Pattaya has been dubbed one of the largest sex tourism destinations in the world, and for good reason.
Thousands of prostitutes ply their trade on the coastal town, and the 24/7 hedonistic lifestyle attracts men from all over the world.
But Pattaya has a darker side, and authorities all over the world are becoming increasingly concerned with the volume of sex offenders living and operating in Pattaya.
Right now, Pattaya has one of the largest number of pedophiles anywhere in the world living outside their home countries. And they are not only having sex with children, they are producing child pornography and posting it on the Internet (FBI.org).
This is not a new problem, either. Cases can be found online going back to the 90s, including that of Australian national Joseph Kosky, arrested in 1997 with a 9-year-old boy in his room (source).
A report by the Human Help Network Foundation Thailand (HHN) has reiterated the cause for concern by highlighting the vulnerability of street children:
Child prostitution in Pattaya will flourish as long as the number of homeless children – both Thai and foreign – remains high and they continue to be exploited by sex tourists and parents who sell their children into the trade.
Rather than working via go-go bars as previously, children coaxed into the sex trade now roam the streets at night or shopping malls in the day and approach prospective clients themselves, Kanjanas said. In some cases poor parents introduce their children to clients.
There are around 25,000 street children, both Thai and migrant, known to the HHN in Thailand, with up to 2,000 of them based in Pattaya. There is also a large but unspecified number of children under parental care but suffering poverty, and thus at risk of being lured into child prostitution.
Why do Sex Offenders Choose Pattaya?
To someone living outside of Pattaya, this might appear to suggest that child sex is being sold openly on the streets, which is certainly not the case.
However, the number of homeless children is on the rise, as is the number of sexual offences against children by foreign nationals.
There are over 400 children residing at the Pattaya orphanage, many of whom have been victims of child abuse while living on the streets of Pattaya.
Many Pattaya expats argue that the statistics are exaggerated, and that this is a typical western media exaggeration, aimed at further tainting the reputation of Thailand's sin city.
But the statistics don't lie. There is a disproportionate number of peodophile cases – committed by foreign nationals – in Pattaya when compared with other areas of Thailand.
This is not because Pattaya is inherently evil, but most likely because a city known for the sex industry makes for an easier place to blend in and hide one's crimes.
Below is some research I conducted into western men arrested on child sex charges in Pattaya. The number of cases is staggering and the list below is by no means exhaustive.
Pattaya Pedophile Cases:
Bear in mind that these are well-documented cases where evidence to prosecute was immediately available, or because a case had been built using surveillance. This list doesn't represent day to day complaints or reports, or arrests based purely on suspicion.
One would think a high profile sex tourist destination like Pattaya would be a difficult place for a pedophile to operate: police everywhere, authorities on the look out for wanted offenders. But in reality, amidst the protection of pimps and corrupt officials, who can be bought off with bribes, there's no shortage or middle men willing to make a buck on the transaction of a child.
1. August 2019:
Thai police arrest 80-year-old Norman Lunt, from Rotherham in Yorkshire, in Bang Lamang, Pattaya. Lunt was arrested at the request of the UK National Crime Agency after officers in the United Kingdom discovered he had relocated to Thailand.
He admitted to Thai police that his computer contained child pornography. He was extradited facing 16 different charges in the UK, including 5 of rape against two underage UK girls over a 5 year period. The other charges include molestation and sexual assault. (Full story here).
2. July 2018:
The police raided a property in the Pratumnak Hill area of Pattaya and arrested National Alexey Fadeev, 39.
The police confiscated a notebook found to contain a large amount of child pornography. (Full story here)
3. March 2018:
A convicted Dutch pedophile, Joseph Maria Rennards, 69, was arrested for abusing Thai boys in Pattaya’s Jomtien area.
Rennards was previously blacklisted from Thailand on unrelated offences. However, he told police that he bribed a border policeman to gain access to the country.
Police believe the is part of an international child sex ring.
