200 Thais fleeing pimps every year
By EUNICE del ROSARIO
Published: 13th May 2007
AN average of over 200 Thai women, forced into prostitution in Bahrain, escape their pimps and are sent back to Thailand each year, it was revealed yesterday.
The Thai government reportedly spends 20 million Bhats (about BD222,000) each year to bring home Thai women who escape the sex trade in Bahrain, according to a Bangkok Post report.
“A large number of Thai women enter Bahrain to become sex workers and cost the (Thai) government millions each year,” it says.
Four Thai women have just arrived back from Bahrain showing clear signs of physical and mental distress, says the report.
200 Thais fleeing pimps every year
By EUNICE del ROSARIO
Published: 13th May 2007
AN average of over 200 Thai women, forced into prostitution in Bahrain, escape their pimps and are sent back to Thailand each year, it was revealed yesterday.
The Thai government reportedly spends 20 million Bhats (about BD222,000) each year to bring home Thai women who escape the sex trade in Bahrain, according to a Bangkok Post report.
“A large number of Thai women enter Bahrain to become sex workers and cost the (Thai) government millions each year,” it says.
Four Thai women have just arrived back from Bahrain showing clear signs of physical and mental distress, says the report.
The four women, who say they were forced into prostitution after being lured to Bahrain by pimps promising high paying jobs that didn’t exist, arrived back in Thailand on Friday.
All four are to immediately undergo rehabilitation provided by the Pavena Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which fights for the rights of children and women.
Two of the women, identified as Piyachat Rurmwattana and Veeranuch Somwung, both aged 26, were badly injured after jumping from a second floor flat in Hoora to escape a vice den, as reported earlier by the GDN.
Both of Ms Rurmwattana’s legs were still in a cast when she arrived home, while Ms Somwung suffered injuries to her back.
They reportedly tried to escape by jumping from a second floor flat used for prostitution, during a vice raid on April 21.
They were taken to the Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC), where they remained for several days.
The other two women, who were only identified as Bao and Tong, both in their 30s, also said they escaped from their pimps and sought the assistance of the Thai Embassy last month.
Officials did not elaborate which one of the four women were now suffering from severe mental stress, but added that the woman spoke to reporters about how her life in Bahrain “was hell”.
All four women claimed that they were brought to Bahrain by recruiters, who turned out to be pimps, with the promise of high paying jobs.
They said that they were forced into prostitution by their pimps, having had to “service” at least five men each day.
“They took all my money and gave me enough for my daily needs,” said one of the women upon arrival at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand on Friday.
“If I asked for more money, they would call me a big spender.”
She then reportedly rambled incoherently about “visions of lottery results” and having to come back to Thailand to “save the nation”.
“You can take lottery numbers from me for the next draw,” the mother-of-one told reporters.
“Now, I’ve come back to save Thailand. I won’t ever return to Bahrain. It’s hell.”
The woman’s sister-in-law, Julaipen Roongroj, said she was shocked to see how her health had deteriorated.
“Eight months ago, she went to Bahrain so that she could ensure a good life for her one-year-old daughter,” she said.
“She sent home 100,000 Bhats (about BD1,100) twice for her family.”
The woman behind Paveena Foundation and politician Paveena Hongsakula co-ordinated the women’s return.
She said the Thai government was now providing immediate mental and vocational rehabilitation for the women and granted them 15,000 Bhats (about BD166) to help them get back on their feet.
All four women and their relatives have reportedly also filed legal complaints with the Thai police against their alleged pimps, said Ms Hongsakula.
Officials from the Thai Embassy in Bahrain were unavailable for comment yesterday, however, a spokesman earlier told the GDN that investigations were continuing into the women’s individual cases.
“It is the embassy’s job to protect its citizens and we are very concerned about this problem involving the exploitation of Thai women,” he said.
The embassy also said that authorities in Thailand were hoping to shatter a network of pimps who promise women good paying jobs in Bahrain, only to turn them into prostitutes after they arrive.
The network is said to have grown so much that female pimps (known as “mamasans”) from Thailand have already established themselves in Bahrain.
The spokesman acknowledged the growing problem of prostitution of Thai women in the country, adding that authorities from both countries were already doing everything they could to control the issue.
The embassy does not have a record of how many Thai women are being forced into prostitution in Bahrain, but the spokesman said it knew of some who were being kept by their pimps against their will.
There are about 4,000 Thais working in a variety of jobs in the country.
The GDN reported last month that the embassy was seeking more co-operation from officials in Bahrain and had written to the Interior Ministry requesting to be alerted every time one of its citizens was arrested. It also said criminals who bring Thai prostitutes to Bahrain were ruining the reputation of Thailand.
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© Gulf Daily News