Brothel owner, manager each face 14 charges

A raid on Nataree Massage on Ratchadaphisek Road on June 7. The parlour’s owner Prasert Sookkhi and manager Sommai Padsing are at large and wanted on 14 charges 

The owner and manager of Nataree Massage, whose whereabouts are unknown, have each been slapped with 14 charges ranging from commercial sexual exploitation of underage girls to sheltering illegal migrants. 

The Criminal Court on Tuesday approved arrest warrants for Prasert Sookkhi, 58, and Sommai Padsing, 45, on charges related to the raid on the Ratchadaphisek Road venue 

Pol Col Chayut Marayat, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau's (MPB) Division 1, said the ongoing investigation indicated that Mr Prasert is the owner of the massage parlour but he used others to act as proxies. Mr Sommai was the parlour’s manager and holder of its operating licence, issued under the Entertainment Venue Control Act. 

The 14 alleged offences brought against the men include running a prostitution business, acting as a procurer, sexual exploitation of children and youth under 18 years of age, providing shelter for illegal migrants, and employing foreigners without work permits.

 Both men fled arrest and are still at large after Department of Provincial Administration officials, police and soldiers raided the parlour in Huai Khwang district on June 7. The operation netted 121 alleged sex workers, including 77 foreigners and several under the age of 18.
 Pol Col Chayut said MPB investigators were trying locate Mr Prasert and Mr Sommai. They will ask the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) to examine the suspects’ assets to see if they have been acquired illegally. 

Officials are also investigating a little book listing abbreviated names of law enforcement individuals and agencies thought to have received monthly kickbacks from the parlour, as well as paper chits as well as paper chits with a picture of a Singha, a mythical lion and temple guardian, found in the possession of foreign masseuses arrested durig the raid. 

  Five executives of Nataree Massage have.Five executives of Nataree Massage have been arrested following the raid and are facing charges of human trafficking and sheltering illegal migrant workers.