Rennards was arrested in a trap set by Thai police, who sent two foreign agents to contact the Dutchman and ask him to arrange four teen boys to provide sexual services for 7,000 THB at their rented room at Jomtien Longstay Hotel. (Full story here).
4. Dec 2017:
Thai Police arrest Canadian pensioner Eddy Walsh, 71, for molesting a 13 year old boy in South Pattaya. Walsh denies the charge.
Mr Walsh was arrested at the Yen Sabai Mansion in Pattaya Soi 17 off Sai 2. A warrant for his arrest was issued by the Pattaya court on Tuesday following a complaint made to Pattaya police by the mother of a 13 year old boy.
She said that her son had been taken to a room in Yen Sabai and was molested with a video being recorded.
Kritsanat Thanasuphanat leading the Region 2 team in the arrest said they found many obscene VCDs. These were taken into evidence along with a phone, tablet, computer notebook and a selection of clothes.
It is asserted that Walsh is part of a secret cabal of foreign pedophiles who prey on young teenage boys in the resort city of Pattaya. (Full story here).
5. May 2016:
DSI officers and local police arrest Mr George Tower in a house in the Fa Mai Pratu Kom community in the Suriyawong Road area of Hai Ya sub district, Chiang Mai.
The 73-year-old man from the UK was charged with having sex with a person under 13 and molestation of a child under 15. The charges were denied and he was detained.
Police found a computer in the house with an obscene video clip of a male child, and a an obscene CD. These were taken into evidence and forensics scoured the man's bedroom for traces of sperm and other evidence.
6. August 31, 2015:
64-year-old British national Simon Jeremy Merington Briscore was arrested at his house in Chiang Mai's Mueang district, after two 16-year-old boys filed complaints with police that the Briton failed to honour his promise to pay them Bt500 each for sex.
Police also found a substantial amount of pornography of underage boys on his computer.
7. Feb 2015:
70-year-old Norwegian, Svein Eirik Michelsen, on the run from pedophilia charges, was captured in Pattaya after being spotted on Walking Street.
He was wanted for molesting underage girls and possession of child pornography.
Immigration police said Michelsen was a frequent visitor to Thailand before immigration officers found out he was on an international alert list. (Full story here).
8. October 10, 2014:
Mr.Mariolle Arnaud Jean Nicoias, aged 46, from France, is arrested having sex with a 14 year-old girl in the Live In Mansion.
He said he had paid 700 Baht for the girl to a woman in front of Mike Shopping Mall. At the scene the officials found the supplier, Mrs.Prapaporn Sawangram, aged 37, who was arrested by officials before raiding the room which contained Mr.Mariolle Arnaud Jean Nicoias.
While at the residence, officials went to inspect another room and found drug addicts Mr.Samreng Ayamueng, aged 38, and Ms.Atchara Wichaiwong, 23, who were also having sex.
Mrs.Prapaporn confessed that Mr.Mariolle asked her to procure the girl, whom she had recently met, in exchange for the money and a place for her friends to have sex.
9. November 2013 (Conviction update):
US expat Gregory Miller, from Madison, Wisconsin, sentenced to 38 years imprisonment for sexually assaulting a nine year old boy on ten occasions between January and June 2012.
In passing sentence the presiding Judge said that Miller's repeatedly sexually assaulting such a young child justified an extremely harsh sentence. The sentence is one of the highest ever imposed in Thailand for this type of offence – the maximum penalty for the offence is life imprisonment.
Miller is suspected of sexually assaulting at least five other boys, all under the age of 12. Following his arrest evidence came to light that Miller was stalking young boys and video taping them at school functions. Full story here.
10. November 2013:
Officers arrest 50 year old Australian Mr. Ben Agame Ofar, accused of 4 counts of sexual assaulting a minor aged 11 years old.
The warrant stated that the suspect is accused of sexually assaulting his girlfriend’s daughter who is aged 11 years, 4 times over the period of his 6 month-relationship with the victim’s Mother.
The girl allegedly told her neighbours that she had been repeatedly raped by her Australian stepfather, Mr. Ben, on at least four occasions.
