Eight teenage Lao girls were rescued from prostitution by law enforcement officers during a crackdown on the sex trade in Nong Khai's Muang district yesterday.
A combined force from the Department of Special Investigation, army, police, Immigration Bureau and the provincial Office of Social Development and Human Security raided a karaoke bar, a massage shop and a nearby rented room in Don Mon community in Muang municipality, rescuing six girls during the operation.
Two girls were 15 years old, two aged 16, and the other two 18 and 19.
Officers also arrested Suchart Ratanadee, 70, his son, Petty Officer 1st Class Sajja Rattanadee, 38, attached to the Royal Thai Fleet, and Poonsawat Ritplang, at the scene for allegedly procuring prostitutes.
Accounts containing earnings of each girl and payments to several agencies were allegedly found in Mr Suchart's car.
Similar accounts of the girls' payments were also found in Petty Officer 1st Class Sajja's vehicle and the massage shop, officers said.
The suspects denied being involved in procuring prostitutes.
Meanwhile, authorities also rescued two other girls, aged 15 and 16, during a search of a three-storey house on Prajak Road in tambon Nai Muang of Muang district on a tip-off that the location was involved in the sex trade.
They also arrested Apai Kammuangkoon, 66, Thirayut Yodthaisong, 46, and Ngeun Pongboonma, the 41-year-old Lao wife of Thirayut, for allegedly procuring underage girls for prostitution.
Three Lao women, aged 20-22, and a 20-year-old Thai female found at the house were also held in custody for questioning.
An undercover officer disguised as a client asked to "buy" a girl for 500 baht, and the raid was then launched when Mr Apai allegedly received the money and brought the girl to the officer.
According to officers, the 15-year-old girl (name withheld), told them she had provided sex services for two months, while another girl had worked there for a week.
The 15-year-old allegedly said the suspects told her not to have more than five clients a day, and each time she had sex, 300 baht went to Mr Apai and the rest to her.
Mr Apai allegedly told officers he first organised the service alone, but Mr Thirayut and Ms Ngeun approached him asking for work to repay debts to him.
Officers said they also pressed charges against the suspects for providing shelter to one of the Lao women there, who was found to have no valid entry documents to the country.