illegal in the Buddhist country.
But like many other Thai towns, Betong has people in the industry who have worked out how to operate within these constraints.
For instance, many sex workers have a legitimate job at adult entertainment venues.
These establishments can operate openly as they do not position themselves as venues where sexual trysts are sold, but plenty of deals are done discreetly between sex workers and customers.
“The main customers are from Malaysia.
They get women from clubs and bars or brokers who have contact with hotels,” a customer told CNA.
Betong is a business district in Thailand’s most remote south, which has suffered decades of armed conflict between separatists and Thai authorities.
Prostitution is an open secret in Betong, and commercial sex is relatively easy to find. Male tourists who do not travel with family are likely to be approached by hotel staff who can liaise with sex brokers.
It is also fairly common for guests to request assistance from hotel employees themselves.
Despite its unlawful nature, the multinational sex trade in Betong has enjoyed decades of prosperity.
It is well organized and relatively open despite the heavy presence of law enforcement officials in the restive south.
Two tourists and a Thai longboat operator were safely rescued after their boat capsized in stormy seas in the Phi Phi islands off Krabi province on late Sunday. The incident happened in Ao Nang bay at about 11am.
A speedboat owned by Narayana Marine spotted the capsized longboat and was able to provided assistance. Two Chinese tourists, one a young girl, a Thai tourist and the longboat operator were rescued.
A rescuer from the speedboat jumped into the rough seas and swam to the tourist clinging to the capsized longboat and gave them life vests. They were then hauled by rope to the safety of speedboat. The rescuers said the young Chinese girl was severely traumatized.
The tourists were taken to Phuket where they received medical treatment and then released. The Thai longboat operator is facing charges for unsafe operation of a boat and for not having the required life safety equipment.
According to the Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association, safety briefings should be given to tourists before they depart on tours, and that visitors follow their own common sense, avoiding boats that are overcrowded and badly maintained.
On average, 20 people die in boat accidents each year, many of them due to badly maintained speedboats that shuttle tourists between the islands along the coast. They are frequently overcrowded and staffed poorly trained operators and crew.
The agencies in charge of regulating safety and licensing tourist boats, such as the Maritime Police, are frequently understaffed, with inadequate resources.
Tourists Being Rescued in the Phi Phi Islands
Many Tourists Choosing to Explore Thailand with a Campervan
Authorities on Thailand’s resort island of Phuket report an American man and a Thai woman were found dead on Mai Khao beach on Monday, and a Russian man drowned off Phuket’s Surin beach on Sunday.
According to Police, local villagers alerted authorities that two bodies had washed ashore on a beach in Thalang district.
Phuket police identified the deceased American man as Mr. James Newman, 45, the Thai woman as identified as Ms. Waranya, 49, a nurse from Surin. The police officer also did not reveal the relationship between the two.
Investigators discovered no evidence of violence against them, he added. According to preliminary findings, they booked into a hotel in Mai Khao on Sunday.
Phuket police believe the two were swimming when one was washed away from the beach by the strong tide while the other attempted to help but was unsuccessful. The victims bodies were taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for autopsies.
Mr. Newman became the second American to drown is Phuket in less than two weeks. Last Tuesday, Mr. James Du Bois was discovered washed ashore at Nai Harn Beach in Muang District (main city) of Phuket.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Russian Mr.Apostolov Aleksei, 64, drowned near Surin Beach in Thalang. Police stated that there were no traces of violence on Aleksei’s body. The Russian man had stayed in a condominium in Tha Lang. His body was also taken to the Vachira Phuket Hospital.
Tourists Drowning in Phuket
Lifeguards in Phuket have cautioned beach goers to be extremely wary of rough seas and posted red flags on sites deemed hazardous for swimmers. Phuket, a renowned tourist destination in Thailand, has had a disturbing number of drowning deaths. This tropical paradise, famous for its beautiful beaches, draws millions of visitors each year.