Mr. Ben then threatened her not to tell anyone, including her mother, about the assault. The investigation also revealed that Mr. Ben had previously been accused of raping girls aged under 15 on other occasions.
11. October 2013:
British born Ray Teret, ex-chauffeur for disgraced sex offender Jimmy Savile (British celebrity, now deceased), arrested in Pattaya for historic sexual offences against children Full story here.
12. June 2013:
Police arrest Mr. Gaston Roger Maurer from Switzerland. The 62 year old was charged with serious sexual offences to a number of underage boys. He had been under investigation after receiving reports from victims’ families who learned that a ladyboy had lured them into providing sex with the man. The boys were paid 250 baht each and the ladyboy got the rest of the money. Full story here.
13. Feb 2013 (2 arrested):
Pattaya police arrest German Karl Josef Ruppel, 69, and Briton Andrew John Tracey, 60. Ruppel was taken into custody at the Rina Lodge, where he allegedly paid a 14-year-old boy 200 baht for oral sex.
Investigators alleged the German had found the boy at Chaimongkol Temple. Tracey was arrested at his house in Bang Sarary where he’d allegedly been taking underage boys he picked up in Pattaya shopping malls, paying them 300-500 baht for sexual services.
14. October 2012:
Infamous Pattaya resident and British pedophile William Goad, 68, accredited with some 3,500 cases of child sexual abuse dies in Albany Prison on the Isle of Wight in the U.K.
Goad was arrested in Britain in 2004 after returning from Pattaya, Thailand, where he had been living comfortably in exile under a false passport .In Pattaya he lived with two Irish travellers, aged 15 and 16, whom he had known for several years, and he paraded them around gay haunts in Boyz Town and Sunee Plaza. Full story here.
15. June 2012:
Mr. Gregory Miller, aged 48, an American citizen working as a language teacher at an international school in Rayong. Mr. Gregory was accused of sexually assaulting boys aged 10-15 years at his house on several occasions.
The boys were paid 200-500 Baht each time. The police followed-up the case and arrested Mr. Gregory Mill at his house where they found tissue paper with semen stains and obscene pictures of the teacher and the boys.
16. Feb 28 2012:
Police received a call in the early hours of Sunday morning that a foreign man was molesting a young boy in a car parked on Soi 4 off Pratamnak Hill. Officers were sent to investigate and found the Toyota Vios parked in a dark area of the street.
Inside, on the back seat was Mr. Norman Wallis in the act of seducing a young 13 year old boy. Police confronted Wallis aged 79 from England and arrested him.
According to Wallis, he paid 700 baht to the boy as requested when they met at a local shopping mall. He further stated that he was not aware that having sex with an underage person was illegal in Thailand. Full story here.
17. Jan 2011:
Police arrest David Charles Taylor, a 66 year old British man wanted for abusing kids, some just infants, and selling pornography on line internationally.
He led the Thai police to his apartment where there was a stack of porn and indecent images of young children on his computer.
They included Thai boys under thirteen and several other nationalities. Police say some of his customers were European residents of the resort city. Full story here.
18. Feb 2011:
Pattaya, officers organised the apprehension of foreign child abuse offender, Mr. Roderick William Robinson, 73, of British nationality. Pol. Col. Shusak Phanatamphorn remarked that Mr. Robinson committed numerous sexual abuse offences on a girl on 14th February 1988 in England then escaped to stay in Australia.
Later, on 16th January 1989, he again sexually abused a child and was arrested by Australian police. After obtaining bail, Mr. Robinson absconded to hide in New Zealand where he continued to offend repeatedly before escaping to hide in Portugal in 2010.
19. Feb 2011:
Police arrest a Norwegian pedophile at his own business residence after receiving a report from local residents to investigate his acts in having sex with the underage girls. Mr. Karstein Abrahamsen, 66, Norwegian national opened the door and police found a girl, Miss Duen (alias), 17, in the room. Both were naked. The police also found condoms (used and unused) which they kept as evidence.
