Two young women have been arrested separately for their alleged involvement in luring 25 underage tribal girls from northern Thailand into selling sex to Chinese customers in Bangkok.

Police from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division apprehended Nalatporn, 22, at a massage shop in Suphan Buri province on Thursday. Panida, 21, was arrested at a condominium in Huai Khwang district of Bangkok on the same day. 

The arrests followed a police operation targeting a human trafficking gang said to have duped 25 tribal girls aged under 18 from Mae Hong Son into coming to Bangkok, where they were made to sell sex to Chinese customers at luxury hotels. Five women aged under 18 were arrested last year on charges of procuring.

Police said the five suspects and others bought mobile phones for the girls and took them to visit various places in Bangkok before taking them to hotels to sell sex to Chinese customers.

The customers offered as much as 200,000 baht for girls who were virgins, and would pay half that price for those who were not, police said. 

Police found that Ms Nalatporn and Ms Panida had worked with the first group of suspects luring girls into the sex trade.

The two women admitted to all charges.