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Bangkok Post Reports No Slow Down of Trafficking in Northern Thailand1

Pol.Lt.Col. Somsong Monthakul, an inspector with provincial police division region 5 and a member of the Chiang Mai multi-disciplinary team said there was no improvement in trafficking in the situation in eight northern provinces.

In Chiang Mai, many young students were entering the commercial sex business. Pol.Lt.Col. Somsong describing the situation as a 'matter of concern' as recent figures point to a growing trend among young people willingly entering the sex trade for extra cash. Nowadays teenagers, many under 18, leave their phone numbers to brothel owners or pimps, and then sell their services in order to gain cash to feed their spending habits. The clients were mostly influential local people and senior government officers.

In addition to commercial sex, the problem of children beggars was getting more serious. Since Chiang Mai was a big city, it was hard to control the influx of migrants. Pushing them out of the country was not the solution, since they would just return.

Pol.Lt.Col. Somsong said his agency is going to set up a special investigative team for children and women's cases. In addition, the Chiang Mai Youth Council will be established next year with a one-million-baht budget from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. The council will offer youths a place to meet, share opinions and do activities together.

Mongkol Danwilaipitikul, head of the Chiang Mai Social Development Office under the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, said a provincial database was being compiled on human trafficking to identify the risk groups, communities and areas. The data would be used for strategic and budget planning in three target provinces – Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Phayao.

¹ Bangkok Post, 23 May 2005.