20. March 2011:
Karl Erik Berglund, 60, a Swedish national is charged on multiple counts of sexual abuse after having had sexual relations with underage boys in Pattaya, Thailand.
21. October 2010:
Police arrest Mr. Hugo Stephen Leuthold, age 80 years from Switzerland in an apartment in Soi Honey Inn, off Soi Buakao with a 12 year old boy in his room.
The police had been following Mr. Leuthold for a while as he was suspected of being a pedophile and had been seen in the company of little boys and disappeared with them before. This time, he convinced the 12 year old boy do sexual favours for him and he agreed to pay the boy 500 Baht. Full story here.
22. August 2010:
Police arrest Mr. Oystein Larsen 60 from Norway and a Thai girl, Miss Fa (16) in a compromising position.Investigations found that Mr.
Larsen had taken Miss Fa back to his hotel having agreed to pay her for sexual services in South Pattaya. Miss Fa subsequently acknowledged that Mr. Larsen had propositioned her to have sex with him before taking her back to his hotel room.
23. July 2010:
Mr. Mikhail Pletnev, 53, a Russian national and renowned musician is arrested facing charges of committing indecent sexual acts with a minor under the age of 15. Officers found several hundred files, photos and videos on his home computer of child pornography and images of indecent acts with underage children.
24. January 2010:
Police arrest French national Jean Eric Lopez, 47, after the DSI’s Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime was informed by representatives of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Thailand and French national police based at the French Embassy in Thailand that Mr Lopez ran entertainment venues offering underage male sex for hire and that he abused children.
25. July 2009 (2 arrested):
In their efforts to crack down on sexual perverts and pedophiles that prey on young children in Pattaya, police arrested German pedophile Gerhard Heiner Gatsche and British born Robert Horsman, aged 46, from Saxmundham who also lived in the same Rungrueang Village on Soi Khaotalo. Horsman has been arrested twice before for sexual acts with young boys and denied the charges, getting off with a couple of fines. Full story here.
26. March 2009, (3 arrested):
Thai authorities announce the arrest of Australian national, Richard Jeremy Morrush (68), Italian national David Costa Ruggero (60) and one other man, charged with child sex offences following an international investigation involving law enforcement agencies from three countries.
27. July 2008:
Pattaya police arrested an aging American man accused of having sexually abused his adopted 5-year-old daughter for two months, after the mother and relatives had reported the matter to the police.
On the afternoon of July 17, mother, Miss Orn-anong Prom-toe, managed to see her daughter at Mr. Vinum's house and was told by daughter Ploy that, during the night, Mr. Vinum usually rubs his sexual organ on hers and had forced her to perform oral sex. Discovering the truth, Miss Orn-anong demanded her daughter back, but Mr. Vinum refused, so she then reported the matter to the police. Full story here.
28. June 2008:
Police arrest 68-year-old British Citizen Malcolm Edward Falkus for an indecent act on a 12-year-old boy. Falkus, a former historian and lecturer at the London School of Economics, had spent a large part of his career in Australia, before moving to Thailand (Pattaya) in 2004.
The victim was taken to police by officers from the Child Protection and Development Center after the boy reported that he was taken to a beer bar restroom for immoral conduct in Soi Sunee.
It was alleged that Falkus had been procuring other boys under the age of consent, paying them 500 Baht for sex each time. Indeed, the victim knew the man's name to be ‘Malcolm'.
Falkus was bailed on a surety of 200,000 Baht, though he evaded prosecution and fled to Cambodia. Falkus committed suicide in the UK in 2017 (More on this story here and here).
29. May 2008:
At around 4:30 on Friday morning police brought a 46-year-old British national, Mr Andrew John Gallacher, back to the Soi 9 station after finding him engaged in illegal sexual activities at his home with a 16-year-old Thai male.
Police claim Mr Gallacher had picked up the boy in the Soi Sunee Plaza area of South Pattaya and brought him back for the purposes of sex and a promise of 500 baht. At the station police asked Mr Gallacher to open his computer, which had been brought back when he was arrested.