But the attraction of its clear waters conceals major perils. Many vacationers overlook the power of rip tides and the unpredictable weather patterns. Lifeguards do their best, but they are frequently understaffed. Warning signs and flags are often ignored or misunderstood, resulting in tragic incidents. The lack of awareness and respect for the ocean’s power is a major contributing element.
Poor swimming ability and alcohol consumption can add to the problem. Local governments have worked to improve safety measures, but the answer lies in better education and tougher enforcement.
Tourists must accept personal responsibility for their safety and obey all cautions. Every drowning death in Phuket serves as a sharp warning that nature’s beauty may suddenly become lethal if not treated with caution and respect.
The Central Investigation Bureau police detained over 90 Russians in Phuket, Thailand during a crackdown on nominee companies, with assets valued at more than 1.5 billion baht taken.
Part of the operation, Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) commissioner Pol Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej said on Friday, police from the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECSD) searched accounting and real estate companies in the island province.
There are currently charges pending against 135 people and 96 juristic people.
Pol Gen Jirabhop stated of the people, 37 Thais served as nominees for foreign firms and 98 foreign nationals, the majority of them being Russians. The people were subsequently released on bond.
The foreign suspects were accused of operating companies by eschewing or breaking the law, and of having Thais or other non-foreign nationals assist or co-run companies that foreigners were not authorized to operate.
Pol Gen Jirabhop charged the Thai suspects with providing assistance or support to foreign nationals operating enterprises without the necessary legal authorization.
Land and Assets in Phuket
Along with 196 passports, 108 work permits, documents pertaining to the formation of 800 companies, 1,601 company stamps, four electronic devices, and other items, seized during the crackdown were 225 bank accounts with 319 million baht in circulation, 245 land documents.
Including those for 96 condominium units worth about 1 billion baht and 43 title deeds covering 24 rai of land worth about 200 million baht. Police estimated the assets taken were worth more than 1.5 billion baht.
When locals protested to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin that foreign nationals—mostly Russians—had been operating enterprises and purchasing a lot of residential properties and land plots at astronomically high rates, the police operation was started.
According to Pol Gen Jirabhop, one of the activities that cost Thais jobs and harmed the economy was the operation of tour-related companies owned by foreign nationals.
The prime minister next gave acting national police commander Kitrat Panphet instructions to designate the appropriate agencies to look into the matter.
An inquiry by the CIB’s ECSD later revealed that, since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in early 2022, 59,717 Russian nationals had entered Phuket. They reported an incredibly high 1,603 new company registrations in the province.
ECSD commander Pol Maj Gen Phutthidet Boonkraphue cited instances of companies involving a single foreign woman, solely named Iana, 45.
She was discovered to be an executive and shareholder in nine companies, with a 38 million baht total registered capital: seven real estate companies, one service company, and one tour company.
Fake Company Nominees
The chief of ECSD said that the firms were occupying three opulent apartment and condominium developments valued at more than 900 million baht.
The detectives discovered that Ms. Iana was nominated by a Thai woman going by the name Trithip. Additionally discovered to be nominees for 272 companies were Ms. Trithip and other Thai citizens. There were Thai shareholders solely in 142, and both Thai and international shareholders were present in the others.
Later, Pol Maj Gen Phutthidet stated, the detectives collected evidence to ask the court for permission to arrest people engaged in nominee businesses.
Ms. Trithip acknowledged under inquiry that she was employed to act as a nominee for 30,000 to 50,000 baht each company.
Pol Maj Gen Phutthidet reported that 85 foreign nationals had already received summonses from the investigators to answer allegations of exploiting Thai nominees. He said that the probe is being continued.
Russians looking for sun and water have come to love Phuket. The island’s mild weather and laid-back way of life appeal to many. Russian visitors and residents can be seen frequently taking advantage of the lively nightlife and stunning beaches.
Some of them have even launched their own companies, which boosts the local economy. Growing Russian population in Phuket is fostering a little but active cross-cultural interaction. Even though Phuket is far from home, its kind people and wide range of activities provide them comfort.
Source: Bangkok Post
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