Thai Lady Lured Into Prostitution In Japan

October 11, 2012

A Thai man was arrested on sex trafficking charges for luring a 32-year-old Thai woman to Japan last year, by promising her a job at a karaoke bar. However, man took her to a Japanese couple who forced the woman into prostitution. Thai police later helped the victim return to Thailand.

BANKGOK – October 10, 2012 [PDN]: The arrest of a Thai man on sex trafficking charges was announced by Pol. Maj .Gen. Chawalit Sawangpuech, commander of the Anti-Human Trafficking division (AHTD).

The suspect was identified as Mr. Niran Pansangiam, age 34, in connection with a Thai-Japan human trafficking case, according to court warrant number 1035/2555, dated July 25, 2012. The warrant alleges that Mr. Niran conspired with another man, Mr. Jakkrapan Watcharapin or Jack, to engage in sex trafficking. Mr. Jakkrapan has been previous arrested in the Sukhumvit area.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Chawalit said the sex trafficking case began last year, when on November 2, 2011, the police assisted in helping the 32-year-old victim, “Ms. Ta” (alias), return to Thailand from Japan, where she had been forced to work as a prostitute.

Ms. Ta had complained to the officers of the AHTD that on July 29 of last year, she had gone to Japan with Mr. Niran to work as a karaoke bar waitress. She was led to believe she would be earning a lot of money. But when she arrived Japan, Mr. Niran took her to the city of Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture. The victim was taken to Mrs. Orashorn Hayashi and Mr. Hayashio, who then forced Ms. Ta to be a prostitute.

After his arrest, Mr. Niran admitted bringing Ms. Ta to Japan, but he denied forcing her to be a prostitute. Mr. Niran said he was not involved in any human trafficking. He said he had only brought Ms. Ta to the Narita airport in Japan, and then had sat beside her in the train to Nagano on their way to meet Mrs. Orashorn. Then afterwards he went back to Thailand.

Mr. Niran said he had been deceived by the other man, “Jack,” to take Ms. Ta to see Jack’s relative in Japan for the karaoke bar job. But other details Mr. Niran could not disclose, but he would do so in court. So the police charged Mr. Niran with conspiring with 3 or more people to engage in human trafficking, and gain benefit by using deception to trick someone into prostitution. The charges also included detaining and holding someone against their will, and threatening and using physical force to beat and overpower someone to do their bidding to serve other people’s lust.