On the computer were a large number of photos of young Thai males in various stages of undress, leading police to the conclusion that this was not the first time Mr Gallacher had engaged in sexual activities with local boys.
30. March 2008 (3 arrested):
Thai police arrest Finnish citizen Ilkka Ylikojola, British national Stephen James Ellison and American Glenn Richard Allen. Child pornography and video equipment for making more porn were reportedly found in the three men's separate apartments. Full story here.
31. March 2008:
The Daily Mail covers the story of Maurice Praill, 77, from Harold Hill, Essex, UK. The step-father of former Ireland international footballer Jon Goodman was arrested after police investigators saw the boy being delivered to his rented home on a motorcycle side-car.
Thai police were called in after a member of Child Protection Centre passed on complaints from the parents of the eight-year-old boy. Mr Praill has a long history of child sex abuse in Pattaya. Full story here.
32. December 2008 (4 arrested – 20 more under surveillance):
Under Operation Naga, a joint investigation between the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and the Royal Thai Police. Police arrest Malcolm Payne, 59, and Robert Horsman, 45, both from Britain, as well as 62-year-old American Robert Lond and 66-year-old German Fritz Blattner. The operation implicates 20 foreign pedophiles under Thai Police surveillance. Full story here.
33. May 2007:
Police arrest German citizen Mr. Emil Bernnuer, 68. He was charged with pedophilia in Germany in 2005, but before his sentencing escaped to live in Pattaya, Thailand. He was sentenced to ten months in prison with sexual offender counselling. Full story here.
Two other notable high profile cases I came across pre 2007:
34. October 2005:
Bernard Scullion, 53, thought he had escaped the full weight of the law by fleeing Britain while on licence. But the father of his 13-year-old victim, a Wirral businessman, would not let the matter rest.
Mr X, whose name was withheld to protect his daughter, used a network of contacts to seek leads on Scullion's whereabouts, and having traced him to Thailand hired a German investigator to provide an exact location.
“My investigator found him getting drunk in the bars of Pattaya every night,” said the victim's father. “He had been beaten up in one of them after they'd found out he'd taken a 13-year-old girl home with him.” Full story here.
35. Feb 2003:
Finally, after a long history of sexual predatory, Thomas Frank White, the San Francisco multimillionaire is held in Bangkok Remand Prison.
Two months after his FBI warrant was issued, Thai law enforcement authorities say White took up residence in the resort area of Jomtien Beach in Pattaya, Thailand, about 68 miles south of Bangkok.
A videotape obtained by The Chronicle at the time showed him frolicking with boys at the beach and touring a school and shelter he apparently funded. Full story here.
The Disturbing Views of Some Expats
The list goes on and on.
And just as disturbing as this list are some of the comments I came across on forums while conducting my research, particularly those supporting sex with girls of 14, 15 and 16 years of age.
I am a little cautious about posting such comments on my blog, but here's just a couple to give you an idea. I quote:
Big fan of teens myself. Why not go for a girl in her prime? In-fact I can't remember the last time I barfined a girl over the age of 18. These days one has to look a little harder to find the ‘little deadly demon'. 20 years ago, certainly, 15 was common in Soi Cowboy. Happy days! – Littleron
Less than a decade ago nearly all the girls in BKK go-go bars were 18 and UNDER. Many as young as 14 and 15. I'm sure Pattaya was no different. It was perfectly acceptable then. – FedUpFarang
In addition to such comments, a recent topic trending on ThaiVisa.com reveals a worrying blockade of denial from Pattaya expats, with the majority denying that pedophilia exists any more than it does anywhere else in the world.
Many posters outrightly accuse the HNN report as complete lies, and a fabrication of the truth to create jobs for NGO workers.
A Final Word
Since writing this article way back in 2013, I've received hate mail and many negative comments arguing that some of these men are innocent and framed, and that I'm picking on an already media-bullied Pattaya.
So let me just briefly address this. All of the cases listed here are reported as they were in the news. All of the cases involve one of three strong lines of evidence:
- Cross-country surveillance between the perpetrator's home country and the Thai police, based on existing evidence of abuse from the perpetrator's home country.
- Surveillance by the Thai police and child protection agencies.
- A raid where the perpetrator is caught in the act of sexual assault, or found in possession of images/other compelling evidence.
Yes, the sexual abuse of children happens in every country.
Yes, there are cases of child sexual abuse in other areas of Thailand.
Yes, there are Thai nationals involved in the procurement of children for foreign nationals.
And yes, Thailand has a significant problem with the sexual assault of minors by Thai nationals.
I'm not denying any of this.
But no one can deny that Pattaya has a problem here. And one that is still ongoing in 2021. If you are denyingthis, then you've got your head in the sand.
Got a case you want to add to the list? Email me.
Last Updated on
Bastards says
Aug 22, 2017 at 10:22 am
jim g says
Sep 13, 2017 at 12:21 pm
Pierre says
Nov 29, 2016 at 8:06 am
TheThailandLife says
Here's a few links to start with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY8Ms4E_kQs
http://www.slum-kids.org/
http://www.thepattayaorphanage.org/or/?page_id=8
https://www.helpalliance.org/projekte/human-help-network-foundation-thailand-2/?lang=en
Nov 29, 2016 at 3:07 pm
David Lea says
Aug 15, 2018 at 12:21 pm
TheThailandLife says
Aug 15, 2018 at 8:00 pm
David Lea says
Apr 13, 2021 at 5:08 pm
TheThailandLife says
Apr 13, 2021 at 5:18 pm
Mark says
Aug 19, 2018 at 10:23 am
TheThailandLife says
Aug 19, 2018 at 5:25 pm
2right says
May 07, 2019 at 2:40 am
Allan Wacksidaa says
I happen to know one of these cases, as I was interpreting the accused foreigner in the case.
At the end the prosecutor dropped the case, as the police work was nothing but a disaster, and it was obvious that the accused person was completely innocent.
But in the eyes of the public, after the media coverage, he will always remain guilty. His name is still listed here too.
Sad, but true: Thai police is mostly a bunch of incompetent corrupted thugs. Many crimes go not prosecuted, and too many innocent people are behind bars; some of them die before they are cleared.
Aug 22, 2016 at 6:48 pm
King Bee says
Anyone having sex with girls under that age in Thailand deserves to go to prison there & you'll find out what the "Bangkok Hilton", or similar establishment, is like.
Aug 10, 2016 at 12:49 pm
Martin1 says
And I think there is a big difference if s.b. has sex with s.b. "under age", or with a child!
A big difference to me!
To open your eyes: I am a bad guy, making love to my GF (she: 15 yo at that time) when I was 15 yo, too.
May 28, 2017 at 2:43 am
Chris says
Feb 11, 2016 at 7:21 pm
TheThailandLife says
Feb 12, 2016 at 12:45 pm
Ken says
The age of consent actually varies from 13 to 20 though depending on were you find yourself in the world and there is no right or wrong place to draw that line as long as it above puberty. It’s purely a matter of personal opinion. And this is why the current laws on this subject are so insane here in the USA. For example, if some 19 year old guy is dating a 17 year old girl here, not only could he be thrown in jail for many years, but when he got out he would be put on the national sex offender list for THE REST OF HIS LIFE! This guy would basically be lumped in with rapists and pedophiles simply for having consensual sex with his girlfriend. He would not be allowed to live near or even go near a school or play with children despite the fact that he is in no way, shape, or form, a pedophile. And when he moved into a new neighborhood all his neighbors would be made aware that he was a sex offender, not to mention prospective employers. Of course they would not know that he actually did not do anything morally or ethically wrong.
Anytime you have consensual sex with a minor here it is automatically considered to be rape. This is the most insane thing I have ever heard in my life and it really makes me think that all my countrymen have gone totally and utterly mad. It just boggles the mind.
In Europe however, not only are the ages of consent generally lower, but the laws are more sane and rational in that the state often has to prove that the minor was coerced or taken advantage of in some way. In the USA however nobody under that arbitrary age of 18 is considered competent to give consent to have sex under any circumstances so it is automatically rape and the coercion is implied if the other person is over 18. Of course this is not often enforced unless the parents make a complaint but if they do it can destroy a young mans life.
All I can say is I’m just glad that I’m not in my 20’s today because when I was that age I occasionally went out with girls who were under 18 and if I did that today it could potentially ruin my entire life. Also, if a young man from here should move to some country with a younger age of consent, such as France, and he dated a French girl who is underage in the USA but legal over there he could still be charged with statutory rape back in his own country. That is like me going to Germany and driving 100MPH on the Autobahn (which is perfectly legal there) and then being charged with speeding when I get back to the USA. It’s absurd.
Back to Thailand though, I really have no respect for anyone who pays for sex with very young girls (or boys) in Thailand and I believe that every girl should have to be an adult before engaging in prostitution. So the laws that prevent underage prostitution are a good thing in my estimation. And anyone who pays for sex with an underage girl should probably have to face the consequences. And pedophiles should be locked up for good because they simply cannot stop themselves and our children have to be protected from them.
Apr 17, 2016 at 3:13 pm
Robert Smart says
Oct 27, 2016 at 7:54 pm
Martin1 says
Those Muslim Evangelistics will stone you to death when you make sex with any woman you are not married to, or with any boy/male!
May 28, 2017 at 2:45 am
kelvin says
Feb 03, 2016 at 6:01 pm
livewire says
The issue is not a problem of the Thai Government or the RTP as Western governments must share the blame equally by providing inducements to arrest their citizens.
I have discovered through extensive research and have clear evidence that the most notorious of these NGO's, Anti Human Trafficking Children's Center (ATCC) is not in fact an NGO at all. In fact ATCC is NOT and NGO, is NOT a Natural Person and NOT a Juristic person under the law. In fact ATCC is just a "name for a group of people" Sounds strange???
ATCC website has previously claimed to be part of FACE Foundation a legally registered NGO in Bangkok and its Director Parison Noja is a board member of FACE. Both of these statements are utter lies and a quick review of the FACE Foundation legal registration documents will prove it and the website has now been changed to eliminate any reference to FACE.
Further, ATCC Director Parison Noja claims to operate a children's center in need of your donations and he has obtained the backing and collaboration with the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigation and 9 other western Governments including Austria, France, Switzerland, England, Netherlands, Germany,Sweden, Japan and Australia. And these are only the ones we have found evidence to support. There appears to be no legal authorization for Parison Noja to operate a children's center of any kind!!!????
Furthermore, Parison Noja displays signs bearing FACE and ATCC logo throughout his facility and on banners when receiving "donations" from these "well meaning" governments. OR ARE THEY WELL MEANING??
What is more strange is if ATCC is NOT a natural person or Juristic person, who or what runs the facility, collects the donations, has a bank account and where does the money really go????? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY HOW AND WHY DOES ATCC EXIST.
HOW IS IT THAT RTP ACCEPT AND ISSUE A WARRANT BASED UPON A COMPLAINT FROM AN INDIVIDUAL THAT IS NOT A LEGAL GUARDIAN??
The answer is simple when you consider that western governments are willing to contribute large sums of money to have their citizens arrested for public relation purposes to show they are fighting what we all agree to be a hideous crime.
Of course leave it up to the United States Department of Justice to find a way to corrupt the system. To motivate most people in business to work extra hard, you offer a bonus for good performance. Of course, western governments cannot publicly offer a bounty. So how do western governments provide incentives to local level law enforcement.
The answer is simple. "HYPOTHETICALLY" We create a fictitious NGO with a fictitious Children's Home and launder money through this fictitious enterprise to affect results we need. OR IS THIS NOT HYPOTHETICAL!!!
Of course the intention is well meaning but the execution is illegal. A more serious problem arises when the NGO and local level police decide they want more "inducements" they can regardless of the facts, make up any story and accuse a foreigner and the result will be a reward from their own government. The back side opportunity is to wait six months and extort 1,000,000 baht and make him leave the country. CASE CLOSED.
This is in fact what has occurred in the case against Mr. Hobbs.
Further, the case against the late American Greg Miller who died a few days ago while in prison after his appeal was denied. The same individuals, "FAKE NGO", RTP and FBI were involved in Mr. Millers case which is believed to be a total fabrication.
Further, the case against British citizen Ian Tracy who was detained in Thai prison for 16 months and was subsequently proven innocent by the Supreme Court involved the same group of sinister people. In this case the boy stated under oath the police paid him 200 baht to lie to prosecutors.
If these cases sound all too familiar, they should and it should worry EVERYONE!!
So to Eric I say your comments are very close to the heart of the problem but as I had previously assumed the NGO was a legal entity and western governments law enforcement acted in accordance with our laws.
Feel free to review http://www.strandedinthailand.com for some further information.
Jul 17, 2015 at 9:22 pm
Genaro says
Jan 24, 2015 at 9:50 pm
don says
May 26, 2015 at 2:43 am
TheThailandLife says
May 26, 2015 at 10:51 pm
Aka says
Aug 19, 2017 at 3:21 pm
Dave says
Jun 28, 2015 at 7:05 am
lionel hurst says
Feb 03, 2016 at 9:05 pm
Eric T. says
Child sex trade in Thailand is far lower than in those days of 80s and 90s and actually almost vanished comparing to other top destinations, and yes - NGOs are also there to make money out of it and many times spreading false data.
3 points you haven't paid enough attention to:
1. You haven't taken into account the extortion business derived from Pattaya being a top sex destination in a poor country with a market of billions $$.
Many Thai individuals, with the help of corrupt officers are making great money out of blackmail cases. That happens much more frequently than you can imagine and it's kind of a lottery ticket for locals, an attractive game where they cannot lose.
2. You digged those cases from the internet, most before any conviction. Beside the fact that anyone could find at least same amount of cases for every modern western country on Google - remember that Thailand is still a corrupted country where one can't trust justice and where many police officials are no more than criminal in disguise. An arrest is many times just a (good) mean to promote extortion.
3. It's well known that in south east Asia the biggest majority of pedophiles are local Asians who openly solicit minors (usually girls) in karaoke bars and brothels (the worst of them believe that sex with a 12 years old can cure harsh diseases, while actually infect those innocent girls with their diseases).
Next time before you trust those NGOs, maybe you research a little bit how many LOCALs they have trapped and brought to justice comparing to the number of foreigners they have found. I'm sure the truth will shock you with the knowledge they are not really after saving the children, but after publishment and money.
Those NGOs are responsible behind the scenes to many high profile cases motivations. They are after more donations, Thai people are after money/compensation/extortion (you name it), and they're all happy. from there no need to explain how easy it is to build traps and fabricate cases.
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Dec 21, 2014 at 5:00 am
TheThailandLife says
Dec 21, 2014 at 11:34 am
Eric T. says
Dec 21, 2014 at 11:06 pm
Johnny says
Jan 07, 2017 at 2:06 pm
TheThailandLife says
That said, I hope you are right, I hope it has declined. Certainly the number of western pedophile cases fell last year, though we have seen cases rise in Cambodia and Northern Thailand, so it is likely that because the media is focused heavily on Pattaya, because of its past reputation, that pedophiles are avoiding the area.
That said, orphanages and organisations like the Human Help Network, Slum Kids, and Help Alliance are busier than ever helping street children who have been victims of sexual abuse.
What I always find very hard to swallow is the Western expats who want to rubbish this issue; pretend it is overstated, doesn't exist or that real-life cases are "disingenuous". This attitude is a real betrayal of the street children at risk and plays into the hands of corrupt authorities who are part of the problem. And for what? To project their association with Pattaya because they like to holiday there and partake in the sex industry, and don't want the risk of being tarnished with the same brush.
Jan 07, 2017 at 5:27 pm
Kalie says
Jan 27, 2014 at 8:22 am